What a lovely day! [Joining]

[Eithne]

"What a lovely day!"

Eithne had been tracking a particular pronghorn for quite a few leagues now. The young thing having strayed s bit too far from it's herd. The dusty black brute had caught the scent in passing and now moved downwind of his soon to be prey. The pronghorn had led the young male into a vast prairie. One that reminded him so much of the grasslands of his birth, that it almost seemed as if he never left. Enchanting yellow eyes seemed to glow among the tall grass where he lay in weight. Long, sturdy legs folded under the large mass, claws digging into the earth, poised and ready.

The stark white of winter did no favors to cover the dark brute, but he managed. Auds rotated, taking in the barest breath around him. He would watch his prey for the moment, keeping it close but not too close to the herd nearby. This was a chance he couldn't afford to miss. Winter sometimes made hunting difficult. Many prey chose to hunker down and hide until spring. He would come across a stray hare now and then. It was enough for him, but he was feeling a much bigger meal that morning. He usually was conscious of the lands, keeping closer to the unclaimed lands to hunt and explore, not wanting to step on any toes. But this pronghorn was too enticing to pass up.

Wispy, translucent clouds puffed from his maw, speaking of the frigid temperatures. He had managed to find an alcove a ways back that was unclaimed, using it as temporary living space until he would move on. Pressing further into the whitened earth, he gauged the air and surrounding trees to find the best moment to attack. The pronghorn would raise it's head now and then, listening. Eithne held his breath in those moment, knowing he'd have trouble finding another opportunity later. Though just beyond his location, he sensed movement and cursed under his breath, praying they would wait until his hunt was complete. Switching from the source of the noise to the pronghorn, he scowled in concentration.

"Just a bit longer."

Words: 358
Tag: Valeria

[Valeria]

Patrols were growing exceedingly boring for the alphess, and though she knew it was a requirement to maintain the security of their pack, Valeria was extremely worn out from the constant movement around Kamari. The grasslands spanned for as far as her eyes could see, yet there was never anything exciting to tend to. No, instead she found herself casually reinforcing the scent markers at their borders before moving on. But that was not the case today.

The Seraphim paused at the edge of the prairie, her nostrils flaring in anger at the smell of an unfamiliar wolf. The stranger had not only wandered within their borders, but they had not even paused to summon the alphess before traipsing right in. A growl rumbled angrily in the femme's throat, her eyes gleaming with dislike as she took off at a fast trot after the male's scent trail. He had not made it far within their borders, but that was no excuse.

And there he was.

Pressed close to the ground on her territory was a lone male, his eyes fixated firmly upon a single pronghorn. No doubt the creature would find its way back to the herd if this male did not try to kill it. But as his words caught in her ears, trailed on the wind toward her, Valeria's eyes narrowed to an ungodly small slit, nearly frothing with anger. A snarl rippled from the ebony femme's throat, simply not caring if she started the pronghorn in the process. This wolf was trespassing, and to add insult to injury, he was attempting to hunt on their pack's lands without permission. The very pregnant alphess stormed up to the smaller male, quickly closing the gap between them as she glared bitterly at his form.

"State your business here, brute. And if you dare to say hunting on Valyn lands without permission, I would rethink your response," she bit out, anger rolling off her coat in waves. Not only did she have the added bonus of the hormonal fluctuation from her pregnancy, but the black and golden alphess was still seething from the fact that her father was, in fact, gone for good. This male had picked the wrong day to trespass on Valyn territory.


Word Count: 380 words
Tags: Eithne
Notes: Whoops, angry alpha XD

[Eithne]

Had someone told Eithne he would be facing down a larger and very aggressive female that day, he would have laughed right in their face and kept right on going. As it stood, he was nestled down and watching the pronghorn. He was beginning to wonder if he should go for it while the window of opportunity was still there or let it be. There was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Some distant voice telling him this was a horrible idea. Eithne had a conscience, a very good and clear one. Though because he was never truly reckless, said conscience was most often quite mute. But now there were alarm bells in his mind and a nagging feeling that he should turn around. He dug his claws further into the ground, ready to say to heck with his conscience and follow his hunger. It was that hunger that drew him to follow the pronghorn. He was craving a larger prey than a rabbit or rodent. His muscles began to tense, preparing to push off into a loping run, planning to catch the pronghorn off guard.

However, before he could even get off the ground, the pronghorn looked toward him. Bright yellow eyes widened in realization. He had been spotted. Cursing under his breath he stood from his hiding place and watched as his prey bounded off toward the rest of the herd. The herd had been startled by the sudden snarl that rang out from behind him. His ears folded back in apprehension. He kept his claws dug deep into the earth, uncaring of the biting grip of snow and ice. He had more pressing matters than a lost meal. He carefully turned his head and was shocked to find a darkly colored female with golden accents. Said female was a good several inches larger than him, which caught him by surprise. That and she was eyeing him like he had murdered one of her pups. Swallowing on reflex, he turned to face the aggressive femme. It had then occurred to him, the nagging feeling had been telling him he was on pack territory. His senses had been so clouded with the scent of the pronghorn, he hadn't taken a moment to search the scent trails around him. Despite facing the wrath of a female, Eithne had the grace to look sheepish and genuinely apologetic. Though he kept on guard in case she attacked.

Taking a moment to gather himself, lowering his head in a sign of respect. She clearly was part of the pack that laid claim to this territory. The Valyn pack to be precise. He hadn't heard much of the packs in the area, but this one was closer to where he was born so he hoped to get lucky and join them. He may have had his father's wanderlustic will, but he still felt a need to stick together in a group. Shifting his weight, he lowered his gaze and folded his ears against his skull in submission. He picked up on her scent, noting it had a slightly different tint to it. He wasn't sure what that meant, but his instincts told him to tread carefully around this fae. Taking a deep breath, he quickly gathered the right words to say. "My apologies, Ma'am. I was merely following the scent of the pronghorn. I had no intentions of trespassing. I've been traveling for days, eating only rabbits and small rodents. The call of larger prey was too much for me to resist. Had I have known it was claimed territory, I would have left it be and moved on. I mean no offense, truly I don't." He spoke as calmly as he could, well aware of the decreased space between them. His breathing had picked up as his words left his tongue at a quicker rate than normal.

"To be completely truthful, I've been searching for a place to settle down. Somewhere to call home. Granted I've traveled since I was a mere pup with my family, but there was never a place we truly called home. I was hoping you'll see passed my foolish mistake and accept me into your ranks. I'll do anything to make it up to you. Just name it." he added, honestly. The last thing he wanted to do was get on the bad side of a pack. He liked to think he was a strong male, but taking on a full pack on his own was beyond foolish. Especially when this pack was the first he had run on since leaving his family. This was not looking to be the best first impression. Keeping his posture open and submissive, he had angered her enough, he did not wish to push further. He had no need to make an enemy of the female. Though a part of him had returned the snarl, but cut it off the instant it escape his throat. He would play by her rules and increase his chances of finally finding a place to settle and be safe. Traveling alone was not all they said it would be.

Word: 855
Tag: Valeria

[Valeria]

As the alphess glared bitterly at intruding male, she could not bring herself to relax at his initial apologies. Her lip remained curled angrily, the dull rumbling in her throat continuing at the male's explanation. Clearly, he was not from around this area, or he would have known better than to traipse into claimed territory. He at least had the sense to look contrite, properly scolded by her words. "There are many packs in these lands. You have stumbled upon the lands of Valyn. How about we start with your name?" Valeria started, a stern look still fixated on the male. He was at least apologetic about his intrusion, but Valeria was quite miffed at the idea that she traipsed past her scent markers and was hunting within her borders. There were many other things she should be doing right now, and chasing males out of the territory should have been fairly low on the list.

The black and golden femme watched his new male with her interest piqued, slowly allowing her aggressive face to calm to a more passive one. She was still quite angered by his presence here, but Valeria was not in a position to fight off the male. In fact, her sisters might have been inclined to yell at her at even being out of the dens right now. But she could not allow her mind to calm, and a simple walk around the pack's territory should not have caused any problems. Clearly, wolves still thought it to be a good idea to intrude on their pack lands. "I am Valeria, Seraphim of Valyn." 

There were many things on the Seraphim's mind right now, and dealing with intruders was a bit of nuisance. Valeria was busy not only nesting, but also making arrangements to honor her father. There had been much upheaval within the pack's organization with her father's death, and she still needed to seek out her brother and formally offer him her father's former rank. With his passing, Valeria was intent to honor his memory, and she could not do that from the dens. She would settle when the pups were coming, and not a moment sooner. Clearly it was good that she had not kept to the dens, for this male would have continued with his hunt, slaying prey upon her territory without permission. There was no larger insult to a pack than to spill blood on their territory. "What do you have to offer to my family, stranger?"


Word Count: 422 words
Tags: Eithne
Notes: Sorry about the wait on this, and sorry it's so short but I wanted to get a reply up for you!

[Eithne]

Eithne struggled to keep his head down. He was normally so submissive, but in the face of an alpha that was decently larger than him, his instincts would have begged to differ. Though this alpha was female, not that he had anything against it, but he did feel a bit awkward about it. Though he would have to tread carefully to stay on her good side - if there was one. The odd scent that he had caught before when she first appeared became more clear to him. This female was with cubs. Lovely. He could hear his father's laughter in his head now. He cursed under his breath at his nativity. He swore he was smarter than this, but he hadn't had much to eat lately so his stomach got the best of him.

He knew well the proper ways of treading pack territory. He had absently picked up the scent markers, was supposed to howl to announce to the alpha of his presence. But in doing so he would have lost a chance for food. Sighing, inwardly he lifted his gaze from the ivory ground and up into the blazing gold orbs in front of him. So this was Valyn territory, huh? He hoped this was one of the more reasonable packs. He had heard of hostile packs forming and prayed he hadn't stumbled into one. Not to say this one was s push over, of course. "I extend my most sincerest apologies. I truly meant no offense. I should have announced myself, sooner. My name is Eithne. I wish this could have been on better terms."

He paused for a moment and pricked his auds forward as she introduced herself. Seraphim must be their pack's word for alpha. Feeling himself swallow, convulsively, Eithne once again bowed to the larger female. "It's truly a pleasure to meet you, Miss Valeria. I could make a dozen excuses for my careless behavior but it would neither of us any good. I can only offer my hunting skills and charisma. I work well in s group and could help provide for the pack. I wouldn't bother a soul and keep to myself if that is what you wish. I have traveled alone for far too long and would love to join a pack and have company once more. That is if you'll have me. I understand completely if you wish to turn me away. I would just apologize for wasting your time."

He stood his ground, preparing to leave as soon as she gave the word. He knew he should have thought things threw more. But at the time he couldn't think straight. He just hoped she'd give him a chance to prove he really wasn't as incompetent as he seemed. He really didn't want to continue traveling alone.

Words: 482
Tag: Valeria

[Valeria]

As the male spoke, the ebony femme's anger gradually subsided. Valeria still was not pleased to find the male in her borders unannounced, but he was at least contrite in his apology. Part of her could not help but think he might have been seeking permission to hunt within her territory by saying he would keep to himself, but if he was truly looking leave, there was little stopping. The heavily pregnant alphess would not be able to pursue him, and though he would have been left without a meal, he would be free of Valyn's territory. Something about that realization brought her to see that he was at least moderately sincere in his plea.

"Watch yourself, Eithne," she warned, the anger faded from her voice. "Many of the alphas in these areas would have killed you on sight. Perhaps you can make it up to the pack with your hunting skills." She offered the male a curt smile, still not necessarily pleased with him, but she would let this go in time. "I suppose it is best you come along with me. You will want to meet my brother, Pharaoh. You will report to him primarily, as he assists with the pack's workings." The femme's gaze lingered briefly on the smaller male. He was different than the others; unlike Rassa, who had tried to push every button on the young Seraphim, he showed the appropriate submission to the pack's leader. She could not find much fault in that, and submission in itself would be a useful skill in these lands. Things were changing, but it would take time for everyone to adjust to the new regime. 

The femme grimaced, a pain shooting through her side. "I must take my leave, but you will want to head toward the dens. They are in the northeastern quadrant of our pack lands," she instructed, forcing her face to remain passive even as fear rushed through her body. It is sooner than I expected, she thought, keeping her mind as calm as possible, though she was fairly certain her pups were on the way. "I will be back at the dens. If you need to hunt, you are free to do so, but be warned I will not be pleased if I find out you are exploiting my kindness to gain hunting access on my territory," she remarked sternly, her golden eyes narrowing slightly toward the male. With another pain striking her, the visible distress crossed her face. Without another word, the alphess turned, hustling off in the direction of the dens. She was far too close to the pack borders; her pups would not be brought into this world in the middle of a field. But she would have to hurry...


Word Count: 464 words
Tags: Eithne
Notes: Feel free to thread throughout Kamari (: Val will be hanging out in the dens with her munchkins here shortly!