Charred Ash Draw i just wanna drive

@Leotie

It was incredibly strange – almost nothing had changed and yet everything had changed and she felt like she was having more trouble adjusting to the idea of being in a pack than everyone else was… then again, she was the only wolf in their small little band… no, not band… pack, that was new to the whole concept of being in a pack. It really did give her anxiety to some extent, trying to hide it behind one of her many walls that she’d put up to keep herself safe. She was marking the borders – she found it easy for distracting herself for her thoughts but also mind-numbing enough that she could relax a little bit.

Well that, and the temptation of being able to bite someone in the ass if they got too close to what was her home instead of being on the other end of that equation. She lived for a fight. She didn’t know many of them well – only Kerb, really… she knew Treyah enough to know that the child had so much potential in her, and Reiko reminded her a lot of Kerb in the sense that his relaxed yet determined attitude would serve him well… but the adults within their rankings..? Their fearless leaders..? Triell and Leotie and Naira were all but strangers to her. That was what worried her the most.

Either way, there were other things for her to worry about. Her nose was on edge, watching carefully for any scents, her tail waving cautiously from side to side as her chocolate brown eyes stared around the surrounding territory, and her ears perked, listening for any movement.

When she had left Oak Tree Bend she’d had no idea she would be in a pack so soon after but she supposed that was the way of things. After finding Kerb and Mae and they decided to stay it only seemed natural that they became a pack. They had also picked a really great place to call home but Leotie was thankful for the few weeks that they hadn’t had lands to call their own. Without boundaries she had been forced to venture away from what was safe, it was what she needed. Now that she had she felt a lot more comfortable with exploring and felt that when the time came she could venture further outside the borders then she would have had she stayed in the bend.

Since their territory was so new it was important to mark the borders and patrol regularly, her routine hadn’t ever changed. She always accomplished the tasks that she set for herself and this day was no different. The agouti woman moved along the border adding her scent to trees trunks along the way. She wasn’t expecting to run into anyone as it was rare that she had in the bend but seeing Mae ahead of her was a pleasant surprise. She hadn’t had a chance to really talk to the woman and thought what better time to do so than while walking the border. She quickened her pace to catch up to the woman, “Hey Mae, How’s it going?” She asked when she finally reached her.

<center>~Table by Switch</center>

(This post was last modified: Jan 23, 2017, 02:44 AM by Leotie.)

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

She hadn’t seen anyone, but she’d smelled it – a familiar scent which made her avoid adding more tension to her muscles, and a greeting that rang out to her, her head turning as her chocolate eyes locked on the familiar form of Leotie. Mae. It was so strange to hear that nickname – she was used to it to some extent, of course, but not from her. Not from anyone apart from Kerberos, and before that her parents. Even Kael hadn’t used it… he’d called her Rae instead. “Hey Leotie.” She returned the greeting as her tail wagged a little bit.

How was it going? She wasn’t entirely sure how to answer that question, if she was being completely honest. “It’s going… trying to adjust, I guess.” She shrugged though she tried to keep it light, and friendly. She was supposed to do that, right? That was something that was going to be expected from her in the coming months, possibly even years. She didn’t really know how long these things generally lasted before new wolves came, others died, and some jumped ship… she just knew it happened at some point in time, and that she had to be more open to change… that made her incredibly uncomfortable.

“How about you? Are you settling in alright?”

It was good that she had run into Mae because Leotie wanted to do things differently with her new pack, she wanted to get to know them better than she had in the bend. It was a new start for all of them so she didn’t see why she shouldn’t change somethings while she was at it. With a swish of her tail a smile formed across her maw at the woman’s greeting.

The bigger question was how were things going for the darker pelted woman. Things were different but not at the same time. Leotie had fallen back into being in a pack quite easily because it was what she was used to. She didn’t know anything about Maera’s background so had no idea how she was doing if it was affecting her at all. The agouti woman nodded as Mae told her how she was doing, “I can understand that. It can be hard at first. I had some trouble adjusting when I first joined the pack where I met Triell,” she explained hoping it might ease the woman’s concerns.

The same question was asked of her, “I’m doing well, it hasn’t been too long since we left Oak Tree Bend so I guess in some ways it’s like I never left.”

<center>~Table by Switch</center>

(This post was last modified: Jan 23, 2017, 03:25 AM by Leotie.)

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

Maera wasn’t sure if it was sympathy or reassurance, but either way, she took it. Maera didn’t know how they could all just fall into place so easily, and she didn’t really understand it. She had to learn, though… new experiences, right? At least she had people who’d done this before to help her through it. “I’ve never done the whole pack thing before… it’s a lot to take in.” Her jobs weren’t just hunting anymore. There was hunting, scouting, diplomacy, guarding… teaching even, for the pups though they already knew quite a bit… maybe this spring. Honestly she hadn’t even considered what may or may not happen come springtime.

“Got any pointers?” She asked, half-jokingly as she continued to patrol – she found a certain amount of relaxation in it, like she was meant to do it. She was glad to hear the woman had been doing well – she didn’t know her too terribly well, but she seemed level-headed and dependable. That was something she could respect and like in a wolf. “It’s great that it’s easy for you to fall back into everything – it’ll be helpful in the coming months. Especially with winter hitting its peak right around this time.” She couldn’t help but note, in the back of her brain, that it was around this time they lost Lacey… and Pascal a few days later.

She couldn’t think about that… couldn’t think like that because she’d be damned if she let that happened to another child, not under her watch…

It seemed the other woman was having a hard time adjusting which was something Leotie could relate to. She'd had to do some adjusting when she first came to Oak Tree Bend since she hasn't ever lived with others let alone a pack of wolves. It did help they were all kind to her and helped her find her way and learn what she needed to help them and survive. “I hadn't ever been in a pack before Oak Tree Bend,” she explained to Maera, “I had a lot of adjusting to do when I first came to them.” She hoped that by sharing the woman might feel more comfortable talking about what might be causing her problems adjusting.

Continuing the patrol Maera had been on with her she gave some thought to the question that was only half a joke. “Well what helped me was accepting help from whoever was willing to give it and trying to pitch in wherever I could.” Those were the two things that had worked for her but at the same time she didn't know if their situations were the same. Leotie felt Maera had a lot more experience than she’d when she first came to the lore. Leotie nodded, “It is good, I didn't really like the time period where I was learning to live in a pack. Everything is so much easier when you know what you're supposed to do and you do it. It will be helpful in the coming months but sure you'll get there too.” She has Kerb which Leotie felt would make things a little easier and the agouti woman was always there to talk. She was also sure that if Maera needed them Triell and Naira would be there to talk as well as the pups.

<center>~Table by Switch</center>

(This post was last modified: Jan 24, 2017, 01:39 PM by Leotie.)

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

Maera, not having too much experience actually interacting with other loners, was under the impression that she was one of the few in the world who had never had a pack to call home, and so the admittance from her pack mate surprised her a little bit. She’d been born and raised, just like Maera had. “It’s funny, because I use to think that the hardest thing was living as a loner and now I’m seriously debating changing that statement.” The hardest part was that adjustment time between the two. After all, how can she know what was hardest in the world if she’d only ever experienced one thing?

She took a deep breath – the fact that she wasn’t alone in this, and someone else had gone through it… well, that made her feel a little better. “I don’t know… my mother liked to tell me that I had problems with authority when I was little, could never listen to a word her or my father said… I feel like I’ve never grown out of it so this is going to be interesting to get used to.” She was supposed to trust them with information like that, right? They were pack, family, or was that just a romanticism spewed by her mother? “I hope I get there sooner rather than later.” It was a weird feeling – she’d been used to being on top for so long and now she had to adjust and even respect those above (and below) her and she wasn’t sure how long she’d be able to stand it.

Leotie hadn't shared with Maera where exactly she had come from or how she'd ended up at Oak Tree Bends borders. It was something she still worried about telling others for fear they would think less of her for her upbringing. Even Triell didn't know the whole story but she had never felt like he looked down on her. She wondered if Maera would be like their alpha or see her as less than what she had become. “I’m not sure, pack life was much easier for me once I settled into it. When I first became a loner before the bend it was very hard for me but I can understand how adjusting to pack life would be harder for you if it's something you've never had.” Leotie had come to the borders starving in need of help and Drestig had accepted her and every day she was grateful he had.

The agouti woman nodded Maera told her what the dark woman's mother had said about her. “Sounds like you're just independent and being on your own doing what you wanted and caring for yourself has probably made it stronger. Triell is a good leader though and I think once you get to know him and Naira better it might come easier.” At least she hoped it would be easier for the woman, she would hate to see her unhappy in the pack. “I hope so too so you can feel more comfortable with the pack.” Leotie knew it would take some time, it had taken her some time after joining the bend but Maera was a strong woman and the agouti woman didn't doubt she could do it.

<center>~Table by Switch</center>

(This post was last modified: Jan 24, 2017, 07:05 PM by Leotie.)

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

Like Leotie, Maera wasn’t prepared to share her entire life story. She’d told Kerberos bits and pieces, but for the most part she liked to keep it to herself. It wasn’t something that was easy to dwell on – the crippling depression of her mother, the way her father broke down before he died, watching him take his last breaths when she was too young to understand what death was. It’d bore down heavy on her, but it’d turned her into the wolf she was, and she’d never regret that. It’d apparently done well for her – she had a mate, a pack… all of them recent developments, but developments nonetheless.

It’d all come from letting people in, and not being so secretive – a concept she was still trying to get used to. “It’ll just take time…” She was confident she would get the hang of it just like she had fighting and hunting when she was a child. “They seem like good wolves, and Treyah… she reminds me of me when I was little.” Her first encounter with this family, built of blood relatives and friends alike, had been with that child who’d left a lasting impression on her. “I’m sure I will – I’m starting to figure things out, it’s just some of the more complicated kinks that I need to work out.”

It was true… she hoped, and she thought. Her nose caught the scent on the wind in that moment, her head turning inward towards the territory. Meat. "You smell that?" She asked carefully, taking another whiff as she placed it. "Let's finish up the patrol then go investigate... smells like moose to me." She commented again - the scent of blood was mixed in so either there was a predator (or another wolf) to fight off, or someone had gotten lucky... either way, she definitely wanted in on that scent.