Hearthwood River ghosts rise from the flames

IT'S KUUUU! ILU Permission to jump in and wrap this up given by Mimi. <3

It was not often the she-wolf joined her mate upon the borders, but today, the moment her nose caught his scent nearby, Kisla was quick to join him. The two only ever held stolen moments together these days -- rearing a litter was hard -- but now that the girls were a bit older, she could only hope their time together would increase. Hearthwood River had some settling to do, and she would rise to the occasion at the side of her mate to see such an occurrence -- they might have been pushed from Cut Rock River, but she was not so willing to bend to the will of their new neighbors so easily. Or, even their old ones.

She found her mate conversing with another, and having caught the tail end of the conversation, it would seem they had a potential recruit. Kisla, despite the regal stance she held as she prowled closer, looked to the girl kindly. Sidling up to her mate, she rubbed her shoulder to his, casting warm green eyes upon the younger female. Once before she might have felt a spurn of jealousy that the wolf before her would attempt to steal Maksim's heart -- but now, with two litters, her insecurities were beginning to dwindle. "Hello," he murmured, casting a sideways glance to her mate. "I'm Kisla, the lead female of Hearthwood River. Who might you be?"

sparking up my heart

yay hihihi rach! sorry if this post is awful since it's been a smidge since i've been in mojave's character. @__@

Yet before there was any direct response to her, she could not help but be distracted by the approach of another wolf.  This one, cloaked in similar strands of earth.  She too carried herself in a way that pushed Mojave to look elsewhere, and in her deference she almost missed the shared moment between the two leading wolves.  Her tail swung easy at her hocks, and when prompted she could not help but bring her gaze back to peer at the pair as she had done moments before.  Respectfully, of course; Mojave knew better than to go pushing her luck here.

"Hi," she opted to return, "I'm Mojave.  I, uh, well Maksim was just telling me that your pack would like to take me in."  She fumbled and faltered, but her words did not carry a tumescent note.  In fact, just when she started to feel comfortable in the presence of one wolf that wasn't going to chase her off from coming so close, the introduction of another may as well have reset things a touch.  Perhaps where Maksim was kind and goodhearted, Kisla was not.  It was hard to tell so quickly out the gate.

Her brows arched slightly at the words of the stranger -- it would seem her mate had been pitching their pack to her, and while she did not question him with a glance, her bright eyes did rove over the other, curious as to what her mate had seen in the she-wolf to do such a thing. Promise came in many forms -- so what was it in the she-wolf before her?

"Would we," she mused quietly, amusement hinting in her tone as she canted her muzzle. She leaned forward gently, not imposing upon the individuals personal space, but enough to take in her scent better. "Hearthwood River is open to any wolf with a loyal and kind heart -- and who has good intentions." She paused then, allowing her statement to hang in the air. "So if that is what you are, Mojave.. then yes, we would like to offer our pack as a home to you." She allowed her voice to still, her shoulder grazing gently against her mate's who was silent for the moment.  No doubt the girl was overwhelmed -- two leaders had come upon her and were coaxing her to their pack.. but who was to say she was in a rush to settle somewhere?

(This post was last modified: Oct 18, 2015, 05:50 PM by Kisla.)

sparking up my heart

For a split second, she considered the possibility that she had managed to say the wrong thing.  And it wouldn't have surprised her, not now anyway.  Mojave did have her moments where she managed to bungle some sort of perfectly good conversation with an ill-placed statement.  But the budding anxiety that was left in Kisla's wake was soothed, if only a little, as the older she-wolf continued on.  Yet in its place was the pressing sensation to commit, to cease her wanderings for the time being.  That in itself left a different sort of anxiety, but one that she found she did not want to investigate.  It was left to run amok in her head, and silently at that, as it kept the taphephobia of worry from sucking her in like quicksand.

And when it came down to it, she tried to sit with the rational -- winter was coming.

"I think that's what I am," she said, brows furrowing thoughtfully.  "I mean, I hope that's what I am, but... um, I," and the faltering came -- she was truly amiss for words.  "It's just that I've been wandering around for a while, you know?  Nobody's kept me company for long and all, I guess because I don't have everything figured out.  But I'm willing to learn," she went on, the last of her words tacked on hastily.  The last things she knew she wanted here was to give them grounds to run her off because she was nothing more than wayward spirit still feeling her way around.  Everything else she imagined the pair had already gleaned of her -- she had been on her own and frankly, hadn't been doing the best job at it.

The girl was so youthful – she perhaps even reminded the Baranski of her own yearling children, and she cast a warm gaze upon her as she stumbled over her words a bit. Aleksei and Orren would enjoy her company (though hopefully not too much), and Karina no doubt would benefit from another her age within the ranks once more.

Her shoulder would brush once more against the warm side of her mate, as if stealing a treasured moment with him. She approved of his find, and as the girl seemed to finish, Kisla gave a light nod of her muzzle, allowing a gentle smile to grace her lips fully then. “We would consider ourselves lucky to have you, Mojave,” she offered then, leaving the final decision upon the youth’s shoulders. She did not have to stop here and join their ranks – but with winter coming so soon, the she-wolf would hope logic would have a say in the matter.. that, and the Hearthwood River wolves were looking to expand their numbers with respectable wolves much like the girl before them. First impressions meant a lot – but Kisla was willing to open her home to this one, and given the compliance of her mate at her side at the moment, she held no doubt Maksim would as well.

sparking up my heart

Lucky to have her?  Mojave's ears splayed out in different directions for a moment, not entirely certain how to take such a statement.  Truthfully, she couldn't have said that she had ever heard it, though it sounded like something someone would have said.  That was if they appreciated the effort, which was something else she couldn't have claimed that she had been too familiar with.  While most things certainly came naturally to them all, Mojave occasionally found herself thinking before she acted.  Wandering around hadn't been all about that thinking before acting bit, but she had learned just how difficult it could be.  More importantly, the loneliness had been keen to nibble at her too and the silence that prefaced any response she could have merely reflected as a glaze in her eyes.

Her lips moved minutely as she tangled with a response.  Perhaps she had expected something more to follow this, not just a standard disclaimer of what they wanted in a recruit.  And she had never really considered herself recruitment material anyway; in fact she hadn't considered that she'd actually end up in the position that she was.  With a gaze shifting between the two leaders for a moment, all she could do initially was let her tail wave half-heartedly at her hocks.

And then to state the obvious: "I don't know what to say."

Her voice ebbed to something a bit more meek, that shied away though the corners of her features turned upwards towards a thin smile.  Was she supposed to go about thanking them, or throw herself at their feet and tell them she'd do whatever they wanted?  Perhaps a mix of both?  "So, what now?  I mean, thanks, um, should I do something?"  She had always been on the other end of this thing, where it had been her uncle making all the snappy demands.  And she hadn't paid any attention to how it went down, nothing more than an unobservant watcher in the background of some vagrant they had come across in their own travels.  It dawned on her then that maybe she should have paid attention better.

Added Mojave to the ranks, as all I think we need is a fade from you Ku. There's also a pack hunt here if you're interested in joining. :)

The girl was not used to kindness from strangers it would seem – bemusement would have flickered across the honeyed woman’s features had the thought of such not been slightly depressing. It was also a rarer display these days, for her to have her guard down – but if Maksim trusted the impish yearling, than Kisla would entrust her mate’s initial judgement.

With a small smile, the she-wolf moved forward, her muzzle tentatively touching the nose of the other before she took a more dominant stance. Lifting to her full height, she ensured her rank by posture alone, and in turn, would allow her shoulder and fur to brush against the newcomer to place her scent – Mojave, as far as she was concerned, was one of them now.

Pulling away, the Baranski regal would tip her muzzle up to brush her mate’s cheek affectionately before giving a nod to their new companion. “I can show you around if you’d like,” she mused softly, her tail giving a gentle flick. She could offer a breakdown of their expectations as a pack – more so, their alliance with Round Stone Crest, and the wolves they considered enemies.. and, of course, what they expected of her as a Hearthwood River wolf. After gaining some knowledge, she could fully determine if she felt this pack was one she would like to fully integrate in.

Until then, Kisla would offer her a meal form on of their caches, and warm conversation.

(This post was last modified: Nov 10, 2015, 08:13 PM by Kisla.)

sparking up my heart

Kisla approached her and barring a moment when she felt herself tense up expectantly, Mojave received the warmth that she offered gently.  A smile split her face evenly, though it had its own quirks to throw into the mix; a faint curve on one side was only but a mask for the excitement she felt overwhelming her.  The fact that she had worth to someone, to these complete strangers meant something to her.  Letting them down now was not even on her list of things to do and she knew that she couldn't let it happen.


"I would like that very much," she answered.  "I mean, if you've the time and all."  At least that way, if she was seen with one or both of them, at least maybe others would not think she had snaked her way in.  And just as Kisla had thought, it too would be a way for Mojave to determine whether or not she had truly found something good.  In light of all of the little rough patches she had drug herself through, this seemed to be her proverbial diamond in the rough for the time being.  With winter about to come bearing down on them, she sought to prove she was useful. Maksim and Kisla had already been hortatory in their efforts and the stepping stones laid in front of her in wait.

So when the alpha pair had decided to lead her on, she followed quiet and observant.