Grizzly Hollow Every man must choose his way

OOC: For @Rook and @Veho - Raela has come to speak with the leaders of Grizzly Hollow! 

12/7/2015
Weather:
5° F, -15° C
Freezing fog
8:45 AM

It had suddenly become so cold. Winter had been trailing their steps for a long time now, but today it leapt forth and demanded to be felt. Freezing temperatures were no terrible obstacle for wolves wrapped in the warmth of layered fur; but with the sudden drop in degrees Raela was feeling it more than she normally would. There had been little time to acclimate herself just yet, and the slender woman huffed now and then with a chill in her muscles. Thankfully it wasn't enough to induce any sort of shivering, or today's meeting would be a bit more awkward than she already feared it would. The change in climate had cast a haze over the forest thick enough to impede vision at a distance. It was not the best time to be requesting an audience with foreign leaders, but she had little reason to believe that the wolves of Grizzly Hollow were the sort to ambush or stalk them as they approached. 

For all she knew the transgression between them and the River wolves could have been some mixture of misunderstandings. With how the River had treated the Crest, she wondered just how much stock to truly put into their claims of betrayal. Still, the matriarch was measurably cautious and apprehensive as the Cedars loomed overhead. Last time the fog had been like this she'd been begging Minka and Tokino to take her in and save her life. How completely the passage of time had warped her life and theirs into something unrecognizable. Now she stood at the border of a band of strangers as a diplomat; a spokesperson and decision-maker for the very family that had accepted her as one of their own. The nerves and the pressure to perform had her ears and eyes twitching all over the place as they padded along. 

She didn't move far from @Moraxia's side. The mammoth female was her only protection out here, and her only companion. Raela trusted the woman; trusted her enough to put her very life in her hands on this southern voyage. When she dared not take another step toward the scent markers, the Queen's honey eyes found her bodyguard to signal the halt. A long, drawn out breath drifted into the frozen air; just the slightest bit anxious and trembling. It's not as bad as asking to join them, she told herself. It's not as bad as last year. With that her high-pitched howl reached deep into the forest; summoning the pack's leadership for a simple meeting. She just wanted to talk; to find out what this Grizzly Hollow was about and to get the Crest's name out there. Simple. The sound faded away. The woman pushed the tense air from her lungs in a soft chuff before looking once more at her subordinate. Now they just had to wait. 

(This post was last modified: Dec 08, 2015, 04:11 AM by Raela.)

            

A shiver forced it's way down her spine as the female followed close behind her alpha into the unknown territory. It was the coldest morning they'd seen yet, but it wasn't the weather that was bothering the large woman. She'd never ventured this far from her home within the crest, but still Moraxia tried to stay confident as the two padded their way through the trees. The fog created an overhanging cloud that surrounded the frost-tipped foliage of the land; a shroud that could have easily hid any danger or malevolent creatures as they stalked the wolf and her Queen. Raela's nervousness was visually given away by her slow and calculated movements as well as her worrying, alert ears. The sight of her fearful alpha made the large girl's stomach churn. She had seen Raela fearless the day they had met on the cliffs near her home as well as in response to the fighting soon after Minka's unfortunate passing, and had since convinced herself to remain on the woman's good side for as long as possible. Regardless, Moraxia couldn't fault her for being so cautious in unknown lands--even the sizable wolf felt out of place.

Just as she began to think the worries would circle around in her mind forever the lightly-colored female stopped and casted a glance in her direction, earthy-brown eyes respectfully returning the same nervous stare before the large figure came to a halt as well. Moraxia gave her body a quick shake and passed Raela a comforting smile after noticing her apprehensive breathing, then glanced ahead into the territory. They were at the border now, and all was just a little too quiet for the woman's nerves to calm themselves when suddenly Raela began to sing for the occupants company. The howl flooded some courage back into Moraxia and the towering beast readjusted her stance. She let a cold, brisk surge of air fill her lungs and again assumed an intimidating yet relaxed position. These strangers would be offered friendship, but that was no reason to let her guard down even if she had no wish to resolve the meeting violently.

Another look was cast her way as Raela ended her song. Moraxia nodded in her direction and forced a reassuring grin then returned her eyes to the land ahead of them. They weren't even here yet; what was this woman so worked up about, anyway?

First duties as the alpha, Veho thought as an unfamiliar call reached his ears. Auds swept back as he paused for a moment, realizing he was waiting for his lover to appear and attend the stranger with him. His tail gave an unhappy twitch as it dawned on him that this would be a duty to be attended on his own, having little faith that Wacipi would approach the borders with him. With a sharp inhale, the gray wolf steeled himself for whatever may come, and broke into a steady lope towards the edges of Grizzly Hollow’s domain. His domain. It felt wrong, filthy to think of it like that, but he had promised @Rook to care for the pack he so cherished as if it were his very own, and so he must think like that. He must.

The pace was no sprint, but he certainly didn’t dawdle, only breaking to a trot as he spotted the pair of females upon his borders. His tail flagged high above his back and he held his crown high, looking every inch the king he did not feel himself to be as he returned the greeting with a gentle chuff. Truly, he had no interest in dramatics, much less violence.

“Hello, friends,” he welcomed the couple, pale eyes bright with questions and intrigue. “I see you have found the borders of Grizzly Hollow. You may call me Merlin – I am the alpha here.”

How very strange that sounded, even to his own ears. “What may I do for you?”