Winter Lament (Joining Thread)

[insolo]

Born outside the White Wolf Mountain, the red and green female padded through uncharted lands until she picked up scent markers on the wind, her head lowered and ears pinned against her head. Her brother was no longer with her for he desired to see these lands and see if any packs caught his fancy but had escorted her as far as the river some weeks past. She knew he would be around, watching in the shadows should she need him though Ignis could fight and defend herself through sparring matches with her brother. The female shook her head as the wind cut through her fur and shook her head as a flurry of snow fell on it, melting into her fur upon hitting her skull.

Ignis paced for a bit to keep moving and blood circulating through her body, not wanting to freeze to death out here. The female finally took a risk and reclined her haunches until she was sitting on the ground, tail curling over her paws in an attempt to keep them warm. Though she and Venuts had skirted claimed territories and traversed freely through unclaimed territories, taking food where they could and sheltering in both dens and the open lands, putting both at risk, the female knew it wasn't the smartest idea to just stride into another's territory for once risked attack or death. How does one summon a wolf...and how soon will an answer be given? Well, it seemed Ignis had nothing for it but to let out a howl and hope it wasn't carried away on the wind, hope that a storm didn't suddenly flare up and cover the female in snow. Opening her maw and inhaling a breath of cold air that hit her lungs and made them ache, she let out a howl, hoping whoever heard it was friend and not foe.

[Rykett]

A howl pierced the air. Alpha Tiago raised his head. This was the first joining call since he’d claimed the Alphaship of Eternal Snowfall. Tiago was eager to answer it and exercise his new power. He loped to the border where a red and green form. ”Hello!” Tiago called a friendly greeting. He tried a smile, but his serious face made it look more like a grimace. He dropped the face and hoped his friendliness would shine through his words and tone.

”What brings you to my border?” He sat before her. His tail thumped a bit to show his pleasure at meeting her. Tiago examined his prospect member. She was a small, slim wolf, but a kind heart would be more valued by a Good pack. If Tiago turned her away due to her probable inability to fight as one of his first moves as Alpha, the pack would likely turn on him. Their support of him was built on their trust in Shiver, not in him. He had to prove himself before he could turn his new pack against Fjord.

[insolo]

A howl soon answered her and her ears flickered forward, yet she made no move to get up or even leave the area. Ventus would just say she should have stuck with him and pack business was stupid. It wasn't long before a wolf entered her line of sight, loping towards the border and coming to a stop just short of her, their tail wagging a mile a minute it seemed and sweeping the snow left to right and back again. She dipped her head in greeting as he attempted to smile, a smile that looked more like a grimace and quietly surveyed the stranger as he did her. Ignis inhaled the air, detecting the wolf before her was masculine from his voice and scent and looked down at her paws, sweeping her tail back behind her and curling it inwards.

The wolf before her seemed friendly enough but as she had learned in that fight over food, appearances weren't all there was to a wolf and could hide a darker side. "A wolf without a tail is no better than an omega for they can't show subservience to a high-ranking wolf and are likely to be attacked even worse than with a tail."

"What about a wolf without ears brother?"

"Then they may as well be dead since they're likely rendered deaf in that case. You're lucky you still have a bit of tail."

The short and brief conversation between the twins repeated in her head and thus the female was mindful of her next words...Ventus would be highly displeased if she came back missing the rest of her tail or an eye or her ears. Along with commenting how it was stupid to join a pack and think they wouldn't look down on her with her disfigurement. Then again her twin thought the worst in wolves that he considered weak.

So he must be someone important...an alpha perhaps, she thought to herself. She couldn't think of anyone else that would bother seeing a stranger on their border but her knowledge of packs was limited. "I was hoping..." she paused as she ran over her words... "if it's alright, that I could join your pack?" she questioned.

[Rykett]

As the stranger swished her tail behind her, Tiago noticed that the length of the tail was shorter than it should be. Tiago wondered whether she’d be born with the stunted tail or if it had been partly torn off. The she-wolf fidgeted, nervously, and took a bit longer than Tiago would’ve expected to answer her question. Her mind seemed to be somewhat distracted.

When her response came, Tiago found it somewhat redundant. By howling at the border, hadn’t she already basically requested entry? But perhaps, there were other occasions where a howl at the border didn’t mean a loner wishing to join. Tiago’s response came promptly, ”All with a pure intention and a kind heart are welcome within my borders. Would you fit in, Miss…?” Tiago trailed off as he realized he’d neglected to ask her name, so he left the question open-ended and prompting she-wolf to insert her name.

[insolo]

Ignis remained silent as the male finally spoke to her, that was until a quiet chuckle emitted from her maw into the winter air between them at his answer though she did not speak to what amused her. Instead she lifted her gaze and looked past him with her pink visionaries, flattening one ear while the other remained erect and pointed towards him though occasionally twitching to pick up any other sounds around them.

"A howl means many things," spoke Ignis as if she could tell the other's thoughts. "Summoning a pack to a kill, calling a meeting, celebrating the birth of a pup, the sorrow of death, a call to war..." she trailed off and shook her head before parting her jowls once more, this time answering the other's question. "Forgive me sir. I am Ignis. As for where I fit in the scale of things...I like to think I'm a good wolf and I like helping others."

[Rykett]

Instead of simply responding with her name and introspective report, the she-wolf chose to start a tangent about the nature of howls. Where had that come from?! Tiago’s mind flicked back to the throwaway he’d had about her redundant comments. Could she read minds? None of his sources had ever mention a Power that granted such powerful Psychic ability. There were rumors that Telepathy might at its greatest level, but none had recently reached that status to confirm or deny the theory. Tiago could spot no mark of power glowing on her pelt.

Perhaps, she wasn’t reading his mind, but simply thinking to speak her own thoughts. Still, it was odd to so randomly bring it up… unless… He narrowed his eyes at her. ”Are you lecturing me?” The alpha bristled, visibly trying to hold back his fury, ”Do you presume me to be an idiot?! I know very well about the nature of howls and their different inflections! I am the Alpha of a pack!! I would know better than any! Do you think yourself above me?!” His tail whipped upward, asserting his dominance. The female continued on with an introduction and an explanation of how she viewed herself as if trying to change the subject away from her slip. But Tiago was having none of it. His teeth peeped out from under his lip. ”Helping others… perhaps by explaining things to others who obviously have more knowledge of than you!?”

((A perfect explanation of Tiago’s reaction: Link))

[insolo]

(OOC: Hah that was funny!)

IC:

Almost immediately the male flew into a rage and started shouting, causing Ignis to mentally sigh to herself. Perhaps Ventus is correct and joining a pack is a mistake, she thought. "Presumptuous much?" she questioned with a shake of her head. "Are you not doing the same thing by jumping to conclusions about a stranger?" Males were so hot headed in breeding season.

Well he confirmed he was an alpha by acting exactly as she predicted...hot headed. Perhaps the male needed to seek out a few females to cool his temper, assuming it could be cooled with his raging blood and the cold weather they were stuck in. Allowing a breath of air to escape her lungs, Ignis stretched out her legs and stood though the female was no match for the male's height. "It appears my brother was right and I was foolish to seek...to try joining a pack," Ignis spoke, a tic coming to her eye as it twitched irritably at her brother's words when he next saw her. Something she was not looking forward to given her brother would be one pissed and two rather smug that he was correct. As usual.

Still, the female was not completely stupid to leave with a male near her in winter. That was her mistake the last time, turning her back on that wolf that had ripped most of her tail off over food. "I apologize for wasting your time then," spoke Ignis at last. Perhaps the male was nice but maybe only to those within his pack and she was not part of it, nor did it seem she would be with the way things were going. What was really the point in trying with wolves?

"You're right alpha about one thing. I know nothing about packs," she spoke.

[Rykett]

”I am merely pointing out your implications.” Tiago retorted. Then he took a deep breath. Perhaps, she shouldn’t be speaking to him such, but as an alpha, shouldn’t he be speaking with more tact? The she-wolf growled what seemed like a final farewell. She started to turn away. Maybe he should just let her go. What did he care if such an insolent wolf joined his pack? But at the same time, could he make her view him as someone to give her loyalty to? It would be a challenge and Tiago wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.

Bottling away his fury at this ignorant she-wolf, Tiago responded to her words in a softer, more casual tone, ”Then allow me to explain some things. Alphas should not be talked to like a pup barely learning the meaning of a howl. And if you ever wish to join a pack, you need to learn the proper etiquette for dealing with Alphas and those of higher ranks. For example when speaking to an Alpha on their border, perhaps instead of randomly beginning a lecture about howling, you should politely introduce yourself and state your reason to being there. You can’t always treat Alphas as normal wolves especially in diplomatic situations.”

[insolo]

"Then my name is Ignis and I was looking to join this pack." Ignis responded before he stopped her by speaking again and dictating how she should talk to someone who professed to be an alpha, causing her to turn back and study him. She sighed to herself, a hint of annoyance visible in the sigh as she turned away from him and stared back out at the wilderness, not quite sure she could even find Ventus, wherever he had disappeared off to. "I'm sorry," she spoke at last as she turned back to him. "But you cannot expect rogues who didn't grow up in packs to know anything about pack etiquette and you really need to punish your wolves for not watching their border more." Perhaps she was getting snippy again but this alpha was obviously new at his job and looked like he needed to be told what to do in order to be successful as a leader and be taken seriously at the same time. "The decision is up to you sir."