It's Beautiful [Valeria] [joining]

[Emerald]

Emerald frowned. This scent wasn't familiar. The majority of her life had been spent wandering the island, but never had she come across such a... feminine smell. What an unusual scent for a pack to have!

This intrigued Emerald to explore further. Always keeping her ears pricked and nose out, she advanced. Her pace quickened to a trot, and before she knew it Emerald was exploring the whole territory. She almost felt... at home here. But she was a wanderer at heart, so how could she ever feel at home? But Emerald could've stayed here all her life...

'Maybe I should ask if I can join,' Emerald decided. She slowed her gait and began looking around, wincing at the bitter, algid breeze whipping her face. 'There must be someone here!' Brushing away the boscage, she crawled on.

The surroundings were truly beautiful. 'Maybe I've finally found home.' Longing suddenly tugged at her, and she realized that even after everything she'd been through, she still loved her old home and pack.

But Emerald still could not stop staring at the stunning leafy foliage, the silky ferns, the rough bark... She stood there, bathing in the beauty of the landscape.

A sigh escaped her pale mouth. Then, realizing how deep into the territory she was, Emerald began trudging back to the borderline. If there was any chance, it would be at least not too far into the territory.

On her way back, Emerald tripped over a branch. She stared at it, remembering how Leaf and her would lay down obstacles and race over them. A somber look travelled across Emerald's gaze as she scraped the ground.

Seating herself down, Emerald wrapped her tail around her paws and licked her fur. She had to look good.

Taking a deep, gulping breath, Emerald began to howl at the top of her voice. The echo was sincere and polite, but loud and ear-catching.

Words: 332
Tags: Valeria
OOC: Edit: decided to conclude this. Val you can reply if you want but I won't respond (but I will read c:)
Muse: Gah. I felt so good at the start but then I took a break and came back and it was so low.
"Speech,"
'Thought,'

[Valeria]

The great, lumbering beast of an alphess was consistently patrolling her borders. So it came as no surprise to Valeria that yet another howl echoed out from her borders. No loner would dare wander in without howling; the foliage was too dense and it was easy to get turned around. After several months in the territory, Val and her sisters could easily maneuver through the brush. The black and golden female had stumbled upon the remains of several such wolves that were not as lucky... Many had been consumed by the large predators with which they shared their home. Living in Tas'alea was a balancing act. It was two parts dedication, one part respect. If they could not respect and coincide with the wildlife, they would succumb to it. Luckily, this newcomer had been wise enough to wait at the territory's edge before venturing in. As soon as the howl rung out through her home, Valeria set off in search of the caller.

As the alphess drew near, she could tell the scent was undeniably female. Perhaps word of their pack was spreading to the mainland and others would continue to arrive. She could only hope that word had made it back to her dearest brother that she had succeeded. Her sisters were all welcoming and, although some were rough around the edges, generally dedicated to their cause. While the jobs were dispersed amongst them and there were still standard ranks within Valyn, they treated each other with respect in a way that a band of males never could truly manage. It was safe, and it was home. This was their way of life.

Spying a small white female nestled along the edge of the ridge, Valeria barked out a short greeting to alert her to her arrival. It would be best not to startle the newcomer, for if she decided to attack in defense, Val would have no choice but to kill her, and that was not ideal to growing their ranks. "Greetings, sister," the alphess yipped out with a gentle smile. While this wolf was substantially smaller than her, she had every intention of making her feel welcome.

"I am Valeria, the alphess of Valyn. I heard your cry. What is it you seek?" she inquired gently. Surely if her desires were less than honorable, she would not have bothered to pause at the pack's borders. It was because of this that the alphess was more than willing to accommodate and speak freely. Until a threat was present, Val had no concerns, especially from a wolf of such small stature.

---

Word Count: 432 words
Tags: Emerald
Notes: Not great, not terrible. (:

[Emerald]

"I am Valeria, the alphess of Valyn. I heard your cry. What is it you seek?"

Phew. This group was not hostile, in fact rather welcoming. Unsurprisingly, a female had come up. 'Valyn, eh?' A polite smile spread across her face, as Emerald awkwardly shuffled her paws. It had been ages since Emerald had interacted with any wolf.

Drawing her tongue over her ruffled limbs, she stood up. The alphess was significantly larger than Emerald, and smelt of... power. That was a good thing to scent in leaders.

She began staring at the vegetation beyond again, in awe of its beauty. 'For goodness sake, focus!' But she couldn't. Smiling at nothing in particular, she straightened herself up so she looked like she'd make a decent addition to Valyn.

Wow, she'd be a pack wolf again! Was this really what she wanted? Of course! 'What else could you want?' she asked herself. 'Nothing. This is what I want.'

Shaking herself, she looked once again at the wolf that had answered her call. She opened her mouth in an attempt to speak, but nothing slipped.
'Speak, for goodness sake!' Emerald's dry mouth felt drier than the bark in the middle of a summer's day. A small croak escaped, and Emerald felt her voice flow back. She realized she was still wearing that smile, and she probably looked more than stupid now.

Inhaling, Emerald cleared her throat, faced Valeria and reapplied her polite smile. The happy, jubilant tone of the fae gave Emerald some hope. She then realized she hadn't put together anything to say. 'Just go with it!'

"I am Emerald, and I wish to join your pack-Valyn, that's the one." Realizing how stupid it sounded, she added; "I-er, hope you don't mind." 'That didn't make you sound any smarter!' Sighing, Emerald relaxed her tense, bunched-up muscles and gazed at the she-wolf hopefully.

Words: 348
Tags: Valeria

[Valeria]

It was clear that she made this new wolf nervous. It was a common reaction upon a first meeting of Valeria. After all, who expects a gigantic wolf, let alone one with glittering gold laced through her fur? It would be strange the day that she did not get a second look upon first arrival. As the she-wolf stammered through her introduction, the alphess smiled encouragingly. She, of course, wished to join the ranks of Valyn. "You are most certainly welcome here, Emerald. Do you have any skills that I need to know about? I like to know what one can contribute to my pack," she inquired gently. This femme had managed to survive on her own this long, so surely she had some marketable skills. How she communicated surely could not be an indication of all her abilities.

While this one may have turned into a stammering mess, Val was hopeful that others would arrive with the confidence and strength to take up arms in defense of the pack. Looking over Emerald, it was clear she would not suffice as a warrior for the pack. Perhaps she was an adequate huntress; it would be good to have a dedicated hunting group for the family. They would need it once the pups arrived this spring. "I suppose you may want a little bit more information about our pack that will enlighten you into its founding and what you can and cannot do," she advised with a semi-stern tone. She wanted the expectations up front so that no one could say she was not clear on the pack's standings.

"Here in Valyn, the word of strength is she. We are female run, female dominated. However, that does put us at a marketable disadvantage," she explained with a bit of a shrug. With males came strength and power, and while Valeria could say she held both of those traits, not many other female could. "So it is necessary for us to... expand, if you would call it that. We are not near as stringent as most packs in our breeding rights. I firmly believe that all of us have the right to contribute if we see fit," she continued on so that Emerald would have a clear idea of where she was going. With breeding season upon them, she wanted to make sure Emerald was aware that her options were open.

"Let me be clear. There is no male here who will have power over you. Any decision you make is your own. As you will see, there are not many females around at this time. Many of our ranks have ventured out in search of... mates, I suppose you would say, but not in the traditional sense. We are few in numbers, and we need to grow. Growth in numbers is strength, and strength is protection. I exist to protect those who are under my rule. You will always be safe here, no matter how you choose to operate," she concluded. Perhaps it was a bit much for the new femme to digest upon barely joining the pack, but hormones were all around. It was only a matter of time before she became aware of exactly what the pack was up to; it was not sinister or underhanded, merely a means to an end.

---

Word Count: 556 words
Tags: Emerald
Notes: My muse was better on this one.

[Emerald]

Emerald cocked her head. She was appreciative of the alphess' kindness, and felt herself loosen up.

"Thank you. What I can offer? Well, let me think..." Back when she was with Leaf, many times had he complimented her ability to 'read minds' or 'see into wolves' worlds'. Was this an ability? Emerald never really had to think about this. 'Is pack life really for me? Well, it doesn't matter, you might as well try.'

But, if this was an 'ability', then she'd have to see if it still worked.

Narrowing her amber eyes, she looked deep into the larger, more dominant fae's eyes. A hatred of brutes fired in the misty pools, but that was already known.

""Here in Valyn, the word of strength is she. We are female run, female dominated."

So... Staring deeper, and allowing the whole world to collapse into her twitching nose, she began to see more. An independent, determined, goal-driven wolf that was very protective of those she held dear.

Indeed, Emerald had retained the ability, if not grown it slightly. How could she put this into words though?

"Well... I can understand wolves well." Unsure what else to say, she shuffled her paws uncertainly. What contributions could she make? Emerald never was quite the fighter, and had mainly stayed away from trouble in her times of wandering Anikira. Her hunting skills were okay, but not quite so sharp.

Allowing a sigh slip from her mouth, she glanced up hopefully at Valeria.

"Honestly, I'd just like to finally have some wolves that I can truly love and they can truly love back." The sentence was short and sweet, but with it came a bitterness from inside. Although her words lacked in length, the emotion and truthfulness made up for it. Hopefully she'd be fit for a place.

Words: 320
Tags: Valeria
OOC: Muse was very bad here. I had school and all

[Valeria]

What Valeria had hoped for is another huntress. The alphess tried not to be overly disappointed; some wolves could learn just about any skill, so she could not be too upset. "We are in severe need of hunters, Emerald. I don't know how skilled you are, but if you are willing to learn, we will certainly take you in," she advised with a half smile. She was fairly certain the femme intended to stay, but she had to be certain before she brought her too close to their inner circle. There was so much at stake here. She was forming the future of her pack here, and she had to be careful. There were those out there who would be more than happy to destroy everything Valeria was working for. She could hardly remember her life before Valyn; it was becoming the very epitome of the she-wolf.

"If you wish to join us, you can find the others near the dens. They are located near the lagoon. You can't miss it," she let Emerald know quietly. As another howl rung out from the border, she glanced over at the white femme. Could she be trusted? I certainly hope so, or I am not even close to a good judge of character, she mused silently. "I must attend to that call as well. Be careful in the jungle. There are many animals much closer to our size that I care to admit, and we are certainly not the only predators around," she warned calmly. If a wolf was to survive in Valyn, they had to be strong enough to tough the wilds. It was the beauty of their pack lands. Only the strong could survive here.

"I will meet up with you. I must find whomever is calling to me. Please go with caution." With that, the alphess rose once more, trotting off into the foliage in search of yet another caller.

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Word Count: 324 words
Tags: Emerald
Notes: I feel like this one was really bad. I'm sorry x.x