What he would've wanted

[Rykett]

Mysti paused on her way back towards her brother, Striken, as she scented Eternal Snowfall's border. It had been the pack Savu had wanted to join together. But now he was gone... Mysti impulsively raised her head to howl a mournful howl to call the Alphess. She had a desperate hope that Savu had returned to his pack but that emotion he'd showed in her last glimpse of him made her doubt it. Despite that rare chance that Savu was withing Eternal Snowfall territory, Mysti still wanted to join. It was what he would've wanted to do if Mysti hadn't accidentally rejected him. Plus the pack member were known for they kindness and goodness. Mysti wanted those two qualities to apply to her.

[forte]

The midday sun was just starting to warm the meadows of Piala's territory when she heard the howl. At the sad, lonesome sound, the white she-wolf raised her head and looked toward it. It had been a long time since she had heard the howl of another wolf so close to her home. Many times she had been tempted to depart the territory in search of new blood for the pack...something Eternal Snowfall was in desperate need of at the moment. Yet she had stayed, unable to bring herself to leave her ancestral home undefended. Perhaps today her patience would pay off.

Piala was a capable fighter and knew how to defend herself, but during her weeks alone, she had grown a bit paranoid of her lush territory being stolen by another pack. As she had no one she could call for backup if she needed it, she decided to play it safe and not to announce her presence with a returning howl, as she once would have with confidence. Instead she took off at a run toward the border, keeping all her senses strained to pick up on the slightest clues about who or what might be out there.

Tranquil Meadows was such a big place that, even at a run, it took the alphess several minutes to reach the edge of her territory. A brisk wind flowed over the grass, bringing the scent of rain to come, and another female wolf. She found herself full of adrenaline as she followed the scent along the border. The vibrant green grass seemed to whisper excitedly as it parted to make way for the she-wolf.

The alphesss slowed as the scent grew stronger. Though she did want to keep the element of surprise, she didn't want to startle the newcomer. She stopped and stood still, scanning the landscape for movement, but it was the wolf's bright blue-and-white fur she noticed first. Th wolf also looked rather slim, and Piala stepped back up to a trot, now going to no effort to go unnoticed. She walked with her head and tail high, the posture of a leader.

"Hello!" Piala called as she approached the blue-and-white stranger. She tried to mask her excitement at seeing a new face with cool confidence, but doubted that she was doing that well. "What brings you here today?"

[Rykett]

She responded. Mysti was surprised that her howl had not gone unnoticed by the Alphess just like the last time Mysti had howled at Eternal Snowfall's border. She ducked her head submissively, nervous that her posture might offend the Alphess. Her eyes were focused on her paws. "My... my name is M... Mysti," Mysti stuttered nervously trying to keep her words loud but failing, "I... I wish to join Eternal Snowfall." Mysti's heart was beat fast at the her anxiety of joining a pack.

[forte]

Mysti's body language told Piala to try to look nonthreatening as she stood near the other female. She had dealt with many nervous and timid wolves before, and she felt no disdain for those less confident wolves that shows up at her borders. In fact she understood that to present oneself before an alpha for judgement was a stressful thing to do. It took a certain kind of courage to overcome such a fear.

Hearing of Mysti's desire to join the pack, Piala felt another spike of elation, but now it had an undertone of uncertainty. She couldn't let a loner join her pack without telling her that it wasn't even really a pack at all, but a lonely white wolf roaming a grassland. She cleared her throat. "My name is Piala," the alphess said. "And I welcome you to my territory, Mysti...but you should know that my state of my pack is not, uh...at its peak at the moment. In fact...right now I am the sole inhabitant of these meadows." There was sadness in Piala's voice as she stared dolefully across the waving grass. Once, pups had romped here and adults had hunted on the plains. Today the place was still and lifeless. Piala turned back to Mysti. "If knowing this has changed your mind about joining Eternal Snowfall, I will, of course, understand. But know that there are currently no other good packs in the valley. If you decide to join me here, I will treat you as family and—" She stopped mid-sentence and smiled. Another howl had risen into the air, near her borders. "Perhaps we might not be so alone after all. What do you say, Mysti?"

[Rykett]

Mysti was slightly hesitant to be alone in the large territory and disappointed that Savu hadn't returned to his pack. But as the howl echoed in her ears, Mysti's hesitation disappeared and hope returned that the howl might belong to Savu. That hope didn't flicker long as Mysti realized that the howl didn't sound like Savu. "I'd be honored if you think me worthy to join your pack," she she said in a rather small voice. Mysti felt even more insignificant than normal while in the presence of Piala.

[forte]

Piala smiled benignly at Mysti's answer. She was overjoyed that someone had decided to join her but still she tried to project an air of calmness. "In that case, welcome," Piala said. She didn't want to be picky at the moment, with her pack's number at an all-time low, about who she brought in. Besides, Mysti seemed sincere. She liked to think she could judge others' characters pretty accurately. Time would tell. "The densite is in that direction," she said with a gesture toward the center of the territory, where a grove of trees stood that protected the dens of the pack. "You'll find many already dug that are not in use, but you may dig a new one if you prefer that. Now...if you'll excuse me, I must go greet another newcomer. Feel free to explore, I'll see you quite soon!" With that the white she-wolf bounded off in the direction of the other howl.

[Rykett]

Mysti nodded her head, gratitude filling her eyes. She finally had found a home. A place where she could rest in a den and nearby the hunting ground. Hopefully the other few members of the pack wouldn't need to rely on Mysti as a hunter of their food since she hadn't caught any real food except that rabbit that Savu had helped her detect and catch. Yet there was a tone of bitterness tinging her elation of acceptance into Eternal Snowfall. That bitterness originated from Savu, of course. The pain was still so real. But the excitement was able to banish that pain for a little bit while Mysti trotted in the direction that Piala had said the dens were in.
-Exit Mysti-