The Moon Has Settled

[Deleted]

It was a fairly long journey, and truthfully spekaing, her feet could use a rest, but after being pointed int he right direction by her friend, Kanut, a few times, they were finally here. There was no sun out anymore. Her only other friend, the moon, had come out to light the night for them again.

Scenting the border, she came as close to it as she was comfortable and did not go over into the actual territory. Her head swung around to view Kanut, who had directed her here from behind while he told his stories and informed her about the pack she was going to join.

She had listened dutifully and began to believe that this pack would be a wonderful place to raise pups. Her eyes sparkled again a bit at that thought and her tail swayed with more energy to announce her feelings wordlessly.

"this border smells kind of like you, are we here?"

[Cascade]

Kanut was glad for the familiar sights and scents of home. The meadow was always beautiful in the moonlight, and it was enough to calm some of his inner turmoil. He had acted as naturally as he could after the hiccup in his conversation with MoonFlower, but Rhiannon's voice had wiggled back into his subconscious, just as it had always managed to do.

"We are here," he said, smiling and trying his best to focus on the beauty of the meadow and on the promise of a brighter future for MoonFlower. "And Piala should not be far away." Tilting his head back, he howled, long and low. He howled to mark his return, but in it was another message, one that he hoped would reach Piala's ears, wherever she was, and bring her to the border to meet them.

Juice

[Deleted]

Her ears perked and twitched slightly as Kanut howled for his alphess, and she decided she should put herself into his message,. After all, one was supoosed to howl when they wanted to join a pack, if she remembered right.

Tilting her own head back, she sent her song out, starting low but then going above kanuts and harmonizing them into a single message. Yes, kanut has returned...and brought her with him.

Her howl faded into his and she looked at him, hoping he hadn't minded.

[Juice]

Piala had been in the meadow with the newest member of Eternal Snowfall, Bloodbath. She had been showing her new subordinate around the pack territory and talking to her about this and that. Piala wasn't one hundred percent sure yet, but her instincts were telling her that Bloodbath would make a good leader in her own right. The alphess was in need of help maintaining things within the pack and she had Bloodbath in mind as a candidate but had yet to tell her.

Her white ears swiveled forward as she heard the sound of Kanut's howl. Her tail began to wag slowly as she smiled; she was glad he had returned from his journey away from the packlands. Then she heard another howl, one that was strange to her, but she would soon find out who it belonged to. "That is one of our packmates, Kanut and...a stranger it seems. Come with me to the border and we can meet them." Piala then loped towards the borders.

When the alphess finally reached the borders she nodded at Kanut in salutation and then looked at the newcomer- a female. "Kanut it is good to see you've come home and brought a friend back with you. Hello newcomer, I am Alphess Piala." Piala then nodded to Bloodbath and said "I would like both of you to meet Bloodbath. I met her while I was out hunting and she is a new pack member. Now then, why have you summoned me?"

[Deleted]

Bloodbath had been absorbing as much as Piala was teaching, though she had her doubts that she took this much time for every new member, she was glad to be around the first wolf to ever fully accept her. When the howls rang out and Piala explained what was happening, her tail wagged slightly at the thought of getting to know a pack mate. She was going to excuse herself so that Piala could do Alphess stuff, such as investigating the stranger...but Piala told her to come with, so she happily obeyed and followed after.

——

Moonflower perked up as two wolves made their way to them. She idly wondered wich onewas the alphess before Piala spoke up, marking herself as Kanut's alphess and intorducing Bloodbath. An odd name for a good wolf, she thought, looking over to Kanut in confusion.

"Alphess Piala," she started off, feeling that she should speak for her own intentions, "I spoke to kanut a lot this last season...and I have asked him to show me to your land so that I may ask to join."

(oh wow she can talk longer than a few syllables )

——

Bloodbath sat down as she was introduced, respectfully sitting a bit behind Piala as she addressed the two. She was still tense about other wolves knowing her name, so she just nodded slightly in greeting to them.

[Cascade]

Kanut dipped his head as Piala approached, both to her and to the newcomer. He did make a mental note of the unusualness of her name, especially for a good wolf. Perhaps her mother and father had plans for her that fate did not see fit to fulfill, although it would be rude to voice that kind of speculation out loud.

Piala seemed to receive MoonFlower warmly, and he was glad for it. He could see no reason why she wouldn't be accepted into the Eternal Snowfall, and his only wish now was that he would not have to speak with Piala alone now that he had returned. She had not known Rhiannon as well as he had, but she cared about his wellbeing as much as any alphess should. He had managed to avoid speaking about Rhia much at all ever since her disappearance, but he knew that his discontent with life was plain to see. Hopefully the alphess would take MoonFlower's arrival as a sign that he had moved on, or at least not bring the subject up in mixed company.

"Hello Piala, and hello Bloodbath." he said, not one to skip introductions, "Bloodbath, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kanut and I am a subordinate of the Eternal Snowfall."

"Piala, this is MoonFlower. I met her while I was taking a rest in the caves this summer." He wanted to say something like 'this is the wolf I've talked about,' but he suddenly realized that he had never mentioned her to anyone. Kanut didn't say much at all anymore, except to answer questions that were asked of him. "I can vouch for her good character. She would be a natural addition to the pack."

[Juice]

The odd looks that were given to Bloodbath were not lost on Piala but she trusted her pack mates to think before judging too harshly. She nodded as Moonflower spoke and was glad she had a voice of her own and was not depending solely on Kanut to do the talking. "I see." she simply said when Moonflower asked to join the pack. It had been quite a busy season at the borders and Piala was always happy to accept newcomers that were worthy of living within her lands.

The alphess then turned to Kanut and wondered where he had been for the past few seasons. He had always been a trusted pack member and Piala did not doubt his actions or intentions, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't curious. However, now was not the time or place to discuss such matters.

"Well Moonflower it seems you come with a clear name. If you are truly good of heart and ally with those who side with justice, I will accept you. However, know this: if I find you ever betray me there will be dire consequences." Piala finished her speech and waited patiently for Moonflower's answer.

[Deleted]

Bloodbath relaxed a bit as Kanut greeted her and introduced himself politely. She smiled and her tailed swished a couple times in appreciation. "It is also a pleasure to meet you two." she returned. Moonflower hadn't done as Kanut had, but she could understand, because she seems like the kind of wolf to speak little and only about what she thinks is important. Bloodbath would not hold her apparent nature against her.

——-

Moonflower, for her part, listened more closely to piala's small speech than she did Bloodbath's greeting to her. She nodded slightly but looked to Piala with a bit of quiet honesty.

"I would not put you, kanut, or anyone else in your pack in danger by betraying your trust."

Bloodbath liked this one.

[Cascade]

Kanut stood quietly as Piala and MoonFlower exchanged words. He knew when it was his turn to speak and when it wasn't. He seemed to notice a look of approval on Bloodbath's face after MoonFlower spoke, and he decided that he approved of her as well. The Eternal Snowfall could certainly use more members, and MoonFlower would bring them up to a comfortable amount. There was no one they needed to conquer, of course, but just because they sought no war didn't mean others wouldn't. Before the Bright Timber merge they had dwindled so low as to be potentially vulnerable to a couple opportunistic loners, let alone an evil pack. He was glad that they were big enough now to relax somewhat. Of course, someone would always be missing.

[Juice]

Piala smiled and was happy to see that Moonflower was not cowardly and was not dishonest, she would fit right in with the rest of the pack. The white alphess nodded at Kanut and said "You have found a valuable friend in Moonflower." before turning to Moonflower and saying "Welcome to Eternal Snowfall. I trust Kanut will show you around the packlands but for now, Bloodbath and I have other business to attend to." Piala turned and loped away, looking over her shoulder only once to see if Bloodbath was following.

-Exit Piala-

[Deleted]

Moonflower nodded a bit, understanding that an alphess would have things to do to run an entire pack. Her tail swished afterwards, and she lightly pranced over the border. She could not currently hide her excitement. But it was not for joining a pack..it was for a brighter future that involved pups and love. She looked over at Kanut, "Guide me?" she asked, still quiet despite her excitement.

—-

Bloodbath smiled slightly, and nodded briefly to the two again before getting up and quickly loping off to follow Piala. She was determined to follow her alphess, wonderful wolf that she was, until she was told not to.

"Where to now, Alphess Piala?"

edit: oh yea...uh..exit bloodbath XP

[Cascade]

Kanut bowed his head to Piala as she made her exit, then turned back to MoonFlower. There was a niggling feeling of discomfort that he had thought was worry for her safety. He had assumed that it would disappear when she was accepted into the pack, after all it was the safest place for a wolf to be in the winter. But it was still there, buzzing around his brain. Perhaps he had misidentified it.

At her question, he stopped to consider. There were many options, of course, what with the size of their territory. His first thought was to bring her to the tombs for a history lesson of the pack, but the possibility of it being too macabre too soon stopped him. It was a peaceful place for him, but for her it might not be. Instead, he thought it might be best to bring her to the dens. She would need one to call her own, after all. "We make our dens in a copse of trees to the north," he said, "There is an empty one near to mine that I think would suit your needs. If you ever need me, I won't be far."

[Deleted]

She observed him thinking but smiled a bit and nodded as he mentioned a den...and one next to his own. Her tail swayed gently. "I would appreciate that."

A den, in a pack. One step closer she though, and she could feel her own brand of excitement charge through her again. But just wanting to focus on the here and now, she walked forward slightly, facing the north. She would still need to rely on him, at least until she understood more about the territory.