Turtleback Lake shaping up

Wyckoff was at the lowest of lows. He was angry all the time, often for little or no reason. If he wasn't a menacing adult wolf, he would have thrown dozens of temper tantrums. It was easy to see that he was stressed out. The scarred man was almost at his limits.

So he vowed that he would not live like that for another day. He sniffed out a pack, and decided to make a better life for himself. He would find a new family, to take the place of his old broken one. It would be good.

It had to.

Wyckoff took a deep breath and howled. His voice rang through the freezing air. Then silence. They would be here soon.

Have you read my player preferences?

It had been awhile since he had heard someone calling at his borders but the pale leader answered without hesitation. Instinctively he was a little apprehensive, especially with the nagging presence of the Keep wolves in the north, but he could not let that hinder him. They had already caused enough problems; he was not going to let them dictate every decision he made.

The air had grown cooler as winter rolled into the lands of Lore, accompanied by a blanket of snow. Fortunately the Surge wolves had the Driftwood forest to shelter them from the worst of it. But Lachesis did not mind—nor did his children as their Arctic heritage had prepared them for the cold.

He was greeted by an unfamiliar (scarred) face as he approached the borders, his chartreuse gaze focused on the tawny stranger. How can I help you? he asked as he stepped toward the loner, his chin angled high as he observed the male from a distance. He looked hungry, as most loners did, but not useless. A good start.

stick with those who stick with you

It wasn't long before a pale man showed up. He held himself with a regal bearing as he inspected the scars on Wyckoff's face and body. The Scunthorpe stood still, his head high, but not quite as high as the leader. "You're leader of this pack, right?" he asked. "I'd like to join." He knew it surely wasn't as simple as that, but it was a good start. He'd never joined a pack before, although he had seen others up on Scunthorpe Peak. The attempts usually consisted of the current leader attacking the wolf. This fight was brutal.
You were let in not if you won, because no one beat the leader. That was what made a leader in their eyes. You were let in depending on how well you put up a fight, and if you kept going, even if you were definitely going to be badly beaten.

"I'm a good fighter," he continued. "I'd make sure no one was in your territory who shouldn't be." He waited, nerves crackling. He didn't know what to do if he was rejected.

Have you read my player preferences?

i am so so sorry about the wait!

The tawny stranger held himself confidently, his chin raised slightly and his voice firm as he spoke. It was a little bit of a deterrent, but Lachesis wanted to hear the scarred male out before making a decision solely based on appearance. The loner got straight to the point, which Lachesis did like, announcing that he would like to join Driftwood. Yes, I am, he responded quickly, his voice level as he continued to observe the stranger from a distance, my name is Lachesis and this, his maw swept to the expanse of trees behind him, is Driftwood Surge.

The male continued without hesitation, explaining that he was a good fighter and would prevent those who did not belong from crossing the Driftwood borders. Normally he would have shied away from someone who boasted about their fighting abilities, as Lachesis was not much of a fighter himself, but with the threat of the Keep wolves lingering (and the coyotes in the summer) he was no longer opposed to the idea. Do you possess any other talents, fighter? He inquired, a soft smile causing the corners of his mouth to lift. Anything that would be useful to Driftwood?

stick with those who stick with you

The alpha was unreadable, composed and stoic as he asked his questions. It wasn't unfriendly, but Wyckoff couldn't shake the feeling that he was being studied. Which he was, really. But the scarred man wouldn't be afraid of a potential leader. Emotions tumbled so easily out of him, slipping through every bind he tried to put on them. He might already know of his disturbance, but he hoped not.

The next question caught Wyckoff completely off guard. He didn't really have any other skills. He couldn't even boast that he was good at avoiding trouble since he had either scrapped or just ended on really bad terms with everyone he had met so far. The only other tricks he had were that he was a decent thief, scary-looking, and that time he had somehow managed to master the yearlings he was allowed to teach. The first one was not likely to score him any points unless they wanted him to raid other packs, the second just wasn't good, and the third was by cruelty that a soft pack wouldn't approve of. He silently shook his head, eyes down, dreading what would happen next.

Have you read my player preferences?

While he was a little disappointed that the russet male did not offer up anymore talents it was apparent that the loner was capable of feeding himself, as it did appear to be well-fed. Which meant that he wasn’t completely useless and would be an asset to the Surge wolves. He nodded, softly, his expression still hard; unreadable. Lachesis was worried that if he denied the male a position in Driftwood that he would seek out the wolves of the Keep instead, and that would simply not do. We can work with that, he mused quietly, his chin tipping softly to the side as his gaze narrowed. The male, while strange, would be of use to the river wolves. We pride ourselves on loyalty—if you can offer that to me, and the other wolves of Driftwood, then there is a spot for you in our ranks. He paused, his tail twitching. What is your name?

(This post was last modified: Dec 28, 2018, 03:06 AM by Lachesis.)

stick with those who stick with you

Sorry it's so late, kind of forgot about him for a while

Wyckoff nodded solemnly as the alpha spoke of loyalty. He would try for as long as he could. If they were good to him, he would stay. He couldn't promise more than that. But he'd give them as much as he could, just for this chance. He wasn't a turncoat. At least, not too quickly."My name is Wyckoff," he replied simply. He relaxed. He had as good as won a place in the pack. Driftwood Surge, Lachesis had called it. Even the sound of it was as different from Scunthorpe as could be.

He followed the alpha into the territory. The few birds that did not disappear during winter chirped cheerfully over head. The trees beckoned him in. It felt like home already.

(This post was last modified: Jan 14, 2019, 12:13 PM by Wyckoff.)

Have you read my player preferences?

"Wyckoff," he hummed in response, letting the name roll off his tongue as he committed it memory, "Nice to formally meet you." Lachesis was still a little warry--maybe uncertain--of the strange male, but he did not doubt that the tawny stranger would be a good addition to the Surge wolves. As long as he was willing to provide for the river wolves and pull his weight Lachesis would be happy. Although strange, Wyckoff seemed like an honest wolf. "Have you been in the Lore long?" He asked as he led his new subordinate into the trees, his tail still raised high along with his chin as he glanced over at the russet male out of the corner of his eye. Lachesis was always curious as to why loners decided to come knocking on his door. Was it because it was the first pack they had stumbled upon, or that they had already knocked on a few doors and hadn't found one that appealed to them? It had been a long time since Lachesis had joined a pack... and he had done his fair share of pack-hopping in the past. 

if we both add another post we can claim LP and i can archive this/add you to the ranks <3

stick with those who stick with you

You smell the remains of an elk nearby. Enjoy your feast! +10 Health

Wyckoff, a broad smile finally breaking into his face from his acceptance, replied, "Almost two months at this point." Being in a pack forced him to consider a lot of things he hadn't thought about before. How different would the pack be from Scunthorpe Peak? Surely it wouldn't be so strength-focused, given that the alpha who stood in front of him was around his size and bore no physical scars. Lachesis was quite the spider, though he did have some muscle edging his ghostly white legs. There had to be a reason why he was leader, though, and the scarred man knew he'd find that out soon.

"How many wolves are in the pack?" he asked as an attempt at small talk. What he really wanted to know was their personalities, how they would deal with him intruding into their midst.

Have you read my player preferences?