Cedarwood Forest not broken

Pip's ears flicked forward to capture the gray male's gentle greeting in return and she offered her first small smile to him, though she didn't straighten from her hunched position, fearful of moving too quickly and inciting a sudden wrath.

The arrival of the similarly patterned she-wolf had young Pip sinking even lower to the ground. Had any of them the mind for it, they could rip her legs right off with hardly any trouble at all. The thought had her curling her legs closer to her body so as to save them from such a horror. But the new arrival only expressed her dominance appropriately before assuring Pip she meant no harm.

When Crystal explained her situation, the yearling gave a soft sigh of relief. At least now they would understand she meant no disrespect by not answering their questions. Her friend's encouraging smile had Pip standing, though no where near her full height. The compliment on her fishing skills finally drew a small wag from her otherwise tucked tail.

Again, the male addressed her, but her anxiety returned in full as questions came that she could not easily answer. She couldn't simply say that she was lost, looking for her family. That she'd been taken from her land by strange creatures who walked on two legs and spoke in odd tongues. That should would like to remain under the protection of a pack until she found her family and that she would work her hardest to repay them for taking her in. She cast a worried glance to Crystal before her eyes fell onto her catch.

It was a risk approaching it considering it had already been gifted to them. But it wasn't her intention to take it back and she only hoped they wouldn't react violently to her drawing close. Pip edged forward and reached out with the end of her nose to nudge the fish closer to them before backing away again, her side now pressed against Crystal's legs.

Reach for the stars

Before reclining back onto her haunches, but by no means to relax, she eyed Veho from the corner of her eye. The flicker of emotion within his silver gaze and brief flattening of his ears did not go unnoticed. In turn, her temper threatened to flare, the skin lining her muzzle crinkling ever so slightly. Who did he think he was? She had just as much right to be here at these borders as he did! But for the sake of the apparently shy yearling in front of them, Jynx kept herself cooly composed.

Rust colored ears lifted to intercept Yvly's reply, bobbing her head once in silent understanding towards the fact that the outsider was unable to speak, as she had assumed. She let Veho do the rest of the talking then, her feathers already a little ruffled by a lack of appreciation. She remained silent, yellow eyes flicking down towards the fish that laid at Pip's paws, which was nosed closer. Apparently what Yvly had said was true, as the evidence of Pip's fishing skills were right there in front of them. While Grizzly Hollow could certainly benefit from a fisher in the ranks, one would need to do more than simply filling the caches and catching meals. If Pip was up to the task, then Jynx had no qualms with allowing her entry. Feeling sidelined for the moment though, she kept her thoughts to herself and allowed Veho to be the one to make such a call.

OOC here!

The tawny female noticed Veho looked a little... annoyed, as Wacipi settled next to him, but she didn't question or appear to notice his provenance of his displeasure with her. If he wished to share it then he would, and Yvly wouldn't push him to say why. She instead glanced again at Squeak who, though clearly worried, slowly approached the fish and nudged it closer yet to the leading pair; her way of answering Veho's question without the use of words. It was interesting, watching her, that is, especially the way the smaller female handled situations that required verbal expression. Something to behold, really.

Taking note of Wacipi's silence, Yvly made sure to direct her next words to Veho as well as the russet and cream female, not wanting to make her feel inferior in the situation. "While I may not be able to answer those questions as Squeak would, I do know that she was alone when I found her and seemed... happy enough when I offered her a spot in the pack. She was very enthusiastic in catching the fish to offer you, waiting patiently for a nicely sized specimen." Her tawny ears rotated forward, showing her interest in what either of them had to say in response. She thought Squeak had something of value that Grizzly Hollow could use, and hoped that Veho or Wacipi did too.

230 words

Yvly Doramor

imagine we are higher than the arrows,
casually we're breathing with the pharaohs,
tragically we fall just like the arrows.

Wacipi said nothing; she did nothing. It fed his anger as much as it sated his pride, and the male remained in much the same state internally. Fortunately for all involved, the lord of Grizzly Hollow had grown quite proficient at wearing a mask, a skill learned long ago for the sake of healing without judgment. A timely skill now, for Squeak was clearly uncomfortable, whether it be worry that she may be rejected from their borders, or simply an anxiety induced by large numbers. He would have to assume the first, or accept the second, thus guessing it was something she wished to work on. Packs came with other wolves, after all.

So he watched her in silence, not making a move as she nudged the fish forward until she’d retreated back to her place. Then, he took a step, and took up the fish, placing it back down between where he and Jynx had been observing from. (It was not in his interest to start a squabble over a small meal, no matter how impressive the catch was, and thus left it where the woman could access it easily, were she so inclined.)

Only once Crystal had spoke, as some sort of interpreter, did he hum softly, and allow his pale gaze to fall back on the hopeful youth. “A fine catch,” he assured Squeak. “Living near Cut Rock River as we do, adding fish to our cache would not be a bad thing in the slightest. This being said, we welcome you to Grizzly Hollow as one of our own.” His smile grew as he studied the young wolf with interest – how would she take this news?

As hard as Pip tried not to see it, she couldn't help but notice the agitated nature of the two leaders with regards to each other. She'd caught the subtle lip lifts and cutting eyes which would normally have her slinking away for fear of animosity being directed at her. However, she noticed as well how the pair would still look on her gently and with kindness, clearly not wanting to put her more ill at ease. Were she a less observant wolf, Pip knew she might very well have missed the interaction all together.

Crystal's answer had the yearling looking at her with growing fondness and admiration. For only knowing her for the span of half a day, she already caught on well to what Pip hoped to communicate. Even among her birth pack, there were some that remained clueless to anything she tried to tell them in her way. That the tawny female had caught on so quickly seemed a magic in and of itself.

The male stepped forward to accept her offer and Pip looked on with hopeful, yet hooded eyes. His compliment left her breathing a soft sigh of relief. This interaction was going far more smoothly than she could ever have hoped for. And as easily as that, the gray wolf offered her a position, officially accepting her into the pack.

Pip's tail swished quickly over the ground behind her and she leaped toward him in a crouched position to lick gently at his chin before doing the same to the russet female. Her body wiggled excitedly with belly partly exposed as she flopped on the ground before them.

---

OOC: Yay! <3 Nervous, excited puppeh.

 

Reach for the stars

Tension hung in the air, between the two pack leaders while they waited to settle the more important matter at hand. Still, once Squeak was either accepted or turned away, she would confront Veho directly. As she had suspected, Yvly vouched for the voiceless female, claiming that she indeed, was an adept fisher. Tasking advantage of the river not far from where Cut Rock River lay, would be a wise move.

Already certain of the outcome, after Veho gave his approval, she too, stepped forward. Tail high but her facial expression warm, she nudged the young female under the chin, brushing her fur along her flank. "Welcome, Squeak. I hope you will find yourself at home here." Yellow eyes glimmered as she smiled at the girl. Her shyness reminded Jynx of herself at one point, but to a lesser extent. Switching gears, she turned to Yvly. "Would you be so kind as to show our friend around her new home?" Came her pleasant request, despite her contradictory mood. Reaching down, with a few investigative sniffs of her nose at the fish, she soon scooped it up in her jaws thereafter. She was not hungry at the moment; this small catch would see better use stored in a shared cache instead. Turning on her heel, but not without a stern glance towards Veho, she went back into the cover of the woodlands. If he got the message, he wouldn't be far behind.

OOC here!

Yvly grinned happily when Veho announced Squeak as a new member of Grizzly Hollow. It seemed the smaller female shared her happiness, and excitement, as she bounded over to the leading pair eagerly, tail swishing behind her and body wriggling with excitement. Her enthusiasm was catchy, and Yvly wagged her tail, the fur swishing along the ground. To have one so overjoyed was simply uplifting. Her dark amber eyes glanced at Wacipi as the russet and cream female requested that she show Squeak around. "Of course," She responded with a dip of her head. She wouldn't refuse an order from her superiors... unless if it was something she was very much against doing.

The tawny female padded forward to Veho, a small grin still on her face. "Thank you," Yvly murmured, even more grateful to him now that he had also accepted her... friend? Yes, she'd stick with that. Looking at squeak, she gently bumped her shoulder with her muzzle. "I'll first show you where the pack den is and a couple of the caches, then we can go from there." With one last glance at the grey and brown male, Yvly set forward at a slow pace, wanting to give Squeak the chance to take in her new home and surroundings. The day was getting on, and she was sure the smaller female must be a little bit tired from the trek. She could use a nap herself.

239 words

Yvly Doramor

imagine we are higher than the arrows,
casually we're breathing with the pharaohs,
tragically we fall just like the arrows.

[Exit for Yvly. Fade for thread unless @Veho or @Pip want to post their own exits]