What a compliment! <3 I've been finding him difficult lately, so that is really sweet. Noa looks great! and it's nice to have more wolves in SR :D
<blockquote>It did not take long for Marsh's presence to be noticed, and that pleased him. It would not have done to allow an incompetent wolf to hold the rank below Corinna, a wolf whom had grown so much in Marsh's eyes. Where his leader had started a mild thing, she had won his respect and so much more. Now it was time to see if this girl was capable of nearly the same.
Keeping his gaze slightly averted, so not to disrespect a wolf who was yet to earn such treatment (and hopefully would never earn it), Marsh approached her, tail quivering between neutrality and dominance, head raised and ears perked in open curiosity. As she regarded him, so he regarded her, but there was little more to add to the assessment of earlier. Her eyes were blue, that he could include, but other than that she was as any other pretty, unremarkable thing, except perhaps her size. She technically stood taller than Marsh himself, though the wolf tended to appear bigger if only because of his attitude, and he certainly let no small thing like height intimidate him.
She spoke, ruining the moment, but he had expected as such. Fortunately it was nothing more complex than a greeting, which he returned wordlessly by dipping his head. By then, his strides had taken him right up to this new Second, and where common politeness may have dictated that he stop, Marsh was not one for social niceties. No, he wanted to really get to know this girl. Without hesitation he marched past her, almost close enough for their shoulders to brush, his nose dancing over her pelt as he inhaled her, absorbing everything she was. He could smell Indru on her so clearly, that sign that she was to be accepted, and it was still so very fresh. So much potential - for success and failure. Huffing to himself, Marsh turned sharply when he came to her hindquarters and repeated the process on her other side, bringing them shoulder to shoulder before he stepped away, his preliminary analysis complete. She was well and truly stored in his memory now.
Turning to watch her, he wondered whether that would suffice. After all, he wasn't interested in her name or where she had come from, nor in sharing the same. But she wasn't just any member; she was Second! And whilst her scent didn't bring up any red flags, that didn't make her any more suited to the position. Eyes narrowing as he swiftly came to the only logical conclusion, he took a few steps backwards and then dropped to his elbows, assuming the familiar playful stance - but the expression on his face was anything but that of fleeting amusement. No, he was utterly serious. He wanted to <i>play</i>, but it was only to better assess her abilities; totally sensible.</blockquote>