Sex: FemaleBeing a scout, Desideria had decided, did not only mean understand the pack borders and the lands that surrounded them immediately. In fact, her king had instructed her that a scout was also meant to be fit, capable of running fast and hard for incredible distances day or night, rain or shine. It was a strength of its own kind, one she'd never experienced before, but one she was beginning to desire as much as she lusted after that which was shiny and unobtainable. But it was not only vigor and vigilance. Being a scout meant she needed to know what was going on around Fallen Tree Cove. What use would she be if she was lost in their own little world, tucked safely inside the borders along the lakeside while war unfolded between neighboring packs, or a flood savaged nearby loners? It was this notion that pressed her onwards – or, at least, it was this notion that justified the itch in her paws. She'd traveled north, and west. (Des knew very well there was a pack to the south, and had yet to have either the desire or the steel to visit the plateau pack once more, lest she run into the angry mother and the cubs she must have by now.) This only left one viable option: the east. Serpent's Pass granted her safe travels as she descended into the Spectral Woods, greeted only by a suffocating silence. She would not let this deter her. Ears swiveling in all directions, her nose wriggled against the thick air as she picked her way through the forest, seeking out even one other wolf. Eventually, she got her wish – she found the borders of Oak Tree Bend. Here, the woman halted a respectful few lengths and issued a short bark, summoning any pack animal in the area. Alphas weren't required. She only wished for conversation, for nothing more. |
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However, these thoughts rarely came to the forefront of her mind. Anneliese did her best to roll off the feeling of unease, to not dwell on the predicament she had gotten herself into. Self pitying would not do anyone any lick of good, and thus she would not waste her time with it. Anyways, there were far more important things to occupy her thoughts. Mainly, how she felt torn between staying home to ensure the safety of the pack and striking out to track down the murderers. Everything within Anna wanted to see them punished; but not because of sentimental reasons, such as Drestig's. No, the knightly woman simply could not witness a crime with every fiber of her being yearning to dole out justice. She had never known Silver, hadn't heard her name until that day they'd discovered her tenderly laid out corpse, yet she would not stop until the criminals were punished for their trespasses.
Today, she found it more pressing to patrol the borders. Others were out searching at the moment, and rather than further weaken the defenses Anna aimed to uphold them herself. She found it unfortunate that the pack had newborns to care for; otherwise this would've have been a much simpler matter. They could've hunted the murderers down together, as a pack.
Her paws carried her round and round, covering the territory's outer perimeter in a great sweeping ellipse. Ever vigilant, her eyes and ears caught everything within their range. Occasionally, she would rub her chin and sides against the bark of the trees, or relieve herself in the open patches, strengthening the walls of scent. There would be no excuses today that they had wandered too close by 'mistake.' Upon starting her third trip around, the monotony was at last broken.
A single call cracked through the air, and Anneliese' gait naturally swung westward to meet it. The sound itself seemed pleasant enough to her ears, but still she guarded; who knew what dwelled inside the hearts of strangers. The paladin had learned long ago to never assume safety. When she came within view of the woman, she stopped several paces back, allowing a large gap between them; for safety reasons. Her posture and features were friendly enough, a small but genuine smile upon her black lips. Beneath the surface, however, her muscles were tightly coiled, ready at any moment's notice to spring into action if needed.
"Hello there. Are you in need of something?"
Perhaps an announcement would make the company more pleasant, the scout in training tried to reason with herself. She didn't want an alpha – she really hoped it wasn't a leader she'd summoned, mercy. Dealing with Vespertio still made her a little nervous, and he had been nothing but patient with her…friendly, even! Of course, his queen was a bit different, but the star dancer was her friend. The royals of the Fallen Tree Cove pack were distinctive – and perhaps that was because they were finally beginning to be logged as family in the woman's mind. Pack meant bonds closer than friendship and those ties were finally beginning to strengthen. So when the white wolf finally appeared, Desideria tried to appear as friendly as she possibly could – ears were pricked in attentiveness, her tail was held low behind her, and her posture remained as open as she could possibly muster. There was still a modicum of anxiety in her muscles and her eyes, but even she with all her positive experiences could not shake that when approaching the border of unknowns. While it was unlikely they'd be as hostile as the Plateau alpha, it was not a memory she was likely to ever shake. Curiosity had almost cost the cat its life (never mind that foolish ear). "Hello!" she greeted the other wolf, offering one wiggle of her bushy tail. At least there wasn't a shiver in her voice, she congratulated herself. "Hello, I-- My name is Des, of Fallen Tree Cove. I'm out this way trying to meet neighbors, actually! I hope…I'm not causing a disturbance? I just…wanted to know who was out here." Expression turning sheepish, she dipped her head down as she gave another hopeful wag. "Do you have a minute to talk, maybe?" |
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![[Image: Desika_zps1xokdkap.png]](http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r535/dragonogoshuu/Desika_zps1xokdkap.png)
Still, a part of her wasn't exactly sure this was a conversation she should be having. After all, they had enemies out there. It was her first reaction to decline this Des's offer for a casual exchange of information. Yet she considered, there wasn't anything this woman could ask for that Garmr and his terrible tribe didn't already know. It was also unlikely that any stable, local pack would ally themselves with such a troupe of horrors. Anyways, Triell nor Spieden had yet instructed her on how to approach a curious foreigner. Taking the decision into her own paws, Anneliese talked herself into accepting this unexpected invitation.
"Hello," she affirmed once more, her cool calm stark against the excited rush of Des's introduction. She hoped her nonchalance would creep into the other woman, showing her that it was okay to relax around the buttercup lass. "My name is Anneliese, subordinate of Oak Tree Bend. You must be a scout, then? I would love to converse with you, so long as you're willing to share as many answers as you request."
Anneliese didn't owe this woman any favors; if she was here just to ask questions then run, she wouldn't waste her time. If she was pursuing mutual benefit, and willing to give Anna a thing or two to take back to her leaders, this would be a very useful expenditure of her time.
"You now know where we reside. Where is your Fallen Tree Cove located?"
"Annaliese! Nice to meet you," the woman greeted her acquaintance happily, pleased to be met by someone with some semblance of manners. Though it was months ago, her run in with the female alpha of Silent Moon Plateau was still etched deeply in the confines of her memory like carvings across a stone. It was a permanent work of art – not of beauty of or joy, but it was a lesson left for future explorations, one she could not forget. At least, she thought, tail wagging hopefully behind her, it seemed Oak Tree Bend would make better neighbors. Perhaps even allies, depending on what they sought. Bobbing her head, her expression slowly turned a bit sheepish, dropping her head with a small shake. "Well…no, actually. Not yet. I'm training to be a scout, and my alphas have asked me to practice the duties before I'm actually awarded the role. And that's why I'm here! We don't know much about our neighboring packs, and I think my alphas are open to the possibilities of allies, if there are agreeable wolves nearby." Hoping this was enough to satisfy the other pack animal temporarily, she hummed and considered the question. If they were to be associates, it would be important that they be able to find the lake wolves if they needed them. "We're across the wood. This side of the mountain, on the shores of the lake," she described, glancing over her shoulder in the general direction of her home. "Part of the shore, and a bit of wood. That's our home." Smiling, Dezzy could only hope this was sufficient – outside of escorting the other female to the boundaries, she was unsure how else to describe the grounds. "What are the names of your alphas? What do they-- What do they stand for? Does that make sense?" "I just-- Want to know if we might be compatible. The packs, I mean." |
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The description given of how to find this woman's pack was swiftly committed to memory, for it would be one of the most vital things learned through this discussion and certainly a necessary thing to relay to @Spieden once this was over and Anneliese departed to report to the queen. No more information was given, but questions were asked, and she conceded the advantage of this order of turns to the russet woman. The second inquiry gave Anneliese reason to pause as she found that she wasn't quite sure how to answer it, and once more she felt a bit doubtful that it was her who should be receiving this ambassador.
"To be honest," Anneliese began with a graciously modest smile, "I'm a bit new here myself."
She had been present amongst the ranks for time enough to know such things, but given the odd nature of her pack, her own wandering tendencies and the many misfortunes that had plagued them, Anneliese hadn't been able to really grasp such basic knowledge of her own pack. It made her feel slightly ashamed, but such intricacies were unnecessary to impart upon Des, and certainly she couldn't allow anything that might be construed as weakness slip past her lips.
"Triell and Spieden are our leaders," she informed her, beginning with the easiest of answers to give. There was another pause, unease creeping up on her as she felt thoroughly uncomfortable and still was at a loss for words.
Abruptly, a few ideas clicked into place within her head, and she swiftly said, "We fight for each other. Not just for one another's well-being, but their memory and honor," her mind turning to Silver and the anger-fueled chase that had followed the discovery of her death. She remembered Garmr and Skadi's cries as the wolves of Oak Tree Bend had torn them apart to avenge their fallen comrade.
"Given our... misfortunes earlier this season, that is all I can confidently tell you."
Annaliese's smile was mirrored, followed by a small sigh of relief. At least the large woman could understand where the scout in training was coming from – they were on the same page. She offered the white wolf a small bob of her head, hoping to appear encouraging before the woman finally spoke up. Triell and Speiden, alphas of Oak Tree Bend, she committed to memory, certain this, at least, would be something Namid and Vespertion would wish to know (if they didn't already, but if anyone among their ranks were aware of the Oak Tree wolves, they certainly hardn't told her). She bobbed her head again, making it clear she was listening when the green-eyed female cut herself off suddenly. The woman blinked, ears pricking forward as she tipped her head to one side. Had she done something…? "Thank you," she murmured, trying to make it clear she was grateful for Anna's willingness to share, as well as her generally friendly demeanor. Her tail swished and she bobbed her head, dropping her shoulders just a fraction. "That's good to know. I will share that with my queen." If Namid found it appealing, she could take the next step – it wasn't the rogue's place to offer or reject any sort of potential pack between the two groups. "Is…there anything else you'd like to know? About Fallen Tree Cove?" she encouraged after a moment, aware she'd been asking most of the questions – but any sort of relationship was a two way street, and it was highly unlikely that Anna's alphas would have any interest if she had nothing to report back to them. |
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Annelise considered the question posed to her, and found herself drawing a blank. There was nothing that she could think to ask, nothing that she felt compelled to question, and it arose within her awareness that this was not because they had discussed all that two curious subordinates could. No, that was very clearly not the case. There was plenty that could be asked of the rust-coated woman, and yet there was not a single urge within the paladin to continue the conversation. She could only conclude that this was further proof in her lacking dedication and increasing detachment from the pack whose protection she dwelled under. No, even that wasn't a completely true statement. So often was she outside of their borders, Anneliese may as well have been on her own.
Keeping all thoughts to herself and far from the reflections within her eyes and face expressions, she dipped her head to Desideria respectfully before returning to her that, "I think that will do well, for now. As far as I know, your leaders are more than welcome to request a meeting with ours, should they so wish."
Oh, how she wanted to be even more gracious than that, but felt out of place doing so. Anneliese had gotten a decent vibe of what her pack was about, but truly hadn't acquainted herself well enough with either Triell nor Spieden to know for sure how welcoming they would be to their neighbors. Thus, the conversation was ended as such. Trading concise good byes, the blonde woman saw her unexpected visitor off before returning to her duties.