with courage in hand

@Phineas
@Lucero

The woods were breathtaking, but they were lonely. She could hardly stand the silence some days, and others it was the only thing keeping her together. These extremes of emotion were common to the girl, but as always they had been made more severe by the recent loss of her latest captive child. It had been a young fawn this time, easily found in this haven for deer. She had to break one of its legs to keep it from running away as she slept, and from there it learned of its own helplessness and swiftly gave in. Naturally, it died soon after. Her grief was immeasurable, as if this had never before happened to her. She cried for days, curled around its body, wanting for nothing but to feel it move again. It was only when her thirst was so great she thought her throat would tear like paper under the force of sobs that she forced herself to traipse to the nearest water source. With time, the pain's severity lessened, and her mourning ceased to consume her. Now, a month after, she was ready to move on. It was in cycles that Eek lived her life. She would live on her own for a time, content until laying eyes upon the youth of another. She would then become obsessed once more, plotting and conniving until that little one was hers. Then she would attempt to mother the animal, watch it die, and live through a period of severe hysterics and depression. In recovery, she would either find another victim or yearn for something more. The latter was what she felt now, a want in her heart for not just a child but a family; a pack. And so she set her spectral eyes north, to the pack founded on this very desire. She would lay her immediate fate in the paws of the wolves of Magnolia Glen. The trip was simple, the terrain growing more warm and inviting as she went. It was sign, Eek was certain of it; the sun was guiding her home. The scents grew thicker and her strides lengthened over the last few miles, before the barrier made itself known and she was forced to end her journey just short of its destination. She had danced this tango many times already, and knew her role as pleading subordinate well. Her body language became submissive, eyes darting over the scenery. A deep breath, and she took it all in. There was no one near as of yet. So to call them to her, she let out a few lengthened yips and yowls, vocalizing what she needed. Patiently, she would wait.

Her ghostly figure slipped through the forest she knew so well as quietly as the creek itself meandered past the gentle bends that guided it. The shoes she'd stepped into felt loose, and still she was learning to walk in them. She should have been scared─she should have felt overwhelmed by the burden of responsibility she hadn't asked for, but she didn't. Her love for this place and for the souls who roamed within its borders was stronger than the inklings of apprehension that had at first settled between the slender blades of her shoulders. If anything, the shift of power─as temporary or lasting as it may be─made her better to serve them all.

With the summer days slipping into the past and the northern wind now rustling through the green and gold and crimson canopy overhead, it wasn't surprising to the girl to have been beckoned to Magnolia Glen's borders. Seasons ago it had been her, wandering the wilderness with not but a single murky memory and the fur on her back and to show for the months of cold and solitude she'd endured. A hope for a better future had been the catalyst for her to decision to settle down in the right place, but she was smart enough to know that not everyone was as innocent as she'd been then. Magnolia Glen was no place for stragglers or those who sought a convenient home, and she would see to it that it stayed that way.

Emerging from among the thick and twisting trunks of the trees that marked their claim, her warm golden eyes held a feral glare as they swept over the woman where she stood. The ivory plume of her tail arced high over her back, she wore her dominant position proudly and for the rogue to see.

"What brings you beckoning at our borders?"

Their response was swift, a pleasing thing. A woman, no, a girl approached her. Eek couldn't help but marvel at this slight difference. This wolf that took her strides so purposefully was younger than Eek herself, even if only by a few months time or so. It struck up admiration in the girl. To have yourself so settled at such a young age... She couldn't help but wonder of other details in this stranger's life. If she adored what she had. If she had a love interest. If she yearned to be a mother as badly as herself. Nevermind the inner thoughts, Eek was certain to press herself lower to the ground, making up for a lack of tail to tuck. The last thing she wanted to appear was rude, ungrateful for this timely opportunity. A small smile made itself known on her maw, but she was quick to shoo that reflection away. This was the most difficult part, now; proving herself with mere words. Eek had never been good with those. But she drew from past experience, and hoped to answer every question this other woman might have, concisely and before she would need to ask. "My name is Eek. I am looking for a home. I have heard that the one you belong to was founded on the desire for family and that's... all I've ever wanted. I want to serve and to protect and belong, and I bring with me great knowledge of healing herbs and tending wounds. It has been my vocation since youth. I can demonstrate this for you by recital, if you wish... ?"

(This post was last modified: Sep 26, 2013, 05:26 PM by Eek.)

Pleased by the way the woman respectfully lowered herself further, she quick to notice that she didn't have a tail but instead a stumpy clump of fur. On some level, she drew a parallel between it and Kyros' disability, which she regarded as not much of a disability at all; it was rude to stare, though, so she didn't nor did she linger on any preoccupations with the rogue's physical appearance. A mirroring and transient smile spanned her dark lips, if only to be courteous and to encourage Eek to continue.

Judging from her first impression, the woman at her feet was polite and forthright as she explained her circumstance and the want for a family. Family─not pack. Though it was a minor distinction, Magnolia Glen was just that, something they prided themselves on, and Lucero couldn't help but to regard her positively for her choice of words and the way she went about it. Service, protection, and belonging were also mentioned, and for all she could tell from their short encounter, Eek could potentially be a fitting piece to their puzzle.

What was most distinguishable of the beckoner was that she had a medicinal background, and at this Lucero thoughtfully shifted her weight. If there was one thing the pack lacked, it was an experienced healer. After Borlla's accident, she'd done well to develop her own skills in the field and had put them to good use, but the possibility of adding someone with experience to their ranks was something she wasn't inclined to overlook. If anything, perhaps Eek could teach Lucero her ways, eliminating the need to travel or be absent to receive outside training. Two healers would be better than one.

"Eek─" the name slipped through her lips sweetly as she pronounced it for the first time. Inclining her head to reinforce her dominance, the tone of Lucero's voice was amiable. "A demonstration won't be necessary now. If family is what you seek, then perhaps Magnolia Glen could suit your desires. ─Rise."She grinned fleetingly before looking over the wolf with speculation. "Winter is coming─what other abilities have you to contribute, should I allow you within our ranks?"

Happiness was swelling within Eek's heart. The other girl's reception of her was very positive, so far as she could tell. Cautions beginning to ease, she couldn't help but feel more confident. She would have a home once more, and this time it would last. It would have to. She couldn't keep cycling between desires and tragedies the rest of her life. Eek did as told, though still she did not stand erect. Given their distance in height, she could manage standing tall and still would not lift her head higher than her company's, but this did not alter the position she now held. Neck stretched forward and down, she kept her head lowered in a deferential bow of sorts. A friendly gesture did not excuse Eek from maintaining manners. "I posses the same skills for survival as most; I am a cooperative hunter and will be perfectly capable of helping to keep the pack fed. Having spent plenty of time surviving on my own, I am well trained in holding my own against various opponents; should someone seek to take advantage of the season's scarcity, I am prepared to defend the pack." Truly she had nothing unique to give in the face of Lucero's question, and so she offered what she had. It would be unwise to lie about her abilities as the truth would quickly be uncovered and then she would be in a worse position than if she was to be rejected. Eek was experienced with the wrath of a deceived pack.

He felt haggard -- the proud boast in his steps was subdued now as he trailed the borders, his fiery eyes duller than usual. A weary mind would retrace the first moment he laid eyes to Borlla's injuries, the shudder of pain she revealed, and the agony within her honeyed eyes. That distinct moment made him want nothing more in the world than to trade places with her.. to bear the pain as his own and shoulder the recovery she would need to go through. This desire was unanswered, logically, and instead, the pale beast attempted to soothe his mate in any way he could. It was not uncommon for him to bring a leaf curled with dew to help her quench her thirst without moving, though Kyros and Hypatia were also intent on aiding their mother. He longed for her recovery, but knew it would take time.. and he worried quietly the effects the injuries would have on her as she grew older.

Lucero had stepped up with a dignity that Phineas had admired in a girl so young. She shouldered the responsibility without complaint -- even taking on more when Phineas himself spent more time helping his mate heal than his duties to leadership. But he could not shirk them altogether, and so the ivory Leader patrolled, hoping to empty his mind from current thoughts.

That hope was answered in the cry of another -- one he did not recognize. His pace quickened, his walk becoming a swift lope. The scent of the other came to him before his eyes fell upon her, though only moments after, he was on the scene. Lucero had made it their first -- her pale figure held in a dominance that suited her, and made him wonder to how long Magnolia Glen would have the honor of calling her family before an equally dominant male swept her away to dispersal.

Moving forward, his stance lifted, despite his heavy heart. He had missed the conversation, and his fiery eyes regarded the stranger as he came alongside Lucero, casting hr a friendly nudge to her cheek before ceasing movement. "Who is this, Lucero?"

Again, the dark girl before her did well to provide a forward answer, and it would appear as though she was well-rounded in her capabilities. An able body to hunt, a sharp mind to lend, medicinal experience and the desire to protect the pack against any enemies or bottom feeders, should they surface during the winter months; all were things either required or desired by the pack or herself personally, and in terms of their first encounter, Lucero had made a decision of her own.

Before she could proceed any further, however, the peripheral sound of movement tore her direct attention from Eek. Phineas' pale and swarthy figure emerged into view and immediately she felt a breath of relief, and a tinge of respectfully appropriate affection. She'd done well so far to intercept the stranger and mediate her tentative induction into Magnolia Glen, but Phineas was the king─ultimately, whether the rogue was to stay or leave was his choice. While she'd considered that he might answer the call personally, Lucero knew he'd had his hands full in tending to Borlla's care. His arrival might have been surprising, but she was glad he'd come.

"Phineas."Dipping her head slightly to convey her respect and allegiance and welcoming his touch, her golden eyes roved the angles of his face before casting back to the woman in question. This is Eek─she has come to seek acceptance into our ranks." Lucero looked to the she wolf with an encouraging half-smile. "She states that she is a capable hunter and protector, and has knowledge of healing." The short report was all she would give, as it was expected he would have questions of his own for Eek.

She hung now on every minute reflection within Lucero's features. Even the smallest of twitches of her lips would send Eek ridged as she expected the next vocalization to be of the woman's decision. Did she or did she not have a home? The apprehension had her on the very edge. Yet Eek would not know what the girl's next words would be as both were distracted by the entrance of another. Like with any true leader, it was easy to tell of his dominance, and Eek acted accordingly. Once more she lowered herself close to the ground, just as submissive as she had previously been to Lucero. Her nerves calmed only slightly as she made use of her patience and prepared herself to completely repeat the interview process, if need be. Immediately, she assumed them to be mates, but his scent proved otherwise, too thick with another female's odor. Eek became increasingly curious about what this girl's, Lucero's, position was within the pack, as her posture indicated this male's dominance over her. Eek shifted her weight, slightly antsy to know how this event would end, but she still had control of herself. She listened intently, seeking clues from diction and intonation. His name was Phineas; that was all she learned, as Lucero's report of their meeting was purely factual, giving nothing away as to her current opinion of Eek. Though to still have an audience, and that bone of a small smile from the girl, it was obvious she was still in the running. There was little for her to add, and so Eek remained respectfully silent, ready for whatever further questions Phineas might have.

His eyes grazed over her figure as she lowered -- pleased by this, he relaxed slightly, though his tail still curled up in dominance. His eyes drifted to Lucero as she spoke, and his eyes lit at the mention of a healer. Borlla. He ached to know she was in such pain, and swallowing, he attempted to remain collected, stoical, as he once more regarded the stranger. "Eek.. it's a pleasure. I'm Phineas Argyris, leader of this pack." There was a small pause as he considered the she-wolf before him. His co-leader thus far had not mentioned any warnings about the girl, nor did she seem uneasy. Perhaps Eek was a gift from some higher power above, for they were in great need of some healing experience.

"My mate has hurt badly in a fall from the mountain not long ago," he began, uneasy at confiding such personal matters upon a stranger. But it was Borlla, and she needed whatever he could give her.. even if it was a stranger who claimed to have medicinal knowledge. "If you are to stay with us, then I ask that you see her right away." There was a shift of his weight then, his eyes seeking out any emotion upon the pale face of the she-wolf who stood beside him, curious if she held any doubts to this. "I will bring you a portion from our cache. You must be hungry." He allowed his words to fade then, his gruff tone almost imploring. A soft autumn breeze swept past him then, tickling the pale fur along his spine. Winter was coming, and Borlla was badly injured -- he needed her to be stronger for the oncoming season. He needed her at his side once more, raising their children... reigning as the queen of Magnolia Glen.

She remained quiet and composed as Eek and Phineas interacted, watching the dynamic between the two. He was clearly pleased by the woman's appropriate posture and the respect with which she regarded him, but it was the fact that she had medicinal experience that made the Argyris male's eyes shine brighter.

Immediately she knew why, her own thoughts drifting back to Borlla as she imagined his had. Worry twisted her gut, but the facade she'd put out for the encounter was unchanged. A part of her wished there was more she could do for the queen, for her friend; another part of her knew that whatever skills Eek might possess could be invaluable to Borlla's recovery. As Phineas spoke up about his mate's recent accident her eyes watched his lips as they moved before casting back to the dark furred woman as he expressed that he wanted her to see Borlla right away. She met his gaze at once as the leader looked to her, her expression supportive of his decision. There was no doubt in her mind, at this point, that Eek's addition would prove useful and was warranted with winter well on the way. And the sooner her skills be put into action for Borlla's benefit, the better.

The ivory lengths of her thickening fur caught in the rustle of wind that swept past as she reassuringly nodded her agreement to Phineas.