Just lookin' around... kind of

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Jaeger prowled the borders of Xisyn, picking up all the scents she could and taking note of every plant and branch that lay scattered across the beautiful land. Jaeger also kept watch for any signs of an alpha of this pack. She had no idea really what to expect. She knew there should be an alpha and his pack, maybe along with a beta, but besides that, not much else. Jaeger only knew her mother, her brother, and the she-wolf she nursed from. Both her mother and brother died when she was very young, and instead of being adopted by another pack, she was picked up by deer and raised. And then she wandered off and fended for herself. Jaeger snarled quietly. This was not a history she was proud of. She wanted - no, needed - to find a pack. She needed to be with other wolves instead of on her own or with those frail deer.

Jaeger's "mane" on the back of her neck bristled. She feared how she might react to talking to the alpha of a pack. She had no idea whatsoever - she had never done it before. Suddenly, Jaeger jumped back and yelped a growl when she snapped a twig beneath her paw. She scurried away a few paces, and then relaxed a little more when she realized it was only a twig that scared her. Jaeger sighed quietly. Maybe that was how she would react to this pack.

Jaeger came to a stop and smelled the air cautiously before letting out a howl that sounded more like a frog growling. Jaeger's muscles tensed as she awaited whatever company might approach her. A wild gleam twinkled in her wide eyes as her lips struggled to keep her teeth concealed. Jaeger nervously growled at a breeze that brushed through her fur, and then took in an insane-sounding, hissing breath as her right ear twitched maniacally.

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The small Ethiopian wolf was out for a stroll. She was liking her new pack, but was anxious for the upcoming pack hunt. In the meantime, she thought she would try to hone her skills a little, in anticipation of going after something much larger. But at the moment she was not worried trying to help pull down some large prey. Rather, she was on the lookout for something she could easily get on her own. Perhaps another hare, like she had gotten for Maitryi. Or if not, maybe a small reptile. She peered around, her eyes twitching as she sought out the smallest hint of movement.

There was no hare around for Kibeti to chase. There were a few birds pecking at something in the dirt, but they were always hard to get. Unless she was already close enough, they would take to flight the moment they knew she was approaching them. She seldom hunted birds, and only then, if she was desperate. Besides, she really did not like dealing with the feathers. Still thinking about how annoying it was to try and eat birds, a movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. There was a lizard, scurrying across the ground. Those little critters always amused her to watch how they moved.

She was crouched low to the ground as she followed it’s progress. Her muscles were taunt and she was about to fling herself forward in pursuit when she heard an odd sounding howl. It caught her attention, and she nearly lost her footing on some gravel. With a growl, she watched as the lizard scampered away and found safety in the crevice of some rocks. Since her prey was gone, she turned her attention to the howl. She jumped up on a rock and looked around, and spotted a shape in the distance.

For a moment, she thought to leave, but curiosity got the better of her. She slowly started to make her way toward the shape, ears alert for a hint that she should flee. She might be small, but she was fast. On approaching the animal, she found it to be one of those red-toned, long legged maned wolves. She stopped several feet away and sat down. They could talk, but she could flee if necessary.

“Hello,” Kibeti called over. "How are you? You know you’re on pack lands, don’t you?”

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The Alpha had been contemplating how to go about gathering Vixen and Maitryi together. He could speak to the future shaman first - or both at the same time. It seemed that he had formed a bad habit of over analyzing the smallest of tasks. 'Either way would work; yet I still manage to stress about it,' the brute shook his crania slowly, obviously aggravated with himself. This was something he definitely needed to work on; it was quickly exhausting the russet male and distracting him from things that required more immediate attention. The pack hunt for example was an event that he had anticipated gathering far sooner than he had. A low growl rumbled from his muzzle, everything would be sorted out eventually - the sooner the better. For now he needed to step up and establish a list, once he knew what needed to be completed it was likely to be done.

As the sharp call erected his auds, a wave of relief swarmed the brute. It had been quite some time since a loner had called out to him, for the brute certainly did not recognize the sound as one of his family. Rising to his weary paws, the brute directed himself towards the sound. At least this was something to direct his attention away from the panic attack that had been growing too near for his own comfort. Anxiety seemed to persistently follow him around; however, he knew that his brain was the cause for the majority of it. 'Something to work on, everyone has their flaws,' this time the brute mustered a dry chuckle. If some comedic value could be added to the situation, then he was significantly more likely to be cheery when it came time to meet the canine that had summoned him. Even if they simply wished to pass through Xisyn, the Alpha did not want to be known as cruel or harsh. He liked to believe that he was a fairly decent ruler of Tassos; although, his members would likely have a less biased opinion.

He opted to permit his mind to wander only slightly on his trek, attempting to direct it towards more positive thoughts. He preferred those that specifically involved the huntress Aowyn. Since the night they had spent together, she was consuming more of his focus than normal. Although it tended to be distracting at times, all in all Rasalas was rather comforted by it. There was a certain reassurance that he was not alone, even though no formalities had been made regarding the two of them. Her presence made the turmoil inside of him cease momentarily, it was as if time had frozen and they were the last two souls on the planet. A soft smile gradually formed upon the red male's muzzle without him even realizing it. Aowyn had that effect on him, the ability to cheer him up even within the darkest of times. No other had ever possessed such an ability; even Rasalas was shocked at the effect she had upon him. After the incident with Aries, he wanted to distance himself from all creatures - emotionally at least. Yet, when the future seemed dismal she had arrived just in time to put a glimmer of hope into it. Perhaps there would be more than this to his life.

The sound of a voice reverberated around the Alpha, snapping him awake from his pleasant day dream. He found that by now he had become familiar enough with Xisyn to run without having to constantly watch his footing for fear of injuring himself. This place was becoming home in the same way that The Occasus was. Amber eyes swept across the terrain, easily locating the two females not far ahead. Once his approach was made the brute stalled his walking and gave a quick nod towards Kibeti. It pleased him to know that his members were looking out for their home, ensuring that all who did not belong were kept at a safe distance from the dens. There were no pups to protect in Tassos; however, the Alpha valued the well being of his family. It had taken months for them to recover from the eruption and Rasalas had no intentions of allowing another creature to cause them any ounce of harm.

"Greetings Kibeti," the Alpha's words were polite, if not slightly protective of his pack mate. It was not that he viewed the maned female as an immediate threat to them, but he needed to ensure that his dominance was known. These were his family members and none would be crossing them. Despite the authority within his words there was a slight wag of the brute's high-held tail and the same gentle smile upon his features. None had witnessed his bouts of anger within the pack and he intended to keep it that way. When things became overly stressful, the brute simply dealt with them alone - by now he was capable of calming himself down and holding his cool in harsh situations. "I am Rasalas, the Alpha of Tassos. I heard your howl, what is it you desire?" Curiosity lingered at the end of his statement, witnessing to his inner intrigue by the new creature. Sometimes the brute felt nervous when he was around groups of creatures, but steadily his social skills were getting better with those that he did not know. Cocking his head to the side slightly, the Alpha's gaze wandered between the two femmes as he pondered who would be the first to speak.

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Jaeger did not have to wait long before one of those strange pack wolves approached her. Her fur bristled, her tail stiffened, her eyes became so narrow it looked like she was squinting against great sunlight. Her ears flattened, her back arched, and her lips struggled to keep her teeth concealed. What would this pack wolf try do to her? Surely, it was something that held no good intentions whatsoever. Jaeger began to crouch to spring on this tiny wolf who could easily be prey, but instead Jaeger's fear got the best of her and she took a few staggering steps back, her tail briefly making its way in between her legs. Jaeger then scurried around in a small circle before coming to a halt again and eyeing the wolf with wide, threatening eyes that dared her to come closer. Her tail came out from under her legs and stiffened again. Yes, yes, yes, surely this wolf was intending harm somehow, somehow, somehow.

But then the wolf spoke - kindly. She asked how Jaeger was. Jaeger had no idea how to respond. No wolf had asked her that before. Jaeger's brown eyes narrowed again as she tried to make sense of this. No, no way of making sense of this. No way at all.

The small wolf then told Jaeger that she was on pack grounds. Wasn't that a bit obvious? The scents were too powerful to think otherwise. Maybe the wolf was just trying to get an answer from Jaeger as to why she was in their land. Jaeger's jaw stayed tightly shut, even though her lips continued to quiver.

Then the alpha came. Jaeger's fur bristled even more, and she even growled at the male wolf. There was no way that he was not intending harm. Jaeger scurried around in a small circle again before coming to a halt, crouching as her fur bristled further. Now her teeth showed; there was no way of hiding them. This male alpha was a threat, and he was coming too close, much too close! Jaeger attempted a bark, but it gurgled in her throat and barely managed to crawl out of her mouth. Sometimes, she quite despised the problems she had with her voice.

The alpha introduced himself, surely meaning to threaten Jaeger. So Jaeger responded appropriately - she took in a hissing breath and turned it into a growl, and she bared her teeth further as a warning for him to say no more. The alpha then asked another question. Two questions for Jaeger to answer, that was not good, that couldn't be good. She would answer none of them.

"...Jaeger." She snarled, deciding to only give her name (for whatever reason.). It was nearly impossible for anyone to know what she had said unless they had an ear trained to understand her. Her throat had not been formed properly in the womb.

Jaeger eyed the two wolves suspiciously as she remained in that aggressive pose.

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Kibeti watched with curiosity as the stranger flattened its ears and stepped away with its tail low. She wanted to call out again, that there was no reason to be afraid, when Rasalas appeared on the scene. The Ethiopian femme nearly sighed with relief. She thought it best for the alpha to handle the situation. So she stayed where she was, content to watch what would unfold. She felt a slight breeze, but not sooner had she felt it tussle her fur, than it immediately died away.

Since the alpha of Tassos greeted her, Kibeti smiled and wagged her tail. “Hello, Rasalas,” she said. “I heard a howl and thought I would come check it out. Hope that was okay.” She was not sure if she had overstepped her role as a subordinate, soon to be hunter, or not. But she was pleased when he focused his attention on the newcomer and offered a greeting. He also asked what their purpose was here. Kibeti was curious of that as well.

With her head cocked, she watched as the stranger became more agitated with Rasalas’ arrival. The maned wolf barred teeth and hissed and growled. Finally, the stranger managed a single word response: Jaeger. Kibeti’s ears twitched as she listened intently, but nothing more was said.

“Is that your name?” Kibeti called over. She did not mean to speak out of turn, but she hated to see his wolf looking so stressed out. “My name is Kibeti. And we will not hurt you. Why are you here?” She smiled at the stranger, but did not move from her sitting place. And she was afraid to look at Rasalas, afraid that he would be upset with her for talking to the stranger, especially as he was the alpha and now present to determine the identity and purpose of the new arrival.

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He did not believe himself to be a particularly cruel wolf; however, the loner certainly attempted to make him feel that way. He was merely trying to protect his family and their lands, he received no joy nor excitement from her snarling. Amber optics studied her closely, his mind playing lightly upon this entire situation, attempting to find a coping solution. Rasalas had a particularly short fuse when it came to others threatening the safety of Tassos. As their Alpha he held an important duty to protect all ranked beneath him. Kibeti had only been here a few weeks and he felt nervous that she may leave them if the foreigner proceeded to react so hostilely. If the huntress believed that she was not protected, it only made sense that she would wander away. After all, there was a likelihood that another pack could defend her even better than Tassos. Behind the Alpha, his tail began to quiver anxiously; somehow he had managed not to lose his cool. It surprised him, usually his fuse was extremely short and he had the desire to lash out at others for nearly no reason.

Attention drifted back towards Kibeti as she began to speak. Audits perked themselves upon his crania, swiveling eagerly to detect all of her words. "That is certainly acceptable, I appreciate you looking out for our safety," a gentle smile passed across his lips for a few seconds before it drifted away. Truthfully, the red brute was quite reassured to find one of the newer members conversing with a loner. It meant that they had a loyalty to Tassos in some way. A few strands of hair began to stand themselves on end; he could not help but show a bit more dominance. The newly arrived female needed to know that she was not in charge here. This could turn worse if she believed that he could be pushed around; yet, he did not wish to frighten the female any more than she was already.

Carefully he observed the creature as she struggled to speak her own name. Rasalas knew not what caused the femme such difficulty in speaking; perhaps she was that angry or frightened? He was not completely positive at what the other had said, but decided to move forward with the conversation rather than ask her to repeat herself. Just before he could manage to speak, Kibeti's words graced his audits once more. He was slightly irritated at his pack mate asking Jaeger questions; yet perhaps it would work to his advantage. If the loner found him to be threatening, perhaps having another female inquire would be a better plan. Biting back his tongue the Alpha stared between the two, frustrated and annoyed with the entire situation. Even if having the two female's talk was the best scenario, he did not like having his authority taken from him. Especially not by one of his pack members. It took all of the Alpha's mental power to resist the urge to lash out at both of them, but despite it all he appeared fairly collected.

A flicker of annoyance flared across his amber optics; yet he still kept silent. Audits pulled back towards his skull slightly, one of the few noticeable signs of irritation. Focusing his attention elsewhere, Rasalas seemed to stare through the two females while still maintaining awareness of their conversation. His mind shook with viciously sarcastic thoughts, once more bitches were trying to walk all over him for his kindness. 'Do they really think I am that fucking weak?' His claws flexed themselves into the dirt below, ripping at the ground. There was no point in bringing the topic up now, it would likely only embarrass Kibeti and further the other creature's worry. A few deep breaths entered and exited his lungs, but still he could not totally calm himself. 'She is only trying to help,' yet it still made the edgy brute more angry.

OoC| Sorry this is short guys :/ Rasalas is sorta short tempered but didn't wanna explode on anyone

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Two questions asked, two questions asked. That could not be good. Jaeger's fur bristled further, but then she jerked in shock when she recalled what the female wolf - Kibeti, yes - had said. Jaeger had almost forgotten it. Kibeti had said that they would cause Jaeger no harm. Jaeger's expression and posture softened, and for once a glimmer of hope and relief showed in her eyes. They would bring her no harm? What about the alpha - Rasalas? Jaeger could lightly sense irritation growing inside of him. Was he planning to attack her? No, he was trying to restrain himself. That probably meant that he was trying to not attack. But still, he could! And yet Kibeti had promised that they would not attack. What did this all mean?

Jaeger decided to go back to the two questions asked. Two questions was too much. Jaeger decided quickly that she would answer none of them and instead ask a question of her own. Her mind sprang to Kibeti's comment on how they would not hurt her. Jaeger cocked her head and asked in her croaking, growling voice, "What would you do with a wolf who was raised by deer?" Her eyes narrowed and her lip twitched as it still struggled to conceal her teeth. But her fur was smoothed down considerably, and her posture had returned to something that was kind of close to normal. Her eyes, ears, and tail still showed lingering signs of suspicion. Her eyes, though, were also filled with hope and relief, and an eagerness for the answer to her question to come back.

Her gaze kept shifting between Kibeti and Rasalas. Jaeger wanted to keep a close eye on them, and at the same time study them. If things got ugly, she could take them down; she was pretty confident on that. She had done it hundreds of times with all kinds of prey. She was used to hunting alone, and she presumed that it had only made her stronger. Physically, yes. Emotionally and mentally... no. Jaeger knew how skittish and aggressive she was. She knew how crazy she must have seemed. What she did not know was that there would be no way she could take down these two if a fight ensued. The movements and attack tactics of a wolf were far different than the prey that she regularly hunted.   

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Kibeti quickly noted Rasalas agitation. It seemed to be directed toward her. She lowered herself a little more, and laid her eyes back, closer to her skull. She certainly did not want to agitated her alpha. He had welcomed her into this pack, and the last thing she wanted to do was manage to get herself kicked out of it. It was just so distressing to see the maned wolf so out of sorts, and she was only trying to be of help.

She tried to give the maned wolf, Jeager, a reassuring smile. Even though she was embarrassed at the moment, she did not want the new comer to sense that. That could only lead to the situation becoming worse. She quickly glanced to Rasalas and nodded briefly, moving a little toward him, but behind him. She was trying to show him that he was surrendering her role in this conversation. With a sigh, she was determined not to speak again until he had declared the pack standing on the situation.

Since Rasalas’ arrival and her own calm questions and reassurance that no harm would come to her, the new arrival had seemed to relax, at least slightly. Her posture was not so aggressive. While she still looked ready to fight them, were an attack to come, she did not seem as angry and fearful of them. That was a good sign.

The question that came from the odd wolf was one Kibeti had not expected. She was about to ask about the deer, but promptly shut her mouth, and dutifully waited for Rasalas to respond. While she had never heard of such a thing, perhaps he had. And perhaps if she had truly been raised by deer, that could explain her unusual behaviors and speech. The Ethiopian female could not image a wolf being raised by deer. Who would have taught her to hunt? To care for herself? She so badly wanted to ask her these things, but instead, waiting for the alpha to ask them.

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The russet male flicked his audits irritably, this time the attention back towards its rightful owner - the lone femme. Perhaps it was not right of him to be temporarily irked with Kibeti; yet, the male simply could not have prevented it. Was it not his place to be in charge? Was he not the Alpha of these wolves? Shoving the thoughts from his mind, his golden optics lightly observed her movement. She brought herself closer to him, but stepped away from the loner. Apologetically he smiled at the small female, giving her a gentle nudge before forcing his attention elsewhere. Although the Alpha longed to provide her with more encouragement, he hope that she would accept his temporary apology and reassurance. Rasalas had been under extreme amounts of stress in the recent weeks and was drawing closer to his breaking point. Thus far none of the others seemed to notice, which relieved him slightly. It was for the best that they did not know the amount of pain sitting within their Alpha's chest.

Amber optics swiveled back to face the frightened canine that had previously been snarling. It took total control for the male to appear slightly even tempered and not shout at the canine for her unruly behavior. Breaths came slow and deep into his lungs, attempting to lower the simmering of his blood. This female had not responded to the questions that were spoken by his pack mate, only furthering his irritation. Jaeger was standing upon his territory where his word was law; that being said, Kibeti was given a silent permission to speak and was not to be ignored. The muscles within his jaw clenched, tightening themselves to the point of pain searing into the sides of his skull. Perhaps if Lady Aowyn was not missing, he may be in a better humor. Alas, she was gone the same as Aries and his sisters. Everything he let his heart yearn for simply disappeared in the end. The truth was that Rasalas was disappointed in himself for daring to trust another female. It was childish to believe that things would differ from how they were before, it was absolute insanity. How could he expect anything to change when he merely had his actions on repeat? His tail wiggled a few times, sorrow and rage colliding within his soul. None of this was supposed to happen, life was not supposed to end up this way.

Flexing his claws a few more times, the Alpha delicately searched for the right words to use with the loner. "My packmate asked you a few questions that require your answer." It took a few moments before the weight of what the loner said actually sunk into his brain. This strange creature was raised by deer, something so opposite of what their species was. Golden optics cast her a perplexed, yet interested gaze, hoping that she would be willing to share some more of her story. Rasalas had no intentions of prying too deep; however, he felt that it was important to know exactly what he was dealing with. All the wolves within Tassos had their own stories and backgrounds, but he did not believe that there were any so unique as Jaeger's. It seemed that at one point or another all of them had a family in the past, but he did not ask them to share the horrific details. If any of his pack family were as scarred as he was, then they would prefer not to speak of it anyway. Taking a few controlled breaths, the russet male took a gentle step closer to the femme. It was a simple way to close the distance and perhaps break some of the aggressive tension between the three.

Lowering his voice, and attempting a more concerned tone, the male began to speak again. "Raised by deer? May I ask how one learned to provide for themself; certainly, that lifestyle is far different than a wolf's." The Alpha had yet to determine if this female even wanted go stay within Tassos or if she was merely passing through. Eventually the truth would become apparent, even so his patience was becoming thinner with every tick of time. His temper had always been short, but when Jaeger threatened his family it had completely snapped. Despite her calmer stance, Rasalas still wanted to exert his dominance and show that not a single canine was challenging his authority. All of his concentration was focused upon the small femme, attempting to gain control of himself in totality. One wrong move and he feared that hisses would snap resulting in a likely wounded canine. The back of his mind passed over towards Kibeti again, hoping that she was not too angry with him about the earlier display. The brute had never expected the trials of life to become this challenging.