Cedarwood Forest A New Land

Mali awoke slowly, ears twitching in interest at the sound of a small animal scurrying from one bush to another. She lifted her head to see what it was and snorted when she saw it was a stoat. It was small and scrawny and after yesterday's meal, the small critter wasn't really worth the effort to hunt. She still felt a little dizzy from the kick to the head she'd received while hunting deer yesterday, but she also couldn't afford to hang around in one spot for very long. She wasn't sure where she was, exactly, but she could smell other wolves that had passed through.

She stretched, her back cracking as she extended her forepaws in front of her. She shook off the snow that had accumulated on her coat over the night and looked toward the sky. It was overcast, filled with huge white clouds that she knew would bring heavy snows. She needed to start moving or else be trapped in the oncoming storm. Yesterday, she had been travelling with the morning sun to her left, but now, she couldn't see the sun to guide her. She set out anyway, not knowing that instead of south, she was now travelling east.

She took off at an easy gait. Although she wasn't very fast, her legs were long and her strides wide. It didn't take much exertion to cover long distances. She noticed the trees were starting to get taller and further spaced apart. It made for easier walking, certainly, but it also made her a little wary. There wasn't a lot of cover should she encounter a larger predator. It was times like these that she missed her family and she questioned whether or not she should have left her pack in the first place. Solitude was peaceful but very challenging. She missed her pack, yes, but she wasn't sure if she'd be able to submit to another leader. Perhaps she'd be better off on her own.

It was several hours later that the wind suddenly changed and she caught a scent that made her hackles rise. There was a pack nearby it seemed. Or at the very least, many wolves had passed through here. There were new scents layered over much older scents and it made her cautious. There was a part of her that wanted to turn around and go in a different direction and avoid the territory altogether. Yes, that would probably be the wisest course of action. However, she certainly didn't come so far just to run away at the first sign of potential danger. Oh no, not Mali.

She knew that it would be most courteous to announce herself. The last thing she wanted to present herself as was a threat. She wasn't looking to claim territory, after all. But what if the wolves in the area weren't friendly? She might be able to take on a lone wolf or two in combat if she got lucky, but an entire pack? Impossible. She meandered through the trees, inching closer into unfamiliar territory. Then she came to an immediate decision. She'd enter. She'd announce herself and enter and deal with the potential consequences later. Decision made, she nodded once to herself and threw her head back, letting out a long, drawn-out howl. She tried to make it as neutral-sounding as possible, more of a question than an announcement. She knew that wherever the other wolves were, they were sure to have heard her, and would likely come to investigate. In the meantime, she'd wait.

Going off of what you wrote, "She'd enter. She'd announce herself and enter and deal with the potential consequences later" I'm assuming that she crossed the border into Cut Rock River territory. Please message me if I got the wrong impression and I'll edit my reply.

♦♦♦♦♦

The howl that echoed through the territory was not a request for a leader or plea for help, nor was it in any way a challenge to the pack. It piqued the little scout’s curiosity; how often had a wolf who was simply exploring the land showed up at their border? The petite woman had settled herself in the community den to ride out the oncoming storm in warm comfort, but information was her job. If information was what the stranger wanted, Naia was what she would get. The timber woman pushed headfirst through the layer of snow that had covered the den opening, popping up out of the snow like a daisy in spring. Swift paws carried her through familiar, snow-covered trees to the source of the howl, where she froze in shock as she saw a strange female cross her fresh and in her opinion very conspicuous border marker.

”What are you doing?” Her tone matched the tone of the woman’s howl—not demanding or challenging, but neutral and curious. Naia had not moved from the point she had frozen, a stone’s throw away from the stranger. In any other interaction she would have sauntered right up to the newcomer, smiling that joyful grin of hers and wagging her tail warmly… but she was cautious with this strange, very large wolf who displayed such blatant disregard for her pack’s border. If @Maksim or their guardian @Karpos had answered the call, no doubt the stranger would have already been attacked for her insolence. There were some packs that killed loners on the spot for such a transgression. The sandy-coated woman was lucky indeed that Naia always gave newcomers the benefit of the doubt—occasionally a young wolf came through who just didn’t understand pack etiquette.

♦♦♦♦♦

It wasn't long after her howl that she began to get antsy. She wondered if she had made the right decision. Perhaps it'd be best if she just left? Maybe she could get far enough away before another wolf showed up? But then, what if they decided to follow her? Besides, the desire to see another wolf was strong. She'd been away from home for so long and she missed them. At this point, even an aggressive wolf would probably be preferable to the empty solitude that she was slowly getting used to. Mali circled the border marker and sniffed curiously at it. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't realize a wolf had arrived until she was several hundred feet away and approaching.

Mali looked guilty at the wolf's question, tilting her ears back and keeping her tail low. Of course she shouldn't have entered the pack's territory. Stupid. Her mother would have been so disappointed. What was she thinking?"Sorry..." She opened with. "I don't want any trouble." She tried to sound as sincere as possible. She looked down at her paws and took a few more steps back until she was on the other side of the scent marker. "I'm not normally this rude." She said with a nervous laugh. "I've been travelling for weeks now without any sign of other wolves, and I guess my curiosity and excitement got a little in the way of my manners." She explained sheepishly.

Mali fidgeted nervously, and noticed that the headache she'd had since that deer kicked her in the head was progressively getting worse. She whined softly and rubbed her head against her paw, as if that would soothe it. She hoped that this woman wasn't looking for a fight because even though she was smaller than Mali, Mali was in no condition to be fighting.

♦♦♦♦♦

The stranger had the courtesy to look ashamed when Naia questioned her, and she assumed a stance and attitude that was fitting for a loner addressing a pack wolf. Placated, the fur on the back of Naia’s neck flattened and her tail began to wag. As the girl backed away from her scent markers the timber woman took the ground that the newcomer gave, approaching the border with a calm expression. She had no intention of scaring the girl now that she was behaving appropriately, and besides—Naia loved meeting new wolves too.

”Certainly understandable,” she replied to the girl’s explanation, her honey eyes melting as her expression warmed. Now that they were closer the scout could see that the stranger also had eyes of warm honey. That was a good sign in Naia’s opinion. ”..But I would caution you to remain on neutral territory for the time being, in case another of my family turns up.” The warning was delivered in an offhanded way—Naia had no intention of continuing to dwell on the mistake—but she wanted to be certain the newcomer would do nothing further to get herself in trouble, especially if she was looking to join their family. ”Let’s not speak of it again,” she said with a crooked smile. It would be their secret.

”I have been rude as well. Forgive me for not introducing myself sooner. I am Naia Aegina, scout and Second to Maksim and Kisla Baranski, leaders of Cut Rock River.” Naia’s tail waved with a proud flourish as she introduced herself, her leaders, and her pack all in one mouthful—it was a very practiced introduction. She couldn’t help it anymore; she broke into her usual wide, joyful grin, all but shattering the regal effect of her previous words. She loved her leaders and her pack to pieces, and spreading the word to potential new members elated her.

”I would love to hear tell of your travels, if you have time enough to spare. But perhaps you would rather speak to my leader..? Her scout’s eyes missed nothing, and she noted the irritated way the sandy lady pawed at her head. ”..Or our healer? We have the best Healer in all of Relic,” she boasted, still grinning. Calling Lachesis to them would kill two birds with one stone if the newcomer was also hoping to join the River wolves. The specter-like healer had taken over Maksim’s duties at the border for the time being while the rightful leader healed from a nasty wound.

♦♦♦♦♦

Mali was happy to see Naia's posture relax and her own tail started to wag in response. She realized how fortunate she had been in meeting Naia, when she could have met a wolf far more unfriendly and less forgiving of her mistake. She didn't know how long she'd be staying near the pack's territory, and she certainly didn't want to start making enemies. So she nodded eagerly at the suggestion that they would never again speak of her mistake. "It's lovely to meet you." Mali said, grinning in response. "My name is Mali." She introduced. "My former pack's territory lies far North from here." She said, gesturing with her head, pointing her nose at what she hoped was North. She was kind of lost, after all. "And sure, I'd be happy to tell you all about my travels at some point if you'd like. I've all the time in the world to spare." She agreed with a smile.

Logically, Mali knew better than to trust someone that she'd only met a few minutes ago, but Naia seemed to be very friendly, and Mali found herself wondering if they might eventually grow to be friends. Mali had always felt that she was fairly good at reading others and she relied heavily on her instincts when it came to others. There was nothing about Naia that set off alarms, and Mali took that as a good sign. For some reason, though, the mention of her packmates made Mali a little wary. The thought of meeting their leader made Mali feel anxious, and she worried that somehow she'd end up making another mistake.

However, her head seemed to be getting progressively worse, and it would be immensely helpful to see a healer. Her headache seemed to agree with her, and her decision was made. She nodded her head at Naia and then winced when it throbbed painfully. "I'd really appreciate seeing a healer, yes." She agreed. "And I think that if your healer is willing to help me, then it would probably be appropriate to meet your leader as well." She decided. It would be important to adhere to etiquette from now on if she wanted the other members of the pack to think favorably of her. She would have to start thinking of a way to repay them if their healer was indeed willing to help her.

♦♦♦♦♦

Mali, a pretty name, Naia thought, and somehow familiar.. It sounded similar to the names that came from Naia’s birth region. The scout’s ears perked to attention when Mali said she traveled south to reach Relic.. just as Naia had nearly two years ago. How curious. Perhaps the two of them had shared a birth region. ..Or even an ancestor, Naia imagined, noting again their similarity in eye color. She only entertained that thought for a moment before shaking her head at its ridiculousness. What ancestor would produce a line as mighty and regal as Mali and another as small and scrappy as Naia?

”Excellent,” Naia replied as Mali agreed to share her story. Something about her word choice indicated that she wasn’t too interested in sharing right at this moment though, and Naia waited to hear if she had a different request. She nodded understandingly as her companion quickly agreed to meet Lachesis. Whatever ailed her must be bothering her more than Naia originally realized. Her new acquaintance must be skilled at powering through pain, a good quality in a guardian, Naia did not fail to note.

”You’re in luck then.. our Healer has taken over Makism’s leadership duties while he has been occupied with other tasks. So in effect, you can meet both at once.” Naia tilted her head back and let her voice ring through the Cedarwoods, alerting @Lachesis that there was an loner at the border who wished to speak to him and request his expertise. Naia broke her howl off and glanced at Mali uncertainly.

"It might help if you join in with the specifics about your ailment.. Just so he knows what to bring.” Naia understood that it went against every instinct to howl out your injuries for everyone to hear, but since Mali had not indicated that she was interested in joining the pack she would likely not be allowed into the territory to visit the healer’s den. That meant he had to bring the healing herbs to her.

♦♦♦♦♦

(This post was last modified: Dec 01, 2014, 05:50 PM by Naia.)

If you'd like them to be distantly related or have their histories tied together, I'm okay with that! If not, that's okay too. :)

Mali was both wary and pleased to hear that for the time being, the healer and leader were the same person. On one hand, that meant less people to potentially offend, but on the other hand, it also meant that she only had one chance at a good first impression. Privately she wondered when it was that she had become so insecure. It must have been the lack of a pack, because when she was with her family, she had been a very well-adjusted and well-balanced wolf. Perhaps she was just taking the lack of a pack more harshly than others. Her thoughts drifted to Naia's words and she began to wonder what it was that their rightful leader was occupied with. Of course, it could be nothing, but her instincts said it was more than that. Perhaps this pack was at war with another? Perhaps their leader was injured? Mali considered the possibilities and thought that if her instincts were correct, then perhaps they could use another wolf? She was strong, even when injured, and a good hunter. She was better when in a group, of course, but she managed to survive this long on her own. Not all wolves could do so. Well, she'd first wait and see the kind of impression she'd make on the leader before making any kind of long-term decision.

When Naia started howling, there was a second where Mali's soul ached to join in. She hadn't howled as part of a group in so long, and it seemed imperative for her to add her own voice. So, she was relieved when Naia told her to join in with information. Mali smiled in response, tilting her chin up to the sky and howling out her symptoms. "I was hunting a couple days ago and the deer I caught kicked me in the head, hard. My head feels like it's splitting apart and it feels like it's getting worse. I don't think that there's an external wound, but I've been dizzy and somewhat disoriented." It seemed silly to howl out information like that, but it was necessary, not to mention that now the whole forest knew she was injured. It was a kind of vulnerability she wasn't used to outside of pack.

Deciding that if she was going to be vulnerable, she may as well be comfortable, so she sat down cautiously. She regarded Naia for a moment, noticing similarities between them that she hadn't before. The main difference of course, was size. While they waited for the healer, Mali decided to share some of her history. "My parents weren't the leaders of the pack." She began, "My mother was the sister of the leader's mate. Our leader wanted a large pack more than anything, so he allowed her to have a litter. My father was a lone wolf named Bastion. He never talked about where he came from, but I look more like him than the rest of the pack." She explained. "I left them because I wanted to see more of the world. And I knew that one day I'd like to have pups of my own, but the only wolves for hundreds of miles were family or distantly related, so I figured I'd be better off splitting from the pack. Our leader, Erick, told me I could always return if I wanted, so we didn't part on poor terms." She said, a happy smile gracing her features at the thought of her family. "I've been travelling for at least six full moons. It's been hard to keep track of time." She said sheepishly.

He knew that Maksim’s health was nearly back to what it was prior to the illness. Soon Lachesis would return to his former position as the agouti male’s second, and he was okay with that. As much as being the temporary leader of Cut Rock boosted his confidence, it was not his pack to lead. Maksim had built the pack and was an exceptional leader. It would not be right for Lachesis to take it from him unless he did something that put the pack in jeopardy, or was unable to lead anymore.

The long-legged healer found himself staying close to pack territory, unless he wandered further to gather herbs before a heavy snowfall buried them for the winter. He was also hoping more loners would stumble upon their borders so the pack could increase their numbers. Last winter was devastating for Relic Lore, claiming many lives of both wolves and prey. He shuddered at the memory, a frown creasing his dark lips as he weaved through the trees that surrounded the pack’s den site. As much as the cold was bothersome, it did not affect XIX as much as others. His Arctic blood prepped him for winter, making the cold mostly enjoyable for the alabaster male.

A howl rang for him, pulling him away from his thoughts and causing him to stop in his tracks. Naia. The pack’s female second and an exceptional scout – there was someone else with her, someone injured. Curious, he stepped toward the sound of her call just as another rang out. This one came from another female, describing her symptoms to the healer. His mind automatically went to inventory as he sprinted back to his den – luckily he had not been far, and with the help of his long legs he had returned within minutes. Hellebore… willow bark… horsetail… he listed off as he gathered them, wrapping them in a large leaf to make transport easier. He only took what he knew he would need – although the loner was with Naia, she was still a stranger.

It did not take him long to arrive at the border where the two females were; the loner had been finishing up explaining her history to the scout as he approached. Dipping his head in greeting to the agouti-coloured female Lachesis placed the herbs on the ground before him, his pear-coloured eyes fastening on the stranger. “I won’t lie and say they taste good, but they will help with the pain and help fix any tissue damage.” He pushed the bundle toward her, his pale body standing instinctively tall as he studied her with curious eyes. Other than her head injury, she seemed in decent health – being a lone wolf meant never being in top shape, but she appeared to be relatively healthy. “Any reason why you’ve stumbled too close to pack borders?” He was sure that Naia had already confronted the female, but Lachesis wanted to hear it for himself.

stick with those who stick with you

Mali's ears perked up at the sound of the leader approaching. She smiled tentatively, tilting her head downwards submissively and keeping her tail low. She folded her ears down and closer to her head as she crouched down to accept the bundle. "Thank you." She said sincerely, wincing slightly as she began to eat the herbs. She whined softly at the first taste, but ate it quickly so she could answer his question. It was a valid question, and she only hoped that her explanation would be enough.

"I apologize for my proximity." She began. It was normally good to open with an apology, especially when one was in the wrong. "I've been travelling for several months, as I was telling Naia, and I hadn't encountered another wolf or even another wolf's scent since I left my pack. My excitement and curiosity got the better of me." She admitted. "I was lonely and I wasn't thinking clearly." She explained. She didn't want to lay all the blame on her head injury, but if she was being completely honest, it had definitely altered her decision-making process. She normally would not have approached another pack in such a careless way, but her injury had made her realize just how alone she truly was, wandering around on her own. It was sobering and a little daunting. She'd jumped at the chance to be around her own kind. "Of course I'll leave if you ask me to, but I'd like to repay your kindness somehow." She offered. It was how she was raised, to be appreciative of the kindness of others. He didn't have to bring her medicine, but he had, and she was immensely grateful. "I'd be happy to do whatever I can to help you and your pack." She finished.

Being a lone wolf, she didn't have caches of food to trade, all she could offer was her service to the pack. Even injured, she was strong, and her stature could be imposing. She wasn't the fastest, but her stamina and her strength still made her a force to be reckoned with. She was a pretty good hunter as well, and she knew that she had been an asset to the pack she was born into, and could be one for the next pack she was a member of too.

That's a cool idea! Maybe Bastion broke away from Naia's birthpack and traveled north before finding Mali's mother and her pack?

♦♦♦♦♦

Naia’s ears flicked sideways, listening in on Mali’s symptoms as they howled together, and when they finished she turned to Mali with honey eyes full of concern. The regal female had done a stellar job concealing such an injury, but of course that kind of talent was a must as a lone wolf. The other female was also studying her, looking as if she wished to say something, so Naia’s swallowed her concern for the moment and cocked her head, a silent urge for Mali to speak.

The young woman settled back onto her haunches and began the story Naia had requested, telling it with clarity startling for a wolf suffering from pain and dizziness. Her honey eyes widened as Mali told of the non-lead pair having pups; that was a common practice in Naia’s birthpack as well! The more Mali reminded her of home the more Naia found herself hoping that the sandy-pelted lady would stick around. Naia nodded as she finished her story: one of the happier histories Naia had heard from a loner in Relic. Though Mali had traveled much longer reaching Relic than Naia had, it was still a distinct possibility that their homes were similarly located. Naia had traveled to Relic in a straight shot through the Great Pass, whereas Mali’s wandering path had diverted her westward, and who even knew how much that injury had slowed her?

Naia was still puzzling over how to best question the newcomer about her origins when she saw Lachesis arrive from a distance. Evidenced from the bundle in his mouth he had gotten the full message. ”Lachesis, our healer and acting leader.” Naia introduced him as he drew up to them. ”This is Mali, a loner from the North.” Lachesis got straight to work and as Mali was forcing down the concoction the pale healer questioned her about her trespass. Naia’s ears flattened with displeasure. So much for that remaining our little secret.. Nineteen and his healer’s nose! Even so, Naia knew the healer’s nature and he was still like to be much more forgiving of the mistake than Maksim or Kisla. Naia listened quietly as Mali explained herself, watching Nineteen’s pale green eyes for a reaction.

♦♦♦♦♦