And Then There Was One [Joining]

[Sorin]

As the male's quiet paws flew across the grasslands, he could not help but glance randomly behind him, as if the phantoms of the past were following after his steps. They are all gone, Sorin reminded himself with a sigh of relief, his pale grey eyes still plagued with the memory of the weeks prior. There was no way to truly escape the massacre, but Sorin had been lucky. Unlike the others, his coat was spotted with the blood of those around him, but very little of his own. The male had never been one for a direct assault, but his brothers had different methods. Had.

The pack was gone, and Sorin would never have to be subject to their brutish ways again. Although he would sorely miss Father, there were many things about their arrangement that sat bitterly with the young male. He had remained out of obligation, but now, there was no pack to swear loyalty to. Vorlos had seen to it that those who were supportive of their father no longer had a place within the pack, and it had truly been a blessing in disguise. Sorin was not one to pray to a higher power, but there was truly someone or something looking out for him when he abandoned the remainder of his family that day. Many of his brothers fell ill within days, and that fueled the male's curiosity; whether it be something they had encountered in the bloody battle or the cruel irony of Mother Nature cleansing the earth of their presence, Sorin watched as each of his brothers were reclaimed by the earth. And then, he went back to watch Vorlos and Avery fall victim to their own greed and hatred.

There was truly no one left to hunt him down, but that did not help the male shrug the uncanny feel of a presence around him. Sorin had never been on his own, and the past few days had gone better than he might have expected. All things considered, he was recovering from the ordeal remarkably well. Yet he could not bring himself to bathe, to cleanse himself of the last reminder of his family. So the male continued to wear the blood of his fallen brothers as he headed further north toward the larger pack lands.

Though Sorin was raised in a pack himself, their rag tag band of males had never swollen to the size of many of the packs wandering Anikira. Their family was comprised of a mere eight males, where most of the northern packs swelled to as many as five times that number. There was much for Sorin to learn about the world around him, but he knew well enough to respect the claims of these wolves. There were many packs with whom he could seek refuge, but Sorin had no desire to go beyond the territory of Ananke.

Even though there was not much in lore for the pack, the idea of joining with a band that was not as constructed and ingrained in their ways as his birth pack intrigued Sorin. The idea of announcing himself at their borders was disdainful to the Eastern Timber male, but he would have to make due for now. Over time, he could fade into the shadows, lurking their pack lands as he had done before with Father's leadership.

At the first indication of scent markers, the male balked. These were not the markers of a male... The alpha here was a... female? Sorin could not help but be puzzled by this interesting turn of events. Alas, it did nothing to dissuade the male, but rather ensnared his attention. And so the male threw back his red crown, calling out to the alphess as he believed a female alpha to be called, in search of her permission to enter the lands.

Words: 645 words
Tags: Nimue
Notes: For a first post, this wasn't terribad.

[Nimue]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]The evening found Nimue nestled snugly against a bed of moss that grew near the opening to the caverns deep within the Eye of Fenris, her pale gaze half-lidded as she stared up at the slowly sinking sun. Somewhere far in the distance, likely in the plains and marshland of her territory, the cicadas were beginning their song, spurned by the darkness that they knew was to come. It had been a relatively peaceful day, spent interacting with her pack and assisting the hunters with providing food, though they had not truly needed her help. It had simply been a way for Nimue to spend time with them, to get to know the wolves who made up her family. With each passing day, she found that she enjoyed the company of each of them more and more.

A howl split the quiet that surrounded her, the sound masculine and deep, echoing in the stone and earth around her. Her head tilted to one side as she listened, and a moment later she was rising, shaking any dirt from her mottled pelt before beginning to climb the incline of the basin. It was not a voice that was familiar to her, the call belonging to none of the few males who called Ananke home. It was not on purpose that the pack had ended up with so many femmes, but Nimue had not failed to notice; it was this that made hope rise within her. Perhaps whoever called to her, clearly a brute, sought to make a place for himself within Ananke’s ranks. It could only help to even out the unbalanced ratio – though truly Nimue did not mind. She would take anyone in, male or female, as long as they were no threat to her home or her family.

As she crested the hill, she saw the shape of the one who had called in the distance, hovering near the border. Her long, loping gate lead the large Kenai dominant femme towards the brute, and as she neared she examined him, noting the brilliant red of his fur and the gray hue of his eyes. Stopping a respectable distance away, she dipped her head, pleased to note that he had not trespassed upon Ananke’s territory to find her. He had manners, then.

”Greetings, stranger,” she said, her voice high and firm but not unkind as she gazed at him, her sky-blue eyes shining with curiosity and just a hint of guardedness. While she was sure to remain calm and kind, the Chieftain knew that she could never be too careful. ”I am Nimue, Chieftain of Ananke. What brings you to Aveline?”

TAG: Sorin
WORDS: 441
NOTES: Sorry for the wait! < 3

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[Sorin]

Sorin watched with piqued curiosity as a wolf finally responded to his call. The reddish male sat leisurely, his tail curled close around his body as he waited patiently for the alpha's approach. Although he had already been perplexed by the fact the alpha was male, the wolf that approached him far defied anything he would have expected to confront him. Sorin's grey eyes swelled to double their size as he peered up at the giant femme, shocked by the sheer wall of wolf that was before him. For a wolf that had not been around any females apart from the play things his brothers had taken for their amusement, this wolf was an enigma. Sorin had always seen the smaller, more malleable and weak femmes that wandered the southern plains.

As the femme introduced herself, Sorin dipped his head in her direction with respect. "Greetings, Nimue. I am Sorin, and I have come in search of a pack to call home," he replied cordially, his body close to the ground in a sign of submission. However, there was not much closer to the earth he could go, as she already towered over him. There was an insecurity within the male at the sight of the wolf; how would he be able to adjust to leadership under not only a female, but one that nearly doubled him in size? If anything, she was a worthy commander, for the young femme had managed to claim and maintain hold of the territory.

Sorin finally raised his eyes once more to meet those of the alphess... the Chieftan as she had referred to herself. It was a title that the male was not familiar with, but it seemed that she was, in fact, the leader of the pack. "I may not rival you in size, but I assure you I am capable of carrying my weight within your ranks," the male addressed Nimue with sincerity in his voice. It would take some adjustment, but he could certainly learn the ways of the rest of the island. While he knew his father's methods had been different from other packs, he was in for a rude awakening into the true structure and relationship in these packs. "I do apologize, but I have not been around a pack that has a Chieftan before. Pray tell me, what would you have me do within your pack, Chieftain Nimue?" he inquired softly. The male was rapidly reaching his quota on speech, but he dared not insult the alphess or be impolite when he was looking for a new home. Perhaps she would be able to help him integrate into this new side of pack life, after all.

Words: 452 words
Tags: Nimue
Notes: He's gonna be a little awkward for a while.

[Nimue]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]Nimue watched the young male after her introductions had been made, her pale gaze tracking his movements and expressions. She did not miss the way his eyes widened at the sight of her, his very being seeming to radiate shock. It was a valid reason for surprise, she supposed; she was immensely large in comparison to most she-wolves – and most other wolves in general, to be frank. And if he was not familiar with Anikira, or the giants bred by Kairos, then surely her presence would come as a shock. But instead of being offended, Nimue simply smiled. She’d long ago come to terms with the fact that her size made her different; she would never be the soft, delicate, dainty she-wolves that males seemed to favor.

He introduced himself as Sorin and she nodded in greeting, committing his name to her memory. He was sure of himself, sure that he could find a place within Ananke’s ranks, and it warmed Nimue to the male immediately. She believed him, though she did not know him; she could see the sincerity of his words in her gaze. And as he continued to speak, posing a question, she listened. She was careful in her answer, thinking it over for a moment before her bell-like voice replied, surprisingly feminine and soft for a she-wolf of her sizing.

”Chieftain here is simply another word for alpha. The rankings are a bit different, but not terribly so; they will be easy to grow accustomed to.” She smiled. ”As for what I would have you do…that depends entirely upon you. Ananke is a peaceful pack, a place of acceptance. We believe that everyone has a place within our family, and that wolves should be assigned roles based on not only their skills, but also what they want to do. I will not force you into a role you do not wish to take; it is solely upon your shoulders.”

She gave him a moment to process the information she’d given before continuing. ”We have hunters, guardians for future pups of the pack, gatherers to assist our current Maester – who works as a sort of healer. We also have various tiers of warriors. There are places for those who prefer brute strength and offense, those who prefer steady defense. There are sentries and spies…and then there are also assassins.” She shrugged one large shoulder, her gaze remaining steady upon his. ”I would be glad to welcome you into Ananke’s ranks, Sorin. As for your role…that choice is yours.”

TAG: Sorin
WORDS: 421
NOTES: I swear to jesus if you reply tonight... >.>

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[Sorin]

The eastern timber male listened intently as Nimue explained that, though the terms were different, her rank was no different than that of a standard alpha. Sorin merely nodded in agreement to the femme's explanation; it did not require he throw his input at her, especially where it likely was not wanted. The male was here seeking refuge in her lands, and it was best to remain respectful and pleasant in her company. But once the Chieftan began explaining the pack's ranks, the male perked up with interest. Though much of the work load sounded like tradition roles, the possibility of working as an assassin for the pack certainly did draw his attention. It was one thing the male knew he was more than capable of doing, and it did not make sense for him to move away from his skill set uncessarily.

"Well, Chieftan Nimue, I do suppose I am best suited to incapacitate your enemies," the male murmured, a small smile playing at his lips. Though the reddish brute did not want to come across as blood thirsty or aggressive, he certainly did love the task of eliminating enemies. Though his previous work had been without much intent or direction, he was certain intrigued by the idea of working for a structured pack. "If you would have me, of course." There was still the matter of full acceptance, but it seemed if she was discussing ranks with him, he likely would be able to remain. The male's tail swished leisurely behind him as his grey eyes took in the alphess... Chieftan... with much interest. Everything about Ananke was a mystery to him, from the ranks to the leader. It would be a unique adjustment for him, but the comfort within the pack would likely come with time. "I would be honored to fight under you, Nimue."

The male's previous allegiances to his birth pack were severed, and with those words, he dedicated himself to the service underneath his new Chieftan. The male monitored the large femme carefully, still a bit perplexed by a dominant female. Were there others like her around here? Was this commonplace outside of his heritage? Not wanting to feel small or uneducated about his new pack, the male opted to keep his questions to himself. Surely he would discover the ins and outs of the pack soon, for he would not be able to remain isolated under the leadership of another.

Welcome to your new life, Sorin.

Word Count: 417 words

Tags: Nimue

Notes: Blah blah bad post but JOINING THREAD. Mwuahahaha I has Ananke character now.

[Nimue]

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[attr="class","pltxt"]It was easy to see the interest as it peaked in Sorin’s gray eyes, though Nimue was momentarily unsure of exactly which position had captured his appeal. A moment later, however, her silent question was answered. It seemed as if he desired the life of a Slayer, and Nimue dipped her head in acceptance of his words. She’d been considering promotions for her members lately, and while Silver had been offered the position of Lead Huntress, Nimue was fairly certain that Phantom would be offered Legion Commander. And so that would have left her Slayer ranks empty; it was fortunate, it seemed, that Sorin had found his way to Ananke when he had. With her recent alliance with Kairos and potentially an approaching alliance with Ultoris as well, it would be a safe bet to have a skilled assassin within her ranks. She did not anticipate trouble in the coming months, but Nimue knew that not all confrontation could be predicted.

As he pledged himself to her she smiled. ”Then welcome to Ananke, Sorin,” she said, officially granting him acceptance into her pack. ”I hope that you find your rank – officially titled Slayer – fitting. Water can be found pooling at the bottom of the crater, and beneath the sinkhole known as the Eye of Fenris is the dens. They’re a collection of caverns. The marsh is good for hunting ducks and small birds, but snakes lurk there as well. Most are safe, but I would advise avoiding the ebony ones. There are crocodiles as well, but only in the deeper areas.” For a moment she paused, considering whether there was more to tell him, but ultimately deciding that he would figure out the remainder of the information concerning his home. ”With that said…please, feel free to explore. And I hope that you find Aveline to your liking.”

TAG: Sorin
WORDS: 307
NOTES: WOW THIS IS AWFUL, we can end this here or you can do one more reply ^.^

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[Sorin]

The male watched his new Chieftan, curious eyes fixated on the larger femme as she seemed to deliberate over his choice. He knew, when she began to speak once more, that he might find peace in this place. So as a slayer of Ananke, he would be able to exercise control over his skills and utilize them for the protection of his pack. The male dipped his head respectfully to his leader, accepting the position with the unspoken gesture before raising his eyes back to the grand femme. "I do hope I do not speak out of turn in your presence, Chieftan, for I have never before encountered a dominant female. I am yours to command, and I will take the duties as your Slayer with pleasure," he spoke calmly, his tone slightly above that of a whisper. Though the male did not want to appear rude to his Chieftan, he was still unfamiliar with being in the presence of others. Having been along for so long had afforded him the flexibility to do as he pleased, and he was now pledged to the servitude of the pack.

Sorin listened patiently as Chieftan Nimue explained the lands within Ananke and what he might find in each reason. He found himself nodding unconsciously to the she-wolf, hoping she would believe him to be fully engaged in the conversation about terrain as his mind began to wander once more. He could only hope that she did not find him impolite in mentioning his lack of familiarity with the opposite gender. In time, he was certain it would become apparent just how unfamiliar he was with femmes. He knew nothing of their habits, hobbies, or even if they worked together in the same way he and his brothers had. If the Chieftan was a female, then clearly there would be other well-ranked females in the pack. It would be foolish to believe a great-sized femme would take power of such a grand territory and not employ the assistance of others she trusted. He had always depended on his brothers in the past, so it would only make sense that she would have someone to lean on as well. As the Chieftan's explanation came to a conclusion, he dipped his head respectfully once more. "I thank you for your kindness, Nimue. I do believe I will take some time to explore our pack lands. Please summon me if you require my services. I will be happy to oblige."

Word Count: 418 words
Tags: Nimue
Notes: I don't know if you want to keep this going for a post or two or not.