Grizzly Hollow Hey! Wait A Minute!

OOC: Let's doo the Timmee Warrppp Agaiiinn.. This is Set AFTER the Pack meeting, but before Borden goes to Midnight Plateu! :D

The wolves dispersed from the meeting that Borden had called together, and Vlarindara was no exception. She got to her feet and stretched, but was still way too confused about this.. second thing to be comfortable with it when he was gone. As the large female stretched, she kept and eye out for his form and when she saw a coat that looked like it might be his.. hard to tell with the milling bodies of the other wolves, she trotted after it. The white female wound her way through the pack lands before lifting her head, trying to find the male before he left. "Borden?" Her tone was soft as always.. a gentle summons.. though she didn't mind waiting...she could catch him before he crossed the borders...right? Was he even leaving tonight?

<blockquote><i>O O C | wo0t, tiiiiiime waaaarp! :D</i>

The Grizzly Hollow alpha watched as his pack scattered into the trees, carrying on as they had before he had summoned them. He smiled to Jayse before making his own leave, certain she'd want to rest for a while in the den while no one else was occupying it. Starting to stroll towards the river, he was stopped by the sound of his name. The voice was soft, yet seemingly equally urgent. His brow furrowed.

He glanced over his shoulder to see Vlarindara. A questioning gaze glimmered in her amber eyes; he slowed his pace so she could effortlessly catch up. <b>"Yes?"</b> His own voice was soft and calm, its tone easily comparable to one of a grandparent's when they indulged in a child's curious and seemingly never-ending questions about the world.</blockquote>

Well, what do you want from me?

Vlarindara smiled when he slowed down, quickening her step just a bit to close the gap between them, stopping next to him when she reached him. Her tail had tucked between her legs, the white female hunching slightly, but not making a move to greet him.. she already had.. she just had to apologize for stopping him. "My apologies for interrupting...But.." Oh.. how to go about this! If she was capable of blushing, she would have.. as it was she was sure she was bright red up to her eyeballs even without the capacity to blush. For a few long moments, her mind yelled at her to stop this fool 'quest' to find answers and leave it to chance.. Best quit while she was ahead.. but she couldn't do that.. Couldn't 'rightfully' accept the roll as second.. until she knew ...what it meant.

"I'll understand if you..reconsider your kind offer..but.. I..can't...accept being a second..until I know..what a second is supposed to do.." No! Wait! That sounded wrong! "Not..that I wouldn't be honored to be one - I am.. I'm more than happy that.. you consider me for the position.. but..I just.. don't understand..what it is I'm supposed to do." A soft whine escaped the female as she turned her head down and away from the older male. "I've...never really been..part of an adult pack..Sure.. I've had two before now..but I've always been ill..or too little to understand or be involved in the hierarchy.. I...know that there are two alphas... but.. beyond that..I...don't know anything.." She seemed to be waiting for a blow of some sort to fall.

<blockquote><i>O O C | Hurrhurr, wall of text, lol. Sorry in advance. <3</i>

She apologized for slowing him down; he tilted his head as he looked at her. <i>But... But what?</i> He tore his gaze from her only to ensure that he stepped over a fallen tree branch, after that, he returned his eyes to her, all his senses attentive to her voice. She made it clear that he could withdraw his offer, her promotion to be the pack's first-appointed Second, because she didn't understand what exactly she was meant to do. Borden didn't even dare to think of it.

The way she had worded her proposal simply made him smile, willing to hear her out as she added to her statement. Vlarindara explained how she hadn't been able to comprehend pack hierarchies while growing up, how she had never been apart of a band of wolves until Grizzly Hollow's establishment, and how she primarily knew that each pack had two alphas. He wondered how to explain it all... where to start... how his uncle Cutter had given a lesson about the subject matter.

<b>"Well"</b> he began. <b>"Each pack is somewhat different from one another and each Second's duties are a little bit different depending on their alpha's requirements and standards as well as their pack's status."</b> He smiled. <b>"My uncle had been a healer and he was often required to stay near the pack den to keep watch over the heart of the territory; I... when... Alexander promoted me, I made use of my time trying to keep lone wolves from trespassing onto the territory, but at the same, recruit wolves into our pack. The rogue wolf who was taken in by my father had been a Second once, before he and his birth pack went their own separate ways, and he used to tell stories and teach us about hunting tactics."</b> His tail wagged happily, pausing just briefly to see how she was digesting the information, <b>"One thing we all did, though, was advise the alphas, give additional input or advice if they needed it; I've never had to do this for Alexander, but my uncle did successfully ward off an unruly pack member... keeping him from ousting my father."</b> His heart sank as he recalled the event, careful to hold his tongue; it actually had been him who had tried to orchestrate an unfair fight against the elder Lyall. Cutter had just come around in time to defend his younger brother.

<b>"What I'd like you to do though, Vlar,"</b> he said slowly, <b>"is to help Jayse. Just look after her for the time being when I'm away. I wish there had been a better time for this or that I had done this earlier, but I hadn't realized how fast time flies by. And, if it's not too much, I'd like you to just... help out, any way you wish is absolutely fine. Scout, hunt, fish, patrol... or <i>explore</i>, even... I don't mind. Honestly, I've yet to organize the pack into their formal places and roles; I'm hoping the arrival of our newest family additions will help aid that process... help everyone figure out where they ought to be before I evaluate and find out what needs to be put in order."</b></blockquote>

Well, what do you want from me?

OOC: Hehheeh Not a problem! :D Vlar got windy wolf to! XD

She listened intently to what Borden had to say, an hear cocked his direction, the other swiveling in the other ways to check for ..well what she normally did.. Other wolves.. anything that might be amiss. The descriptions he'd been giving made the white female wonder.. if she'd unknowingly been doing the things she was supposed to do...An interesting concept, though still highly confusing. The story of something that made the male who he was gave her an odd feeling.. a smile curving on her muzzle at his trust enough of her to let her in on a few things in his past.

The request for what SHE was to do was answered with a quiet nod, amber eyes glancing over to his masked face before flicking back over her shoulder to the pack. "Time might fly...but..I think it's been well spent..." Even though she knew little of how a pack worked.. she had her instincts.. and her instincts told her that..despite initial thoughts that Aisling was certifiably insane, Kauda was about as pack inept as she was.. and Kiche....was never around.. They were a pack. They were each others strengths, they were each others weaknesses...There was a carnal bond between wolves in a pack..even if they didn't know why it was there or what it was for. Her feelings towards the wolves initially didn't matter.. What DID matter was that she *HAD* a family now.. Had someone to watch her back... and they someone to watch theirs.

Vlarindara knew his request to explore would take her back north to the river.. to follow where it led further west...but that would only take a few hours of her time - she knew most of it would be spent here with the pack lands. The addition to anyway she wished garnered a soft chuckle from the larger female, a quiet shake sending dust and dirt flying from her pelt. "I...think I can do that...Yea..." She had no idea how to go about 'finding her place' she already had one.. and his explanation about the second of his birth pack protecting the alpha.. and his father.. She knew that...as something her mind had resolved to do.. it would be done without fear of punishment. Or so she hoped. Granted... As the largest wolf of Grizzly Hollow.. she had no intentions of letting *Anyone* get into the heart of their lands without reason to be there. Only about ten percent of the wolves she'd met up to this point were her size.. even fewer were larger...Which made her feel oddly ...disproportionate.

"I-...Can..I ask why.. you chose me? I...Mean it..I'm just curious.. how such decisions are made in a pack structure... and... what if we have.. another pack member who feels she or he could do better than I?" Her tone was curious, nothing more, nothing less.. She knew though...that she wouldn't trust just ANYONE with the lives of their alphas... AND the pups lives. Oh no.. If there was anything she knew she'd go toe to toe with ANY wolf for..it was for the safety of those pups..(the ones she hoped were coming).

<blockquote>Borden's gait eventually slowed to a halt as they wandered onto the cold, damp riverbank. He continued to smile at Vlarindara, her comments were well-timed and light-hearted; she seemed to have been mulling his words, his examples, over and over for the past few meters. <b>"There's n-no pressure,"</b> he was sure to add. Though when she curiously questioned about why he had chosen her and how he had come to that decision, he grinned. <b>"Simple... Trust."</b>

The leader seated himself quietly, gazing out toward the rushing water. Up until now, he hadn't worried about Vlarindara; he had always been under the impression that she could take care of herself, that she had no worries now that she had him, Jayse, and the rest of the pack. What he had failed to take into account was the idea of having a threat from within... starting with rank challenges. After leaving Bertram Valey, as well as Midnight Plateau, the notion of such activities had slipped his mind completely.

He started again, deciding to answer her first question, <b>"I chose you because you are the first wolf I... I came to trust aside from... from Alexander. First <i>friend</i>, really."</b> A gentle smile edged up his jawline, <b>"I trust you with my life."</b> His black-tipped tail swayed behind him before settling in a loose curve, arcing around his right hind leg. <b>"If... If there is another who thinks they can do a better job, well then... they'd better prove it. I bestowed the Second rank to <i>you alone</i>. If they can't respect that, then I can only be assured by the fact or assumption that you'd do whatever it took to defend your title. And, if worse comes to worst, I suppose we'll both just have to wait and see how things work out."</b></blockquote>

Well, what do you want from me?

OOC: Short post is short! >.O

At the comment of her defending her title, Vlarindara felt something stir within her breast, some carnal need to do just that. The white female lowered her head with a smile, ducking as if embarrassed. She was glad that Borden thought of her as a friend... and despite their past, she'd rather not have it any other way. Amber eyes fixated on his dark masked face, that smile curling her lips back, plumed tail wagging spiritedly of its own accord. "I'm glad the feeling is mutual, Borden...And.. I will do my best to make sure the title would be well earned..should it exchange shoulders." She was confident in her ability to keep the leaders and their offspring safe. She might not have been the best fighter around, but she had been around the block.. had to learn a few things in her time as a loner.. A loner caring for a yearling.. an ill one at that usually became the brunt of attack..should they manage a meal for themselves near a territory.

<blockquote>He nodded, his smile still apparent as she declared she would do her best. <i>Good...</i> That was exactly what he had wanted to hear. His choice in promoting the white wolf had proven to be a good one. Not only would the pack be taken care of before he went off on his journey to Mount Dire, but he and Jayse could officially and confidently count on her to help their pack take shape. <b>"Were there any other questions you had?"</b> he asked, his eyes thoroughly examining her features. <b>"Anything I might've skipped over or forgotten to answer or explain?"</b></blockquote>

Well, what do you want from me?

OOC: Yay! XD Poor Vlar and her confusion.

Vlarindara shook her head, her ears flopping this way and that before she smiled, her expression softening. "No...I..thank you for taking the time to talk to me, Borden.. I apologize for..not being as knowledgable as I would like to have been." Her amber eyes focused on his before turning away with her muzzle, sharp teeth biting at the peeling fur on her haunches. Another shake of her head dislodged the clump of fur to drop to the ground between their feet. "I'll do my best to keep everyone safe in your absence."