Finally Done Wandering....

[matha]

White.

That was the first thing that Matha remembered after she had pulled herself up the beach and had started to explore this territory. She had headed for the tall mountains in the distance, hoping to find some food there. All to no avail. Matha cursed herself for being so dim-witted and continued.

The wind whipped up around Matha in a constant howling tornado. It whistled deafingly and her eyes stung from the snow whirling into them from the fierce blasts as the yearling continued. She tried to remember all that had happened before she had winded up on this island. She suddenly remembered her brother Ragur.

Damn that idiot. If it wasn't for his over-consuming jealousy, Matha would still be back at camp with her parents. She had been living a perfectly happy life as the alpha's daughter, being granted certain privilges that most wolves would only dream of having, until her brother had gotten a bite from the jealousy bug. To make a long story short, Matha's tail tip was no longer there, her entire family was dead, and here she was on this absurdly tall mountain.

Still, if this was a pack territory, it would benefit Matha. She'd been wandering for so long that she'd almost forgotten what wolves looked like. Matha shivered. Since she was barely more than a year old, Matha's coat hadn't really had a chance to grow in. Even though it was spring, it was still chilly up here.

Matha shivered again, wondering how any kind of wolf could survive in these conditions. Never had she faced wind that was this cold and blistering. Matha knew that if she didn't get out of the wind, she would most likely perish in it. She struggled foward, trying desperatley to find shelter.

Luck, it seemed, was on her side. Matha soon found a small outcropping of rocks that she could lay under. She wriggled in, but before howling loudly, hoping that the noise would carry above the wind and alert other wolves to her presence.

Matha sighed and curled up inside of the outcropping, watching the storm outside with a mixture of awe and terror. She sighed, hoping that other wolves would come soon. Matha couldn't take this much longer.

To hell with that Ragur, how she hated him so.

[Uruviel]

The alpha brute, followed not too far behind by two of his loyal pack members, trotted down the path, a stinging wind from the high mountains barely fazing him. He had grown accustomed to such weather, and now that the sun was warming the peaks, he was as comfortable as ever. It would not be long until the flowers would bloom along the path and the baby animals would be born, making hunting much easier than it ever was during the winter. But right now... Now they had a mission to fulfill.

Xinelil's somewhat stern facial expression was not at all characteristic. He was generally a light, airy brute that rolled with the punches. Right now, though, his mind was preoccupied with possible intruders on the pack's land. Without alerting any of the pack members, these wolves were enemies, and possibly spies of the rogues. He would have to deal with them accordingly. There was no way he could let a knave spy give any information about his pack of his territory. Anyone at all on my pack lands without permission, he thought with a low growl, his face contorting into a twisted, bitter stare. No wolf would be safe unless his pack was safe.

It was about this time that something caught Xin's attention. There was an unfamiliar scent along this way, someone who was not already welcomed onto the land. A growl caught in his throat, rumbling angrily as it threatened to break free, as his nose dipped to the earth and inhaled, following the scent. It was about this time that a howl erupted from whatever wolf was nearby, and he cringed slightly. He was pleased that they had bothered to howl, but it still irked him that this wolf had wandered so close to his dens before they had bothered to let anyone know.

The scent trail dead-ended at a bundle of stones, laying askew. He peered beneath the large stones, his green orbs seeming to glow into the dark space as he spied a young white femme. "You can come out," he told her as kindly as he could muster.

So, this wolf had been hiding under the rocks to avoid the wind. He could tell why. It had been obvious that her coat was thinner than most arctic wolves. He attributed this, most likely, to malnutrition or possibly just her age. She did not seem to be fearful, just chilled. Xin would be quick to ship her back to the dens to get warm and let her take a piece of the shrinking carcass in the dens. But himself, Meikou, and Kuna would have to continue on, otherwise they would risk not finding other wolves like this one that were hiding out on the territory.

[matha]

Matha suddenly was alerted by strange scents toward the entrance of the den. She wriggled forward until she saw three other wolves standing at the entrance. She shivered. Even if she did want to join their pack, she was troubled by the male's expression. He didn't seem very happy, for one reason or the other.

Matha guessed that the wolf at the front with the striking green eyes was the alpha. He had a sense of authority and dignity radiating around him that none of the other wolves did. Matha shivered. In this alpha's current mood, he might not take kindly to trespassers. She jumped back, startled, as the male poked his nose inside of the den. "You can come out." she heard him say.

Cautiously, she wriggled out. "Thank you, sir." she said politely. "If it's not too much to ask, sir, I would like to join your pack, terribly sorry for trespassing on your territory, sir.." She stopped babbling. No one wants to hear you chatter like a canary. she thought to herself. Shut up and listen.

She rolled into a submissive position, an idiotic grin on her face the whole time. "Is there any food around here, sir?" she questioned. "I am awfully hungry..." Matha knew how idiotic she must have sounded, but she was willing to do anything to impress this alpha.

It was true that Matha was starving. She hadn't had anything to eat for a long time, and her stomach was growling louder than a grizzly bear. If she didn't find food soon, Matha would have to resort to drastic measures to get it.

[Uruviel]

From time to time Xinelil had come across wolves like this female, the ones who believed that, if not completely submissive and polite, they would be kicked to the edge of the territory. The brute had always been kind and considerate to everyone, but those wolves were a nuisance. I don't have time to listen to babbling, he thought impatiently. This femme wanted to join and he would consider her plight, but for now, he needed to continue on to his patrol. He would deal with her later.

"Up the path a bit is our dens. Feel free to stay there and have a bite to eat in the meantime. I'm actually on my way to patrol the territory and look for any uninvited wolves," he explained a little coldly. Hopefully she would catch the hint sooner or later that he was not pleased to find a wolf so far into his territory, and especially so close to his dens, before they bothered to howl. "I'll return later and chat with you. We'll see about joining the pack then." He hated to be curt and almost rude to others, but right now was a matter of importance. He could not waste time standing around and dealing with youngsters like this femme all day. After all, he had a steady influx of more productive wolves, and it seemed as if the other packs were smaller than his own, though he could not be completely sure.

The brute glanced behind him, hoping to see the others following soon. He had side tracked and possibly confused them a bit, but it would not be long before he headed out. "Just stay there until I return," he warned her again before turning away and trotting down the path once more.

Xinelil would not want to hear of this wolf hunting on the territory or wandering away from the wolves in the dens. He smirked slightly. Kadhi will make sure to welcome her, he thought humorously. It would be quite funny to see the femme interact with Kadhi. His hunter had not taken well to Jay, the other young wolf that he had brought back. What would he say when this new femme, who hadn't even bothered to give Xin her name, just appeared at the entrance of the dens?

It would be a bit of a walk to the lake, but it would give him time to think. Perhaps he would cool off a bit and judge clearer when he had taken the time to secure his territory with his Beta and one of his hunters. That would do well to ease his mind. Maybe I just need a bit of a break.

[matha]

Matha couldn't believe her ears when the brute acutally invited her to the dens. "Thank you, sir, you don't know how much this means to me sir..." she hestitaed as the brute told her to stay in the dens. "Of course sir...." she said politely. "But... shouldn't you introduce me first?" Matha did not like the idea of wandering into a den filled with complete strangers without the alpha's say in the matter.

She then asked, "Will the wolves take kindly to me? Not like I'm trying to be rude...oh..." She broke off, seeing as the male wanted to get on with the patrol. "Ill let you carry on, then..." she said, starting up the path but hesitating. She turned. "My.. My name's Matha." she stated. "If you wanted to know. You must be Xinelil, I've heard a little about you from other rogue wolves....about this island as well." Matha attempted a charmish smile. "You're the alpha of the Aldgar pack, right?"

She then turned again. "I'm sorry to have troubled you... I'll be on my way now...." she turned and bounded up the path. A new pack to come home to was an exciting concept for Matha. She did hope that the wolves would take kindly to her, however. Matha wouldn't stand a chance in a fight. She hiked up the trail relentlessly, being careful to aviod still-slippery spots.

She paused, looking up. Indeed, there was a wide opening in the center of the mountain, suggesting a cave. Matha could smell other wolve's scents as well. This must be their dens... she thought to herself.

Matha took a deep breath and dared to venture upwards, into her new home.

--end of thread--