Sacred Grove Getting to Know Swift River...

Cali was excited and couldn't seem to stop smiling. Her fluffy white tail would also wag intermittently as she saw new sights in what was now her new home. She had been accepted by Indru and she carried a slight bit of his scent from when he had brushed across her in acceptance. Hopefully, other wolves of his pack would take the time to notice that rather than attack and ask questions later. This thought finally made the smile fall from her face. Her head lowered and her pace slowed as she continued in the direction she assumed would lead to the den.

Now her nerves were getting the best of her. Just because Indru had accepted her, didn't mean that the others would approve of her. She hailed from a land quite far from these and her coloring was not common. Her pristine lush white coat marked her a foreigner and her emerald green eyes were a startling contrast to most wolves' eyes of golden, amber and brown. Memory of Indru's bright orange eyes came to mind. They stood out from most as well, so maybe her eyes wouldn't be frowned upon.

Then she took a deep breath and decided not to worry herself to death with things that could not be helped and that had yet to be an issue. Her head lifted a bit and a slight smile returned to her face. She would take everything as it came. That was all that anyone could do. Then she returned her attention to the terrain, doing her best to fix it all in her mind. It would take time for her to learn it all and she may as well start now!

Never Underestimate a Heart of Fire...

<blockquote>He had been wrong about Indru. The distinct lack of Borlla's scent in the territory had only led to one conclusion, and while it was possible that Borlla herself had turned down the offer, Marsh thought it more likely that he had done his leader a disservice. No matter his devotion to Corinna, Indru deserved his respect as well. The wolf may have been doing a lot to stretch it as much as possible, but it was true. He may have disappeared more than once, but he always came back.

Though Marsh had not slighted his leader, and doubted that Indru even knew of his dissent, Marsh felt it prudent to seek him out and make his loyalties clear. It helped no-one to harbour distrust, much less the top-ranking males.

An unknown scent on the wind distracted him from this intention. Instantly, he was on alert; a strange female, inside the borders, so close to Corinna's newest litter? He thought not. Angry, he turned into the breeze, seeking out this trespasser. It was not until he was very close that the mark of Indru, laced with her own, became apparent - so fresh. Such a recent acquisition.

It only did a little to ease his tension. If he was to be more trustful of Indru, then he had to be accepting of this decision, but it did tear at his nerves to have so many strangers roaming the territory while his leadess was pregnant and vulnerable. It was with this tension in his body that Marsh boldly approached the white wolf with stiff movements, tail creeping up over his rear in dominance. He did not yet growl, nor lift his lip, though his wild face was moments away from such a display.

Instant submission was the only demand. Swift River had no room for wolves who did not know their place.</blockquote>

Cali's inspection of the land was abruptly cut short. She felt rather than heard another approach her. As she turned to face the wolf a small shiver traveled over her spine. He was not overly large, but his presence made him seem so. His body was tensed and in a distinctly superior posture. Somehow she knew that the only reason he had not actually attacked her was Indru's mark on her and she was immensely grateful for the initiation that had placed it there. She gave the quickest glance around for Indru, who had been behind her, but quickly returned her eyes to the stranger.

In a heartbeat, her ears lay flat on her lowered head and her tail tucked between her legs. She lowered her entire body in subservience and the only thing that kept her tail from her belly was her knowledge that she did indeed belong here now. She was no longer a loner, wandering aimlessly. It took a few moments for her to slow her heartbeat from the dark glare of the male's steely eyes.

<b>"I am Cali Swiftpaw, recently accepted into the Swift River pack by Indru."</b> Her words were confident and shaky at the same time. She knew she belonged, but this wolf was ready to tear her apart. The push and pull of her emotions was nearly overwhelming.

(This post was last modified: May 01, 2012, 05:24 PM by Cali.)

Never Underestimate a Heart of Fire...

<blockquote>To her credit, she responded to his satisfaction. He could see the distress in her green eyes, but she did lower herself appropriately. It was not as extreme a display as he had been hoping for (agitated as he was), but he could accept it. Without hesitation he marched right up to her, mostly ignoring her words - <i>Indru</i>, she said, though he already knew - and loomed over her, eyes flashing dangerously - but then he softened, just marginally, and when he moved to take her jaws briefly in his own, it was with no real aggression.

He would step back after a few moments, watching her closely, curiously. Swift River certainly was going all-out with recruiting females, lately. It was through no fault of their own that Marsh would naturally compare them to his leadess, a contest that would always come out in Corinna's favour.

But she had submitted. There was no real reason to intimidate her; his frustrations were not her fault, directly. Perhaps he should just move on and find Indru before she tried to start a <i>conversation</i>, bleh.</blockquote>

She trembled slightly as he approached and took her muzzle in his. There seemed to be the slightest of softening of his aggression. As he backed away, she breathed a soft sigh of relief. One packmate down. She could only hope that the others were less terrifying. She allowed her posture to raise slightly but was sure to keep her head and tail lowered. This wolf seemed to be looking to find fault and she didn't want to give it to him. <b>"Nice to meet you..."</b> Terrifying was more like it. She hoped that he would at least fill in his name at her polite greeting. He didn't seem to be a wolf of many words though.

As she waited hopefully for the male's name, she thought that she really must present herself to the leadess. If she didn't accept her as well, then Cali would have to continue her search for a home. She turned her slightly less nervous eyes upon his silver ones. <b>"I would like to present myself to the leadess for acceptance. I must please her, as well."</b> She hoped that her desire to please all of the high-ranking wolves would appeal to this protective wolf.

Never Underestimate a Heart of Fire...

<blockquote>Was she afraid of him? It was an almost humourous notion, but not one he disliked. Hopefully a fearful wolf would be less likely to behave inappropriately, and thereby give him less reason to want to bite her face off. Quietly he watched her, pleased at her continued submission, and though she spoke, it was not <i>quite</i> the torrent of annoyance he was used to. His ears pricked forwards at her first words - <i>meet</i> - and he thought that he grasped the idea behind them. Curious! He huffed once, gruffly reciprocating the sentiment. After all, it should always be pleasant to meet someone who knew their place.

She met his gaze directly, then, and he may have found it too assertive if not for her previous display. Besides, when she spoke again - <i>leadess, acceptance</i> - he quite miraculously understood a second time. A quite inhalation was all it took to conclude that she had not yet met Corinna, and that was certainly something that all Swift River wolves should do.

His head lifted, his tail relaxed slightly, and the wolf adopted a rather business-like aura; nodding sternly, he turned about and prepared to march back the way he came, a low rumble in his chest as the request that she follow. If she was to meet her lady, then he appreciated the ability to be there, just in case this white female was not as soft as she appeared.</blockquote>

Cali watched as the wolf shifted from dangerous aggressor to an altogether different demeanor that she couldn't quite put a name to. His brisk nod was not hard to understand however. Despite never voicing his own name, he would take her to the leadess himself. She relaxed a slight bit more at his change in manner, gave him her own gentle nod and followed obediently behind him.

She let her eyes once more drift about as they traveled, taking note of various trees and landmarks as well a breathing in deeply of her new home. If the Leadess accepted her. She held no illusions that her position was cemented and could only hope to please the lead female as she had Indru. She knew herself to be a capable wolf, but she had never been in such a position before. She had been born into the Snowfall Pack and then mated into Grindle and her pitiful pack of two that was never meant to be. This would be a first for her and she hoped that she didn't make too many mistakes along the way.

Never Underestimate a Heart of Fire...

We can carry on posting 'til/if Corinna shows up, though as you can tell, Marsh ain't so talkative! But feel free to post any ways, I'll keep replying anyway. Who knows, she could try and coax something out of him =P

<blockquote>Dutifully he led her through the lands which he was so familiar with, the sound of running water an ever-present backdrop to life in the Grove. As before, he was otherwise silent, and her equal lack of talkativeness did not go unnoticed. It suited him fine. In those few moments, the two had come to an entirely agreeable understanding, just how he liked it. And to think that, sometimes, he wondered if knowing how to efficiently use words made life <i>easier</i>. How simple was this!

He guessed that Corinna would be in the vicinity of the den, or at least nearby. Besides, if this newcomer had not been shown the densite yet, then this was doubly useful. As they drew near, Marsh paused for a moment, halting long enough to raise his muzzle and howl softly for his leadess' attention. Glancing briefly at the white wolf in tow, he then began to trot towards the heart of the territory, to where the new den had been built after the old had been ruined in a flood.

Upon arrival, he stopped, and then would watch the female silently. If Corinna was busy, then hopefully she would howl to announce it. Otherwise, if the newcomer wanted to meet her, then she could be patient.</blockquote>

The white female began to relax as she followed the silent male. The ever-present sound of water soon soothed her nerves became familiar to her. They paused for a moment and the male gave a soft howl, ostensibly for the leadess, but it could have been for any of the other members. Her ears twitched, listening for an answering howl. None came immediately and they were on their way, once again.

When they next stopped, they were at the den site. Cali looked around and didn't see any wolves nearby. She was relieved and disappointed at the same time. <i>These conflicting emotions were driving her crazy!</i> She looked back to the male and decided to give discovering his name another try while they waited. <b>"Thank you for bringing me. May I know your name?"</b> It was hard to miss that the brute was the silent type, but it would be nice to at least have a name.

Never Underestimate a Heart of Fire...

<blockquote>This is where it had the potential to be difficult again... With no way to know if Corinna was on her way, it was to turn into a waiting game. Marsh would have been perfectly happy with awkward silence. It would be less awkward than awkward attempts at talking.

Either way, awkwardness seemed to be inevitable.

Slowly, Marsh lowered his rear to the ground, sitting quite neatly and purposefully. It wasted a bit of time. He tried to control the flicker of doubt that ran through him at her words, his ears automatically pricking at the sound of her voice, his brain picking out words despite him really not being interested in the slightest. <i>Name.</i> That was such a common question. Perhaps he could...?

His tongue curled once in his mouth, and he knew that it just wasn't feasible. She was wary of him right now, perhaps still afraid, and that was far preferable to sympathy or mockery. If she really wanted to know his name, then Corinna could enlighten her, or anyone else if they happened to pass by. So, rather than respond to the relatively simple question, he simply snorted and then averted his gaze. Oh yes, he would be stubborn.</blockquote>