Hidden Tree under the sun

The male's response pleased Indru and he was surprised, he barely knew the wolf but already he had a vague attachment too him—fatherly almost, but undoubtedly protective, he reminded him so much of Hotei, his only sibling who he never saw after the fire. Hotei was as huge as he was harmless and he had a childlike nature, the boy was without a mean body in his bone and Indru would have hated to think of him alone and without a pack. Well you're always welcome in my pack, Bear, the leader answered him, a smile on his face, as long as you pull your weight that is. Your loyalty would need to be unquestionably to us like ours would be to you. Swift River is like a family—we help each other without question, just like I pack should be, Indru felt. It was the duty of the wolves to work together to keep the pack strong and Indru wouldn't take anyone in unwilling to follow this rule.

The leader had grown wary since the pack's latest betrayal, the snake Rhysis who had stolen away two members—one of which he had illegitimately impregnated and broke the very foundations of pack rules. Loyalty was something Indru regarded most highly and a breach of it was unforgivable to the leader, and it was something he would not soon forget if he were to come across Rhysis. However, it was clear that Bear was as far from this male as you could get, Indru could vision no harm coming from this large wolf, not that he was stupid enough to not be wary of it at first. We River wolves value loyalty very highly, he clarified, watching the darkly furred male infront of him.

He’d been thinking about where he’d go next. He wasn’t going to hunt down the other packs, no, that would just be a waste of time. Instead he’d go back to his usual routine, wandering aimlessly, no destination in mind and just seen what each day brought him. An inward sigh slipped from his lips as he glanced behind him, trying to work out which way he had come into this area with when the masculine tones of the other male caught his attention.
His head snapped around, his golden, warm eyes settled on the slightly smaller male as he listened so closely to his words. He was offering Bear a home? Surely that was too good to be true, but whilst his mind tried to dissect what was happening, his tail was thumping upon the floor from the excitement at the offer. A home. A real home. And what made it even more exciting was that he spoke of them as a family. Not just a group of strangers, but a real family who worked, lived and did everything together. He almost thought it was too good to be true, but from the serious expression on the others face it was clear he wasn’t joking.

”Are you serious?!” he then asked excitedly, the expression clear in his voice and the rhythmic beating of his tail upon the wet ground behind him. ”Loyalty is my middle name. Yes sir, you can count on me!” he continued, a beaming smile creeping across his lips making his fearsome look soft, almost dopey. Little did he know of the sentiment the other could feel for him, obviously he'd never met his brother but their similarities were uncanny- he hadn't a mean bone in his giant body and right now he wanted nothing more then to run over and tackle Indru to the floor in glee... so he did just that.

With his beaming grin still in place, he flung himself up from his seating position to barge his shoulder against the other, his tail swishing too and fro in play. Of course, this stranger might not take kindly to the action but he was just too excited to celebrate like a grown up!

Sorry for the powerplay, just say if you want anything changed! Feel free to PP them going back to SR.. And then I think the thread could be called done?

At the dark furred wolf's words Indru couldn't help by laugh, nodding as he confirmed that yes, he was in fact serious. Besides if the wolf was as loyal as he said what more could he ask for in a packmate? Bear had strength and size on his side, that was undeniable, and those traits were not something Indru would look over and dismiss. It did not require high intelligence to keep your pack mates safe or to help bring down a deer with your size when working as a group, it was a natural instinct and every wolf was an owner of those.

It seemed, however, that Indru had underestimated Bear's excitement and his fiery eyes widened in surprise as the large male ran towards him and barged his weight up against his side. Perhaps if it had not been so obvious that it lacked malicious intent, and that the male did not remind him so strongly of Hotei who Indru missed with something akin to physical pain he would have reacted more harshly, but the Tainn could do nothing but laugh quickly as he shook his head, nipping Bear's shoulder in a playful reprimand. Careful, he teased, I may be able to take the brunt of your size but not everyone in the pack will. Especially the cubs. Briefly a quick flicker of fear rose in him but he knew that Bear would undoubtedly take the greatest precautions with his unborn cubs and hopefully his more sturdy ones too. Squishing pack members will not serve you well, Bear, he smiled to show that the words were meant in good nature, but never the less the warning was there.

I'm your leader now, and your other is Corinna, my mate. You owe us and the rest of your pack your loyalty now as we will you. A smile was on his face again and he turned to face Bear head on, watching him for a moment before he committed himself to making this wolf pack. Finally, definitely decided, Indru stepped forward and placed his jaws gently around Bear's—it was a soft grip and not one intending to cause pain but to mark Indru's dominance and to mark the wolf as pack. After a moment, where Indru waited to see if his dominance was contested, he pulled away and nodded, walking down Bear's flanks on each side to rub the musky scent of leader into the wolves fur. Indru's scent, which in turn coated the borders, made it clear that this wolf was pack and more specifically a River wolf. Let's go home, Bear.

He realised his mistake as soon as his paws had stopped moving. Oh shit, was he allowed to play with the leader of a pack? His own pack hadn't been too fond of that sort of thing and he instantly regretted his actions; no doubt he'd just ruined his chances of a famlily again, so it was with great surprise that he saw the amusement and even a laugh slip from the lighter males mouth. Instantly he felt a little more relaxed, but made a mental note not to do that again and to just calm down. Honestly, he was such a child sometimes.

"I faithfully promise Sir, not to sit, lay or generally step on any of the pups in your pack, our pack I mean. In fact, I pledge my body to their every climbing, jumping and confidence needs. They may kill me as many times as they wish!" he said with a huge grin upon his face. Pups. Oh god, he loved pups. They were so much fun! He always felt at home around them, they could beat him up and kill him from sunrise to sunset and he would sleep with a smile upon his face. They made life so much fun, so entertaining... he could not wait to meet them.

As Indru came forward and marked Bear, he couldn't stop the swelling of pride he felt in his chest. He was beyond grateful to this wolf, this kind stranger who had done what no one else had ever bothered to do- give Bear a chance. With a beaming smile upon his face, he said nothing more as he followed his new leader and hopefully, new friend, home.