The Intruder [Shay]

[Uruviel]

Xinelil could not understand why Kadhi was so freaked out. He was generally a calm alpha, and the arabian brute's insecurities were uncomfortable. He had just released the brute from his blame, and now he was spazzing even more. "No, Kadhi, you did not fail me," he restated firmly. "I never expected you to become me. I deal with these things, not you." He smiled slightly, allowing the brute to take that however he wished.

And once he dropped the matter, he would allow it to rest. The sudden exodus of Syren was a little irritating, but Xinelil would never admit it. He was bent on kindness and ruling with logic and level-headedness, not an authoritarian attitude. Besides, she was free to wander wherever as long as she stayed within the pack lands. He was not comfortable enough to allow a member outside without proper protection at these times. And an affirmation of his suspicions followed shortly after. The scent of a new wolf, and one relatively close, whafted into he dens. Within seconds, the alpha brute was growling quietly under his breath. Do none of these wolves have sense about them? His coat bristled, knowing that whomever it was, they were smart enough not to barge into the dens.

The brute gathered his temper and trotted outside the cave, padding down the mountain side to the base of the range. It did not take him too long to locate the source of the scent. A female had entered his lands, not bothering to howl and seemingly making no attempt to do so. "What are you doing?" he growled lowly, approaching her with his body rigid. "I suggest you leave my territory. You have not asked permission to enter. I do not wish to deal with you intruders any longer." He snapped out the words, flicking his tail bitterly.

Although he had tried to reign in his anger, it was now spilling over. "Does no one teach their pups to howl at a pack's border any longer?" he growled. "What is your name, femme?" He stared down at her angrily, knowing that whatever she pled, he would not give in. He was through with the wolves here. Nothing was more disrespectful to an alpha than not seeking permission. And it was the last time he would be subject to such disrespect from wolves he had never met.

((OOC: Sorry for the crappy post, I don't have much muse for him.))

[kaltag]

The wind whistled silently through the trees, causing them to dance intricately together. The leaves waved jovially, sending little greetings to the scurrying creatures in the treetops.

The petite female was just starting to doze off. Her eyelids were growing heavier by the minute. She shook her head irritably, getting annoyed with herself for letting herself feel so drowsy. She was just about to stand and wake her tingling muscles when she paused, her ears straining forward, and her nostrils flaring.

Fully awake now, she lay frozen, all her senses straining to figure out the source of the disturbance in the peaceful forest. The scent of a male wolf, an alpha, by the scent of him, was coming closer to her, fast. She stayed on her belly and waited, hoping for the best.

At last he stepped out from the ferns and brush. His gaze slid over her, and Shay could almost see the cogs clicking and whirring in his brain, trying to figure out why she was there. He did not seem at all pleased to find her. His expression was furious, and his body was rigid with unhidden loathing. When he spoke, his harsh tone and angry words caused her to flinch unwillingly. Drat.. She tried her hardest not to move again. It was best for her to stay still and appear as unthreatening as possible.

She cleared her throat softly before replying, "My name is Shay. I am truly sorry for not howling at your border. I have not lived with a pack for many days, and I suppose my social skills have a lot to be desired." She said all of this from her position on the ground, not moving a muscle. She watched the male's paws, not daring to glance up for risk of meeting his gaze. “I have sought you out to humbly ask to join you and your ranks.” She said, her voice just above a whisper.

[Uruviel]

Xinelil's bitterness was written all over his face. This had not been the first femme who had sought to join the pack. But the last one had attacked Kadhi and had been laid to waste by the dens. He was not sure he was willing to take chances again. Just because you have not been with a pack for some time doesn't mean the rules don't apply, he growled inwardly. These young wolves seemed to believe that since they were unfamiliar to the territory, they had the right to simply enter and exit as they wished. Soon, very soon, that would be changed.

"Shay, you have not only disrespected me by not bothering to howl at my territory's border, you have possibly jeopardized the security of my pack. Do you not realize that there are wolves on this continent that are bloodthirsty and wish to destroy me?" he snarled, his last words trailing off into a hiss. "I am very doubtful to allow you to leave. How do I know you are not working with them?" His glare focused on the femme. "I will give you two options. If you do not choose either of these, then do not expect to leave here alive." He glanced over the female. Under any different circumstances, he would have welcomed her into the pack with much excitement. But the disobedience and neglect to account for packland borders was simply disgraceful. He had to do something about this, and now.

His face turned solemn and blank, not betraying any emotion towards Shay. "Here are your choices, Shay. You may either leave my pack's lands, and I must never see you here again. And this is generous. I know that Exodus would not dare let you leave after intruding in such a manner, and you should be grateful that I even give you this option..." He trailed off, giving her a moment to ponder that choice. "Or you may stay here. With my pack. But don't expect that you will be treated civilly. No, if you stay here, you will be Aldgar's Omega." He growled the words angrily.

Perhaps this example would finally prove to the loners that he meant business. After he had destroyed Athena for her insubordination, he was surprised anyone dared to enter the pack lands without howling. But yet they still came and went as they pleased. He could not leave that option open any longer. With the wolves that had destroyed Zahir likely still on the loose, there was no room for error. By leaving this female alive, he hoped to get the message across that he would no longer tolerate behavior such as this in his territory.

((OOC: I don't dislike you. But Xin does. Just clearing that up XD))

[kaltag]

The small female clamped her eyes shut, shame written all over her face. She should have remembered such an elementary way of life. Perhaps then she would not be in this predicament.

But now was not the time to beat herself up about it. He had given her two choices, proving he was a gracious leader.. even if he seemed anything but at the moment. More than anything, she wanted a home. Could she live as the omega? An omega’s life was destined to a life of being treated lower than the dirt and grit that was stuck between a wolf’s toes.

But, she thought to herself, this might be my only chance at finding a pack. From what the male had said, these lands were unforgiving and brutal. This might be her only chance.

She opened her eyes and glanced up, still not daring to look him in the eye. “I accept your offer to join as omega. Again, I apologize for not announcing myself. It was unforgivable.“ She paused, thinking hard. “I truly hope that you and the rest of the pack will not be in danger because of my actions.” Her ears flattened against her skull, her shame washing over her in a renewed frenzy.

The little femme raised her gaze a little higher. Without thinking, she rolled onto her back, exposing her soft belly. Her father had told her that submitting could often mean the difference of life and death. She wasn’t so sure about it now, but there was not much she could lose at this point.

Her tail came up between her hind legs and rested on her belly. Her ears still back, she stretched out her neck slightly, hoping she had chosen the right thing to do by submitting to this wolf.



((OOC: Oh I know, xD ))

[Uruviel]

Although Xinelil was still peeved at the femme's intrusion, his anger was cooled slightly by the sound judgement and submission she showed. So somebody did teach her, he thought a little smugly. At her words, his fur bristled a little. "I do hope not as well," he stated with the dullest hint of a growl underneath. The lands were not safe these days, and he was no longer comfortable with these overzealous loners. They would soon realize that it was not wise to cross the borders unannounced.

Glancing around abruptly, he noticed that Kadhi had meandered down the mountain and away from the dens; perhaps he would go find the brute later. But now, he was not going to repeat the accident with Matha; although she had been a foolish femme and likely would not have joined the pack anyways, her fate had been cruel and unpredictable. Hopefully Jay will be up and about soon, he thought, creases appearing in the fur of his forehead. It was an odd thing, these pack wolves. None of them seemed to be normal, and it was taking a toll on the pack. First Syren's illness, then Jay's collapse had resulted in dire consequences. Although he would never admit it to Kadhi or Kuna, he feared for the safety of his pack. There was so much discontent and he knew it would not be long until karma bit them all in the hindquarters. They had dodged the bullet too long.

But for now he needed to worry about the matters at hand. Now that Shay was a part of the pack, no matter how lowly, he knew that they were in need of a hunt. His stomach rumbled bitterly, and he knew it was long past the time which they should have sought food. Now that there was no longer tension, or at least not immediately, he believed it was appropriate that they searched for food. And so he howled for the pack, hoping that they would hear his cry and come join the pair for the hunt.

"Wolves of Aldgar, we must hunt. Please join me at the base of the mountains." The howl was simple and to the point, much like himself. He would not beat around the bush and overexert himself trying to sound brilliant. It simply was not his style. Turning to Shay, he smiled very slightly. "It's time for you to meet the pack."

[Deleted]

Large clumps of snow still remained in random places on the mountain. The coldness from before then the freezing nights hardening the snow, barely enough time for only half an inch to melt from each mound on each day. Another dozen days and the snow will be completely vanished. However, flowers were bloomed in all corners of these parts. Ranging from beautiful pink to soft yellows. Scattering blues and violets as well. The brown cores of the trees were decorated with all shades of greens in the canopies, followed by the white rays peering between each evergreen. The sky was a light blue, like always on nice clear days. The soil was soft beneath her paws, the weather and environment making the fae feel a little better. That was all she needed, was some fresh air.

Padding along a created path along the mountain side, Syren had explored a small region of the territory. The dens were still in view, but a mere dark speck on the canvas where the cave's opening on the mountain. The long haired femme inhaled sharply through her nares, the sweet scent of lavender in the air. But there was also a distant scent of another wolf. A wolf that wasn't familiar to her senses. Cautiously walking along the path now, her teal orbs scouting the lands warily. Her peaceful adventure was now a suspicious one, she was on the edge of calling Xinelil about the intruder, but his howl broke out first.

"Wolves of Aldgar, we must hunt. Please join me at the base of the mountains."

Ears swiveled, facing the direction on where the howl echoed. A hunt, something Syren hadn't done since she first entered these lands. It has been a while since she had eaten, here stomach empty and growling in hunger. A hunt wouldn't be so bad, she wouldn't be alone. Syren wasn't sure if her anemic appetite could hold down a meal, but either way a hunt would take her mind off some things. Brown crown looking left and right, the smell of the intruder getting closer, but the scent of her alpha was strong as well. Maybe this wolf was part of the pack, and she hadn't met her before? Syren shrugged off the thought, and figured Xinelil had it under control.

A brown fae came into view, followed by the large greyscale male which was the leader. His green eyes contrasted his pelt, making her feel more welcomed and knowing it was truly him. Her pace lessened as she approached the two wolves, a soft smile caressing her face with a relaxed disposition. The female was acting very submissive, and Syren wondered why so. Syren was never this submissive towards Xinelil, something must have happened while she was away. Her teal orbs veered around, not spotting any others of the pack yet. "Greetings sir." She bowed her head slightly, then turned her attention to the other femme with a nod. "Hello miss."

She regained her formal position, tail hung low, head leveled with the rest of her body. "My apologies for leaving on short notice before sir. I didn't want the others acknowledging my condition." Her eyes lowered away from his. "I assure you I am better now, and I won't leave without permission again." Her stomach groaned uneasily. She shrugged lightly then turned her attention to the other fae. "I don't believe I've met you. My name is Syren." She gave a swift flick of her tail before looking back at Xinelil. "Sure hope the others come soon. I'm quite eager for a hunt." Syren smiled and lowered to her haunches.

[kaltag]

Sweet relief flooded her body, almost causing her to yip with joy. She had a home! Her tongue lolled out of her mouth from where she lay, rolled onto her back on the ground. She closed her eyes, relishing in the sense of belonging that was slowly warming her body, tingling her paws.

“It's time for you to meet the pack."

Excitement, and a little bit of fear, overwhelmed her senses. She was going to meet her new pack mates. She knew that, because of her lowly position, it was likely that they would treat her as the new punching bag. But the slight femme didn’t care. She was so glad to be apart of a pack again, she couldn’t help the excited twitching of her legs as she lay on the ground. Her thoughts drifted to her family. She hoped they would be proud of her; finding a pack to join had been a hard and dangerous task in her life. But now her task was over, and she hoped she could finally live a happy life here. Maybe with time, her new pack mates would treat her as an equal and not as a lowly worm beneath their paws.

A new scent hit her, and she realized that one of the pack members was close. Shay rolled over and rose into a sitting position, keeping her head loose and low. Her tail brushed the ground in slow sweeps, her happiness causing it to move back and forth.

The brown femme greeted them and introduced herself. She seemed kind enough, Shay thought to herself.

“My name is Shay.” She replied, her eyes shining with mirth. Her nostrils flared as she took in the new female’s scent. Shay wanted to familiarize herself with the pack member’s scents and associate them with names. She already had a pretty firm grip on Xinelil’s scent.

[jiminiminy]

The lands were beautiful. After the steely grip of winter, choking the life from vegetation, the flowers, many in both number and verity, had returned to the trees and grasses of the Oriens. Ginseng, of all the species, were gathered around here, seeming to reach out to anything that passed, brushing against his pelt as he moved among their thick patterns. If they were a more foreboding plant, this curious ability would have been more pleasant, even enjoyed, but, considering many of them were covered with the trademark thorns, thickly covering the stems, it was quite the contrary. If there was one plant that did little to amplify the natural glory of the untouched lands, it was the Ginseng.

Eyes closed as he walked briskly through the patch of thorns, Siscarm was trying his best to repress the specific feeling of pain without dulling any other sections of his mind, a feat that was incredibly difficult, as it would seem, considering he was wincing from the constant annoyance of being stabbed simultaneously on a thousand different fronts. In fact, he was in a similar situation until a good minute after he'd exited the clearing, the small barbs grabbing hold of his fur and, on about a dozen of the cases, his nose. All he could smell was the overbearing scent of the herb, which left his tracking abilities to be somewhat desired. Luckily for him, his mind was still aware enough to let his eyes pick up the subtle trails that the wolves had left behind in their trek. At the moment, the trail was ridiculously fresh, likely not more than a few minutes old, ten at the most. Rather disheartening was the inability to tell who exactly had made such a path, but Siscarm doubted that anyone with malice in their heart would have gotten this far into the lands. He had faith that, whoever it was who had walked here mere moments ago was an ally. Remarkable, how he'd never have thought in such a manner mere months previous. Maybe order was returning to the continent.

Eyes, useful as they were, gradually became obsolete to the ears atop the wolf's head, as the sounds of a conversation became closer and closer, the sound gradually becoming easier to pinpoint and follow. It was a femme's voice, likely the same one who had produced the trail he had used previous, though one couldn't really know for sure. Her tone was a passive one, almost cautionary so to speak, but not towards any one person or thing. But then again, who wasn't in this place. He chose his next few steps carefully, not in an effort to be stealthy, but so as not to disturb the new plants that poked through the stone and dirt.

Siscarm poked through the gap in the bushes, about four feet from the other three.

"Ah, there you are, I thought you'd have started without me." The elder stepped forward, nodding slightly in recognition of the alpha's status. His eyes trailed left, to the first femme, Shay, as he had overheard. A brown one, she looked to be about the same size that he himself was, although a different species. Grey, as far as he could tell, regardless of her colour pelt. Based on where her tracks were, he doubted that she was the one he followed, and thus he turned to the second fae, who had identified herself as Syren. She was smaller than anyone here, with a pelt of interesting colours and an indetermined species. With another step or two, Siscarm found himself between the two unknown wolves, adjacent from Xinelil. "I hope that I am not of an inconvieience to you, I seem to recall quite vividly how the last hunt worked out." He smirked at the antics that had ensued after the rather untimely disruption by Sir Exodus, and his eyes trailed back to the two femmes.

"Greetings, newcomers, I am Siscarm."

[Uruviel]

Very few of the pack members decided to grace Xinelil with their presence. In fact, the only actual member of Aldgar that had answered his cry was Syren. His eyes involuntarily narrowed, displeased that the remainder of his pack had ignored his call and had not rushed to the hunt as well. It would be a pack effort, not that of a few scattered wolves. However, the unexpected approach of Siscarm was indeed pleasing to the alpha brute. "Siscarm, it is great to see you once more," he greeted the brute warmly. It seemed that they always brushed against each other's lives at the most random instances.

As he prepared to gather the hunting party, the cry of a wolf reached the alpha. Xinelil frowned a little; the wolves had not asked permission to enter his lands, but had simply stated their entrance. This miffed him slightly, but he knew they must not have sore intentions, or they would not have bothered to inform the alpha brute of their presence. Nonetheless, he felt the need to greet them properly, to see why exactly they needed to prowl his territory without permission. "I apologize for this... If you all wish to start the hunt, I must answer this call," he explained to them, exasperation evident in his eyes. He could not have a moment of peace, could he? No matter what the plan, there was always someone to deal with, a wolf trespassing, a new member, or a foolish rogue. Regardless, it was his duty to see to his territory and assure that his pack is well taken care of.

And so the alpha was dragged off into the depths of his territory once more. This time, Xinelil could not help but feel a nagging in the back of his mind. Something was up, that he was sure. But how could he know if he did not check out the situation? These wolves can look after themselves, he reasoned, darting off into the trees in search of the wolves that had invaded his territory.

((OOC: I know, the post sucks. My muse for him went *EXPLODES* if you know what I mean.))

[jiminiminy]

Siscarm, had he been a more simple wolf, likely would have pointed out that there were not, in fact, many of the wolves that had been expected to come. However, noting the somewhat displeased demeanor that the alpha was radiating, reaffirming the already existing thoughts of the brute would not be a wise decision, likely having the result of simply putting another thorn in the young one's paw. As he looked to the other two, both somewhat passive regardless of the alpha's feelings, he wondered what each one brought to the pack. Neither of the two he had met before, and the larger of the two, he didn't believe that he'd heard her name, her scent was new to his mind. Perhaps they were both new additions to the pack lands, perhaps they simply hadn't been to the areas where the elder often frequented. Some of them were somewhat...isolated, so to speak, though remote would be something of a better word. Not a lot of wolves went to the places he did, though they'd surely be amazed if he brought them. Maybe he should bring the alpha to one of the peaks, clear his mind with the air and the view. Based on the past few days, he'd enjoy that.

Siscarm raised his head, which had dropped as he delved more into thought, as Xinelil spoke. He was departing to answer a call, likely somewhere on the border, although Siscarm couldn't say that he had personally heard it at all, it must not have been very loud from the distance, although the geography of the region should have amplified it rather significantly. Maybe age is getting to me... The other two femmes probably heard it, and, as the alpha stalked away, fatigue apparent in his mind and body, he wondered if there were other things that he'd missed lately. Perhaps he'd almost been stricken by a falling rock on the slopes without even noticing. There's no way to tell at this point, however, he'd just have to take his luck for granted for the time being.

"Well." Siscarm lazily shifted his eyes between the two. When he was young, he'd have given his paw away for any time alone with two femmes like these, now it was quite the contrary. Neither of them looked like gifted hunters, and he wasn't really much of a runner anymore. "I'm not sure if the alpha had a specific target in mind for our little...'expedition', but I'm sure that any sort of searching around here will yield some results. This is the time that the young animals begin to set out exploring." Even the youngest hunter could catch a fawn in Summertime, this might turn out better than initially inferred. It may not be a fair amount for the coming days ahead, but it would be enough to feed those present today.

Siscarm's ears motioned towards the West, a howl, loud enough to be heard, had been caught on the wind, reacting in the way that the previous one likely should have. Although it was reassuring to have ones thoughts of deafness dashed by a friendly voice, what the voice told was somewhat disheartening. More than somewhat, actually, for many of the inhabitants, it was likely the inducer of despair. It would have been for the eldest wolf as well, had his mind not been distorted to not feel such things, more than anything, he simply ran through confusion. Why did the alpha do this? It didn't follow with what Siscarm had profiled him as reacting. And when there is a question that does not have an answer, there must always be an investigation.

"How odd..." Siscarm spoke almost as an afterthought, his words quiet in a manner that suggested that he was not entirely focused. "This does not suit the alpha." Siscarm cleared his throat, slightly aggravated in his lungs. The action also had the secondary result of calling attention to himself, which was useful in its own regard. "I apologize, members of Aldgar, but my appetite seems to have abandoned me, both that of hunger and that of the hunt. If you'll excuse me..." What explanation was there to give? With every problem, it must be dissected, and for every dissection, there must be time to think, and time to think could not exist as long as there were others to distract him. The brute began steadily heading West, no specific destination in mind other than the direction he was heading. He needed to think, and maybe to find the alpha, if there were no other matters to attend to.

[Deleted]

Syren nodded once to the newcomer female as she said her name. The long haired fae didn't really care about this new wolf, as she was merely an omega from first glance. Turning her attention to another wolf approaching, this wolf seemed like an elderly one, grey and brown tones with a hint of knowledge as an aura around his figure. Syren hadn't met this old brute before, she thought he had met everyone in the pack. He introduced himself as Siscarm, and Xin had welcomed him in as well. "My name is Syren, I have joined this pack not to long ago." Her introduction was short, but it'd have to work for now.

Ears perked as yet another howl reached into the Aldgar lands. Syren sighed, knowing the hunt would be delayed until this call was reached. Xin then took off towards the cry, leaving the three wolves in the clearing. Syren sighed, laying her body to the ground and thumping her tail against the dirt impatiently. The elder began to speak again after the alpha departed, but her stomach was beginning to digest itself which caused too much pain to pay attention to what Siscarm had to say.

"Aldgar Pack, I am ashamed and saddened that I must leave you in this way. It is my last dying wish that you should be left with a fit leader. And so, Meikou, I leave the pack to you. May you lead it well, and never lose faith in yourself. Good bye, my beloved friends."

"What!?" Syren barked in surprise. "The alpha is dismissing himself? What the hell..." This was discouraging for Syren, but the Aldgar pack was not going to be led by Meikou. Syren was confused by the ordeal, and somewhat upset. What caused this to happen? She didn't understand. The elder seemed confused as well. A whimper escaped her maw, she stood up again and began to pace. She didn't even know where Meikou was, or even if she still existed. Same with Kuna.

Syren turned to Siscarm as he said he was going to leave. "It was nice meeting you sir..." Syren said halfheartedly, then began to trot off in the direction of the dens. She then paused, and craned her head over to Shay. "Um... You can come too I suppose. I'm going to go find Kadhi." Syren didn't really want this femme to be following her around, maybe she could dart off and leave her behind while she searched for the small Arabian.