Seeking Shelter [joining]

[Cahaya]

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[atrb=background,http://i.imm.io/eg5x.png][scrolly:h(248),w(400),sy] Evening was coming. The first star of the night had appeared in the west, while in the east the sky was striped with the golds and purples of sunset. The fresh, perfect winter day was beginning to sink into night, the sharp icy air becoming deathly cold, the dusty white winter light fading. A young black wolf padded over the eastern horizon and stood, framed by the golden ribbons that streaked the sky, outlined in red by the sun behind her. She seemed to pause for a moment, hesitant, but then padded on. She took no notice of the beautiful single star that had the courage to come out so early, and only took in the perfect velvet blue spreading across the sky to note that it was getting dark, and soon she would need to find shelter. She took more notice of the brilliantly beautiful sunset behind her - she knew that as she approached over the horizon and stood with the gold behind her, she would cut quite the striking figure. And beauty had always been her first defence. There was a quiet hopelessness in the wolf's eyes as she neared Lake Amarenthyst; something in her gaze that said, I am not living for much, not anymore. She did not come here, as some did, out of some hope for a bright future. She did not come here out of a desire to serve equality, or from a wish for a home that would value her. Cahaya came because she was hungry, and needed shelter from winter's cold, and the beasts that stalked the realm. It was that simple, that unsentimental. She had meant to search for her mother's pack, but she had been unable to find anybody who could point her to a beautiful meadow, not even when she asked of the distinctive poppy fields her mother had spoken of so dreamily. Surely such a place would be memorable. But no matter. There was a pack here. Not the one she had been searching for, but the lake looked pretty, and maybe if she acted cute and helpless, they might take her in. She let out a sigh, the kind of small sound that escapes from your throat when you resign yourself to forget your high dreams or your hopes and just do what it takes to survive. But no matter. She would survive, she would carry on. She would do her duty, act as her mother had always taught her to. And maybe eventually she'd find her own purpose, her own thing to live for. Most packs were always looking for members - if she said she would join, they would feed her, give her shelter. She could always leave later. Cahaya never stayed in one place for long. Partly because she feared the revenge of whichever males she broke the hearts of, partly because the only good part of her life had been spent travelling, partly because she needed to leave wherever she was staying before whichever group lived there realised she was nothing more than a burden to them. It was a slight sore point with the little black lupus that she couldn't hunt, couldn't fight. It was getting dark. She needed a light. And besides, it would be fair to warn whoever was here of her presence. She stopped, closed her eyes, and concentrated on the blossoming, emerging powers that had been showing themselves recently in dribbles and bursts and ebbs and flows. She breathed deeply, finding a calm place deep within herself, and concentrated fiercely on nothing but light. She opened her eyes. Her nose was glowing. Well, that wasn't what she had intended, but it would do, she supposed. She would have to extinguish it when she got closer, though. She couldn't look stupid. Beauty and elegance were the only things she had to help her. She trotted closer to the lake, and now she could scent the pack, a mixed collection of smells; water, grass, wolf. Many wolves. She could distinguish the scents of many lupus, and other species as well, all the usual ones... was that a lumen? Cahaya swore. She disliked this entire situation. But the winter night was drawing in, and she needed shelter. She needed to join a pack or she'd most likely be found in some nasty wolf's territory, beaten up and frozen to death. As far as she could tell, that was what happened to loners who couldn't hunt or fight, like her. Lifting her head to the night sky, she gazed at the stars. Others had joined the first now, bright points of light that graced the unending darkness with their beauty. She gave a rough smile - beauty was something she could appreciate - and howled. Arrrooooooo. I am Cahaya Freeborn, and I seek entry to this pack. Come welcome me. [/scrolly]

(OOC: ugghhh, useless post. Got all mixed up trying to do seven things at once Also sorry if it's hard to read, the table fails, I need to modify it ASAP.)

[Keinvarii]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/kback-9.jpg] "Speaking" Keinvarii walked with a quiet gait and a thoughtful heart, the night and the exercise stilling her mind as she contemplated the last few weeks. The Accord had a new king, and she would need to let her adored pack mates know her choice. It was as though a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders and with it she now had the ability to focus on driving the pack to grow and accomplish that which would keep them safe through the season. When she had first offered Acelan the position she had feered the lupus would reject the offer, most would for it was the plea of a desperate Alphess that would sacrifice her happiness to ensure the survival of her pack. But the male had accepted and for this Keinvarii owed him much, her only concern being the reaction of her closer friends. The beautiful lights in the sky had begun to fade and her vision slowly became adjusted to the encompassing darkness of the lake, the only light being the reflection of a pale crescent moon in the water’s depths. She would return to her den, the spacious living quarter that was securely nestled deep within the thick forest, but first she needed to pass through the marsh that bordered the lake’s shore. Quickening her pace in her eagerness to seek the shelter of her warm den she barely took note of the small light that bobbed into the night. Eyes catching the flash at the last second she emmediately shrunk into the long and thick grass, her dull green and grey fur camouflaging her body perfectly into her surroundings. The light seemed to illuminate the shape of a wolf, the general size indicating that this was a female, and the glow did not but demonstrate the blackness of the other wolf’s pelt. In fact the wolf would have been treacherously hard to spot were it not for the light that seemed to expand from the female’s body. The wolf seemed almost familiar and a funny feeling climbed up her spine as recognition dawned on her. The one lupus she knew that could manipulate light was her old friend and past alphess of the pack, Magispar. In fact the black pelt and general size of the wolf bore an eerie resemblance to her lost friends and Keinvarii’s eyes remained transfixed on the wolf, her body frozen in shock. It had been so long, she had thought her friend dead and yet here this wolf stood, a ghostly reminder of Keinvarii’s past. It was the female’s howl that broke the spell and the name that registered tored the Queen from her stupour, an audible sigh escaping her maw as her shoulders untensed in relief. Cahaya was her name? Then it had all been a coincidence and nothing more, and she moved lithely out from the rushes in which she had been crouched, approaching the female with a confident gait. New members were always welcomed and it warmed her heart to see other wolves seeking the shelter of the Accord. Increased number brought the pack the advantage of security, which it deeply needed since the past year’s events. Giving the wolf a wan smile of greeting she introduced herself, “Good evening Cahaya, and welcome to Lake Amarenthyst. I am Keinvarii, Queen to the Centena Accard, the pack that lives in this land.” She gave the Lake a loving sweep of her blue eyes, feeling the caress of the winds from the cliffs and inhalling the soft moist smell from the forest. “I am glad you seek to join our humble numbers, but first I am afraid you will have to suffer a bit of information. I will keep it short for just as I crave the comfort of my den I am sure you are looking forward to finding a place to rest.” She tipped her head to the side, taking in the wolf’s appearance, my but the youngster so resembled Magispar, it was uncanny and a bit unsettling. “The Centena Accord welcomes any that seek shelter, we strive upon being at one with the Earth and ourselves and just as the land acts as our guardian we act as the hosts that seek to ensure no harm befalls it either. Acelan is my mate and the King of the Accord, you shall no doubt encounter him in the future.” The last was said a bit wryly, she was sure the handsome lupus would have more interest in a younger and certainly more striking female but she hoped she would not have to worry about it more then that. “Is there perhaps a rank you have heard of that may suit your fancy? We have no Maids in our midst, regretably I must ad, they serve as caretakers to the young but the most adacate are given the responsibility of caring for my children. Though I have none to speak of...yet. You must know that they are also chosen to repopulate the pack in difficult times and only the Maids are given such an honor, their temporary mates are chosen with every care and they are highly appraised by all pack members.” She gave the female an encouraging smile, truly it was a blessing to bring in pups to the worlds, it took the pure of heart to fufill this role and despite being ranked as commoners Maids were truly a class of their own. “Of course we also have ranks of Hunters, Knights, Squires, and Savant Healers available as well.” She paused but briefly, giving the younger female a contemplative look, “You’ll have to pardon my stare, it is just that you remind me so much of someone I once knew, her name was Magispar and she was a good friend to me.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - K e i n v a r i i 's . S o n g

[Cahaya]

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[atrb=background,http://i.imm.io/eg5x.png][scrolly:h(248),w(400),sy] Cahaya's eyes caught a movement at the edge of her vision and immediately she saw the other wolf. She gave a slight smile. The other wolf might not, but she knew the worst thing to do if you had been spotted was move. The thing to do was remain perfectly still, as Cahaya did now. Movement attracted eyes. The other wolf was hidden in the grass. Cahaya couldn't see her in the low light, but she could catch a hint of her scent, now that she sniffed for it. Yes. Definitely a wolf. But Cahaya sensed no hostility in the scent, none of the distinctive adrenaline-scent that marked out a wolf ready for a fight. So she made no attempt to run away - despite the fact that the other wolf seemed to be hiding from her. This was probably a member of the pack that lived here, come to welcome her, just as she'd asked. Cahaya frowned. In that case, she should probably extinguish the light. She did not want this wolf's first impression of her to be light shining off her nose. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard on making it go away. She opened her eyes. Now her nose was glowing red. Sighing, she glared at the end of her nose - a difficult thing to do without going decidedly cross-eyed - and the light went out. With a sigh of relief, she remembered the other wolf and decided they should probably have some light to see by. Struggling to assert dominance over her emerging powers, Cahaya ground her paw into the ground in concentration. A ball of purple light popped into existence by her paw and she nodded, satisfied. She hadn't quite intended the light to be purple, but she had to admit it did add a nice atmosphere to the scene. And Cahaya liked atmosphere. Anything that helped her come across well was always welcome. She watched as the other wolf approached, moving out of the rushes and towards Cahaya with an alarmingly confident gait. Cahaya frowned just slightly, the movement too small to be seen in the gathering dusk and the low, dusty white light cast by the ball of light at Cahaya's paw. Confidence in those approaching her was never good. She preferred those who were made nervous by Cahaya's haughty gaze and stunning looks. Confidence meant immunity to all the young lupus' airs and graces and she... disliked that. The other wolf had drawn closer, and now began speaking. Cahaya tilted her head with just the right mixture of imperious and yet respectful, and listened. “Good evening Cahaya, and welcome to Lake Amarenthyst. I am Keinvarii, Queen to the Centena Accard, the pack that lives in this land.” So. Queen sounded a high rank. That was probably the reason for this wolf's confidence. She watched the wolf give the land a sweeping gaze and she saw in that the love the wolf had for the pack. She noted it down. Cahaya's only means of defence had always been her skills at flirting, acting, lying, manipulating others. She collected all information in case one day she had to use it. “I am glad you seek to join our humble numbers, but first I am afraid you will have to suffer a bit of information. I will keep it short for just as I crave the comfort of my den I am sure you are looking forward to finding a place to rest.” The other wolf tipped her head to the side, looking over Cahaya. Cahaya smiled under the gaze. She loved it when other wolves took notice of her. Vain as she was, she assumed the other wolf was taking in her stunning beauty. Her smile widened. "Go on. I am anxious to hear anything that might be useful about the pack I'm joining." After all, Cahaya thought, information was power. This wolf was almost certainly not a good target for flirting, but information was a different matter. “The Centena Accord welcomes any that seek shelter, we strive upon being at one with the Earth and ourselves and just as the land acts as our guardian we act as the hosts that seek to ensure no harm befalls it either. Acelan is my mate and the King of the Accord, you shall no doubt encounter him in the future.” Cahaya heard the wry tone in the last few words and wondered at it. Either way, a King sounded male. Mate or no mate, males were always targets for flirting. She noted the name down. Whether or not he was actually susceptible to it would be something to find out later. “Is there perhaps a rank you have heard of that may suit your fancy? We have no Maids in our midst, regretably I must add, they serve as caretakers to the young but the most adacate are given the responsibility of caring for my children. Though I have none to speak of...yet. You must know that they are also chosen to repopulate the pack in difficult times and only the Maids are given such an honor, their temporary mates are chosen with every care and they are highly appraised by all pack members.” Cahaya winced inwardly at the thought. Being chosen to repopulate the pack did not sound fun. One of the reasons Cahaya had kept moving all her young life was that there were certain things the young wolf was not willing to sacrifice. If a male got too pushy, took her flirting and acceptance of his food as an 'I like you' signal, Cahaya usually had little choice but to get out of there. She was not capable of defending herself and the behaviour she tended to exhibit left her with little moral standing with most males. And caretaking the young didn't sound like something she'd be awfully great at either. Cahaya was lots of things but she wasn't kind or motherly. She spotted the other wolf's encouraging smile and decided instantly that this was a very bad idea. She had had enough, in her young life, of situations where things like that were asked of her. She wasn't taking a rank which had anything of the cub-bearing sort among its duties. “Of course we also have ranks of Hunters, Knights, Squires, and Savant Healers available as well.” Cahaya tilted her head. Maid sounded bad but at least it didn't sound too much like actual physical grunt work. Being a hunter probably meant hunting. Cahaya was a hunting disaster, make that catastrophe, or possibly apocalypse. Healer sounded like healing and the one time somebody had tried to teach her how to pull thorns out of her long-lost brother Dian's paw she'd almost bitten off his paw and died of shame at her own incompetence. That left Knights and Squires to be fighting ranks, and that was definitely not the thing for her. Too much mud and danger. "I'll take the Maid rank, thanks," she answered briefly, though reluctantly. If they try and ask me to take a permanent mate, I can always just run for it. She wondered for a brief second whether to add 'Queen Keinvarii' or 'Your Majesty' or something of the sort on the end of the sentence, then decided against it. Cahaya would rather die than make such an obsequious gesture as call another wolf 'Your Majesty' or 'Queen', and just 'Keinvarii' might be taken as rude. The other female spoke again. “You’ll have to pardon my stare, it is just that you remind me so much of someone I once knew, her name was Magispar and she was a good friend to me.” Cahaya recoiled in shock, her brain dumbfounded. "You're joking. Magispar... Magispar is no friend to anybody. As far as I'm aware she's dead, and if she's not then she ought to be." She turned away, turning her back slightly to the other wolf. She was perfectly aware that this was rude, but she'd just been thrust back into her history, shocked. Come to think of it, her mother had mentioned a wolf called Keinvarii. But she'd described this wolf as loyal, her greatest friend and supporter and the one who would take over the Alliance if she died, or left, as she had done. Her mother had never mentioned a pack called the Centena Accord... "We're talking about different Magispars," Cahaya muttered, then repeated the comment, louder, so the other wolf could hear. "We're talking about different Magispars. It's... perfectly feasible, yes, perfectly, that there could be two different wolves named Magispar. It can't be that rare a name." She suddenly realised just how rude she was being. Calming her breathing, she forced a blank, unemotional mask over her face and spun back to face the other wolf. "I'm... I'm sorry. For my outburst." Well, that was more of an apology than Cahaya had given anybody else who she'd ever offended. Her pride was normally much to stiff to allow anything as nice as an apology. Normally she'd just offend them, take all the food, dump her latest boyfriend and then run away, escape the situation, find a new place where she'd have a clean slate. She liked the look of this lake, though. She might not enjoy the prospect of being a Maid but she was more than willing to give this whole 'pack' lark a good go. "It's merely that... my mother was... not a great mother. And she couldn't possibly be your friend." Cahaya forced a bright smile. "Besides, she was from a pack called the Philia Alliance, not the Centena Accord. I was merely... shocked by the mention of the name. I try not to think about her." Though, she wryly admitted in her mind, whether she tried to think about her or not, her every thought and action was dictated by her, in the long run. By the coldness in her heart, which her mother had placed there. By who her mother had brought her up to be. [/scrolly]

OOC: haha, might as well get started early, let's be rude to the Queen and let everybody know she's Magispar's daughter... fun times. We could definitely have some awkward crazy fun with this.

[Keinvarii]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/kback-10.jpg] "Speaking" Cahaya is free to post in the pack meeting as well, it would be a great chance for her to meet others and vice versa. Keinvarii suppressed an amused smile upon seeing the lupus struggle to control her powers, the lighted nose was really rather unique but the Queen thought feigning ignorance would be more tactical in this situation. Instead she chose to note the rather beautiful purple light, to have a light lupus in their midst would prove to be useful and as there were so few of said lupus around a pleasure to be chosen indeed. Warmly enough she noted, “I see you are a light lupus, that is certainly a beautiful color, ethereal in quality really.” She gave Cahaya an encouraging smile, she hoped the younger wolf did not think she was mocking her, frankly Keinvarii seldom ever mocked anyone, except for her Acelan which was really done for a spot of fun. So the female would accept the position of maid then? That was well in itself, though the Queen noted a slight reserve in Cahaya`s manners but none the less she would get the chance to choose another rank should she prove worthy in the future. Keinvarii would not be the one to give out a rank that did not please a pack mate, mostly pack mates chose their own within the boundaries of their ranking naturally. Content with Cahahya`s choice she concluded the affair, “Very well then, you are now the Centena Accord`s Maid, a noble rank in itself. Don`t fret though, should you find a more suitable rank as time passes then I can certainly put your position up for review and see if you new decision has merit.” Keinvarii gave her tired shoulders a quick roll and shifted some weight off her old injured paw, she was not as spry as she once had been and her injury often bothered her after long days of patrols. Puzzled as to this wolf`s response she frowned thoughtfully, two Magispars? No, she seriously doubted as much, for all she knew this female could almost be her spitting image, if not for some significant details. But Magispar had always been a kind wolf, a fierce defender of her belief and one to be admired, why did she sense reserve from Cahaya? Then she heard mention of the Philia Alliance and understood where the confusion was stemming from, except that this meant that Magispar would have been Cahaya`s…mother?! Eyes widening at the volume of this discovery Keinvarii looked at Cahaya through new eyes, why hadn’t Magispar ever mentioned she`d had a daughter? Slightly stunned by this revelation she opened her mouth only to close it again, dumbfounded and rather unsure of how to proceed given the circumstances. One way or the other she could not have secrets being brought into her pack and she needed to clear this matter so that there would be no reserves between herself and the pack`s new Maid. Keinvarii was known for being staright forward, and today would be no exception, though the Queen was beginning to wish it was… Taking a steadying breath of air she met Cahaya`s gaze straight on, determined to show the other female the honesty of her words. “Perhaps this does not come as welcome news to you, but we do indeed talk of the same Magispar. The Philia Alliance fell to my responsibility after Magispar…left.” She swallowed, saddened by the memory and remembered the uncertainty of that season, trying desperately to keep the pack together while grieving for the loss of her first friend.“However our numbers fell and I felt I needed to do something to keep the pack together. A few loyal subjects and I made the decision to move the pack from the Meadow where we found winters long and without much shelter to claim Lake Amarenthyst as our own. I was a hard decision, but the vote was unanimous and the result positive. This is how the Philia Alliance became the Centena Accord and these drastic changes have brought a flux of new members.” She paused, hoping Cahaya would understand why the pack had needed to change her mother`s foundation in order to survive. “Although we could not keep the principles of equality, there is not the same level of dictation in our ranks as other packs. We did what was necessary to survive and our measure have proved fruitful, and your mother`s work was not in vain. I do not know the circumstances to your relationship, and so I speak of only of Magispar as I knew her, a good friend that fought for what she believed in.” She gazed at Cahaya, hoping her words would not be taken as offensive for the Queen spoke the truth as she always had, and would continue to do. Lifting her head into the air she breathed in the calming essence of the lake, noting the approaching mist from the shore. Lowering her head she cocked it to the side, gazing inquisitively at Cahaya as she awaited the lupus`s response. K e i n v a r i i 's . S o n g

[Cahaya]

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[atrb=background,http://i.imm.io/eg5x.png][scrolly:h(248),w(400),sy] Cahaya gave the slightest tight smile at the wolf's compliment of her powers. She herself disliked them. She missed Dian, her brother who she'd left behind, and the security his fire magic had brought. She was finding her light difficult to control. Sure it was great for putting herself in a lovely light, but boy, was it useless in all other respects. Cahaya busily noted the weight shift, noting it down. She was a watcher - it was one of the few things she would take pride in. She was a manipulator. She gathered information, then used her eloquence and beauty to convince others to help her. The other wolf seemed puzzled by Cahaya's shock. Well, she could jolly well get used to the idea. There was no way Cahaya's mother had ever been a good friend to anybody. She was a bitter, damaged, self-pitying lunatic who had wreaked terrible harm on the development of her cubs as balanced, confident lupine beings. No. Cahaya raised her eyebrow as the other wolf's eyes widened, then she opened her mouth, and then closed it again. "Whatever conclusions you're drawing, you're wrong," Cahaya said with quiet vehemence. She knew in some deep part of her that her judgement was very much affected by her feelings towards the wolf - her feelings were in a confused tangle towards her mother. She hated her, but a small part of her admired her, and another part was jealous of her brilliant control of her magic, another filled with pity. Mostly she just hated her. That didn't stop her from believing her own words. People have a surprising capacity for lying to themselves. Especially wolves like Cahaya. “Perhaps this does not come as welcome news to you, but we do indeed talk of the same Magispar. The Philia Alliance fell to my responsibility after Magispar…left.” Cahaya waited, fuming, while the other wolf paused. "However our numbers fell and I felt I needed to do something to keep the pack together. A few loyal subjects and I made the decision to move the pack from the Meadow where we found winters long and without much shelter to claim Lake Amarenthyst as our own. I was a hard decision, but the vote was unanimous and the result positive. This is how the Philia Alliance became the Centena Accord and these drastic changes have brought a flux of new members.” She paused again. Cahaya's first instinct was to fix her with her best sarcastic glare, make some cutting comment, and flounce off. But she was cold, and hungry, and Cahaya was a coward first and foremost. A pack would be a useful thing to have around, even if she disliked its Queen - any friend of her mother's was an enemy of - wait, no, she told herself. They can't be the same wolf. “Although we could not keep the principles of equality, there is not the same level of dictation in our ranks as other packs. We did what was necessary to survive and our measure have proved fruitful, and your mother`s work was not in vain. I do not know the circumstances to your relationship, and so I speak of only of Magispar as I knew her, a good friend that fought for what she believed in.” Cahaya gave a brittle laugh. "Well that's OK then. She fought for all the silly things she believed in, like death and destruction. Let's hold a party to commemorate." She paused, calming her voice. She didn't want to alienate this wolf too much. A Queen could be a powerful friend or ally. "Look, I don't want to be judged on who you think my mother was, or what you believe she did, or which of your pretty little ideals she supposedly came up with. I just want a group of wolves who can look after me," she implored the other wolf, quickly adding, "and who I can contribute my own skills to, given time." She didn't want anybody suspecting that for all her beauty and fancy words Cahaya was somebody who exploited others, not who helped them or liked them. She paused a suitable length of time, then presented her most perfectly winning smile. It was born of a lifetime of practice, and called out, I'm such a lovely cute little lupus, you should so totally take me in! Cahaya had never appreciated people prying into her past. She hoped that would be enough to dissuade this other wolf for now. A lot of her memories - playing with her siblings on a warm sunny day; lessons with her mother; all the wolves' she'd known, some of whom (in the early days anyway) she'd cared for; watching Dian hunt; watching Atri die; arguing with Dian; leaving him behind... so much of her life was painful for her to feel. She disliked even considering it. So she lived as a strange creature, tangled in time, stuck in the past and yet insisting on ignoring her history, on living in the present. She didn't get what was so important about who her mother was anyway. Well, obviously it was important to her, Cahaya - it had shaped a lot of her life. Okay, all of her life. However much Cahaya might not have been aware of it - fiercely independent and proud as she was, it would have been rather hard for her to admit to herself - for most of her life she had been, and continued to be, a puppet, created by beauty, spite, and bitterness. [/scrolly]

Cahaya is such a little bundle of joy, love and laughter. XD

[Keinvarii]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/kback-10.jpg] "Speaking" This wolf was an odd sort, though admittedly if someone had been prying into her history Keinvarii would have had her hackles raised by now. However the Queen did not really care to know this female`s history, in fact she rather sought to simply make a link. Either way, the lupus` vehement replies did little to frazzle her, Keinvarii had been known to be prickly herself and so she did not begrudge others their own temperament. Besides, it was late and joining a pack was never an easy matter, and she might even venture to stipulate that it was downright taxing. Shrugging the younger wolf`s reply off she noted dryly, “Hardly, but then again our relations were different I can see. Regardless, it matters not, you keep your own council and I keep mine and I am sure we can agree on that matter. In addition, we do not celebrate death or destruction here. ” A wry smile played on the corner of her maw, death and destruction indeed. She gave a small sigh, what had transpired in this female`s youth between her and her mother to cause such spite? Shaking her head softly she looked up at the sky but briefly, wondering whom Magispar had really been. The wind intertwined softly into her downy fur, a gentle soothing caress as though the land itself was omforting the pack`s Queen. Keinvarii raised a brow, judging Cahaya she was not, curious certainly but as most things went she figured one had to speak almost bluntly to really let others know what their intentions were. Flicking her tail restlessly she frowned slightly, “You needn`t have fear of that Cahaya, I do not seek to judge, merely to find an answer to my question and so I have received one. However, her ideas were not noted for being petty or selfish in the midst of the pack, but you shall not be judge for your opinion.” Looking at the forest she decided it was about time to take her leave, she needed her rest and so did this wolf. Giving a quick yawned she said, “In any case, welcome to the pack Cahaya, treat others with respect and they shall return it, otherwise you may consult with myself or the Archduchess if you do encounter any problems. Also, I look forward to seeing your presence at the pack meeting, you will be able to familiarize yourself with the other pack wolves. I hope you will find your stay pleasant enough, now I bid you goodnight unless you have anything else to add?” Keinvarii layed her blue eyes on Cahaya, giving the wolf time to respond before she would take her leave. She would be returning to a den that she now shared with Acelan, such an odd situation, necessary of course, and as Keinvarii had never shared her den with anyone, let alone a male, the upcoming season promised to be an interesting one. K e i n v a r i i 's . S o n g

[Cahaya]

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[atrb=background,http://i.imm.io/eg5x.png][scrolly:h(248),w(400),sy] Cahaya was slightly relieved to see that the other wolf... Keinvarii, her name was? She thought so - I really must start getting into the habit of referring to others by their names... or should she think of her as 'Queen'? No, she instantly decided, she wasn't calling anybody that. Keinvarii would do. And if she didn't like that it would be tough. Cahaya wanted a pack, sure, but not that much. Food and shelter she could do without for a few days, at least until she made it to somewhere else that could support her. Her pride, once gone, would be gone forever. “Hardly, but then again our relations were different I can see. Regardless, it matters not, you keep your own counsel and I keep mine and I am sure we can agree on that matter. In addition, we do not celebrate death or destruction here.” Cahaya bristled slightly. She hadn't said they did. Then she made herself calm down. The other wolf was smiling - she hadn't intended an insult. Cahaya was tired - after a bit of sleep she might be more acutely aware of these social cues. Or, at least, that was the excuse she gave herself for her loss of composure in these last few minutes. The other wolf looked into the sky and Cahaya waited impatiently, denying herself the urge to shift from paw to paw and cast impatient glances at things. The key is to be silent and graceful. Look as though the world could explode in a million fragments of shining light and you wouldn't bat an eyelid. Though, she supposed, that approach had been rather ruined the minute the other wolf- no, Keinvarii, she needed to use names, she was always rather bad at that - the minute Keinvarii had mentioned her mother. “You needn't have fear of that Cahaya, I do not seek to judge, merely to find an answer to my question and so I have received one. However, her ideas were not noted for being petty or selfish in the midst of the pack, but you shall not be judge for your opinion.” Keinvarii yawned quickly and continued, “In any case, welcome to the pack Cahaya, treat others with respect and they shall return it, otherwise you may consult with myself or the Archduchess if you do encounter any problems. Also, I look forward to seeing your presence at the pack meeting, you will be able to familiarize yourself with the other pack wolves. I hope you will find your stay pleasant enough, now I bid you goodnight unless you have anything else to add?” Cahaya paused, for a moment having doubts. A pack was a huge commitment - that was why she had never followed Dian into his. She struggled with the notion of giving up her independence, and her wild, free life, depending on nobody but herself, running from place to place with nothing at all to tie her down, or at least, no ties she couldn't happily break. But no. She was growing into her powers, and into her adult personality, and she needed a stable home to support her while she figured out herself, and others, and stuff. And she was fed up, just a little, of having no friends, no ties, living rough and smooth in alternating times as she travelled, found a boyfriend, and then had to run again. Fangs and claws, she was fed up of that life. "No," she told Keinvarii calmly, "no, I have nothing to add. And now I suppose you are aching to go off to your den, and I do suppose it would be good for my health to catch some sleep." Never admit weakness. It was a lesson she'd learned far too often. She'd already given this wolf far too much rope to hang her with if that was what she wished. Cahaya usually preferred to be the one holding the cards, not having them held over her. Although... she wasn't sure. Keinvarii didn't seem much like Cahaya - she seemed straightforward, honest... trustworthy? Cahaya had no idea where she had got that idea from - this was a wolf who had been friends with her mother, she should hate her! But Keinvarii had seemed willing to trust her, and invite her into the pack. Cahaya decided she could relax. Just a little. Not too much. Nodding to the wolf - making it just perfect, just the right blend of respect for the wolf's position, enough mocking to show her disregard for any wolf who ranked herself more highly than others, and a touch of her natural pride and haughtiness - she turned and went in search of a den. [/scrolly]

(haha. Somebody does not find Cayie vexing? I must work on this XD Sorry for the rubbishy post, Mum is calling me. I assume that would make this thread finished then?)