Making her way through unfamiliar territory, Bright was already uncertain with herself. However, she was determined to find something worth traveling for. She had been searching for her brood a long time now, never giving up hope, but now and again she grew tired, and she knew she would need somewhere to stay. Years had past, and she knew her young would be grown and fully capable of caring for themselves had they managed to survive so far. Her motherly instincts pulled at her, willing her to find the missing pups from her past, but she knew she would have to let go at some point.

Sighing to herself, she paused as she realized she was crossing into claimed territory. The scent markers were obvious and clearly defined. She would take several paces back, not wanting to trespass on claimed lands, regardless of who claimed it. Whether they were kind or not, she did not come to disrespect the borders of an established pack. Instead, she would step away from their borders and lift her head, letting loose a delicate song, calling to the one who had claimed these lands. It was about time she settled somewhere and made something of herself.

"Speech"

Leo had finally grown used to being called to the border after almost two seasons in this position as Sovereign. When the howl reached his ears he wasn't surprised. He just hopped up onto his paws from where he was resting under one of the many trees in the Mangrove to head toward the call. It only took him a minute or two to find the silvery-hued and black marked fea that was awaiting him at the border. He was quick to give her a kind smile and stopped a few feet away to give her a comfortable distance. He was always one to treat others as friends till they gave him a reason not to behave as such. "Hello there! I'm Leo, the Sovereign here in Fiori. Who would you be and how can I help you?"

Bright waited patiently at the edge of the borders, shifting her weight comfortably on dainty paws. Every now and then she glanced around, keeping her wits about her - she didn't feel anything sinister about this place, but one could never be too careful. She'd been fooled before, and she was more aware than she used to be. Little time would pass before someone approached - a male with brilliant russet coat and stunning blue eyes. Bright's silver eyes would search the male's face, and saw the smile he offered. She offered a smile in return, and although genuine, it was not a smile that reached her eyes. Instead, her eyes retained a sorrowful gaze, a look that was not directed at the stranger, simply a look that told of a lifetime of pain.

"Glad to meet you, Leo," she said, dipping her head politely, "My name is Bright Moon. I've come in hopes that your pack has space to include me..." Her voice trailed off in a quiet but sure tone. She knew what she wanted, but she was prepared to be turned away or questioned further. She would wait for him to answer before she said anything further, and although she had her doubts, she still held hope that she would be able to make herself at home here.

"Speech"

He would watch the woman with curiosity as she returned his smile and his greeting. He could already tell she was the kind of wolf that had plenty of stories to tell - and if the sad look in her silver eyes was any indication not all of them would be happy ones. He was pleasantly surprised to hear that she was looking for a home here in his pack. He got plenty of visitors to the borders, but very few of them were for potential new members. "Well, I'm pleased to meet you, Bright Moon! Or maybe just Bright? Or Moon? My full name is Aaron Leopold Adravendi-Mathis, so I know what it's like to have a name that's on the longer side." he chuckled softly, hoping maybe some humor would help lighten the mood.

"Well, before I make any final decision, why don't I tell you a little bit of what I expect from Fiori's members and then you can tell me about yourself and your skills? I love to get new members, but I do want to make sure you are a good fit for us as well as Fiori being everything you want it to be." He paused with a smile to make sure she had no complaints before going on. "I'm not difficult to get along with, all I expect from my pack members is for everyone to contribute to the pack the best they can. I'd hope that everyone is always working to better themselves and their skills as well. Because of that almost all of our meetings and training sessions are mandatory. If you miss a couple of meetings in a row I will assume you have left and you will no longer be a member of my pack. We're a communal back so working to get along with each other and respecting everyone in the pack is very important as well." He gave her a big smile now that all the boring pack stuff was out of the way. "Now then! How about you? What are your interests?"

The woman would take a deep breath and sigh in relief as she heard his pleasant tone. It put her at ease to be welcomed, rather than to be examined with wariness, which allowed her to relax and want to get to know him and his ideals as well. Her smile grew somewhat as he chuckled and tried to lighten the mood. "You can call me Bright," she said, allowing a small chuckle to escape her lips. She had always gone by Bright, and she preferred it - the name reflected her optimistic nature, despite the hardships she had encountered. And it was a name given to her by her adoptive mother. She had always cherished it.

She stood quietly as he put forth his expectations and explained what Fiori was all about. As he spoke, she got the feeling that Leo was a benevolent leader, fair to all while with holding his expectations to a high standard. Her ears perked with great interest as he mentioned meetings and training sessions. It sounded all very structured, and like he truly cared about the well-being of his entire pack, as well as its future. Nothing that he said dissuaded her from her desire to join Fiori. At last, he would ask her about her interests, basically wondering about how she would fit into the pack if she were to join.

"To be honest, my greatest interest is in guiding the young.." she began quietly, then added more confidently, "I know it's not really a skill, of course, so if I were to judge myself, I would say that I am most experienced in hunting - I have been blessed with an agile body, so I can both stalk and chase, and I am not afraid to take the necessary risks in bringing down large prey. I've also taken an interest in healing, though my knowledge is not well-developed yet and I still have lots to learn. I would certainly do my best to learn more, and if there are ever any youths in need of help... I will always make myself available." Suddenly nervous, she hoped that she had made a good enough impression for Leo. She wanted to believe that she had enough to offer, but there was always a sliver of doubt in the back of her mind. Without another word, she would wait on him, hoping for the best.

"Speech"

Leo would listen with interest as Bright began to speak about her skills and interests. Her interest in 'guiding the young' as she put it would of course peak his interest, but he was very happy to hear that she was experienced hunter. If there was one thing the pack was lacking it was specialized hunters. Of course healers were always in demand as well, but he was never one to discourage wolves from dabbling in multiple talents. The more skilled Fiori's members were the better. "I have quite the affinity for pups as well," he would comment with a soft chuckle, "so I entirely understand your want to help them."

"I think you'll fit in well here, Bright. We do have a rule that our new members will keep a temporary rank as a general member for a week or so just we can get a feel for each other and ensure that you are happy here. But after that week you will be moved into the hunter rank, as long as that suits you. You're absolutely more than welcome to work on your healing as well and if there comes a time that you would rather be a healer just let me know. My sister Amalia is the lead healer so she should be able to help you if you'd like. Also, when ever the pack has more children come in perhaps we can work out something so you can work closely with them?" He smiled happily and his tail wagged behind him. "Welcome to Fiori, Bright!"

The meek woman allowed a smile to brighten her face when he mentioned that he also had a fondness for children; she was glad to hear that this pack's lead wolf also had an affinity for pups, just as she did. As her silver eyes rose to meet his gaze, she could see that he was kind. She listened intently as he welcomed her into the pack and explained how she would hold a temporary rank, basically until the pack got to know her, to make sure she would fit in with them and their ways. She dipped her head respectfully, her tail-tip wagging, so grateful to be considered as a member of the pack. She would do her best to work hard and assimilate to their expectations. She hoped to provide well for them by hunting to the best of her ability, and she couldn't wait to start learning more about healing. "I will work hard to fit in," she said with a self-assured nod.

Finally he mentioned that if the opportunity arose for her to work closely with the pups of the pack, they would try to make it work (if she had proved herself, of course). "Thank you very much, Leo," she said, her head lowered, "I am grateful to be a part of Fiori. I will do my best for you." Now perhaps it was time for her to get to know her new surroundings, a landscape that would soon become familiar to her. She wanted to get to know her new pack mates as well, but she wasn't sure how much she could handle in one day. She wished she had more to say to Leo right now but she knew in time as she gained confidence with these wolves, she would converse more freely and openly. Quietly, she waited for him to lead the way, so she could follow him into the territory.