A Call to Join (Cas)

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((OOC: Cascade ))

A shadow slipped across the land. Silent paws kissed the earth again and again. Flame colored eyes glinted in the darkness of the night. Winter was almost over. It held the season in one final icy embrace, but soon spring would transform these lands. Prey would once again be plentiful. Young ones would be born. Bellies would be full. And all would rejoice. Kyra was a good hunter. Even in the dead of winter she had been able to feed herself well. Ever since she was a pup, Kyra had been trained to hunt, to fight, to think carefully, speak wisely and, one day, to lead. Her mother, Dezba, had been Aphess of Kyra's birth pack. But alas, it was Kiowa herself that had been Kyra's teacher. Kiowa was her great grandmother. Kiowa and Kyra could have been twins. She had been Kyra's best friend until Kiowa had finally succumbed to old age a few months ago. Her loss had devastated Kyra....so she left her birth pack.



Now she was here, walking in the footsteps of the wolf she considered her grand mother. She meant to meet with the Honovi first, for it was with them that Kiowa had first been Betan to her best friend and Alphess, Acka. Kiowa had left the Honovi and had joined the Frigid Plague because Kiowa had known her heart was evil. She had found out just that morning that the Frigid Plague pack now ruled these lands. After considering for awhile, Kyra decided that she wanted to join this pack. 

So here she was on the Frigid Plague borders-the grand daughter of Kiowa. Kyra paused to sniff the scent marked borders and then tossed her head back. The clouds shifted to reveal the moon and the silvery shafts of light fell upon Kyra's black pelt just as the young she wolf began to sing. "Leader of the Frigid Plague, I have come seeking acceptance!", she called out to the night. Her voice was rich and smooth. When she was done, Kyra sat back to wait to see what the hands of destiny had in store for her.

[Cascade]

(OOC: In the canon we have established, Kiowa was the alphess of Frigid Plague along with Misdemeanor and ruled until her death. If that contradicts your story then PM me so we can work out something concrete )

The speckled alphess peered curiously at the arriving female. She was unlikely to be smelled or spotted, sitting buried among the roots of a tall tree. Only her eyes were visible from the soil as she inspected the wolf, one who seemed strangely...familiar. Perjury knew that she had never seen this wolf before, but a niggling voice in the back of her head told her to pay special attention.

Electing not to make a flashy entrance, Perjury let herself sink further into the ground, concealing her completely now. She tunneled to the other side of the tree and emerged quietly, using her magic to let the dust and clinging specks of soil fall from her coat as she pulled herself out from the ground. Making her way back around, the alphess stood face to face with the newcomer.

"I am Perjury, alphess of the Frigid Plague," she said, "What brings you to my border today?"

[Deleted]

((OOC: I PMed you ^.^))

Kyra sat back to wait, curling her feathery tail around her paws. Her solid black pelt caused the night to swallow her silhouette. But all the same, she felt as if she was being watched. Kyra shook out her pelt and told herself she was acting like a pup. She shifted her weight restlessly for a moment and then stopped, school herself to be patient.

Kyra started with surprise as a wolf seemed to appear from nowhere, which was very odd. Her pelt was mostly snowy white with a smattering of spots on her rump. Not only had Kyra not seen her approach...she had not even heard her. Kyra was a bit unnerved, but after a moment's shock, she remembered the manners her mother had raised her with.

Kyra dipped her head in respect of the Alphess. She averted her eyes and held her tail in a neutral posture. Her stance was respectful, but she did not grovel. Kyra was too proud to grovel. "Greetings Alphess Perjury. My name is Kyra and I am looking for a place in your pack. I have journeyed far to find the Frigid Plague wolves. For you see...in lands far from here, a wolf told me of these mountains and of this pack. She was my grand mother and my mentor. Perhaps you have heard of her. Her name was Kiowa." Kyra's fiery eyes glinted in the darkness, echoes of Kiowa's spirit in her gaze.

[Cascade]

Perjury stared back into the curious stranger's eyes. It felt that in a way she was staring into her own eyes, strangely though that sounded even in her own head. Her interest was piqued by this encounter. So far, there was nothing outwardly unusual about the wolf or their interaction, nothing outright to make her think that this was anything but a typical border patrol, but something deep inside told Perjury that she would not forget this night. Then, the stranger spoke.

Perjury struggled to maintain her complete composure when the wolf—Kyra, as she introduced herself—spoke her grandmother's name. "Kiowa was your grandmother? she asked, audibly stunned but keeping her dignity as best she could. "Kiowa was my grandmother, mate of Misdemeanor, mother to my mother, Corsica, and the former alphess of this pack." Perjury looked Kyra up and down, appraising her. She had a glint of Kiowa in her appearance for sure. She could be lying, but something in her gut told Perjury that this was the truth. The gears in her head turned as Perjury quickly calculated her own relation to Kyra. Assuming that Kiowa was their only shared ancestor, of which Perjury was reasonably sure because both of her children with Misdemeanor remained in the Frigid Plague, that would make Kyra her cousin once removed. How incredible, that she shared blood with a wolf whom she had never known existed until this moment.

"It would seem that you and I have much to discuss," the alphess said, her own eyes now gleaming with a warm intensity.

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To anyone who had known Kiowa in her younger years, it might seem as if the malevolent she wolf had come back from the grave when they looked upon Kyra. For they were similar in almost every way. The only difference between Kiowa and Kyra was that Kyra was not half crazy. She did not share the tragedy of Kiowa’s past and so the monster inside Kyra lay dormant.

Kiowa was your grandmother? Kyra’s ears perked up at the sound of surprise in the Alphess’ tone. She knew Kiowa? Kiowa was my grandmother, mate of Misdemeanor, mother to my mother, Corsica, and the former alphess of this pack Kyra’s dark maw split in a grin and her tail thumped against the ground a few times. She looked the Alphess over again, looking for feature’s she could recognize. There was something…something in the way that Perjury held herself that reminded Kyra of the great warrior who had been her mentor. ”Wow.” She let out an amused chuckle. ”Let’s see….so that would make you my cousin once removed then!!! I never thought that I might have family here!”, she chuckled again and listened as the Alphess spoke once more. Kyra nodded her head once more. Her fiery eyes danced, but her expression grew serious. Kyra stood up then and spoke in a determined voice. ”Indeed. Alphess Perjury….Cousin…..I would like to make my intentions clear from the start. I am an ambitious wolf, but it is never my wish to rule a pack.” She had seen, from her mother, how much work it was to rule a pack and honestly did not want that much responsibility. ”I am a hard working wolf. I am an excellent fighter, a skilled huntress and I believe in earning my place. If you grant me a place in your pack, I swear on our Kiowa’s grave that I shall earn your trust and respect. For, above all else, nothing is so important to me as loyalty. I have come here with the intention of not only becoming a member of your pack. I have come here with the intention of one day serving as your Betan as Kiowa served Misdemeanor. I will not accept the position until I have earned it….but as you are the Alphess I hope to serve, as well as my newly found blood, it is my wish to be completely honest with you about why I am here.” Kiowa paused then, hoping she had not been too bold.
((OOC: Meh...not my best post. Hard to find muse with a 3 month old baby squirming in your lap XD lol))

[Cascade]

Perjury's brain felt like it was on fire with activity. A cousin, her own blood, who yesterday was completely unknown to her was now standing before her. "Yes, I believe you're right." she said in a slight daze in response to Kyra's calculation of their exact relationship. She had not taken Kyra for a challenger—nor would she have been in fear of losing a fight with her if it had come to that—but it was welcome news that she had no intention challenging Perjury for control of the pack. It would have been quite a damper on their meeting if it had come to blows; the fact that she desired only cooperation was practically music to Perjury's ears. A strong ally was always a more welcome outcome than a fight.

She nodded as Kyra said her piece, inwardly having already made up her mind, but even more sure of it as she spoke of earning her place in the pack. Her mind wandered to the corpse of a certain arrogant, entitled wolf that was buried a mile or so away. He would be nourishing her soil by now.

"Kyra, your words capture perfectly the values of the Frigid Plague. There is no question that you will be accepted as a member of this pack, and I have no doubt that you will prove equal to your words. You may not know this, but you have another cousin here in the valley. Treason, daughter of my mother's brother, also a grandchild of Kiowa and Misdemeanor. She was born to the Frigid Plague, but evil was not in her heart. It was the Honovi spirit that lived on in her, and she is the one who leads them now. Our alliance with the Honovi has never been broken."

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The young black she wolf grinned, his gleaming fangs flashing as she bobbed her head in homage to her new Alphess. "It brings me great joy to know I have more family, and to know that the alliance our grandmother fostered remains intact!" She trashed her tail through the air a couple times and then quelled her excitement. This was only the beginning. Unless Perjury told another wolf, Kyra planned to keep her bloodline to herself for now. She wanted to win respect from her new pack based on her actions alone. In the end, that was what really mattered. Kiowa had come from nothing-a pair of lone wolves who had both died when Kiowa had been young. It was what the infamous she wolf had done with her life that she was remembered for. Kyra intended to be no different.

"Thank you M'Lady. I shall not let you down." She took a step further into the packlands and grinned. "I am eager to explore my new home and meet my new pack mates. If you shall have need of me for anything, big or small, all you have to do is howl M'Lady and I shall be gladly at your service." She bowed low to her Alphess and then turned and trotted into her new home without another word.

*exit Kyra*