Shallows Edge A Hero Can Save Us

Takes place directly after Not Gonna Stand Here And Wait.
@Askan

Word Count: 113

Lenka was pleased to have been accepted – she really was – but she couldn’t help but wonder what she’d gotten herself into. Even so, she was determined to prove to this strange man who had yet to introduce himself that she wasn’t about to use the pack for the winter and ditch them come spring. Even if she did find Meech, she couldn’t leave them now.

Her dream of leading a pack was fast slipping away, but she supposed she could put it off a little longer. She was still young, after. There was plenty of time for her to worry about that. Now was the time for making friends and gathering her strength.

Askan had no intentions of letting Lenka sit idle. She could settle in later rather than sooner, he might have allowed her into the territory but he still needed some convincing. She might have been a princess wherever she was from but that title meant nothing here. When Askan had arrived in the Lore he hadn't even dreamed of throwing his title or lineage about like that. In a place so far away from home all of his Father's prestige meant little in the grand scheme of things. That was a reality he had quickly accepted and he expected Lenka to do the same. Whether she liked it or not.

"Usually, before we allow a new member to join the pack they complete some sort of task to show they've got what it takes." Askan explained once they reached the lake shore."So, what are you good at?"

There had to be something about her that set her apart from the rest. Perhaps she was fast, agile, like a long legged deer. Or maybe she had a sharp sense of smell, could track for miles without tiring. There had to be something about her that they could make use of, something that would make her fit in amongst their rag-tag group of egdsters.

Word Count: 144

Lenka could tell the alpha still felt somewhat aloof towards her, and his next words confirmed that. Of course, he had no reason to trust her yet. She had seen her parents treat potential join-ups with similar distrust. She may not have been used to the treatment, but that didn’t make her any more special than anyone else.

What am I good at? She felt panic rising in her chest/ What am I good at? She didn’t know what she was good at! When had she ever had to do anything. She could hunt, sure. Fight, not so much. Tracking? If she was good at that, she’d be with Meech right now. “I- uh- I can-” She faltered for a moment. “I can run.” She was good at that. She’d always been the fastest. “I could run faster than anyone where I was born.”

'I can run.' It was hard for Askan not to roll his eyes at that. Most if not all wolves could do that, she was hardly special for being able to move at a pace faster than walking. But thankfully she went onto add that she could run faster than most, that it was a talent she'd had ever since she'd been small. Well okay, perhaps they could work with that.  Askan stared out at the frozen over shallows, only the edges were left untainted by the cold. What could they do with a fast wolf?

Settling down onto his haunches, Askan glanced at over at Lenka. She was young still, he had no intentions of giving her too hard of a time, but she needed to be tested nonetheless.

"If you're going to stay here you need to know the land like the back of your paw." Askan told her, his voice firm but not unkind. "Put your speed to good use. Have a look about, see what there is to see and return to me as quickly as you can.  When you do, I want you to tell me the landmarks of the territory. Let's see if you are as fast as you say, hm?"

OOC: I'm breaking this into two posts.
Word Count: 376

Lenka’s heart hammered as the dark man thought, eyes wandering over the frozen water they had approached. Well, mostly frozen, anyway. Desperate to fill the silence, the creamy girl searched for something – anything – to say. “Um, stupid question, but what’s your name, anyway?” She blurted finally, staring at her new leader in apprehension.

Her ears flipped back in dismay at his request. But I’m hungry! And tired! She thought, opening her mouth to protest. She thought better of it and instead nodded once, turning to glance around the area and mentally plot some sort of course. She didn’t know exactly what the landmarks were, but she supposed she would figure it out once she got going.

Without a word she charged into the territory, hoping she at least didn’t run into any other pack members that might think she was an intruder streaking through their home. She dashed first up the edge of the small lake, as the area around the water was a little clearer of snow. It also seemed like a good place to start.

She came first to a wide, shallow area that looked like it would be rather pretty during the summer. The water looked to be a little separate from the main lake. There was a rocky ledge around the side of it that she decided would take too long to climb. She headed on, logging the spot in her mind.

The girl willed her feet to move faster, though they were numb with cold and fatigue. She thought about staying to the lakeshore, but that would be too easy. Her new patriarch hadn’t told her to run a lap, he’d told her to get to know the land. The territory extended beyond the lake, and so must her run. She shot out past a sharp curve in the shore, diving into the trees. The scent of other wolves started growing stronger, and she skidded to a stop in front of what looked like a cozy den. She didn’t wait to see if anyone was inside; just turned and kept running until she reached the far border. She ran along its edge for a short distance before returning to inside the territory.

She was going to be very tired after this.

Just a shortie from me whilst kana waits

Askan threw another side glance her way.

"I'll tell you when you get back, now go."

Perhaps it was a bit mean to make her wait, it was only his name after all, but the sooner she got the move on, the better. In the meanwhile he remained where he was, over watching his kingdom with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Was this what the Old Man felt when he looked over at the Rye? He hoped so, Drestig deserved as much, even if the field came to represent something very different for the Selwyn.

His pack had more youngsters than he had anticipated but...it certainly wasn't a problem. They all could grow together, become wiser and stronger and...whatever they wanted to be. This was a place to seize the moment, forget about the past it was time to live now. And...he was getting sappy again, wasn't he? Great.

(This post was last modified: Jan 08, 2018, 10:43 PM by Askan.)

OOC: No match required
Word Count: 631

This time she had to run quite a bit further before she found something that she felt she could log as a ‘landmark’. Once again the scent of others grew increasingly stronger, and she altered her course to meet it, though she didn’t care to introduce herself just yet. She found another den, tucked into the edge of a rocky crag. She was only confused for a second; hadn’t her parents had more than one den in the territory as well? Lenka was quickly on her way, finally reaching the river that she’d heard a while back. She paused. It wasn’t running particularly high this time of year, but she bet in the spring it would be dangerous.

She carefully picked her way across, then dashed down the line of the lake again. There couldn’t be that much between here and the border, right? But once again the lake made a sharp curve, and the tiring girl elected to dive back into the territory. Sticking to the lake might be faster, but she wanted to get the job done right the first time. She found herself surrounded by dead ferns, half buried by the snow. Faded red stalks jutted up through the white powder. Lenka imagined the area would be quite pretty come summertime, but she didn’t have time to paint a full picture.

She was nearing the border again and decided it was time to turn back. She circled around and within a few minutes she’d reached the lake’s outlet. She trotted up it a short distance before finding a log that crossed it. She tested her weight before crossing, moving as fast as she could without risking falling in. This could be very handy when the high water season started. She’d thought she’d gotten away with not having to cross again, but found that she was instead on a small island nestled between two different outlets. She sighed and plunged into the frigid water to return to her start point. Fortunately only her legs got wet and she wouldn’t spend the whole night shivering.

Though her frozen paws felt like dead weight, the Artemieva girl pushed her speed, moving her legs as fast as she possibly could to reach the patriarch quickly. Finally she sighted his dark form through the trees and skidded to a stop in front of him, sliding a short distance on her haunches. She stayed sitting, not wanting to risk falling over as she panted.

<b>“Done,”</b> She panted, then took a moment to catch her breath before outlining what she found.

She didn’t make him wait long, as she’d gathered he didn’t like to beat around the bush from their meeting at the border. <b>“There were some shallows a little ways up from us. They would be good for cooling off in the summer, or teaching pup to swim. There were two dens that I found; one a little north of the edge of the lake, and the other is in the rocks. The river that lets into the lake isn’t very high now, but could be dangerous during the summer I think.”</b> She paused, her breathing finally starting to even out. <b>“There were a lot of ferns… Mostly buried in snow right now, but they might be good for hunting when it’s warmer. There was also a fallen log that crosses one of the outlet streams to the island.”</b>

She stopped, gazing up at the alpha with eager eyes, hoping she did well and at the very least met his expectations. She’d run as fast as she could with the energy she had, and done her best to recall the details of the places that had stood out to her. She didn’t know this man very well, but she found herself craving his approval.

Askan wasn't left waiting too long, she was fast, faster than he'd given her credit. With a flick of his tail he motioned for her to join him by the lake shore, he had no intentions of keeping her here long, she no doubt needed food and rest but not it was time for her to reveal all and share the secrets the forest hid from the world.

He couldn't help but smirk at her first remark. Good for paddling huh? As if. He'd learned first paw how deep the Shallow's were and had named them accordingly, perhaps it was a little mischievous of him but he couldn't help it. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. It was a harmless joke really, a little jest that would result in a very amused Askan and an alarmed, soaking went Lenka, probably. Hopefully one day.

Either way, her tour of the territory had been thorough and her observations astute. She had passed his little test, he was satisfied with her dedication for now but further effort down the line certainly wouldn't go amiss.

"Good. You've seen most of it. Make the trip as many times as you feel you need to till you know this place as well as you do your homeland. Go mingle if you feel like it, it's not mandatory I suppose, but it wouldn't go amiss."He stood up and shook off his coat, freeing himself from the snowflakes that had settled on his fur. "Before that though, I don't suppose you're hungry?"At the very least she could have a snack, something to fill her aching belly.

"Oh and.."He paused midstep, remembering what he'd said before. "Askan Selwyn.

Word Count: 196

Lenka didn’t really expect any sort of praise from her new leader, but she was still slightly disappointed that he didn’t offer any. Still, his somewhat hostile demeanor had faded and he did seem at least a little endeared by her effort. Then again, maybe that was just her projecting her own self pride onto him. She was actually pleased by what she’d accomplished.

He urged her to mingle with the others, and now that she had traveled the territory she definitely would – after a nap, probably. She was still tired, but at the same time she did want to get to know her packmates. She’d never been particularly shy, and if she one day wanted to rule she needed to get good at making friends.

Her ears perked up at the mention of food. She’d been living off carrion and digging up hibernating rabbits when she was lucky enough to come across a burrow. Even just the thought of a proper meal was enough to make her mouth water. Lenka nodded; she could muster enough energy for a hunt.

Askan? It was an interesting name, but she felt it was fitting for an alpha. Powerful.

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity