She had decided that today was a day she could afford to spend away from her puppies, though even as she licked their small heads and left the den, she felt a pang in her heart that was calling her back. But she needed a break, she needed some time to breathe fresh air. Her legs longed to be set free, tired of being cramped up as she nourished her young ones. So she had bid them goodbye, asked one of her fellow pack members to take a turn at keeping an eye on them, and left. As she left the den site, the Leader had turned her head over her shoulder and shot one look back, just to make sure. She would have felt more secure if her brindled mate was the one watching their pups, but he had simply vanished. His scent was still on the territory, but it was rapidly fading away. Even her pups had begun to notice the lack of the orange eyed creature who had lurked at the edges of their world since their birth.
Indru's absence had left her as the sole leader of Swift River, so it was Corinna who answered the call of the lone female at the borders. Having been out marking the borders anyway, somewhat delighting in the "new mother" messages in her scent marking, the Donata she-wolf didn't take very long to reach the pale colored female. As the other wolf came into view, Corinna drew herself up to a more dominant position, her head lifting and tail rising above her back. She had no idea who this female was, having not been a member of the pack at the time of Torla's brief return, so while she had announced her name, it didn't mean anything to her. "Can I help you?" Striding forward, Cori stopped just short of her own border, fixing the lone wolf with her green gaze.
Ears flicked forward and eyes narrowed in some suspicion. She had been virilocal ever since she had joined Swift River, and for the life of her, Corinna could not remember just who all had been a related sibling. The situation with Kenai had been different, because Triell had been there to confirm his identity, but the ebony male was missing from this situation now, and it was up to the female leader of Swift River to decide whether or not the ivory female was telling the truth. Not that it really mattered. Eventually she would run into Indru or Triell who would either confirm or deny her identity. If she was a fraud, then the wrath of the River wolves would come full throttle. If not, then Cori would be happy to accept the stranger as yet another sister.
Stepping forward, Corinna crossed the border. Keeping up her dominant stance, she approached Torla walking in a tight circle around her so that their scents would mingle and Torla would be recognized as a Swift River wolf. Satisfied, Corinna gave the new subordinate back her space and smiled at her. "I'm Corinna Donata, or rather Donata-Tainn. I'm Indru's mate," finally introducing her, she confirmed what had to be the unasked question. She didn't bother to add that she was a new mother, of said Indru's pups, but she didn't have to - her scent would give away all of that information upon observation. "I'm sorry Indru wasn't here to greet you, but welcome back to Swift River."
If nothing else, Torla was a friendly character. She seemed genuinely eager and happy to be back, and for that, Cori was grateful. The Tainn siblings came and went it seemed, without any real regard to the family around them. For wolves who put so much emphasis on their family bonds, she was beginning to take note of how fragile those bonds were. But she would not turn away a sibling of Indru's, knowing full well that any and all Tainn wolves were welcome on Swift River lands. Though she wondered which litter of Rihael's and Lani's Torla came from. She wasn't in Indru's litter, and she was older than Triell, so perhaps there was a generation, or maybe even two, in between. Opening her mouth to ask the question, she closed it again as Torla asked one of her own, one that made Corinna's heart break. In all reality, she had no idea where her mate had gone, or if he was coming back. He hadn't told her, and had given her no warning. But she didn't want to tell his newly returned sister that. "Indru is just fine. He and Ruiko had some business to attend to elsewhere, with one of the other packs in Relic Lore, so I imagine he won't be gone for too long," she lied, putting on her brave and confident face, her voice betraying nothing of the emotional turmoil she was dealing with in her heart. One of the she-wolf's greatest fears was that Indru would leave her, and especially now that she had three young mouths to feed, that fear had increased to an all out panic. Without the support of the Swift River wolves, she wasn't sure what she would do. "So tell me, Torla," Cori cooed as she took a few step backwards, towards the direction of the dens. "Did you leave immediately after the fire, or?" Truth was, Cori knew very little about the light coated newcomer, and as they were now sisters in a sense, she wanted to get to know her.
Sex: Female