Serenity At Its Finest (OPEN)

[Deleted]

The black coat of a bored female sagged slightly as she trekked around her territory with nothing to do. There was silver fur trailing from her chin and crossing her underbelly to her hind leg area, with some traces of a reddish brown coloring on her feet. It was a little scraggly and she had felt the need for the past few days to clean it badly, but there wasn't much to motivate her into doing so. That being said, she just left it be. It was either taking the time to groom out every little hair for hours until her coat was shining clean or go jump in the ocean and hop back out, give her pelt a shake, and call it good. Her gold eyes scanned the area, searching for anything in particular that would even begin to make her day interesting. She squinted some, trying to see past the glare that the scar on her left eye provided. It wasn't much of a glare to make any big difference, but it certainly did become annoying after awhile.

Spirit walked along the territory of the pack she had recently joined, Airila, and looked around. She was getting to know the place, which was good for any member to do, memorize the territory that is. It was a good way to know where you needed to go should an emergency come up. She drank in each detail of land, making sure it was all mapped out in her head, and making sure she knew where every landmark she had seen was. Should anything bad happen, she wanted to get there as fast as she could without making any mistakes and getting lost while on the way there. Though there wasn't much chance of her running off to an emergency anyways, there was still some slight chance it could happen. Maybe she was too into her job as a pack member, but she didn't really care.

Spirit's golden gaze just barely caught sight of a gaping hole inside one of the mountains and realized quickly it must be some type of cave that she had yet to explore. Her tail wagged in excitement and she picked up her pace to a slight gallop as she made way to it, her paws thrumming against the ground. She stopped and stood at the entrance, finding no other scent there that she could identify. There was a must smell, along with the smell of water, but nothing more than that. No pack members, no loners, nor any wildlife she knew of had entered or come out of the cave. "Maybe I'm the first one here..." She pondered to herself out loud, knowing very well there was no one else around and she was alone. In the year she had been a loner, talking to herself was an interesting way to pass the time.

She took a step into the cave and immediately took notice to how dark it was, but continued inside. She stopped in the atrium of the cave and paused to allow her eyes to adjust to the darkness before she kept going, winding her body with the spiraling tunnel that led deeper and deeper down. As Spirit descended farther into the cave, her ears picked up a dripping sound, identifying it as the sound of small water droplets falling and plopping on other surfaces. The volume and frequency of the drops increased the closer to the end she became, thrumming like a monotonous chant against the walls. It was a lovely sound.

Just when Spirit believed the cave could get a lot longer than she had already gone, it came to an end. She didn't come to an empty room, no, but she found herself staring at a large pool of water. The stalactites dropped more water into this pool and she couldn't believe how unbearably beautiful it was, even though it was completely hidden from the outside world. From the bottom of the pool, or what seemed like it, emanated a gorgeous blue glow, illuminating the entire room that she was in and part of the tunnel behind her as well.

She trotted to the edge and peered down into it, able to see several feet down, but not finding any bottom to the pool. It was really pretty. She sat herself down and continued to stare, amazed by how pretty it was. She knew she was in the cave quite deep and wondered if anyone would join her. Should she eventually become bored with the cave, which she doubted would happen so soon, she would just follow her scent back out to the entrance. For now, though, Spirit's eyes were transfixed on the shimmering azure water just inches from the edge of her snout.


OOC: Yes! 815 words this time! Woo!

[seadragoness]

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[bg=000000][atrb=background,http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff153/Lumarinam/kastiel-background.png] For Kastiel the days had become eerie quite, he found himself withdrawing even if only a little inside himself, for his own unfamiliarity with socializing. He had not approached the others but stood guard in the shadows, watching over them as he had pledged himself to. He threw himself into his duties with a passion, anything to keep his mind and body busy, so it could not wonder, and he could not long for routines lost to him. In other words, keeping himself occupied with border patrols and observing there herds he did not give himself time to think of his sister. To mourn her or wonder why he remained here and did not take to the wind in search for her. He knew it would be a vein, fruitless quest to take to the world once more searching for the nonexistent ghostly trails of his sister. There was nothing more he could do for her out in the big wide world, but here, here and now he could make a difference. In these lands he had others he could look over, a home to call his own and territory that if one day he was to find his sister again, knew she could live and thrive in. all the same, some times he would raise his head to the wind, look out across the border... and simply long The beta had committed the territory of Shiya to memory easily before now, and it was with the ease that came with familiarity that his paws took to the earth. As he did so however, he caught the scent of Spirit – a fellow member of the pack, one he had helped in joining as well. Would have accepted himself if he had known at the time that he had the power to. As it is, he simply called his Alpha and introduced the two, his loyal friend Toiro had done in the rest in giving the girl a home here. He knew he had not spoken to her for some days, and looking once behind him in thought – he had no duties to call him away, he moved in the direction of the scent, to see what path she had taken. Soon enough he in turn saw what had caught her attention. The gapping whole within the rocky surface he had intended to scout out a few days before – his attention has extended to other areas and he had regretfully forgotten about its existence. Now was a good enough time as any other however to take up exploring. He moved towards the cave entrance, sniffing cautiously inside it for a moment. He was easily on guard for the majority of his time awake, and even when he slept it was never fitfully. His guard had gotten him out of trouble enough times in the past to make it worth it, but his lack of friendship stood for the impact it had in other areas of his life. He took another step forward – having already decided it was safe enough to do so. Proceeding into the cave was an intriguing experiences, taking in the scents and sights around him. It was different now (to say he had never been here before would be a lie) now that there was not the fear that he would never taste fresh air again. That the ragging blizzard outside might never die down, or that starvation would hit before it did. So much had changed since that time. He was a member of this pack now, when before, his first time here, had been the first time he had meet the Alpha. The puppy-like, genuinely open and friendly leader he had taken an instant liking to. he knew Torio had held high expectations for this place – for it was a good place to hide from bad weather, to take shelter in and protect the entire pack no matter how large it choose to grow. It had its own supply of delicious, fresh water. The only fault about it was food, something that Kastiel was yet to draw a conclusion on how to solve. He couldn’t exactly drive a hers into here, and storing food it would go off before they had an emergency in which it would be useful. With these memories of his first and only visit to this place he moved on, further into the cave. He followed after the scent of Spirit, searching for the friendly she-wolf who had joined there pack. When he found her at last he realised she was transfixed by the alluring, sweet water at the base of the cave. He moved forward slowly, quietly, his paw-steps making not a noise on the hard surface, his breath a whisper before his face. “Spirit, my friend” He called out at last, drawing attention to his presence, to see if she would look up at the sound of his voice and realise she was not alone.

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All too intrigued, Spirit felt the need to touch the water at least once, it was just so beautiful to her. She lifted her right paw off the hard cave floor and extended it towards the water, delicately lowering it. Her pad just barely grazed the surface, causing an even ripple to pass through the water and stretching out to the center of the pool. It slowly dissipated and the serene liquid became still once more. She left her paw hanging there, suspended just above the top of the water and held perfect still, not wanting to disturb the peace that floated throughout the cave. It was so serene, so calm, that Spirit almost didn't want to blink. Her subconscious thought that if she did, then the silence that was there wouldn't be obtainable again. So, she remained quiet.

During that time she wasn't aware of her packmate, her Beta, approaching her through the cave. She hadn't sensed him close nor did she hear him because he had been so stealthy about coming in. She didn't smell him either, her subconscious telling her not to breathe, so she picked up no scents. However, it was then that the peace was disturbed ever so slightly when the male spoke three words to her. It startled her and her head turned as she made an attempt to stand at the same time. Her right paw was still over the water and she put it down to instinctively get a foothold, but only found the water there instead of the cave ground. She gave a yelp and lost her grasp on the ground, slipping, tumbling head first into the water.

Spirit splashed into the water and went under a good foot. She kicked her paws and went to the stone wall, where she climbed up it to pull her head out of the water. She did so, but stayed in the water, taking note to how nice it was. It wasn't too cold nor was it too warm, it was just cooled. It felt good on her fur, which was slowly losing all of its knots because she was wet. She turned her gaze to the one who had spoken to her and she gave a bright smile to him almost immediately. She wasn't too sure how else to react to the situation, so she just smiled. Kastiel was the beta, after all, she she was going to acknowledge his presence. "Kastiel! Nice to see you here!"

It was then she returned her attention to the fact that she was in the water. Embarrassed, she let out a nervous laugh, then just began laughing cheerily at herself. The sound bounced off the cave walls and must have echoed to the cave entrance. Should anyone else pass the cave, they might come to think the cave was the mountain's mouth and that the mountain was laughing. Spirit calmed herself, but giggled at such an absurd idea. She looked back to Kastiel. "Sorry, I'm such a klutz sometimes." That part was true. While she didn't startle easy too often and react like she did, she was very clumsy and most times couldn't keep a grip on the ground unless she focused on it and willed herself to. She stopped her giggled and sighed, smiling at him again. "So, what brings you here?"

[kiipcha]

Haze paced back in forth in front of the entrance of the cave, ears twitching with noticeable anxiety. A calm wind ruffled her silver, brown, and black fur. Her fur moved with each gentle blow, like a shifting palette of soft colors. Her delicate body shook slightly as her grey eyes scanned the arc of the entrance. Perhaps I should turn back, this could be a bear cave for all I know . . . I'm getting way over my head. She paced a little more, her head swimming with conflicted thoughts. Argh! Why most I always be so scared!? No wonder my family chose me to be an omega. I can't even walk inside a stupid cave . . . no, I'm going to do it. Even if I get killed by a bear or a cougar, or whatever might live here, I will prove that I'm brave . . . or stupid. With a final not so reassuring thought the young female took a step into the cave.

Her silvery fur once buffeted by winds soon settled the deeper she moved into the cave. The outside light started to ebb away, as did the hopeful look in Haze's grey eyes. Its just some vacant cave, I guess. But with a flick of her dark tipped ears she picked up the echoes of wolves up ahead. A bolt of fear struck through her as her submissive nature started to emerge once more. She tried to swallow down her fear but didn't have much success. The nervous female pressed herself against the side of the cave, crouching low so that her silvery fur brushed against the rocks, rustling slightly as she did so. She listened intently as she tried to make out the words bouncing off the cave walls, all the while struggling to keep herself calm. I am not an omega. Be strong. Be strong. Be strong . . .

[seadragoness]

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[bg=000000][atrb=background,http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff153/Lumarinam/kastiel-background.png] Kastiel had first meet this she-wolf by the waters edge, and even then he had seen a glimpse of the serenity she seemed to hold. She had held something of a hard life in the weeks leading towards there meeting and it had been, something akin to hopeful to see how she could still see the serenity in the world around her. she had reached out for it in the calm, brilliant ocean and those tranquil moments of silence that had past between the two. Now, he could see she found it in the still air beneath the cave, before the brilliant sparkle of fresh water. He had watched as she reached out a paw and delicately balanced it against the waters surface. For just a moment it held the illusion of behind hard, as through if she stepped out she would stand upon the water rather then plunge into its cool depths. Ripples swirled out in delicate arches from the paw, breaking the illusion and proving its liquid movability. He had spoken out to her, soft, gentle words that stated there friendship. However, it was enough to smash through the bubble of serenity she had called about herself. It startled her and she tried to righten herself. Maybe so she was at a more easily defendable position then the one she had held. But in that moment of surprise the positioning of her paw was forgotten and she pushed down against the water’s surface. There was nothing hard-appearing about it now as his friend yelped and was swallowed beneath the no longer still-blue. Kastiel lunged forward in an attempt to grab the scruff of fur behind her neck, anything to hold her back and stop her from falling. But fall she already had and Kastiel was too far away – having wished to be stealthy, having not wished to disturb her, and even for the purpose of not startling her! He could see in an instant that she was fine however. She had not, as he feared, knocked herself out on anything on the stone floor below. She swam delicately to the stone wall, partially climbing up so that it supported her head, the rest of her remained in the water. She seemed unfazed by her short scare, and looked up at him now. She called out her own greeting, the grin on her face relaxing him from the worry that had caused him to bolt towards her moments before. He sat once more, now directly before her. She let out a laugh now but there was something distinctly nervous about it. Maybe she was afraid she had made a fool of herself in front of Kastiel? Nonsense, it was his own fault after all. “You have nothing to apologise for, it’s my fault for startling you” He said easily, lowering his head to butt her shoulder gently with his nose. “Why don’t you come out before you get a cold? It might not seem so bad now, but with the cold weather outside this cave you don’t want to be wet when you step out” He pointed out gently. He lifted his head in a swift movement, lifting it to the still wind, tasting the air as his eyes darted out around them. Some six sense alerted him at first, but now that he truly searched for it he could feel it, scent it, hear it. Someone else was here... he took a protective stance before Spirit, a growl slid out from beneath his throat. He didn’t know what kind of wolf was there, but if it was a dangerous, aggressive one... he would die before he let them hurt Spirit. “Who’s there, show yourself?” He demanded, who dared to trespass on Toiro’s territory?

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[kiipcha]

The echoing voices no longer were part of a separate world, they were now directed at her. A sort of peace shattered and Haze's heart suddenly sunk as though it were made of heavy stone. She could feel her heart fluttering inside her chest like a trapped bird. A stone bird trying to get out of its cage. Options sudenly raced through her mind, she could run away and most likely crash into a stone wall only to be caught and ripped apart for trespassing on what she now believed was pack territory. Or she could show herself and hope that these wolves were merciful. As she examined these possibilities another voice called to her from the back of her mind. What are you waiting for? These may be pack wolves, it's your chance to become a part of something. But no, it seems that your going to race off like the scared omega that you are. If you really want to prove that you aren't an omega and deserve some respect maybe you should act like it! Haze blinked, shocked that she had a conscious like that in her. She let out a long quiet breath and slowly stood up from behind the rocks and padded forward.
She lowered her head in a submissive gesture and flattened her ears. Her tail lowered but she wouldn't allow it to tuck under herself as she decided that that would be too submissive. Her eyes squinted as she stepped into the light. She was at first destracted by the beautiful and almost unreal pool of water before her but the bright eyes of the two wolves shocked her back into reality. With a soft yet slightly shakey voice she spoke, "I am Haze . . . and I mean you no harm,".
(Oops, I'm sorry for messing up the order of the posts. I can delete this post and add it again after Spirit posts if you like. Pm me if you want me to change it)

[Deleted]

"Aw...but it's nice in here." She pouted at him, then smiled at the thought of threatening to pull him in with her, but didn't do it. "But I guess you're right...I don't want to end up sick and sitting in a den for the next several days alone and completely miserable." She extended her paws and scraped at the ground in an attempt at pulling herself up, eventually clawing her way out of the water. She stayed close to the edge and got to her feet, glancing down at her soaked pelt and then at her beta. A sly smile crossed her face and she gained a mischievous glint in her golden eyes. She stepped closer to him and proceeded to shake out her coat vigorously, splattering the water droplets all over the place. Her goal was to hit him, which she most likely had done because she was so close. She laughed heartily, glad she was able to have fun in her new pack.

Spirit's voice was silenced and her attention was redirected when another scent came to her nostrils. Her ears pricked curiously and she was slightly surprised when Kastiel slid in front of her, growling out his warning to the stranger that was joining them in the cave. Her pride was slightly dented and her fur fluffed out some. She was perfectly capable of defending herself and didn't need him to do it for her, but she held down her anger and thought reasonably. He was being a good beta by protecting her and she would live with it, even if it damaged her pride. She narrowed her gold eyes as the strange brownish-silver female made herself visible. Her voice rang out to them and introduced her name, claiming she meant them no harm.

Spirit weaved out from behind Kastiel and flanked closely to his left side, casting him a glance and flicking his side lightly with her tail. She turned her gaze back to the stranger that was in the pack's lands and wondered what she would do. Instead of being hostile and mean, she leaned her muzzle to Kastiel's ear and whispered, "Potential pack member?" Her eyes never left the female and she faced her completely again, keeping her posture relaxed and her expression calm. "Hello, Haze. I'm Spirit. Whether or not you don't mean to cause us harm, it's not me you're going to have to convince." She looked at Kastiel once, then back to her. "What are you doing here, though? Did you not smell our markers?"

She didn't mean to be too friendly to the stranger, but even she knew the pack was small and needed more members. She hoped she hadn't offended Kastiel by introducing herself first and being friendly with the stranger, though she was simply trying to get a new member to the pack. She pushed it aside and decided to deal with the consequences later. Subconsciously, Spirit began wondering if this wolf was even looking for a pack to join and what it was that she was useful for in a pack. She seemed rather timid and Spirit noticed her shyness, so offered her a sweet smile in order to make her less afraid of them. Though, there was a reason for her to be afraid. There was two of them and one of her, but Spirit didn't have an intent to attack her and chase her off. At least, not until she was ordered to.



OOC: You're fine, Haze. I don't mind. I'll just keep catching up on the posts like this. It's no big deal to me. Also...641 words!

[seadragoness]

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[bg=000000][atrb=background,http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff153/Lumarinam/kastiel-background.png] Kastiel’s only thought to Spirit’s words where he wouldn’t leave her alone not well she was sick and needed some company. But he knew also that his duties as Beta came before caring for a friend for a long duration of time. When it came to a millisecond decision, or impending danger he knew that he would never leave a friend without his help. As she pulled herself from the waters edge he had to admit to himself that the weather was warming up now that it was turning to Summer, and maybe it wouldn’t be all that bad for her if her fur was a little wet. But soaking wet? For a long period of time? that one made a sickness all that easier to catch. She stepped closer towards him and his face had begun to mould into a friendly smile of greeting until she shook out her fur and droplets through his way. The expression became surprise in moments and he ducked his head out of the way letting out a soft laugh. He knew, in that moment, that pack life had already made him a more trusting soul – he was glad, glad for friendship and never wanted to give it up. When he had responded to the scent in the air around him and slid protectively before Spirit, he missed the look of wounded pride, the anger, his attention was too busy focusing in the direction of the stranger. She moved forward, coming around the beta and whispered in his ear “Potential pack member?” He could feel her warm breath brush against his ear, closer to his neck then he had ever allowed another creature apart from his beloved sister to be. In response to her line of thought however, Kastiel was feeling slightly agitated. Were where all the polite wolves? The ones that waited outside of a packs territory before entering. So far it seemed everyone just moved on past the carefully placed borders. Only difference from this time and all the rest was his careful precision in pack safety – and the warmer weather! He could give leeway and understanding in winter where rain, and snow covered the scent markers. But now? He bit back his growl and in response to her giving his name he moved a cautious step forward. “Why do you trespass on Airila territory?” He demanded, his voice strong full of authority, and echoing through the thick cave walls. Spirit also spoke, her voice lighter, more open and friendly towards the stranger. Of course, she hadn’t spent hours strengthen the scent markers, nor was she in charge of pack safety and have to worry about the breach of it caused here and now. To every wolf but to Spirit, he had approached there newness to him with utter caution and preparation to defend himself. He was no different in this case, to this Hazel. It did not escape his mind that it was past, and therefore through her they would have to go to exit the cave they found themselves in. a cave which they stood, trapped in the back of. Maybe one wolf wasn’t cause to be afraid, but he had not heard her at first and did not know beyond a doubt that she was alone. Nothing changed the fact that it was his duty to protect Spirit, and the pack of Airilia. This wolf was a stranger, and as gentle natured as he was his cautious nature was the one doing the talking.

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[kiipcha]

Haze looked over at the soaking wolf, quickly making the assumption that she had fallen into the magestical pool of water before them. Must be more splippery than it looks. She imagined the calm water's surface breaking, giving in to the wolf's body. It was hard to even think of a single ripple in the still pool. She didn't want there to be one either, and suddenly she felt a small burst of anger towards the female. Almost protective towards this water. Haze kept it from affecting her outer appearance though, not allowing a single bit of fur to bristle, or for her tail to raise. Then she felt silly, she was not a guardian of this pool. In fact, she was a trespasser in this land and this cave nore the water belonged to her. Her anger quickly dispersed only to be replaced with a sense of shame.

As the female leaned in to the dark male's ear, Haze was barely able to make out the question, "Potential pack member?"It took all of her self control to not yip with happiness. She finally had a chance and she could not ruin this. Who knew how far away another pack was, especially one that would consider her as a friend. Her ears perked up a bit, but she kept them partially lowered so as to retain a submissive look. But she could not mask the hopeful look in her grey eyes.

Haze raised her head slightly, only to get a better look at the wolves' faces before answering the male's question. "I didn't know it was your territory. I was tired and looking for a place to rest, and I forgot to check my surroundings a little better. I've been walking for a long time you see, and I was sure that this cave most likely belonged to a bear than to a wolf. I admit I was a little too sure of myself to question my assumption." It was only after she had spoken had she realized how much her story made her seem like a lost juvenile wanderig the land. She frowned a bit at this and bit her lip to stop herself from uttering other naive phrases. Her hopes were all but dashed as she realized she could have just ruined her chance at becoming a pack member. But she retained some composure and waited for the other wolves to speak.

[Deleted]

Spirit's ears flattened some at her beta's cautioned stated, but pricked up attentively when the loner began to speak. As she laid out her story for them, she began to realize how much it was almost like her own. When she had first arrived in this place, the only thing she wanted to do was sleep and rest, so she found a cave on the beach and did so there. It was then that Kastiel found her, which soon led to an offering to be in the pack that resided on the cold territory. She smiled some at the memory, letting Haze finish talking before she brought out her own words, but it was a mutter, meant more towards herself than to anyone else, "I was tired too..."

Of course, this hadn't been directed at anyone but her own being. It only occurred to her that they were in a cave that echoed every single sound made, so there was a chance that the other two had picked up on her words. She hoped not, because they wouldn't make sense to anyone but her, and possibly Kastiel. Speaking of the male, Spirit turned her head towards him to see his reaction. She wanted to know if he approved of this female enough to let her into the pack. Spirit did, but she had the uncanny tendency to make friends with just about everyone that she met, and would have accepted her into the pack in a heartbeat, if that were in her jurisdiction to do so. It wasn't, so all she was able to do was depend on her beta's decision and respect it.

Spirit turned her head back to Haze, just so she could watch her reactions as well. She still seemed timid and shy, so she assumed something had been wrong in the life she had before coming here. Of course, not everyone had a happy beginning, but those that did didn't usually have a happy middle or a happy ending. She remembered how her life had started well, but got bad near the middle, then she found this pack, but there was no telling how her life would end. She didn't know if she was to have herself a happy ending or a bad and devastating one. Such thoughts made Spirit shiver, what morbid thinking.

A tingling feeling came to her nose and it wiggled some in an attempt to make it go away. The tingling became an itching and she swiped her paw at her nose to stop it, but to no avail. It gradually increased and she tried to breathe through her mouth to calm it, which only made it worse. Her head lifted a little and flashed back down as she let out a sneeze, releasing the pressure from her sinuses. The loud noise echoed of the cave walls and bounced for a moment. When it was silent, she chuckled, "Excuse me..."

[seadragoness]

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[bg=000000][atrb=background,http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff153/Lumarinam/kastiel-background.png] The stranger gave her excuses now, in response to the Beta’s questions. Well, in truth, it wasn’t Kastiel’s land she had stumbled upon, but Torio’s. It didn’t change the fact that it was Kastiel’s responsibility to see to the safety of the land and pack. All the same, he was quick to correct her. “This land belongs to Toiro, our Alpha, I am his Beta” He informed her, his voice melting ever so softly into lighter tones. She had begun by looking frightful – not the expression of a wolf with back up, and now she looked eager and hopeful, with a tinge of worry that she would not make her goal. Kastiel was not without a heart, if anything he was a very big-hearted wolf. He did not mean to scare her, only to uphold his duties in this pack the best way he could. When Spirit spoke, Kastiel actually felt slightly ashamed by the brisk way he had taken to the stranger. She had rubbed him the wrong way without meaning to, by crossing carefully marked territories. Okay, so maybe her excuse was flimsy and added more to the annoyance then before – she simply hadn’t noticed? But he had to give her a chance. He knew Toiro would disapprove of him scaring away a potential pack member, and one in need of there help at that! It went against Kastiel’s nature as it was. His thoughts where heavy, and he wasn’t sure where to take things form here. The stranger – Haze, was looking up at him with hopeful eyes, and he knew he didn’t have the heart to turn her away. At the same time, he was frustrated with her, frustrated that she could so easily bypass there borders and make no matter of it. “Well, Haze, in the future please watch where you’re going – there are plenty of packs in this land, and they might not take to kindly to introducers” And with that word of warning he felt he could relax a little easier. He would have to see to the scent-markers on the borders... Again but he could deal with that. The serious note in the air was broken, however, when Spirit let out a massive sneeze. The sound of it vibrated through the enclosed area around them and he swore his ears vibrated for a moment. He shook his head and he couldn’t help it, when Spirit said her excuse me he let out a soft laugh. Somehow Spirit had (and not for the first time) succeeded in disarming the cautious beta. He gave her a gentle smile, this strange friend of his, before looking at Haze once more. “Well – never mind, what’s done is done. Where do you plan on going from here?” He asked her then – and this was her chance to ask to join the pack if that was what she wished, or state where she intended to go. Kastiel would attempt to help her in some way. Even if she didn’t wish to join the pack, he would help her get where he was going – escort her to the borders, directions if she needed, even tips on good places to shelter. If that was all he could do for her, he would do that much at least.

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[kiipcha]

Her ears twitched eagerly at hearing of the male wolf's high position in the pack. She mouthed the name Toiro to herself, hoping that one day she may have the opportunity to meet him and join his pack. Her eyes suddenly lost a bit of their shine though after hearing the male, "Well, Haze, in the future please watch where you’re going – there are plenty of packs in this land, and they might not take to kindly to intruders,".She knew at that moment that her chances of joining another pack other than this one were slim, and if she treaded on another territory the odds of her winning a fight were not on her side.

Haze cleared her throat, "I understand, I'll be careful-" But she suddenly found herself interrupted by Spirit's sneeze. The sound bounced off the cave walls, causing Haze to jump with surprise, her fur standing slightly on end. She then shook herself as to hopefully smooth out her coat, fairly embarrassed after having been scared by a sneeze. Haze then murmured, "It really does echo in here . . ." She watched Spirit excuse herself, and felt herself start to get frustrated that she was looking more like an easily scared pup than a potential pack member.

But her ears perked up once more to the sound of the beta's question. She pondered it, knowing very well what she wanted to do. However, she couldn't just come out and say, 'I want to join! Pretty pretty please!?' No, not without losing some self respect. She had to be crafty about this, but how? She wasn't dumb exactly, but she was definitely not going to get known for her brains.

"Well . . . I guess I could go look for another place to make a home for myself. But I'm not nearly as confident about that as I was a couple minutes ago, you know, about those other packs that might not treat me as well as you two have," Ah yes, the guilt trip. Well done Haze well done . . . but don't over do it. The last thing you need is them thinking that you're nothing but a mooch. "Plus there are the other loners, some can be nice and all but others are just a terrifying bit of competition . . . ah damn it . . . I'm no good at this guilt trip thing. Fine, I'll come out and say it. I want to join a pack," She lowered her voice to a mutter, "Preferably your pack actually" And there goes my self respect. She could feel herself getting hot under her fur as her paws shifted nervously on the ground. She could have just made herself the laughing stock of this territory. But what was done was done, she could only wait.

[Deleted]

Though Spirit agreed with Kastiel on being careful when entering foreign lands, she could not help but hope for this female to ask to be in the pack. She liked her and, even if she couldn't do much fighting or hunting on her own, then Spirit felt contented to offer to mentor her. She didn't want to be a burden about it, but she was more than willing to help out a fellow pack member. In the back recesses of her mind, she began wondering what it was that Haze could do, what abilities she had, and what she could contribute to the pack. It only made Spirit more curious when she began speaking of how she could just leave and find a new home, but made her smile when she cursed herself at being no good at guilt tripping and stated she wanted to join their pack.

Spirit couldn't help but glance at Kastiel happily, hoping he would accept her. Excited, she looked back to the female and smiled comfortingly. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to join a pack, Haze. Being alone isn't for everyone. If it's not for you, then that's all right." She hoped the girl would see that she wanted her there and didn't want to have to chase her out of the territory as she should have when she first saw her. Usually, Spirit wouldn't do so unless she had a good reason to. That meant she would only attack another wolf if they had an intent to harm her packmates or their land. At that point, she would provoke them and start a fight or simply chase them away. Spirit was a friendly female and preferred to make friends rather than enemies, but she tended not to get along with others if they harbored ill-will to the ones she held close.

The tingling feeling return to Spirit's sinuses again and she felt another sneeze coming on. She lowered her muzzle and rubbed it with her paws in another attempt to make it go away, to stop herself from sneezing again and scaring poor Haze like she had the first time. She looked strange, sitting there and rubbing her muzzle against her legs, and she wondered how she appeared to he others. Like she had an itch she desperately needed to rid herself of? Perhaps, but she didn't bother looking, the tingling changed to an irritating tickle once more, and she couldn't hold it back again. She reared her head some and it lashed violently again as she released another sneeze, the sound echoing off the cave walls again.

She righted her composure and looked to her beta friend. "Perhaps I shouldn't have gotten in the water, Kastiel... I hope I'm not sick." Spirit hoped she wasn't getting a cold or something. She certainly didn't want to be stuck to her den for several days, completely miserable and bored out of her mind while she recovered from a mere cold. She hated the very thought of it and didn't want it to happen. She looked back to Haze again and allowed her smile to return to her maw, praying once more that she wouldn't sneeze or become sick for that matter. Spirit didn't want to be a burden to others by being ill and not being able to fulfill her duties as a pack member. At that point, she would feel completely awful.

[seadragoness]

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[bg=000000][atrb=background,http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff153/Lumarinam/kastiel-background.png] Kastiel found himself feeling ever so slightly torn. There was the matter where he was a kind hearted wolf who wanted to help anyone who needed his aid. Then there was the one where he was not the leader of this pack. He respected Torio so much that the thought of disappointing the other was sickening in his stomach. Because of this he found himself defaulting to what ever he thought a pack Beta should behave as. But what about Toiro? From what he knew of his friend so far he respected kindness, he had an easy going an almost puppy-like nature. That didn’t mean Kastiel should follow that to a point – it meant he had to be even more protective over there Alpha. So, did he respond to trespassing with kindness or hostility? He felt he had made the right decision, by starting of brisk and unwelcoming, as through warning her of the mistake she had made. Now that she understood, and had apologised and promised to be careful, the hostility rolled off his shoulders and he found himself offering her a comforting smile. It seemed to say don’t worry – we won’t hurt you, your safe here When Haze responded with fear to Spirit’s sneeze, he began to feel bad. Was that his fault? Had his hostility made her so frightened, or would she have responded exactly the same even if he had meet her with kindness? When she began to shift her weight and look embarrassed – after speaking the words she needed to say, the last remains of ice melted from his heart. This was a gentle she-wolf in need of his help. He would be a monster if he turned her away. He couldn’t do that... not now. He had permission, from Toiro, to accept wolves into the pack. His alpha trusted his judgment and he was sure now that he would be in the right to offer this soul a home here. Spirit sneezed once more, and Kastiel let out a soft sigh. It seemed that despite his warning his friend had caught herself a cold. She spoke her own worries of that to Kastiel and he moved forward, moving to gently nuzzle her shoulder in comfort – if she allowed him to. After that he would move forward – slow, unthreatening movements towards the new she-wolf. He did not want to frighten her away, especially seeing how easy it was to scare her. “Haze, my friend, I can see you need a home. If you wish to join this and it is not another you have set your heart on, then I will not turn you away. If you wish to, you may find a home here” He kept moving until he was directly in front of her, however he would have stopped if he saw that he was frightening her. He would lower his head to gently lick her forward in welcoming, but only if she allowed him to. “If that is what you want then welcome, welcome to the pack of Arilia. What are your stengths?” He finished, offering her a gentle smile that fit smugly on his face, far better suited to him the hostility.

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[kiipcha]

The young she wolf smiled after Spirit's kind words. She could already feel that she was going to like this she wolf, if allowed to enter the pack that is. Haze smiled a twinge before mouthing the words, "Thank you,". Spirit suddenly began rubbing her muzzle against her paws, causing Haze to raise an eyebrow in confusion for the other wolf's actions. Her confusion ceased as the femme let out another sneeze. She didn't jump in surprise like she did last time, but she did tilt her head with worry for the other wolf's health.

The silver female listened to the other wolf's concern about her having caught a cold but wasn't quite sure how to respond. Haze thought about licking her ears with a touch of compassion for the other femme, but having not been in another wolf's company for so long she had almost forgotten what sense of personal boundaries she should uphold. She instead kept standing awkwardly as she watched the male nuzzle Spirit's shoulder.

Her senses seemed to suddenly go on edge as the beta moved closer. She could see he was trying his best to be nonthreatening but her heart was still pounding against her chest. She didn't want him to step back though, as she had not had physical contact with another wolf for nearly a year and Haze knew that if she was to join a pack she had to learn to live with other wolves. The femme raised her head, ears still down yet eyes shining with nervous happiness.

She smiled at his words and her tail began to wag. Her heart still beating fast, she allowed him to lick her head. She flinched at first, her muscles tense, but soon relaxed as a feeling of comfort moved through her. She belonged here, with other wolves.

Haze grinned with joy at the male's welcoming and she felt so much happiness that she could barely squeak out the words, "Thank you so much,". The femme then focused on the beta's question, biting her lip as she thought hard. "Well, I have to admit that I'm not that good of a fighter . . . actually I'm pretty bad at it. But I can still hunt for myself at least. Umm . . . I'm loyal, and I always follow orders. As long as the order isn't something ridiculous. I'm patient too . . . wow, I can't do much can I?"She laughed uneasily at her lack of strengths. "Oh, I'm willing to learn anything. And, ugh, I think that's it." Haze flicked her ears, eager to hear any feedback, good or bad.