Wild Rye Fields A fish for a home

Neko’s request to join. @Drestig @Jessie
Recruited by @Reyes
Patchy rain possible. 67 ° F

Neko proudly carried her prize, a rainbow trout she had caught a short distance upstream from the pack boundary she had been seeking. She had finally managed to catch not just one, but two of them entirely on her own, imitating the technique that Reyes had used when she met him at the lake to the east. She had eaten the smaller of the two, but in spite of her hunger, she resisted the urge to bite into the second. This second fish was not for her. It was a gift for the pack she was hoping to join.

Soon after Reyes had left her by the lake, she had spent the better part of a day bathing and grooming herself. She had cleaned out the last remaining tufts of her winter coat and straightened up the mats and tangles. Most importantly, she had gotten rid of the fleas. That was one thing she would not want to introduce to a pack, especially one with pups. Besides, it just wouldn’t do to have fleas when presenting herself as a healer.

Butterflies flitted wildly about her stomach as she approached the border, so much that she thought she might lose the fish that she had eaten. In the past, she had visited a few packs with her father, but she had always been on the sidelines and had always remained silent while her father spoke. Now it was just her, front and center, and no one to talk for her. She didn’t know what to expect from the pack’s leader, although Reyes had spoken well of him. What if the alpha turned her away? What if he accepted her? Could she live up to the pack’s expectations?

She stopped several paces short of the boundary and set her fish on the ground. She trembled slightly as she laid it out, trying to make it appear as large as possible. She hesitated for a few seconds as she watched the golden rye stalks sway in the breeze, then finally howled, announcing her presence. She fidgeted as she waited for an answer to her call.

Note myself and other members of WRF: This would occur after the pups are introduced to the pack.

Now that the pups were relocated to the pack den and free to roam as they pleased, Jessie had more time to herself. She believed that the Rye would be fully capable of keeping an eye on her three beautiful children. The Queen would not stray from her duties to her pups but there were other responsibilities she had to attend to. The mother fully contented herself to a round of the borders, having not the pleasure of doing so since she became round with the prospects of pregnancy.  She was glad to be able to run along the borders, finally allowing the whispers of peace to tease her ears. Before she could proceed along her patrol, a female voice called out from the borders nearby. Grey ears flicked forward and jade eyes narrowed in the direction. Wild Rye Fields had not encountered a visitor in quite some time. Jessie was quick to set off in the direction of the call. For the season, the weather was blessedly cooler than normal. While the Tainn normally did not mind basking in the sun, the weather was a pleasant change from her moments spent in a crammed den with her children. She barked out roughly at her arrival, tail arching high above her back to assert her status to the young woman. The scent of fish was strong, causing Jessie’s glands to salivate with want. I can’t remember the last time I had fish! Emerald eyes were pinned on the girl in front of her, evaluating what she saw silently. Had the girl been slightly larger, Jessie would have easily mistaken her as a Tainn but the probability that she was remained slim. What drew the alpha’s eye more were the scars on her side. Perhaps, a testament to her ability to fight? Despite this thought, the scars did not look as if they were claw marks and Jessie would not dare ask. Finally drawing her eyes back to the face of the amber-eyed girl, Jessie spoke, ”I am Jessie Tainn, one of the alphas of Wild Rye Field. State your name and business.” She kept it blunt and to the point. The girl was young and in an effort not to intimidate her, the pepper-and-salt colored woman offered her a small smile.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

This was not quite what Neko expected. Reyes had only told her of Drestig and had not mentioned Jessie. She had found the right pack though, Jessie confirmed that much at least. The butterflies in her stomach went crazy again as she thought about what to say, having suddenly forgotten the introduction she had rehearsed.

She kept her head at shoulder height and her tail below her back as she pawed nervously at the ground. If only Daddy were here, she thought. She wished for him to speak for her, as she had never before faced a pack leader at their borders on her own. She had met alphas before, but always on neutral ground. She cleared her throat and spoke. “I am... um... My name is Neko Inali. I spoke with Reyes a few days ago, and he suggested that I could be a healer for Wild Rye Fields. My Momma was a healer for the pack I was born into, and I watched her work since I was a puppy. She started to give me formal training, but then she...” Her voice trailed off. I’m not going to cry this time. She closed her eyes for a second to force the tears back, then continued. “I wish I could say I was fully trained, but I lost Momma before my training was finished.”

She suddenly remembered the fish laying on the ground at her feet. She used her nose to push towards Jessie and said, “I brought this for Wild Rye Fields. It’s not much, but I caught it myself.” She wished the fish were bigger, but it was just as well that it wasn’t. It had put up quite a fight when she caught it, and she wasn’t much of a fighter.

(This post was last modified: Jun 25, 2017, 10:10 AM by Neko.)

Post 1/3 Guardian dem
Permission granted from Nuru to join thread

she says beauty is pain

With the brand new members of the Rye relocated to the pack den, the Rye beta was quite content in watching them waddle around and babysit them while their parents took breaks from caring for them. Each day, they seemed to visibly grow and she could only imagine the ruckus and trouble they will eventually try to get themselves into once they were running and talking. She could only hope she could do her best to keep them as safe as they could possibly be. 

Today though, she wasn't on babysitting duty. Today rather, she was patrolling and securing the borders. A task she was rather fluent in, so it took her no time in making her first round before she directed herself back towards the communal den to check on everyone before making her last round. Though before she could return to the Oak tree, a call announcing a loner's presence reached her tawny ears. Without missing a beat, the aspiring Guardian took to a gallop towards the borders once more to meet the stranger knocking on their doorstep. 

Keeping a vigilant eye with vulnerable pups within the territory was key and she was not one to let her guard down when she finally reached the borders only to see she was beaten by Jessie. Hearing the tail end of the young girl's speech, she only missed the part where she said she was recruited by Reyes. Bumping her muzzle against Jessie's shoulder, she stopped alongside Jessie, her massive form towering over both of the smaller females. "A fish, good catch," she said with a nod in the girl's direction before she introduced herself as well. "Adelayde, second of the Rye."

and there's beauty in everything

(This post was last modified: Jun 27, 2017, 01:08 AM by Adelayde.)

ooc player preferences

There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

The Rye Queen’s striking emerald eyes did not waver from the loner woman’s form. It took the girl a moment but she finally managed to gather the courage to speak. After she started, it seemed as though she couldn’t stop. Despite everything the yearling said, the part that truly stuck out to Jessie was the part about Reyes. His word means more to me than yours. Aged eyes narrowed on the young girl in front of her before finally landing on the fish she brought with her, a gift in all respects. A presence by her side stirred her. Eyes slid over to the overbearing form of Adelayde, a bump to the shoulder given to the other woman in greeting before turning her gaze back onto that of the loner. When her Second’s kinder voice jarred the conversation, the Tainn reminded herself to be calm and open-minded, especially with their lacking in female rankings compared to the males. Jaws parted, “My condolences for your loss, Neko, and thank you for the gift.” While it was considerate for her to bring an offering to them and a step in the right direction that she had Reyes backing her, there was still something else Jessie had to consider. Something that had broken Swift River and numbed her in Oak Tree Bend. Her lips twitched downwards when she spoke again, “And what of loyalty? What do you have to say about that? My pack and I take it very seriously here and would not take very kindly if you were to leave.” The Tainn would not allow someone into her home who simply wanted to stick around for a season or two before taking their leave. She wanted loyal members who did their part and eventually became part of their family. Unfortunately, pack life was not for everyone.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

Neko couldn’t  but fidget a little as another wolf approached. She assumed that the larger wolf was a protector of the pack, and she was pleasantly surprised by the protector’s friendly demeanor. She smiled and politely nodded to Adelayde when she introduced herself, trying to hide her apprehension.


She smiled and nodded again to acknowledge Jessie’s condolence and thank you, and listened carefully to her next words. She had fully expected to be questioned about her qualifications for the job, but the question of loyalty caught her off guard. She looked down at her feet for a few seconds as she gathered her thoughts, then faced Jessie again and answered her question. "I... I think I understand what you’re saying. I’m here because of my brother’s loyalty. He... he gave his life to save mine.” Her voice cracked as she continued. “If I were to be disloyal to another, I believe that would dishonor him.”

She glanced at Adelayde, as she was addressing the beta as well, then back to Jessie and continued. “I must admit I like to travel. My old pack was nomadic, and we traveled since I was old enough to walk. Then, when I lost my pack, I had complete freedom to do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted, and sometimes I enjoyed that freedom, but I hated being alone. I would love to be able to travel from time to time, but I wouldn’t leave without permission, and I would always come back.” She looked at the ground at Jessie’s feet and calmly waited for a response.

She knew nothing of sibling loyalty. Her sister had left her once for a man and then once again after Jessie had tracked her down to tell her of their mother’s death. The memory left a bitter hole in the mother’s heart, one that could never be replaced. She had adored her sister, foolishly, but she would not be deceived again. Thus, the girl’s answer perplexed the older woman. Though she did not doubt the honesty, her voice cracking with emotion as she spoke. The Tainn could very much believe in giving up one’s life for another. She would have gladly gone it for Hotei if she had been given the chance and would do it for her children if the day came. What peeked her interests more so was Neko’s pull to travel. The Rye could use that to their advantage, especially with Jessie being the only well-rounded Scout, with the exception of Drestig, within the pack. There were many skills they would be able to utilize and it would be foolish of Jessie to let a female willing to join to slip past them. Pale tongue slipped passed her dark lips to moisten them before her jaws parted,  “Very well then.” The pepper-and-salt colored woman stepped closer to the woman, fully intended on grasping her muzzle firmly within her jaws to mark her as part of Wild Rye Fields. Her final assessment: to see if she would submit.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

Although Neko was caught off guard by Jessie’s next action, she was fully prepared for it. As a pup, she had been handled by her mother enough that she had learned to accept it, even if she didn’t like it. Her mother had taught her well to know her place and to mind her place. In her time alone, she had gotten used to not having to answer to anyone else, but she never forgot the lessons her mother had taught her. Just as she had done with her mother, she neither retaliated nor tried to run away. She simply accepted it.

She didn’t like the display one bit, and even without it, she would have yielded not only to the alpha, but to the beta as well, and to anyone else who would outrank her. Still, it was a small price to pay to be part of a pack once again, to be useful, to be wanted, to be needed, to be loved. It was indeed a small price to pay.

She calmly tucked her tail between her legs and lowered herself well below the position of the alpha and that of the guardian. She licked her nose and gave a short whimper that was soft but easily heard, enough to let Jessie know that Neko would yield to her authority.

I think one more post from you and we can archive this out.

The Rye Queen certainly did not like doing this. But as she had seen those before her do, she knew it was a necessary mean. Neko accepted her gesture and Jessie felt a little bit of the tension she was feeling ebb away. The silver lady was quick to step back by her guard. Emerald eyes observed the timid girl in front of her. A part of her hoped greatly that she would never have to do that again, at least to Neko. Jessie would be a fool if she did not acknowledge that there would more than likely be many more in the future that she would have to grab by the muzzle. A soft sigh left the woman’s muzzle, eyes softening as her jaws parted, her voice coarse, “Adelayde will show you around. I hope you settle in well. Welcome to Wild Rye Fields.” Jessie did have other things to attend to. With a parting smile a bump to Adelayde’s shoulder, the Queen took her leave, glad that the Rye would have one more member to add to their numbers. In no way was Jessie worried about how many wolves they had under their command, but another capable member was not something they would readily turn away. With this in mind, Jessie went about her business.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de