'Sorry' Feeds No Mouths

[Deleted]

The loner was ruminating on her life thus far. It had actually been pretty... boring. She had no mate, no children, and no pack. It had been a very dull experience, save when she was a child and everything was knew and exciting. Isis Nakia's body moved with stealth, despite the fact none was needed. It was a habit learned after a long while 'in the bush.' Not only did it make it easier to happen upon a snack of prey, but it also made it far easier to hide from predators who would make a snack of you.

She came to the end of a relatively open stretch of land, when the wind kicked up. With it came the scent of many wolves... of a pack. Isis stopped, confused and debating. Should she risk it? A possible unfriendly encounter? Or was it worth the danger, seeing new faces and speaking after many long days and weeks of relative silence? Isis's ears pinned back, her tail drooping. The pack was small, there were only a few wolves... That was all she could smell, for she was on the border of their territory. Perhaps a nice howl would do, attract the attention of some passerby, who by all means could have a civilized conversation? Or was it better to slink away right now, pretend the scent had never happened upon her nostrils? She heaved a sigh, swallowing and looking around. It was deserted.

Feeling an overwhelming sense of loneliness, she opened her jaws to let out a howl, and stopped. Doubt had settled in, letting its insidious roots plant a firm grip in her heart. A few wolves was just enough to harm her, wasn't it? Hardly could she run away from them for long, especially if they knew the lay of the land far better than she.

Dropping her head, she stared at her paws, wondering what would the best course of action be. Another mental debate ensued, and the winner was the idea of just getting it over with. Firmly planting her paws and forcing her tail into a moderately erect position, to show she wasn't a coward, nor a weak and spineless female (no matter the fact she was a loner and therefore would not even register on a Pack's scale of importance) Isis stood and proudly lifted her brown head. Her yellow-orange eyes closed and her cracked voice lifted to the heavens, weakened after disuse.

A pretty image she would display, a brown wolf howling. Of course, she felt somewhat guilty to have her tail up, waving like she was some Beta female, howling to her own pack. If wolves did come, Isis would drop her tail, she would drop to her knees and bow to the Alpha, show her respect. But it would be better to display a strong image at first, when she first met them, than later.

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[atrb=background,http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z444/spottystar/casbgTWO.jpg] Castien had been wandering the forest, lost in thought, such was his life. Things had been quiet around Shyia, even with the pack's devious neighbors. maybe Descai was out wreaking havoc on some other pack. As long as they kept their noses out of Airila territory, Castien couldn't care less. Though, Airila did have an alliance with Haishin, so he probably should worry about what their involvement was with Descai.. But he was not alpha, nor lead warrior, so it was truly not his place to involve himself in such matters. That's when he heard the howl. It was somewhat of a cracked howl, one that had not been used for some time. He was nearby, so he figured he'd answer it, again he was not alpha, but he was a member of this pack and should do his duty. If it was a matter that called for Toiro, he would call for Toiro. If his alpha was already there, back up never hurt, whether he needed it or not. As he made his way quietly toward the howl, he eventually caught sight of a smaller female. She stood with a posture that would make her seem like she was on a high horse. Not the way a loner asking permission to come onto a pack's lands should be. Cas raised a brow, breathing in the air, trying to catch her scent. With a mischievous pack right next door, one must be cautioned on whom to allow into their home. But this fae did not smell like any pack Cas had encountered, she smelled like a true loner. He deemed her clean and stepped out from the shadow of the trees. He was much larger than her, yet that seemed to be the way it was around here. He lifted his head and gave a woof of a greeting. "Hello, loner. What is your business being in Shyia?" Count --> 325 w. Muse --> alrightttt.. it'll get better Tags --> Isis Notes --> nahh

[Deleted]

Isis had not lived a very pleasant life- it had been a dull, un-improvisational experience. It had consisted of her birth, the sad fact of her mother's death, raising from the exciting and play-filled world of children to the stature and constraining rules of the world of adults. Rules had to be recognized and obeyed. Alphas and betas and higher-ranking subordinates had to be obeyed. If you were the lead of your generation, you had to be obeyed. Everyone had power, at differing levels. Everyone had a pecking order. Everyone believed it the only method of survival, there had to be an Alpha Female and an Alpha Male, or it meant death. There had to be a Beta Female or Beta Male or it meant death.

But Isis had traveled far. She had seen many things. This was not always the way it was. She had come across packs with huge numbers, an entire family with one set of lovers and their children- they cooperated, they worked together, they drove out their problems and loved each other. But in the real world, not those secluded havens, there were rigid and strict rules. You had to follow them, or you were cast out- or even worse, you met Death. And everyone felt the pressure of survival, the need to reproduce and to live like it was a sword hanging over your thread from a hair. But Isis was used to this, it had worn it's etchings into her mind.

For many moments, Isis was horrified and the horrendous sound that had escaped her mouth. It was not quite a howl, more of a croaking bark, and it had made her feel embarrassed to her very core- a respectable wolf lacked nothing. Their voices and their songs were all beautiful. They were proud to wear their hearts on their immaculate, well-groomed sleeves. But Isis, it would seem, was not a respectable wolf. Her howl was unanswered for a number of minutes, and she began to feel the hope that had grown in her like a bubble starting to weaken and die. Her head slowly lowered, as did her tail. Isis seemed to shrink in on herself, and a world-weary sigh escaped her mouth. I'm denied even the pleasantries of a meeting? Was what I never did that bad I am cursed now? She asked of no-one in her mind, her voice seeming to echo mournfully back within the darkness of her thoughts.

Suddenly, a noise caught her attention and her ears flicked up. She raised her head slowly. And Isis' eyes caught a sight so beautiful to her, she almost cried out in relief. Another wolf stood there. He or she (the wind wasn't blowing her way anymore, so she couldn't tell) stood and observed her calmly, with dignity.

Isis suddenly felt the overpowering feeling of embarrassment, not only at the wretched call she had made, but also at the fact she hadn't really groomed recently. Her pelt wasn't matted, but it wasn't sleek and shining, either. Burrs and small leaves appeared to have lodged themselves into the long fur on her back, and she hastily shook them off.

"My name is Isis Nakia, sir. Currently, I have no pack, mate, or children- I am a loner to the utmost meaning of the word. I wish to ask passage into your pack, and if that will not be consented, then passage through your pack's lands." She could not tell this male to not be a leader- Isis hadn't been around other wolves for weeks, and the mere sight of a proud subordinate impressed her with the feeling of lowness. Knowing he may or may not have seen her when she had been proud, and compared to how she looked now that she had dropped the façade. She approached him slowly, eyes down and tail low. A few feet from him, she crouched down slightly. Her entire posture hinted at subordination, and she looked up hopefully for a brief flicker of a second before looking away and down.

[Toiro]

Toiro watched from the shadows. As soon as he had heard the howl, he had come, but had found that Castien had gotten there before him. He was aware that Castien was interested in becoming a warrior for the pack, so it would be good to see how he reacted to a loner.

Which reminded him… he needed to sort out ranks in the pack. Airila was most in need of hunters, so perhaps they would have a pack hunt sometime soon to see who would be good to fill that position. A hunt would also be a good social opportunity, and would let the members get to know each other better. He hated to think about it, but it would also show which wolves were still around and which had wandered off.

When Castien asked her what she wanted, the loner expressed interest in joining the pack.
To save them the time trying to look for him, he decided to reveal himself. Slowly and regally, he walked into the clearing, his head raised. “Greetings, Isis Nakia. I am Toiro, alpha of Airila.”

The loner didn’t seem to be in too good of a condition, judging by her fur and her cracked howl, but he supposed most loners were like that – only being able to catch small meals for themselves, and no one there to criticise their appearance anyway.
She was by far not the worst he had seen, however, and she didn’t seem to be looking for trouble. By howling and making sure to stay on the border she had proved herself to be polite, and smart too (Toiro had heard stories of what happened to wolves who wandered into a territory like Descai’s without permission). Besides, he liked new wolves.

“I would be happy to welcome you into our pack. If you are sure of your decision, you will be a Subordinate, but you may rise in the ranks if you prove yourself worthy of a position.”



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