Kinship [open]

[Toiro]

Toiro lay against a wall in the central area of the dens, taking a much-needed break from border patrol. The alpha didn’t mind the long solitary walks through his territory, but it did take a lot of time to get around the entire border and his paws were often weary afterwards. Today’s patrol hadn’t been so tiresome though, which was partly the reason why he was relaxing in the main passageway and not in his private side den.

And maybe another reason why he was here and not there was because he was curious, curious as to who exactly was in Airila. The large male had noticed a number of unfamiliar scents lingering in the cavern lately, which stirred up a very strange feeling for Toiro, as Airila had always been like a family pack. Perhaps Aludra or Huxleyi had been freely making use of the right he had bestowed upon them and had been accepting loners they’d met on their travels around the territory? That wasn’t a bad thing by any means, and he was grateful for the support, but he did like to know who his members were. There were wolves living here who were still strangers to him; he did not even know their names yet, let alone their personalities. These were supposed to be his packmates, the wolves he had vowed to protect!

If it weren’t for their scents (which held faint traces of the other wolves) and the fact that no sane loner would dare enter what were clearly pack dens, he might have wondered whether they were even part of Airila. But Toiro wasn’t a paranoid alpha by any means, so the possibility that they could be spies was never seriously entertained. To his knowledge none of the other packs on Anikira held any animosity towards them, and besides, Shyia wasn’t exactly the most desirable territory during its current season. Although the temperatures had made a slight increase recently, the winter snow still clung stubbornly to the lands as if nothing had changed, and prey was still scarce. No pack would look to his lands as a target for expansion, unless they thought that winter had made the wolves of Airila weaker than usual and thus susceptible to attack. The pack had indeed struggled to find enough food for themselves, but thanks to the efforts of their hunters they were still in good condition, and could therefore stand up to an invading force. Such thoughts did not bother the Airila alpha for long though; they would deal with that if it ever happened (which it wouldn’t), and all they could do now anyway was to make sure the borders remained strong. Whatever happened, his first duty was to his family, even if he had been more distant from them recently than he would have liked.



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[Deleted]

Maven trotted, her paws sinking into the deep snow, exacerbating the limp in her leg. Despite her best efforts she had been left outside during the storm, too caught up in her memories to notice the tell tale signs of the beginning of a blizzard. Her coat was soaked through because of the snow, and her paw pads stung as they came into contact with the cold, hard ground underneath. Wincing at the pain in her paw she trekked on through the endless wall of white, searching in vain for a crevice, an over hang of rock or even a cave to rest her weary body and mind.
Today had been particularly difficult as far as the past goes. On this day, two years ago her family had been destroyed, and this was one of two days every year that she dreaded thinking of the memories. Desperate to find some reprieve from the cold, Maven clung to the rock face, hoping it would turn and somehow block the wind. As she well knew though, once a blizzard was in full swing, your hopes were very high indeed if you thought it would suddenly just stop. Lowering her head against the howling wind she snow slowly kept moving.
Having traveled farther south in the mountains than she had first realized, her auds were perked, listening for the slightest whisper of another wolf. Well aware that she was in pack lands now, she became slightly jittery, expecting to be ambushed by a hunter or warrior. Sniffing occasionally, she intended to find them before they found her. Traveling alone had made her slightly more paranoid than a regular wolf aught to be, her instincts running on overdrive to make up for the lack of a partner. She wished more than anything now that her mother had not taken ill and had not left her all those long months ago. She craved companionship, missing her brother and sisters more on this day than most others. Strong as she willed herself to be she had shed no tears since the week after her mother's death, and though she missed her family dearly she would would shed no tears for them today.
Shaking her head to rid herself of the demons, and bending her head even lower, she trudged on. The deep snow slowed her down and caused her to be cautious of where she stepped, not wanting to waste energy on getting up if she should fall. Rounding a small bend in the rock face she saw the opening to a cave, somehow familiar. Perhaps she had stayed the night in this place before. Perking her ears and widening her eyes to account for the darker lighting in the cave, she slowly inched her way forward. Stepping just inside the mouth of the cave she paused, listening intently. Not hearing anything conspicuous, she crept forward, sniffing the air. The cave was littered with the smell of wolves. Some stronger than others. One in particular was very strong, fresh. Looking to the left she spotted eyes, and a form materialized from the darkness. Turning slowly and silently she made as if to leave the cave.

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[atrb=background,http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/6300/alumid.png] The shaman had wandered with the new subordinate for quite some time now. They participated in mutually friendly conversations, which furthered her own joy. Little had been plaguing her lately, Aludra felt as though her life was perfect. Maybe it was, perhaps she was blessed with a life that most other wolves could only dream of. Certainly she knew that the last several months had been the best of her existence. A gentle smile was placed upon her face as she cast a soft, green gaze back towards the other female. She could not help but wonder what was on the other creature's mind. That was a particular intelligence that Aludra knew she could never achieve. Worldly knowledge could be gathered over time, but the metal inner workings of another creature, well those were always secrets. Paws crunched lightly against the ivory layer of snow beneath her. The blankets of frozen precipitation had grown thick from the increased number of storms. The Arctic did not mind the cold at all; however, she was still thankful for the warm dens that would shelter her. After all, any creature could eventually become ill from being cold and drenched with the frigid water. As she lingered her gaze upon Firefly for a moment longer, the shaman longed to know her story. It was always so intriguing what you could learn about the world from tales told by others. Her tail was swinging happily behind her, casting up small waves of powdery snow behind her. A few more minutes passed before the Arctic femme stopped her pace at the opening of the cavern. At first she did not notice that another creature had arrived, as herself and Firefly approached the entry from a different angle. A strange scent crossed her nares; yet, she assumed it to be from another newcomer. After all, a loner would not dare wander into a pack's dens - right? Audits flicked a few times to rid some snowflakes that had begun to congregate upon them. "I hope that the brief tour satisfied some of your curiosity, we can always adventure in more detail another day if you would like." Aludra cast a shy gaze towards the other canine, hoping that Firefly was not disappointed. The shaman usually would be able to explore much longer, but today she felt tired. It was a strange kind though, not from where she was not getting enough sleep; she felt as if her body was aching slightly, it needed a rest. Typically this did not happen to the shaman, but it was nothing that brought about excessive concern within her mind. 'I likely have a bit of an illness or something,' wolves became sick and she was no exception. Firefly seemed likely to be comfortable enough with Shyia that the tour could be over, thus the reason they had headed back towards the dens; however, the shaman still felt disappointed. The Arctic moved her paws forward once more beginning to shelter herself some underneath the vast opening of the cave. "I am confident the others will be excited to become acquainted with you," the shaman's words rang out encouragingly. The last thing she wanted was to have Firefly feel uncomfortable, the femme was family now and needed to realize that. Once her attention directed itself back towards the inner hallways of the dens, her audits erected immediately. The scent of this stranger was far too strong and held nothing of Airila upon it, that she noticed at least. A wave of protectiveness instantly passed over her entire being in a way that she had never experienced before. The fur upon her back began to lift slightly, showing the paranoia growing within her. Despite her lack of coordination, if there was a threat - she would fight until the death for her family. Opting not to growl or jump to conclusions, more than she already had, Aludra continued forward slowly. It took little time for her pupils to adjust to the new dim lighting, once they did the figure appeared from the darkness. Paws instantly halted, shocked by the realization that there actually was some foreign wolf within the dens. Perhaps some of the others knew of this canine if they were a member, but Aludra did not. Further beyond them another glistening set of eyes remained, these ones significantly more familiar. Her love was near, as he had promised her before. In a time of danger, he was one step ahead of her. Words did not vacate her lips, for shyness had consumed her once again. The thought of what to say, if anything should be said, was a jumbled mess inside of her. A swarming tidal wave of calmness began to flow inside of her, simply the recognition of the Alpha made the female believe herself to be safe. Her tail still was swinging in it's blissful state, it had only stopped momentarily at the vision of the loner before her. Despite the potential danger, her grin had grown wider upon her muzzle. Happiness always seemed to glimmer from within her now, even when she could not establish an exact reason for the happiness. It seemed that Toiro was always the main reason, as simply being within his territory made her heart swell. Even now, when things had a likelihood to become violent - his existence soothed turmoil inside of her. Adrenaline filled her veins, racing throughout her lithe figurine. Curiosity began to overwhelm her, making the shy femme long to speak even though her body refused. Had the loner not been standing between the Alpha and herself, Aludra likely would have rushed up to him. OoC| Sorry for the wait everyone, and I feel like this post is really bad - so my apologies for that as well.

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[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img856/7044/fireflytbmiddle.png] ] Firefly had greatly enjoyed her time with Aludra as the shaman gave her a brief tour of Shyia. Though she would have appreciated more time alone with her, she knew that it really was time to go to the dens. She would have to face her fear sooner or later, and clung to the knowledge that Aludra was at least present. That gave her some encouragement. And it put Firefly at ease to see Aludra appear so happy. Her green eyes held a sparkle and her tail gently swayed. The shamans optimism was contagious. Their paws crunched along through the fallen snow as they approached the dens. Briefly, Firefly noted that concerned look that appeared ever so briefly on Aludra’s face. She could not discern what it was, but she eagerly acknowledged her newness to all of this. As the shaman entered the wide mouth of the cavernous den, she looked back to Firefly and provided encouraging words, ensuring her that the others would be meet her. I sure hope so. As Aludra moved inside, Firefly followed her closely. Though her mother had been protective of her as a pup, they had never lived in such a large and elaborate den; they survived mainly in crevices dug out of the snow or in holes under massive tree roots. This place was large to Firefly, and as her eyes were adjusting to the darkness within, she caught herself looking all about. There were many unusual scents in here. Having been alone up to now, it was almost too much for her nose to take. But she pressed on, following at Aludra’s tail. But she nearly collided into her when the other female suddenly stopped. Before them, further in the den, were two other wolves. The one closest to them Aludra did not appear to recognize, and instantly Firefly was wary. She took a few steps back and pressed herself against the wall of the den, in case there was a fight, or they needed to flee back out to daylight. But the presence of the wolf further in the den seemed to calm the shaman. In fact, her tail began to sway. Inwardly, Firefly gave a little sigh. She was very confused as to what she should do. Should she leave the way she had come until whatever needed to be decided was handled? But she was a part of Airila now too, so that made this her business as well. She carefully came up to Aludra’s side and nuzzled it with her nose. " “Is everything okay?” she whispered. She still regarded the two wolves further in the den and waited with her heart pounding to see what would happen next. Word Count: 450 Notes: I like this box-tingy. Thanks Tre!

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[Toiro]

The thick-furred grey stared distantly at the opposite wall of the wide entrance hall, lost for the moment in his own little world as his mind drifted lazily through thoughts and memories, particularly those of a certain white she wolf. It seemed he couldn’t get enough of her; he’d spent more time with her lately than he had with anyone else in the pack and yet still his heart subtly desired her presence, judging by the way his thoughts often subconsciously returned to her. It was nearly too perfect a story to believe that Toiro had morphed from being a lost suicidal loner to being the alpha of a wonderful pack, and having such a beautiful intelligent wolf as his mate, but it was true. Fate had been kind to him, and now he could provide a similar place for others to discover happiness…

The very faint sound of pawsteps on stone jolted him from his meandering thoughts, and the alpha pulled himself back to the present, rising to his paws with a wag of his tail to greet whichever one of his packmates had entered the dens. But as grey eyes took in the decidedly unfamiliar figure half-immerged in shadow, surprise transformed his features. A quick scenting of the air confirmed that it was someone he hadn’t met before, not even in the crossing of an old scent trail. None of the Airila scent lingered upon this wolf at all; she was a total stranger to him and his pack. “Who- Who are you?” Toiro stammered. Not the most authoritative speech that an alpha could have made, but then again, he wasn’t really a typical alpha. And to be fair, he had been caught off-guard by the sudden unexpected appearance of a loner in his supposedly secure pack dens. The dens had been chosen to be here for a reason; nestled in the shelter of a valley a good distance up the mountains, they were nearly in the heart of Shyia with miles of territory surrounding them in every direction.

Then another series of movements came, this time from behind the she-wolf, and for a second his heart jolted in fear of an enemy invasion. But no, there was Aludra’s familiar scent, although he did not recognise the wolf who was with her. A new member, judging by the way she seemed to be staying close to the white arctic’s side. Could the first wolf also be another one Aludra had just accepted then? His eyes flickered between the intruder and the shaman, but she seemed equally surprised at the other’s presence.

Toiro lifted his head and fixed his gaze upon the foreigner, this time speaking with a more assured tone. “And what are you doing in the dens of the Airila pack?” He would not allow anyone to make his wolves feel threatened or fearful of attack in their own dens, a place where they should be able to rest in peace. It was his duty as alpha to sort this out, and if that meant he would have to fight this wolf to prevent her from harming his packmates, so be it.



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[Deleted]

Damn. Maven had been holding on to the hope that this male was on his own and that she could avoid any confrontation. She should have known though, by the smell of so many wolves that she had stumbled into a pack den. This was only confirmed by the arrival of a snow white wolf, Double damn, and a grey one, Triple damn. A headache began to form as she closed her eyes in frustration with herself. Stupid, stupid, stupid! was her inner mantra as she thought of how best to solve this situation.

She needed time, that would be her only advantage while she was surrounded by three possibly hostile wolves. It would be only too easy for the three of them to overpower her, weak from fighting the storm and from hunger as she was. Thoughts raced through her head. She could run, but she risked them giving chase and she knew she wouldn't be able to go far, and then what? She could fight, even though that would certainly be a death sentence. In the end, Maven knew her only hope right now was to talk. Use her clever brain and cunning words to help her out of this rough situation she had found herself in.

My name is Maven, sir. "She started begrudgingly. It was not in her personality to be polite and dainty, she was rugged and usually quite short when speaking. Her brown eyes held grey ones, forcing herself to stare into them even though they seemed to be looking deep inside her." My deepest apologies for stumbling into your den. I got caught in the storm you see, and must have traveled farther south than I had intended and was simply looking for somewhere to wait out the storm. She lowered her tail slightly, her actions must match her words.

"I'm a loner, I have no pack and travel with no one, sir. If it should please you I will leave your lands tonight, but I certainly would be slow going." At this she gestured to her right front paw, holding it slightly off the ground. She had been careful to avoid putting weight on it as the pain from her limp still smarted. Perhaps the Alpha would let her stay the night if she seemed in pain. She would not, however lower herself to whimpering. She quickly looked over her shoulder at the Arctic and Grey. The white wolf seemed to be waiting on the Alpha's decision and the grey had pushed itself up against the wall, looking as though it were trying to disappear. Must be new... Maven thought of the grey wolf before turning her attention back to the alpha. There was no telling which way this would go.

Toiro @aludra @firefly

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Fear cascaded over the Arctic's spine, she did not know what to do in a situation like this. There was a trespasser who had simply wandered right into their dens - as if it wasn't a big deal! Did this mean the pack was in more danger than she first assumed? The thought of the large brute that had attacked her several months ago still haunted her mind. He had not seemed to care about the boundaries either; he merely sauntered into Shyia as if it were his own territory. Aludra did not know what to do in order to protect not only herself, but the others as well. Especially dear Averice, the poor pup would be horrified if Airila was under attack. The young one did not deserve the trauma she had already been through, let alone any additional. She dreaded the downfall of her family and was set to do anything it took to protect them.

Her emerald gaze broke away from the stranger for a split second to glance between Toiro and Firefly, it was an act of paranoia more than anything. Where there was one loner there could be more and the shaman was not willing to permit another to sneak up on them. Her audits pinned themselves as forward as possible upon her crania, wanting to hear even the smallest sound within the dens. A piece of her soul longed to be back outside where she could stare into the vast expanse of sky for answers. Regardless of the situation it seemed to remedy her nervous heart and offer her a glimpse of what the future would hold. It guided her forward and aided her when she needed it most, but now it was eternities away. The femme could not simply turn away from the others to run back to something familiar. She needed to stay and support her family, if this loner was genuinely alone than she was likely to be intimidated by the three pack members surrounding her.

With a soft, shy grin the femme nuzzled Firefly lightly, it was her silent way to reassure the female. Aludra desperately wanted everything to be okay, she longed for this to be a random incident; however, a part of her was concerned that it was not. The ivory canine feared what could happen if more foreigners began invading Shyia, it seemed to be the main thought coursing throughout her gray matter. 'Toiro will protect us,' she found that her emerald gaze had once more landed upon the brute, watching him lovingly. He truly had changed her entire life, brought her to know that love truly existed. With him around everything could be okay, all she needed to do was shake the aggressive anxiety playing throughout her veins. As his words caressed her auds, the female felt somewhat more confident in their safety. He was the Alpha and around here his word was law. None were capable of challenging his supreme authority. "Everything will be okay," her words directed towards Firefly were nearly silent, meant to be spoke as if they were a secret.

The foreigner opted to speak next and the shaman found herself examining every exhale and undertone that the femme made. The last thing Aludra wanted to miss was a sign of aggression towards the pack, but there did not seem to be one. On the contrary, the loner seemed to be quite honest with them about the entire situation. Even so, she knew not what to say nor how to be useful in this situation. All that she could do was simply be another body to be used in some intimidation method. Aludra nearly laughed at the thought of her bringing fright to others, she was fragile - delicate! If any believed her capable to fight than they must be crazy. She was about as aggressive as a newborn whelp. Nervously she shuffled one of her front paws across the ground beneath her, praying it could distract her from the negativity inside. A part of her longed to speak, to introduce herself and Firefly - but she feared upsetting Toiro and making herself seem a fool. Truthfully she did not know what to do, but simply remain silent.

OoC| Sorry for the wait and that this was so short

[Deleted]

So much was happening so fast, and Firefly was not sure how she was supposed to act. She wanted to make a good impression on the alpha, to warrant Aludra’s acceptance of her into Airila, but at the same time, she was not sure the appropriate way for a subordinate to respond to a situation like this. It was obvious this other wolf was trespassing in their den. She almost chuckled to herself at the thought of her being concerned about the den, and seeing herself as a part of it. But it was true. She was part of this pack and this was her den, and this wolf was not supposed to be there. The fur on the back of her neck rose and she felt herself instinctively lower herself, her muscles tense.

There was authority in Toiro’s voice that comforted her. She was lucky to have such a brute as their leader. The intruder responded and Firefly’s ears twitched as she listened. This female was a loner and claimed she meant them no harm. From the way she stood it appeared that her paw or leg was injured and immediately she felt drawn to aid her, but she remained behind Aludra, waiting for some indication as to what they were to do from their Alpha. Would he accept her here until she was healed to then wander off on her own again? Would he chase her off to face whatever fate on her own?

She barely heard Aludra’s comforting words, whispered so low. But they assured her that this would work out somehow. Aludra obviously trusted in Toiro, and so should she. They would follow his lead. But Firefly was drawn to this new female. She may have not been smart to seek shelter in the dens of a pack, but Firefly would relate to the feelings of being hurt and alone. Remaining behind the artic female, she stood still and quiet, waiting for Toiro’s response.

[Toiro]

The alpha waited for the she wolf’s response, making sure to keep his body language dominant but relaxed. He should be the one in control here, and he wasn’t about to let anyone see that he was inwardly flustered by the situation. He had to squash down those unwelcome fears and be strong, for his packmates.

The intruder really didn’t seem so bad though. The large grey listened carefully as she introduced herself as Maven and explained how she had stumbled across their cave and sought to seek shelter within it. Now that she knew it was occupied, she offered to leave, but told him that she would be slow passing through the territory and showed him her front paw, which seemed to be injured. It wasn’t likely that she would get far in this weather with such a disability hindering her movements, and the mountains were already treacherous enough to wolves who did not know the right paths to take.

“No, that's okay, Maven, you may remain here if you like. Our prey pile is a little low at the moment but if you’re thirsty there’s a pool at the end of the tunnel at the back of the dens.” He couldn’t in good conscience send her back out into the cold, although he still found the fact that she hadn’t smelled the pack’s scent either at the border or at the heart of their territory a little suspicious. Her scent did smell like a loner though, and it held no trace of the neighbouring packs, so what reason could she have for any ill intent towards Airila? So far her words had been polite and reasonable, so Toiro would give her the benefit of the doubt.

The grey male reclined onto his haunches, now turning his attention to Aludra and the unfamiliar wolf standing with her. “Hello there, why don’t you come further inside? I’m sure there’s enough room here for all of us.” He greeted them with a kind smile, not wanting anyone to feel left out, especially not a wolf who had only recently been accepted.

“My name is Toiro, the alpha of these lands.” Aludra might have spoken of him already, but introductions couldn’t hurt. He was curious already as to what skills she could bring to the pack, and what qualities of personality Airila’s newest member had. It was always interesting to meet new wolves; the alpha permitted his tail to make a couple of gentle thumps on the floor, already beginning to relax about the presence of the strange loner in their dens.



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