carpe diem -- ! [OPEN/JOINING]

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[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] Alright, today was the day! She could do this! 'Come on Cherie, deep breath. Be brave! You've got this! Just cross the border and howl. The pack here is friendly. It's supposed to be friendly, at least... Don't be stupid, they're not monsters! They're not going to eat you. Now cross that border and howl!' The young Apennine female took a deep breath and... didn't move. Her tail was tucked between her legs, ears folded back against her head. What was she so nervous about? Wolves did this all the time! They went to the border, howled, and were met by a high rank and let into the territory. It was no biggie, right? Right! Wrong... Cherie had honestly never been out of Caurus before. It was her home. And, even when her birth pack had been dissolved she had never worked up the courage to leave it. It wasn't like she had many options on where to go. Both neighboring territories contained packs. But... The life of a loner was lonely. A rather fitting description, really, but that was beside the point. Cherie didn't like living on her own. She missed having a family, others who cared about and enjoyed her company. Being alone with her thoughts for too long got boring after a while. It was time to find a new home, time to settle down. That's why she was standing at the border of the Airila pack. Shuffling her weight, the female glanced down at her paws, willing them to move. Once again she tried the breathing thing, forcing herself to stay calm and get a move on. Really, she was better than this. She wasn't some silly little child that didn't know how to keep her cool! She was Cherie, a skilled huntress and loyal soul. The pack would have no reason to harm her or to turn her away. She. Could. Do this! One more deep breath and she plunged forward, eyes squeezed shut tight. And then she opened them, orange orbs looking around her with some interest. "That was it?" Had it really been that easy? Cherie had stood on the Caurus side of an invisible line for twenty minutes trying to work up the courage to do that. And, now that she was on the other side, officially in Shyia, she didn't feel any different. The female huffed. 'Well that was anticlimactic.' At least now she'd found her courage. Tilting her head up, she let out a powerful but dainty summoning howl, calling to the alpha or really any member of rank that could possibly give her a new home. Now that she was in the territory, what was the worst that could happen? Two steps back and she'd be in Caurus again, safe and sound, just like that. But... that's not what she wanted.

[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] tagged: airila | words: 469 notes: in which Cherie attempts to join

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[atrb=background,http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/6300/alumid.png] The ivory femme had been hunting through the forest for quite awhile now, she decided that it would be wise to try and find some Himalayan Mayapple. Quite truthfully, the femme was not in dire need of the plant, but she had just been snooping about for it before determining which lands, if any, she intended to venture onto next. Aludra had no intentions of permanently leaving Airila, as she found this home nearly too good to be true; however the girl knew that other herbs would be needed to ensure a strong and healthy pack. A slight smile crossed her maw as the femme continued rooting around, her thoughts began dancing through her head. 'It feels quite nice to be needed, to be of some importance to others, especially being their doctor. I surely hope Toiro does not regret taking me in, I am sure he is still learning of my knowledge and skills though.' It had hardly been intentional for Aludra to stumble upon the other creature that was now calling for Toiro. Aludra related very much to this creature, it was intimidating to wander into a pack's territory and summon the high ranking wolves. One would like to believe that things always went as smoothly as they did for Aludra, but that was not always the outcome of such situations. 'I must observe the sky tonight, I want to see what she has to tell me,' the female's thoughts continued playing through her mind as she casually walked in the direction of the howl. The shaman knew that in a matter of moments the other creature would be appearing in her eyesight, but she found herself significantly more relaxed than when she had stumbled upon a creature not too long before. 'At least I had more warning this time,' the female attempted to allow herself to chuckle, it hardly worked. Aludra dug her claws in the dirt for a moment and stretched her back before proceeding forward. Her stance did not show much dominance at all, in fact this femme continuously held a naturally submissive stance. She just could never bare to attempt and show off to make herself feel more powerful, besides that she was quite an unskilled hunter. Upon drawing nearer to the other female she spoke softly, "Greetings madam," her head lowered momentarily in greeting. Green optics began to scan this newcomer, after all Aludra always had to see what conclusions she could draw by observing another creature. The white one was not attempting to judge the other one, but just to see if they could potentially cause harm. Her claws dug into the earth beneath, as the female was slightly nervous about being here before Toiro she did not want him to think that she was attempting to take over his job. If anything, Aludra was going to merely keep the other creature on the edge of his territory until Toiro arrived and gave out the okay or the go away. "Welcome to the lands of Airila, may I inquire? What brings you here," her voice was smooth, polite. Aludra could not help but offering some respect to the other femme, after all in technicality they were both the same. Just female wolves. Sure, the white one had the title of Shaman, and it did mean a lot to her, but she believed few creatures deserved to be disrespected. The female's auds were erect, waiting to hear the other femme speak, she felt a slight excitement. 'Perhaps meeting and conversing with other wolves is not so bad?' Nervousness continuously consumed her when it came to contact with other wolves, unless of course she was teaching them; then the femme felt completely knowledgeable and at ease. Funny how things worked out like that. Her auds flicked for a quick second, and her emerald gaze swam through the forest. 'I wonder when Toiro, or anyone else is going to be here?' Truthfully, Toiro was the the only wolf in this pack that Aludra had encountered since she had been accepted here; yet it seems every creature she ran into had the scents upon them of another land. Maybe the pack was just rather small? The femme shrugged her shoulders lightly and decided to continue her polite streak she would toss out an introduction, it would most likely make both female's feel significantly more at ease. Aludra was not ignorant she could feel the tension rising in the air, both of the females were rather nervous. "I am called Aludra," a small smile crossed her lips, maybe it would be best to leave out her ranking for a moment. She bit her tongue for a quick moment, no she wanted the other creature to know that she was not the Alpha of these lands. It would be awkward if Toiro appeared and the newcomer believed them to be mates. "I am the shaman of these lands."

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[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] It wasn't long before a fluffy white female stepped into view. So others really did live here. How long had it been since she'd seen someone else? The north was far less populated than the south it seemed. For months she'd wandered, getting to know the land while on a journey of self-discovery. It had been lonely though! Rarely had she come across a stranger and, when she did, it was never for very long. As soon as the stranger was near enough her audits perked and her tail wagged back and forth in greeting. Her stance was more playful than it was submissive or dominant, full of joy and life. Finally she would not have to be alone! "Bonjour!" Her own head dipped to return the greeting, excitement sparkling in her eyes. Oh how good it felt to speak to another and not out loud to herself. Cherie was not fit for a life on her own. It had only been a few months since her family had fallen apart but... to the young femme it had felt like a lifetime. A happy smile parted her muzzle, tail still wagging enthusiastically as she took a few steps forward. She meant no disrespect by moving forward. Cherie just wanted to feel close to another again, to feel wanted, to feel like she had a friend. In her home pack females had always been very close to one another. They were hunters, partners in the greatest of undertakings. There was no room for distrust or petty feuds. And to see another female now, someone she could potentially relate to? Her heart was soaring with joy, nerves melting away in favor of making a new friend. So this Arctic female, Aludra, was the Airila pack's shaman? The Apennine's tail continued to wag, curious and optimistic. "That is an honorable rank to hold." She smiled, head tilted slightly as she too scanned the trees. If the pack had a shaman then that meant that there had to be others around someplace. Including the alpha. For a few brief moments she wondered what he was like. "My name is Cherie. I myself am a huntress." She was proud of her former rank and it showed in her stance, chest puffed out slightly and expression seeming to beam. In all truth the female could not imagine herself in another rank. She had been born to hunt, and she was good at it. "I was hoping, maybe... that I could join you. Your pack, I mean. Airila. My birth pack disbanded some time ago and I've been looking for a new home. I know I can be useful to you!" And now she was rambling. Surely the shaman did not need to know her story, especially when she would have to repeat herself once the alpha made his appearance. Cherie couldn't help herself though. Silence was not something she was fond of and, now that she finally had someone to talk to, she had no intention of shutting up.

[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] tagged: aludra&open | words: 500 notes: she's a little chatter box.

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[atrb=background,http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/6300/alumid.png] Aludra observed the other female's excitement, and could not help but wag her own tail a little bit. It was not often that she could say that she had seen a wolf act this peppy, it was refreshing in a strange way. It was very unlike the typical reaction many wolves had towards newcomers, the Arctic femme was feeling significantly more relaxed now though. It was an almost instant release from much of the nervousness that had been ailing her about greeting this new creature. 'I will call for Toiro in a moment, let him know that there is a stranger upon his lands,' her thoughts were not cold, but rather informative. After all, Toiro would probably be more than happy to accept another wolf into his land. For a split moment Aludra felt a little pang of jealousy swell through her, this creature was a huntress. Something that Aludra had always dreamed that she had any skill to do. Truth be told the femme could hardly hunt for her own survival, and that had only sharpened her mind to the world. The ivory creature had learned to survive in the world without the ability to take down a creature the typical way. Indeed her clumsy ways had trained Aludra to be a bit different. In actuality, the female had always had an interest in medicine and science; yet, her knowledge would be half of what it is, if she had the ability to hunt. The femme had spent time developing traps and other ways to gain food, and of course it is where she learned much about the medicinal values of plants. It had turned out to be rather useful though to possess such knowledge, and it seemed that often the femme did not need to stress about survival too much. Yet, life for her had gotten ever better once she joined the Airila pack. Not only had she been granted the gift of shaman, but Sir Toiro was a rather superb brute, as far as she knew thus far anyway. Perhaps that was why slight jealousy had run through her, maybe this newcomer would be more useful since she could hunt. Aludra shook her head slightly, waving the negative thoughts from her head. Now was not the time to worry, after all there would be no reason to. She was a shaman useful in her own way, and the newcomer was a huntress. Both were needed for proper pack survival. "Why thank you," the female dipped her head in gratitude towards this female who had now announced her name. Cherie, that was pretty, Aludra was pleased that the loner was rather energetic. The fast switch up of personalities between Cherie and many others proved appealing to her senses, it kept the femme on her toes. "That, Cherie, is quite an honorable skill to hold as well," Aludra cast a gentle smile at the world. It had taken a moment, but now the nervousness was beginning to fade away. Aludra could not let herself be jealous. She was still intelligent and useful just in a different way than the other creature. 'What if Toiro enjoys her presence more?' The thought danced through her mind for only a moment. 'I will not let myself get attached to the Alpha in any way, he has given me my home and will be respected. Just because he is the first creature to show me any form of attention in months does not mean anything.' Aludra coaxed herself out of the worried mindset, it was true though. The white one knew that this entire situation was really out of her control, and it was not useful to worry about it. Her tail began wagging a little quicker now that finally all worries had been drained from her mind. "I will call for my Alpha, although depending on where he is we may have to wait a bit for him to reach us," Aludra tilted her head upwards, muzzle facing the sky. She called out for the Alpha, her song was smooth and sounded almost intimate. Aludra despised the sound of her howl for how it sounded, thus why she avoided doing it as much as possible. The heat rushed to her face and the female closed her green eyes to prevent the other creature from seeing the nervousness swim through her once again. Aludra feared being replaced, especially since everyone had left her before. Even though Aludra had never loved the brute who was supposed to be her mate, it still made her feel lonely to know that not only her family but the brute had forgotten her. The entire pack had left her behind to die, and probably never thought back about it not even once. Aludra spoke quietly, "Yes, my original pack left me behind," she shifted slightly. It was something that Aludra had not spoken of to any creature upon this island, perhaps many did not even realize that she was from the main continent originally. Either way, that hardly mattered now. "What brings you up north to Airila?" the shaman was genuinely interested how this femme had stumbled upon their land, and she knew their pack name as well. It greatly intrigued the ivory one, for she had been lucky by finding these lands. Forever the female would feel that the brute Toiro had saved her a bit by accepting her into the lands. After all, winter was coming and Aludra had been growing quite lonely with her aimless wandering. 'Maybe this femme could actually be a true friend, one who would not forget about me in a time of struggle,' the thought seemed nearly too good to be true.

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[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] Someone jealous of Cherie? Now there was a laughable thought. The female was by no means impressive. She was pretty, yes, but she did not waste her efforts on vanity. And sure, she knew how to hunt and how to do it well. She had her setbacks there as well. Asthma kept her lungs from being as strong as she could and hunting required a certain degree of cunning if she wanted to succeed. Beyond that there was nothing extraordinary about her at all. She was small, she wasn't a strong fighter (nor had she been taught), and her capacity for knowledge based learning was honestly lacking. If something wasn't practical, she had a harder time wrapping her head around it. Skills like Aludra's, now that was something unique that ought to be envied. Her head bobbed once, tail briefly picking up its pace due to the praise. A faint blush would have stained her cheeks if not for the fur that hid her skin. Though a bit boisterous, Cherie had been brought up to be a modest female, a lady. She took pride in her accomplishments but not so much as to be egotistical. "In my birth pack it was the rank of a lady." Her words were not meant to be an insult, nor was she trying to put her gender down. Quite the contrary, there had been a touch of pride in her voice, the kind of pride one held for growing into a successful adult. For one who had been a sickly pup such as herself to have made it to a ranked position, to be of some worth, that was the greatest honor of all. At the insistance on calling for the alpha again, Cherie nodded and sat back on her haunches. It seemed the territory might be larger than she'd thought if it was taking two calls to get the alpha's attention. Or maybe it was just a reminder that she was here at the border, waiting? Being an alpha was a serious job; he could have gotten distracted along the way and had to tend with some other loner if not something worse. Her tail thumped slightly against the ground and, when finally the white femme turned back to her, she was smiling. "That's a pretty song." The compliment was as sincere as the upturn of her lips. It had been so long since she had heard the cry of another, especially on her behalf. Orange eyes once again took to scanning the trees, wondering about the alpha. From what she'd gathered the alpha was a male. If her birth pack had been anything to judge by, that was a good thing. Brutes were strong, noble creatures bred to serve and protect. Cherie never had been given a reason to doubt the notion and thus painted Toiro in likeness of the males she had grown up with. Strong, formidable, cold but not unkind... She would be surprised when she finally got to meet the kind fellow that had claimed this lands as his own. In fact, she was about to ask what he might be like when Aludra's comment caught her off guard. "Oh, sweetie..." Sadness instantly filled her eyes and she stepped forward to do the unthinkable. Personal space had never been something Cherie was good at understanding. She liked to curl up with others and found comfort in touch. It made her feel safe, protected, like she wasn't alone. That's why she gently pushed her face against the other's neck and shoulder, nuzzling her comfortingly. A part of her had been craving the feel of another too and, finally having the chance to savor the sweet warmth of another, she had taken it without hesitation. Hopefully Aludra wouldn't mind too much; Cherie really thought the poor girl needed a hug. When finally she did pull back she was looking a little sheepish. No apology was offered though. In truth, she wasn't sorry she'd done it at all. To her it had felt good no matter how long it had lasted. Besides, her intentions had been kind and that was what mattered the most. Sitting again, her brows furrowed slightly at what she thought was a rather strange question. What had brought her to the north? Considering she was standing on the border between Shyia and Caurus, wouldn't it have made more sense to ask her why she was moving south? Never mind the fact that the notion of wolves arriving to this land beyond means of being born here seemed almost foolish to the young Apennine femme. That's why her answer was accompanied by a bit of a giggle, the whole thing sounding [to her] quite absurd. "I was born in Caurus, just north of here. This is the first time I've tried moving south. The pack here and the one in Tiayr made traveling a little difficult."

[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] tagged: aludra&open | words: 811 notes: she's so sweet <3

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[atrb=background,http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/6300/alumid.png] Aludra could not help feeling slightly nervous still, and it was not due to anything the other femme had done. It was the simple fact that Aludra was not very well socialized recently, and her conversational skills were lacking a bit. The female was surely rather intelligent; yet, when it came to conversing with newcomers she became rather tongue tied. Often times saying things that were slightly off from what she actually meant, or as she had done about stating that her original pack abandoned her, she would spill something quite random from her mouth. It was never an intentional thing and the female always felt flustered after she spoke. Perhaps if her life had been different then she would be a conversational being, but the femme liked who she was. Learning and such had occupied most of her time since she was a whelp, and she liked it that way. Quietly, the white one cast her green glance back to the other female, a slight flush warming her features. Aludra was royally embarrassed about this whole thing. She had told the other female several things that were off, and the female was hoping the other creature wouldn't notice. Yet, Aludra was nearly certain that Cherie would notice indeed. It seemed her embarrassment was only going to be growing for now. Nibbling her tongue for a moment, the female's ears listened to the other's words. "It is a rather impressive rank," Aludra did not know what else to say about Cherie's former rank. It was impressive, at least she found it to be. And then came the comment upon her song, instantly the female turned her face away from the other wolf in an attempt to hide the nervous giggle and smile that were sweeping over her features. "Uh, th-tha-thanks," the female could not seem to grasp the word completely to speak it. "Thank you," she repeated her thanks a bit easier this time, yet still the whole friendly female thing had caught the poor thing off guard. Perhaps if Cherie was not so friendly and chatty Aludra would have been able to maintain her cool mood; yet with someone who seemed so personable she was unsure what to do. And then Aludra was thrown for another loop as the female began nuzzling her. 'What do I do?' a slight panic ran through her body, yet it was comforting to have another creature so close to herself. Aludra had not had a female nuzzle her in such a comforting way before, it was refreshing to feel close to a creature, to feel like Cherie was a friend. But, a part of Aludra wanted to run, everything swirled around her quickly for a moment. "That made me feel a bit better, sorry I just get nervous when I meet new people," the female's eyes darted to the ground quickly. At least this other femme would know why the ivory one was acting so strange, hopefully the other creature would understand. Much had changed for Aludra recently, and it was difficult for her to adapt to the social settings that suddenly surrounded her. And it was especially difficult when the one she was interacting with seemed to be quite relaxed in social situations. "I apologize for misspeaking, as I said I'm a bit anxious." The female kept her gaze averted from the other wolf. Humiliation sweeping over her, now she looked like such a fool for getting everything so twisted up between her mind and actuality. The last thing she needed was for a creature to see her like this, Aludra would have left had Toiro been there. 'I can't believe I spoke so foolishly, this is why I should have been silent. There was no reason for me to chat so freely when the situations was obviously so much more comfortable for her. I know that I get tongue tied when I'm nervous, yet I babbled on anyway.' OoC| Sorry, I feel like this post is crap -.-

[Toiro]

He’d come at the first howl, and had arrived at the border shortly after Aludra, missing only the first introductions. However, he had decided to wait a little way back in the shadows, firstly to see how the shaman would handle the situation but also so that he could judge the newcomer without having the fear of being judged himself. It wasn’t something he often did – spying just wasn’t in his nature – but Aludra seemed to be getting along well with the strange femme. He did feel a bit guilty when she howled for him, and was glad that he was downwind from the two she wolves. How embarrassing it would be if they found out he’d been there all along. The shaman obviously didn’t know he was there but he wasn’t sure about Cherie, as she was a huntress and might have a better sense of smell? But he was fairly confident that neither knew he was there.

But he did like Aludra’s howl, and if he'd introduced himself straightaway he wouldn't have gotten to hear it. It was beautiful; soft and smooth, and this time he was close enough to hear it in its full glory. The lone wolf liked it too apparently, as she commented that it was pretty. Toiro was planning to show himself when their conversation slowed down a bit – he didn’t want to interrupt this opportunity for the two to get to know each other. Although, he supposed there would be plenty of time for that in the future, as he had decided that this female would make a good addition to the pack. It was actually rather hard to find hunters nowadays. Most wolves wanted to become warriors; he didn’t know why though, as there wasn’t much fighting between the packs here on Anikira. Not that he would turn a warrior away, especially with Descai at the border, but hunters were always needed in a pack and with winter coming he was sure that one could be put to good use. She seemed like a nice wolf to be around too, and he was glad that she had decided to join them.

The large grey alpha moved forwards through the trees. He had left enough distance between them that if they listened, they could hear his approach, so they hopefully wouldn’t be startled when he appeared. “Hello,” he greeted the apennine with a small incline of the head when he arrived. “My name is Toiro, and I am the alpha of these lands. What may I do for you?” The mix of colours in her pelt made her rather pretty, though he was still a little partial to the almost pure white of Aludra’s fur. He did have a fondness for white, if he had to admit it. But what was he doing? This was about a possible new member in the pack – not about whose fur was the prettiest.



((OOC: Silly Toiro xD))

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[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] Aludra need not worry about being judged. It wasn't in Cherie's nature to see the bad in others. For one thing, all that brought about was dark energy and negative feelings. The Apennine females was an eternal optimist. She liked to find the good in others and encourage it to bloom. After all, there was little productivity when moral was low. Self-confidence was the key to success, or so she had been taught. And she was living proof of how true such a mantra was. Cherie had been born with bad lungs. They didn't alway like to take in enough air, especially in high energy situations, and they were quite good at inconveniencing her when she least expected it. Her pack hadn't given up on her though. Every wolf had been worth something (though males had been worth more than females), including herself. The pack had acknowledged that. The pack had continued to train her even though she was weaker. And, most importantly, they had not given up on her. They would not let her become a useless lump of flesh. Her membership was important during the hard times and her skills, even if they ended up being subpar, would still be useful. In the end the young femme had turned into an extraordinary hunter. She radiated confidence. As long as she believed in herself, she could do anything! And though the hours of training had been hard and had pushed her lungs to their breaking point, she was better off for it. She was stronger for it. She may still not have the endurance of many of her kind, but she knew how to work her body to its fullest potential and use short bursts of speed to her advantage. The colder climates and higher elevation she lived in also helped to strengthen her lungs. As long as she continued to take pride in herself, her self-care would remain impeccable and there wasn't anything she believed she could not do. And that went for Aludra too. The white wolf could use a little confidence booster. It seemed the longer they talked the more Aludra began to close up. It was easy to pick up on how nervous she was. For one thing, it was Cherie that was the trespasser waiting to face the "big bad alpha." If either of them had a right to be nervous, it was herself. She did not yet have the protection of the pack or the place in a family. And yet she was so happy to sit there and chat with such a kind pack member that a lot of her fears had eased. If the members had let one as sweet as this female in, surely they would be welcoming to her own good natured personality. So why was it that the white one was becoming tongue tied and struggling to find her voice? She gave the Arctic one gentle nudge before pulling back and reclining again, tail brushing the dirt as it continued to wag. Cherie had what was possibly the sweetest smile on her face as she watched Aludra with a mixture of mirth and reassurance. As far as she was concerned, the other female had no reason to feel anxious. And the Apennine wanted to help. She wanted to ease the other's fears and let her know that it was alright. "Don't worry," she grinned, reinforcing her words with a self-certain nod. "We're friends now so you've got no reason to be shy." It was only moments after that she picked up on the sound of footsteps. Was that the alpha finally coming to greet her? Cherie flashed the nervous girl one more smile before turning her head and rising to her feet, tail still held low (nonthreatening) as it continued to swing. Eagerly she searched out the approaching creature, more than ready to meet with her future. The idea of joining was much less scary now that she was no longer alone. Genuinely she liked Aludra and, for her, that was a good enough reason to want to stay. "Bonjour, Sire!" she greeted back, a happy chirp in her voice as she attempted to bow her head. While she knew she had to show respect, a large part of her wanted to get a good look at her potential new alpha. Thus, she must have looked rather silly with her head low and tilted at a strange angle, trying to catch a good look. Add to the fact that her wagging had picked up tenfold at this male being the alpha and she might have been presenting herself more like a playful pup. "Composure, Cherie! Remember your composure! You're here to find a home, not make a complete fool of yourself!" Letting out a short giggle, she straightened her posture and offered a sheepish smile, dropping her gaze to her paws bashfully. It was an attempt to show shame for her possibly disrespectful behavior, a habit left from her former home. Even back then she'd never been good at it though, never having been able to reign in her enthusiasm for long. That's why in a matter of moments her gaze was back on the wolves before her, a happy glance at Aludra for encouragement before she properly humbled herself to the alpha. "I wish to join you, Sire. I think I would like it in your pack very much. Miss Aludra has shown me nothing but kindness."

[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] tagged: aludra&toiro&open | words: 903 notes: she is so happy and optimistic. I luff it!

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[atrb=background,http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/6300/alumid.png] Aludra was taken a bit by surprise at the abrupt arrival of her Alpha, but she was pleased to see him. The femme found it nearly impossible to not be proud to have Toiro as her Alpha, but she hoped he had not caught wind of how awkward she was. Truth be told, the femme was a bit nervous that maybe she had done something wrong. After all, it was a new subject for her in regards to wolves wishing to join the pack. Even within her old family, the femme had always been told to avoid strange creatures. Perhaps it was because of her extreme clumsiness, it could be dangerous to meet with strangers. Not all wolves were as kind as the ones she had stumbled upon. Aludra had heard many tales of evil souls, and had seen but a few in her time. Alas, after the family disbanded most of the femme's time was spent in solitude. Hopefully, all the wolves would enjoy her company in Airila. The femme averted her gaze from the brute as he approached them, lowering her head in greeting briefly. "Greetings my lord," her nerves were rather apparent in the female's tone of voice. Although Aludra had hoped that her embarrassment would be rather easy to overlook for the brute, she had a hunch that everyone found it rather simple to read. New situations were not the best for Aludra, true she was able to adapt to changes but sometimes it took a little bit. That was when it dawned on Aludra what Cherie had said only seconds before Toiro had arrived. 'We are friends?' The femme could not keep the smile from growing upon her features. The thought of a friend, especially a female, made her quite excited. It was a foreign topic to her, but one that she had always hoped for. A gentle wag overcame her tail, and softly her green eyes flashed back and forth between Cherie and Toiro. Now what was she to do? No longer was the female feeling extremely worried, for it seemed that this new femme was complimenting her. 'How sweet,' her grin was genuine. However, the female was unsure how to react to such compliments given by a stranger to her Alpha. It made the Shaman feel quite important, she felt more likable than ever. Confidence about her personality slowly was growing, could this put an end to her social anxiety? It surely would not instantaneously dissipate, yet it could aid to a solution in the long run. Friendship truly would be another blessing, for Aludra had held polite interactions with many creatures; however, none stuck around. No one had really ever supported the femme or been proud of her for the skills she possessed. At least until she arrived upon these lands. Now the Arctic one was a Shaman, in charge of aiding those in need. Importance flooded the female's veins in a way it never had before. With one last glance at both of the wolves before her, Aludra quietly spoke up. "Thank you Cherie, you have been an absolute pleasure to meet, I do hope I will be seeing more of you," slowly the femme turned her gaze to the dirt beneath her paws. A gentle sigh escaped her lips, "Sir Toiro, I wish not to interrupt anything, I should leave." Truly she was quite uncertain if it would be rude for her to stick around, after all Toiro may have questions or wish to speak to Cherie. And the femme did not want to be a bother to either wolf, there was no more help that she could offer them. Softly her paws carried her backwards a few steps, as if cautiously attempting to remove her from the situation. Intruding was not one of Aludra's favorite things to do, in fact if possible it made her awkwardness level rise a bit. Before wandering off, the female decided she would wait for a few moments to see if indeed it was right of her to leave. She could not imagine Toiro wanting her to stay, but she did not want to rush off in the event that he did.

[Toiro]

Bonjour? He wasn’t sure what that meant, but she didn’t seem to expect an answer so he guessed it must just be a greeting of some sort. He was fairly sure that 'sire' was a new one too. He really did appreciate the respectful gesture though – it made him feel good about himself, which was a feeling that Toiro didn’t get too often. She bowed, and he smiled at seeing her tail wagging so fiercely. She looked enthusiastic, which was definitely a good thing.

Cherie then requested to join the pack, which Toiro had been expecting, and complimented Aludra on her kindness. The large grey brute turned towards his shaman, offering her a thankful smile. He was truly glad that she had decided to join the pack, as such kind souls were unfortunately rare.

“No, Aludra, it’s fine. I was the one who interrupted you.” He would not stop her if she wished to leave but he wanted her to know that he did appreciate her presence. There was no denying that he had a soft spot for her in his heart, but his shyness prevented him from doing anything about it.

The alpha turned back to the lone wolf with a smile, realising that she hadn't yet introduced herself. “If you tell me your name then I will be happy to welcome you into Airila. Is that a deal?” He wagged his tail at the rare display of humour. It was not often that he got to joke around anymore; being an alpha required seriousness. Not that he was the most serious wolf on Anikira – as his packmates would see when winter came around and they found him playing in the snow like a pup – but he tended to be formal when dealing with wolves who he didn’t know very well.

“Is there a position that you would like? We have no hunters or warriors at the moment, since Castien is currently out of action, but there is always the subordinate position if you would prefer more time to make up your mind.” He would rather his wolves have ranks, so that they felt wanted by the pack, but it was ultimately her decision.



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[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] There was a legend in her old pack, one that spoke of her ancestors and the old ways. It claimed long ago that her blood kin had once wandered the mountains of Europe. Nestled betwixt the border of Italy and France, they spoke with the accent of the parent country. For her ancestors, French had been the prevalent tongue. And, as the wolves had slowly migrated south, eventually traveling by sea to the land of Anikira, they had kept the old words of their homeland. Names were given in the mother tongue and ranks and respect followed the old hierarchy. Though she held no true accent, for Cherie the words were second nature. "Bonjour," "Sire," and a few other contrite phrases were known to slip from her lips. It was how she had been taught, a part of who she was. She saw no reason for the address to sound so strange. Aludra's sudden request to leave caught her off guard and her ears perked. Interrupting? What could she have been interrupting? If it wasn't for the white female's help, Cherie would have been forced to wait alone at the border. She would have had to face the alpha alone and she would not have known what sort of pack she had been willing to pledge herself to. While Airila had been her first choice in home given its close proximity to her birth lands, she honestly did not know much about the wolves that resided within. She had heard rumors and stories of the packs, yes, but her mind liked to wander and what if she had assigned the wrong personality to the wrong pack and then placed it in the wrong lands? In many ways it was better that she had met a mere member before meeting with the alpha himself. It showed what kind of wolves Toiro was willing to share his home with. Thus, it showed her what kind of wolves would become her family. "You don't have to go." Her words came on the heels of the alpha's, friendly and chipper and hoping she'd stay. In truth, Cherie didn't want to be left alone. This Toiro fellow seemed nice enough but he was still the alpha. He was the alpha and she was nothing more than a lowly stranger who had dared to step onto his lands. Rank alone made the male intimidating, even if he was smiling at her. Such a reaction had to do with the old ways as well. In her birth pack males had been mighty, powerful, intimidating forces to be feared and reckoned with. They were kings, champions, rulers, and they did not take kindly to disobedience. At least with Aludra here she would feel less singled out. Toiro really was a sweetheart though, and the way he offered her a deal made her beam. So pack acceptance was as easy as an introduction. Her attention was finally tugged away from the escaping Arctic as she considered the offer with a grin. It seemed she would get to pick her own rank as well which only made her happier. A home, a rank, and genuinely kind company. What more could a young wolf such as herself ask for? "A lady's duty is to the hunt. My name is Cherie, and I was born to be a huntress." Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes!

[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] tagged: aludra&toiro&open | words: 563 notes: whee~ backstory xD

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[atrb=background,http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/6300/alumid.png] Although Aludra truly wanted to stay, she realized that it would be best for her to wander off. If not for the fact that she wished not to step upon Toiro and Cherie's private conversation, but for the reason of her rank. It was her job to gather plants, herbs, medicines for the rest of the pack; and she could not do so whilst standing here. Her mind was slightly guilty that she had sacrificed her job to come and visit with this newcomer who had called. 'But you are permitted to socialize with others, you do not have to spend every waking moment gathering herbs and practicing medicine,' the female coaxed herself to believe that she had not been acting poorly. Toiro would have shown apparent signs of anger if she was acting out of her rank, right? 'He most certainly would have,' the femme mentally noted this in an attempt to further convince herself that everything would be okay. It seemed that the femme had trained herself to believe that every action she preformed was wrong. It was something that bothered the femme, yet it did cause her logic to come in handy. One could always think through things to realize there was no reason to freak out. Luckily, most of her true anxiety was experienced inward. Certainly the femme would remain nearly silent and seem awkward, but it was much less than how her feelings were within. Yet, both the other femme and her Alpha spoke of her staying. It did make her feel important, needed. This was a welcome change compared to her life before; however the female had already set her mind on researching. Winter was only getting closer, and that most certainly meant the need for more medicines and remedies. It was much more common for wolves to suffer ailments during drastic weather changes, this she knew, and the femme was not about to risk a pack member. If there was a way for her to help, then she was going to do it. Even if it proved harmful to her in some way. "Thank you guys," her smile was sheepish, and the femme lowered her head between her shoulder blades. 'Everything is okay, worry not about these minor incidents. They want you around, and that is enough.' Her grin broadened slightly, and she thought slowly about her words. As her mind droned onward, her ears caught the femme's wish to be a huntress. Aludra was proud that Toiro had given Cherie the opportunity to choose her own rank, for most certainly the femme would be a phenomenal huntress. The Arctic one had not known the other female for long, but she did not believe that the girl would be lying. Especially not so soon in requesting to join a pack, in fact the other creature seemed rather sincere. 'Hopefully I will run into both of them again soon,' she nodded her crania slowly and permitted herself to back up one more step. It was awkward to leave, but the white one was stubborn. Once her mind was cast in a certain direction, there would be no dragging her away from it. Besides that, she knew that Cherie and Toiro would be getting along fine, and somehow the female doubted they would be socializing for an excessively long time. "I must go gather some more herbs," the femme nodded apologetically. "Winter is growing ever close and I do not want my supply to be lacking, I shall be around later. And I certainly do hope I see you both soon," the femme knew not what else to say. Was she to tell them how appreciated their interest in her staying was? Somehow the female believed that could scare them off a little bit, make them believe her to be over emotional and crazy. Thus her lips remained sealed as the female cast a green gaze softly towards Toiro before turning away. Slowly, the femme padded away from the other creatures, quietly longing to be back in their company. Aludra Exit. Ooc| Sorry this is terrible

[Toiro]

It seemed that despite the fact that the two wolves had expressed that there wasn’t a problem with her remaining here Aludra still felt the need to leave. He didn’t want her to go just because of his presence, or because she felt unneeded, but when she explained that she would go and look for herbs he dipped his head once, accepting her choice. It was true that winter was on its way and although he didn’t know very much about herbs he knew that it would be hard to find them in the colder months. Although he hoped that nothing evil would befall the pack, it was comforting to know that if something did happen they had a shaman to look after them.

The white female disappeared into the forest and Toiro turned his attention back to Cherie. Her words were a little strange to him – he had never heard of any pack with defined gender roles. But it was obvious that she didn’t want to be a hunter just because she felt it was ‘her duty as a lady’; there was clear enthusiasm in her eyes and in the way she held herself.

“Then a huntress you are,” Toiro smiled, glad that he could grant the female’s request. The pack was filling out nicely now. They had an alpha, a beta, a shaman, a warrior (Toiro didn’t want to think about the possibility that Castien might never recover), and now a huntress. They were still a small pack, but that meant they could get to know each other better. Sure, hunting would be difficult, because as far as he knew it was only he and Cherie who were able to hunt, but he hoped that they would be able to make it through the winter.

“I was actually about to do a border patrol before I came here. Would you like to come with me so you can get to know the territory a little better? Or, of course, you could always explore by yourself.” As a hunter she was not required to do this duty, but it might be a good way to get to know the territory’s boundaries and then he could take her to see the dens in Lerelm.



((OOC: If she does want to go with him I'd rather not play it out IC because of my absence notice))

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[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] Aww, Aludra left anyway. Sure she had a pretty important excuse -- herbs were always in demand and a pack could never have too many, especially in winter -- but it would have been nice to keep her friend around. Friends were comforting. And though the alpha have given her no reason to fear him, it was still a bit unnerving to be in his presence alone. He was the alpha, after all, all powerful and mighty. Her fate rested in his paws. Thankfully Toiro seemed to take her words to heart. She was officially a huntress for Airila. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Without thinking she bounded forward a few steps, tail wagging enthusiastically and more than ready to nuzzle the alpha much like a happy child giving its parent a hug. She was practically nose to nose with him when she remembered her place. Looking sheepish, she dropped her head to a more respectful position and lowered her tail, though it still swung back and forth with good cheer. "Sorry," she started, straightening her posture to be more respectful just as she had been taught. Though she was no longer within her old pack, she had not forgotten their ways. Inappropriate behavior was to be corrected immediately or risk a punishment. Cherie had gotten enough of those to know when to reign it in. Speaking to the alpha was one of those times, and she needed to act accordingly. "I meant to say, thank you, sir." Toiro seemed to not mind too much, though. In fact, he even invited her on a border patrol. Cherie didn't have to think twice about her answer and her tail wagged a little faster. At least this time she managed to keep herself a bit more composed. "I think I'd like to accompany you. I only really know the northern border. So if you don't mind, I'd like that." A smile turned up her lips, head nodding decisively. And with a few more formalities she followed after the alpha, heading finally into unexplored territories.

[atrb=background,http://imageshack.us/a/img231/6431/cherietablem.png] tagged: toiro | words: 344 notes: that's fine. end thread?