Drooping Willows Fluorescent Adolescent

There seemed to be a fraction of surprise that etched itself onto both Archer's faces for a mere second before being whisked away upon the mentioning of pups. Had Ruka chosen the wrong way to start this off, or did they misunderstand where her train of thought was heading? Internally the tawny woman gave herself a smack upside the head, giving a small nod of her head when the question was posed in regards to her experience with pups. "I do yes." Granted at the time the pups weren't family, but the woman cared for them all the same as if they were.

"And I know with that means a need for more able paws to bring in enough food to keep both pack and pups fed." Now her train of thought was starting to realign itself hopefully. "I can be a great asset in keeping caches full." Hopefully, that would add a little more sprinkle on top for the other woman. "As for rules, I'm all ears." At this the corners of her mouth curved to form a small smile, tail daring to gain some momentum behind her.

So she was offering to help keep the little maws fed, but still she'd said she had experience with children. He and his sister's own knowledge was limited to visitations with family, their own parents having skipped a breeding year or two after them. Hunting may be what Ruka intended, but Scully wouldn't be surprised if she fell into the role of pup-sitter all the same. Unless, there was something abhorrent to her about that.

"She's quick," he added in, hoping it would help give credence in Avella's ears.

"I couldn't hardly keep up with her."

Avella wasn't opposed to the thought of having someone there to help with her pups. Sure she'd have the pack there but she had hoped they would all continue to do their duties. It was important but that meant she would be left alone to watch over her pups. She didn't have a mate to help in that respect. So she wasn't completely against the idea and as the woman spoke she learned that she did have experience raising pups. Avella remained quiet thinking this over.

Thankfully it seemed Kaeruka could carry the conversation herself. Thus time she spoke of keeping the pack and pups fed and how she would be a great asset to keeping the caches full. It was at that point her gaze was drawn to her brother as he spoke vouching for the woman. "I think that it would be wise to have someone in the pack who knows about pups. This will be my first litter," she explained, "If you're agreeable I would need you available for the pups most of the time. Your skills in hunting will be beneficial to the pack and the pups when they are of age to learn to hunt."

Then woman expressed that she was ready to hear the rules that Avella had for the pack. This was the part that the alpha liked to be perfectly clear on. "We expect loyalty, honesty, that you don't steal and should you ever decide to leave you speak with me first." The last was always for their benefit. She felt it would leave the door open should they ever need to return.

Sorry for such a late reply! Feel free to wrap this up

A tug at the corner of her inky lips formed when Scully spoke up to offer credit to the tawny woman's abilities, her tail swaying a beat or two faster in response to the support. Charcoal dusted audits listened intently, though, as the pale-coated woman spoke about her interest in taking up Ruka's initial offer in regards to pups and more or less serve as the designated pup-sitter for the pack when needed. The tawny woman definitely had no qualms with such a proposal and gave a silent nod to dictate such before her attention was truly reeled in when Avella began to lay out the laws of the land essentially.

What the woman listed seemed well and fair enough to Ruka in exchange for a place to finally call home again. Basically, as long as she obeyed these laws and pulled her weight to ensure caches remained filled, borders marked and the future generation attended to things would be smooth here. "You have some valid rules in place and I believe there will be no issues following them."

Scully's tail waved in wide arcs behind him as it seemed Kaeruka was to be one of them. He flashed both of the women a toothy grin as they sealed the deal, his sister opting to prioritize the coming litter. It was understandable, especially given their situation, but he was certain their legendary great-grandmother would be proud of Avella tackling the challenge as a solitary female monarch. Scully sure was.

He angled toward the territory's heart, intent on helping his sibling to lead their new member inward once the alphess made things official with her signature mark. He'd be more than happy to give Ruka as indepth a tour as she'd like, too.

Avella was pleased how things had gone with Kaeruka. As long as the rules were agreed upon she didn't see any reason to not welcome the woman into the pack. It would certainly help ease her mind knowing that she'd have someone to help her to keep an eye on her pups once they were born. She laid everything out for Kaeruka and then gave her the time to consider things.

A wide smile crossed her features when the other woman agreed to the rules. "Excellent," she said moving toward her and brushing against her to mark her with the Ridge scent. "Welcome to the Ridge. Now I think it's time to get you acquainted with your new home. Follow me," she said turning toward the willows to take their newest member on a tour.

Fade