The stormy child tried hard not to look behind her. The feeling of being followed had not let up in the last few days. No matter how hard, or fast she fled, she felt that they would be just around the corner behind her. A step away, and prepared to drag her home kicking and screaming.

Sometimes she wondered if it would be so bad, home had a bed, and a meal, if not consistently, at least often enough to keep her from starving. Her stomach rumbled beneath her at the mere thought of a bite to eat, and she grimaced, ignoring it. She wasn’t much of a hunter. She hadn’t had much opportunity to learn. She could clean like a hurricane, and prepare a meal in no time at all. She could start a fire, and tend to a hearth. Skills that had kept her in line at home, but seemed to have no place in the larger world.

Man, she would kill for a bite to eat. Or, erm, she would. If she could figure out how.

The sound of bleating caught her attention, and brought her towards the small outcropping of rocks. For the most part, she had been following the river, and it had led her towards the mountains. She had stumbled over strange, metallic objects buried deeply in the earth. Almost falling off her toes more than once when they hit something solid and mostly buried by the grass. In her tired, stumbling gait, she reached the outcropping of stones beneath the mountain. There was the scent of blood in the air, and it was driving her crazy. She was half starved. Having never been well fed in the first place, it took little for her ribs to start to show. Following the sound of bleating, and the blood teasing her nose, she found the sheep. It’s feet had gotten trapped in a small gap between two large rocks. She opened her mouth, scenting the air, and salivating.

She stepped forward, and the sheep looked at her, and bleated. It didn’t even seem afraid, stupid creature that it was. What sheep wasn’t afraid of a wolf? Closer, and closer yet. She was almost at its rump, and fantasizing on the divine taste of lamb. Close enough to catch its individual scent, and that of the places it had been.
Pack

“Oh shit on a fire stick, oh hell on high water.” she swore, leaning back on her haunches, and letting out a tired breath. Yeah, no. Starvation hadn’t made a fool of her yet. She wasn’t taking a munch out of pack property. She looked at the stupid creature, and gears began to slowly turn in her tired mind. She couldn’t eat the sheep, no. But, perhaps… just maybe. There would be a reward for its return.

She moved over the sheep, and understood now why the sight and scent of her did not set it off. It's keepers were wolves, and clearly it was accustomed to them. She began to push and slide its hoof, giving it a final shove, until the creature was free. As it moved at her prompting, the sound of jingling filled the air. She wrinkled her nose and took a closer look at its neck. Finding the collar and bell wound about it. Alright then.

She gripped the collar in her mouth and gave it a slight tug. “Come on doopy, you're going home.”

"Speech"

Much to Tyrian's chagrin, a clique of coyotes had succeeded in blasting apart the herd on his watch. Mangy as they were, the coyotes had been quite clever and if he wasn't so pissed he would have been forced to acknowledge their wiles. Clearly they had been paying attention to the wolves' herding ways; their attack had been simple, chaotic and effective. They'd run straight into the huddle of sheep and then each gave chase in a different direction. The end result was an explosion of terrified sheep in all directions that had been impossible for those on watch to keep track of. Even after the coyotes had been dealt with Tyrian still had the problem of gathering up all of the sheep who had scattered far and wide. Tyrian, with Tashi in tow, was following the trail of one of the stragglers. Most of the sheep had been found in small huddles here and there, but this young one, for whatever reason, hadn't met up with its fellow herdmates. Usually once things were calm the sheep tended to group back together and Tyrian was afraid that he was following the trail of a casualty of the raid. Whether or not it had been killed or injured was yet to be seen, but enough time had passed since the attack that he wasn't holding out hope for a live sheep. The familiar clanking of a bell caused both wolf and langur to perk up. Tyrian turned off the path he was on, leaped up onto an outcropping and, there below on the other side, was the missing sheep. His eyes had just enough time to settle on it when the wolf holding its collar registered. Tyrian's relief turned to wariness. Had a wolf been working with the coyotes? He hadn't seen one during the raid but it had been a chaotic scene. Her complicity was one possibility, sure, but she appeared to be pulling it towards Fireside. A good samaritan, maybe?  Was there such a thing? "That's far enough, stranger." ""

She wasn't finding it the easiest thing in the world. Tugging at a collar to pull it in the right direction. The only thing she had going for her, was the fact that now it was unstuck it seemed content to move. It was even ambling in the right direction. She released her jaws from its collar and turned back to full face the path - and jolted in shock. The blue eyed wolf had maneuvered himself above her, perched on an outcropping and looking down at her. His words didn't full her with any kind of relief.

She had to fight the urge to flinch away and cower, to show her belly. The ingrained teachings of her childhood were hard to ignore. She didn't fully stop the flinch that stole over her features. Her newfound pride however had her straightening, and staring his boldly down. Good grief, she hoped it was an illusion of his height that made him look so tall. Somehow, she didn't didn't that was it.

She couldn't scent him from here, and based on her slim knowledge of packs, she made a calculation. The reward better be worth the cost of this. She took a step forward, partly shielding the sheep from his view. Her short stature, and his vantage point likely made the gesture moot. Whatever. It was the thought, right? "You can't have her. She belongs to pack. If you have a problem with that, you'll have to take it up with the alpha, or go through me." She stated bodly. Bolstered by the knowledge that he shouldn't be able to scent her, either. He couldnt know she wasn't apart of the pack, and he wouldn't mess with her if he thought she had pack on her side. She just had to hope he didn't ask for the packs name...

Tyrian didn't miss the slight flinch as his presence registered with the woman, but he discounted it as a simple startle. After all, he had appeared quite suddenly over her. It hadn't been his intention but he wasn't disappointed with the results. His place overhead gave him an undeniable advantage should it turn into a fight but before it came to that, the added height would make him all the more imposing. At least that was the idea. He wasn't opposed to a fight but if he could stave one off he had a better chance of keeping track of the sheep. Chasing them down was getting a bit old. "Does she?" He stepped to the edge of the outcropping and Tashi jumped free to land land behind the pair on the ground. Tyrian tipped his head to the side and shot a sly look to the woman below. "Will I?" He leaned back then and studied her. Awfully valiant to be willing to fight for something that wasn't hers. It was a noble trait and one he fully intended to play with before clearing things up. Tyrian leaned in again. His expression was impish as he jutted forward an ear as though ready for a whispered secret. "Are you really going to fight for something that isn't yours? That seems..." He pursed his lips as he searched for a word and then added with a smirk, "Unnecessarily messy." ""

Shit, shit, shit! Things weren't following her internal dialog, where she won with bluster and pranced off to pack borders. In her head the alpha fawned at her bravery, and lavished prizes at her feet. In reality, the man stepped closer, his paws touching the edge of the outcropping as he looked at her with the cocky pride of a wold that felt they had already won the fight. He oozed of confidence, and it reminded her with a sickening wave in her gut of her so called father. The man that had stolen her, and raised her as a slave daughter. The man that had tried to mount her only a week ago. The catalyst for her escape. She remembered the feel of his hot breath, the taste of blood in her muzzle where he had hit her. The memories washed over and she found herself starting to cower. Her upper body began to lower, but her legs were locked in place. She caught herself, and straightened again. Brought her ears back forward and fanned her tail away from her legs.
No.

She wasn't that victim any more.

She eyed the wolfs companion with distrust even as she forced iron into her posture and voice. His voice was a velvet threat brushing down at her. She was starting to do well, she was staring to believe her own lies again until his last two words. [I] Messy [\i] he whispered with poision. A soft frightful whimper started in her throat. She bit down on her tongue until she tasted blood. "I-i" she paused, straightening further. Iron, iron, iron. She repeated it in her thoughts like a mantra. "I will have you know I am a close personal friend of the Alpha. You might think yourself on fire Mr Highway Robber, but she would avenge me in a heartbeat if you meant me and mine harm" She encompassed the sheep in her claim, growing her lies like tiny seeds of hope.

His sharp eyes caught the little waver in her confidence. So she wasn't quite as bold as she would have liked him to believe. It made him wonder what would happen if he kept pushing. There was really only one way to find out, so... Tyrian's eyebrows lifted at her mention about being the alpha's friend. She said it with enough confidence that if hasn't known better he might have wavered himself. But seeing as he a) was certain he would remember being bff's with this woman and b) wasn't a 'she' himself, Tyrian's initial response was to nod with a muted look of smug disbelief. His eyebrows lifted again. He asked softly, "Would she? Such a good friend, this alpha of yours." It was interesting she thought him a thief. That made her the third woman to think ill of his character based on a first impression. Did he really give off brigand vibes? Tyrian considered that for a second and decided it pleased him more than not. Better an outlaw than a mouse. It might disadvantage him in some situations but it would be a plus, he thought, in ones that he was likely find himself in. The dangerous ones where self-assurance and presentation mattered as much as ability. Tyrian crouched down on the outcropping so he could meet her gaze easier and, perhaps, to bring him one step closer to pouncing in case he decided to go that route. It was an unlikely one to be sure as it would no doubt scare the sheep, but for his own amusement it was still possible. Perhaps he was a bit more hoodlum than he'd been willing to admit after all. "Tell me about this big bad alpha lady." In favor of appearing even more dismissive he abandoned the crouch and flopped down as though ready for story time. Tyrian made an insolent gesture with his paw. "I'm a sucker for avenging types." ""

He was nodding along to her words, through something in his expression hinted at a doubt. However, at least this time it seemed he was more likely to bite her story then before. She let out a soft, shaky breath. Keeping it slow, so he wouldn’t see any trembling of her lips. Iron. She could do this, the world was at her fingertips, she was free.

”Yes.” She said with certainty and emphasis. That's right, the big bad boss lady was her friend. A whole pack would rise up if this knucklehead tried anything. Her breath hiccuped when he crouched. For a moment, she was certain he was about to pounce her. A haze flashed before her eyes, and she fought back the fear for the millionth time. She would never be the victim again, so help her. Never.

His flop only helped to bolster her. He was no longer holding a threatening pose, he was believing her story. And why wouldn’t he? So long as she believed it true, he would see no lies in her. She warmed to her story, opening it in her heart like a book, until she felt like a hero on the pages. “She’s even bigger then you are, and has dragon scales around her ears.” she described this ‘boss lady’ not even pausing to consider if this feature was common in the land she found herself in. She tapped her own scales for emphasis. She believed in her heart-of-hearts that they were a dragon, not a lizard, feature that adorned her. “Beloved by her entire pack, and keeper of sheep.” Duh why else would they have a sheep on a collar “Her people believe sheep are holy, so killing this one would only worsen the hot water you’d land in” She continued “So if you just let me on my way, there won't be a whole pack hounding you today.”

"Speech"

The woman was quite the storyteller, he'd give her that much. Had the truth not been so well known to him Tyrian would have been tempted to belief her. The nerves that bled through occasionally would have ultimately stymied her efforts to convince him, he was sure, but initially he would have wondered about the truthfulness of it. Knowing she was lying, Tyrian couldn't help the disbelief that colored his features even though he was trying to give the impression he was considering her words. His eyes found the curious patch on her head. Interesting, at first glance he'd thought it was some sort funky colored skin condition or something, but now that he was looking he could make out the individual scales. That was a new one to him, but he wasn't surprised with anomalies anymore. These days everyone had at least one. Where they even anomalous anymore? That seemed like a question for another time. "'Holy' eh?" he murmured as he pressed the pads of his front paws together thoughtfully. God he hoped no one actually thought that about Fireside. Tyrian tipped his head to the side, his eyes glittering, and said, "What if I told you I'm the alpha of that pack, that," he flicked a paw in the sheep's direction, "Is my sheep, and you are in possession of stolen goods?" At this point he was almost entirely convinced of her desire to do good so he wasn't about to punish her for stealing, he was just having a little fun at her expense. She seemed committed to this story and he wanted to know how long she'd stick to it, what kind of pressure it would take to pry her away from it, or if she was slick enough to change gears. ""

It was like watching a train wreck play out slowly across her features. The scrunch of her nose, the flare of her nostrils, and flattening of her ears. Even if Ty was lying, her startled hare in the headlights expression would have given lie to her own tale. Well. Shit on a dipstick. There was only one way to be sure.

Leaving the sheep behind her and swallowing her fear, she forced herself forward. One step, then another. Make it look natural. There was iron in her vains, as sturdy as the dragon scales across her forehead. Add a haughty flick to her stride. Be prepared to call him out on his lie, for it had to be a lie. Even her luck wasn't that bad.

She approached the base of his pedestal and raised her head to the sky. Breathing in deep, sampling.
Oh shit.

If there was a God, please for heavens sake, anything but the return to her own life. Anything but that. "Well then." She said, taking in a deep, steadying breath. She couldn't back down now, she had made her bed. "Then you should understand that I was returning her to your pack, and had every intention of keeping from the paws of any highway robber that might lurk in the area. I kept her safe for you." Would he even believe her now? She had gotten so caught up in spinner story. Would he think she was full of nothing but shit now? Even if the ring of truth surrounded her words.

Realization slowly spread across her features and Tyrian just about lost it then. If his expression had been sly to begin with it was now downright cheshire. He watched her approach with the beginnings of what promised to be a wide, shit eating grin and stayed perfectly still while she got a noseful. At some point while he'd been speaking Tyrian had set his paws down and they now hugged the lip of the outcropping with just the tips of his claws exposed; suggesting, to anyone familiar with his strange sort of paws, that he was bracing himself just slightly. "Well then." An unfunny standalone phrase, but it and all it implied was enough to break the dam. Tyrian threw back his head and laughed, his weight briefly straining against the toes anchoring him to the rock. The look on her face was everything he'd hoped for and more, and the laugh was exactly what he needed after a morning spent rounding up wayward sheep. He held up a paw to stop the woman from going on; he'd heard enough. Still chuckling, he said, "I believe you. If I didn't we'd be tangling already." That was truth. If he'd thought for a second she was stealing from him he would have been all over her. Lucky for her it was clear she had been heading towards Fireside. "Can't say I come across wolves willing to fight for things that aren't theirs every day. So..." Tyrian stood up, stretched lightly, and then slipped lazily off the outcropping with the intention of circling behind her and putting himself between her and the sheep. "What do you want?" ""

Her eyebrows twitched at his strange reaction. Laugher burst free from him as through he could not contain it any longer. A tinge of relief ran through her, she was far more accustomed to anger. There was also a strange new emotion in her. She barely had a word for it, but it smouldered lightly in her vains as he laughed at her. She was... affronted, that he would find her struggles so amusing. However, the thought of being offended by laughter was more amusing then not. It seemed she had a lot to learn of herself, now that she was free.

She had already stopped speaking, and she held her silence as he raised a paw against her. Perhaps fearing more tales would tumble free of her muzzle of he didn't do something. Perhaps he wasnt entirely wrong, the truth was, speech was her only weapon.

What did she want? She looked at the blue wolf, who held a confidence about him like a second skin. No doubt he thought of himself as a wolf with the sex appeal of a God. So long as he kept those paws to himself, they would get along just fine. And if he tried to force her? Well... well. She wouldn't have to worry about it for long, she would fight against it till the death. She had proved that to herself when she had fought and fled. The catalyst to her new freedom. So, what did she want? She wanted food in her belly, security, and knowledge. She wanted to learn learn fight. She let out a slow, soft breath. "Consider it my audition. I want to join your pack."

Her reply gave him pause. He'd expected perhaps a flustered response, a moment of stuttering, maybe, as she tried to decide what he was really asking and whether or not there was an agenda behind it. In the end he would have pegged her for a request for a reward of some kind. A cut of the carcass, maybe, liquor or some traveling gear. Simple, easy stuff for a loner to cart off. That crooked, easy smile returned to Tyrian's lips slowly as he processed her answer. After a moment he nodded to himself. Yeah, she was worth considering. He liked her spirit. And he liked that he'd gotten a laugh instead of a fight. "Alright. Good deeds and bravery won't get you in by themselves, but I'm listening. Besides decent storytelling skills, what else are you going to bring to the table? There are no free meals in Fireside. Everyone contributes." ""

His grin returned. It was charming, blazing across his skin like the sun. She had a feeling he was a very charismatic wolf. All charm and good natured when he wanted to appear that way. She wondered, perhaps not very charitably, how many woman fell at his feet to fawn. Stubborn as she was, she didn't let it draw her in. She let her concern for his smile bolster her, because otherwise she might have grimaced in worry at his words. Sure, he was listening, and promised her she had a shot - but what did she really have that a pack wanted? She knew what she wanted. Security, numbers, a home. To belong, and quickly, so she had support at her back if her past ever came knocking.

She let out the breath sue hadn't realised she had been holding. How crazy would it sound if she admitted to knowing so little? To holding no skills to support herself and others. She couldn't make it sounf as through she was useless. She was willing to learn, dammit. She just needed a chance. "I can tend a hearth, I can strip a carcass to useful parts in quick speed. If you have someone willing to teach me, I would hunt and fight for you." She wanted to learn those two skills most of all. She knew in her heart of hearts that that was the way to true freedom.

At some point after Tyrian had hopped down the sheep had turned around to sniff at him. The beast had seen him offer treats often enough that it was hoping that's what he was there for. It had a big morning of running and hiding so Tyrian couldn't blame it. However, it was going to be disappointed as he hadn't thought far enough ahead to bring anything besides a monkey and a rope. Tyrian poked its nose gently as the woman spoke. He hummed thoughtfully. It sounded like she didn't have much experience, but he liked her moxie. Good bones, he mused. A framework of personality and interests he could build experience on. He could work with what he'd seen so far. Besides, the things she'd mentioned she could do where all things commoners did anyway. Maybe his fun at her expense was making him soft. Maybe it was because she was pretty. Whatever the reason, he was willing to give her a shot.   "Alright, I'll give you a shot. You'll start off as a commoner until you've proven you can handle more responsibility. It won't be easy. You'll eat, sleep and breathe sheep until I think you deserve better." Let's see, what else... Oh yeah. Names were kind of important. "The name's Tyrian and the pack you just joined," he said with a smirk, "Like I said, is Fireside." ""

She watched in mild amusement as he interacted with the sheep. Something about its dumb trust in the King Wolf made her lips twitch. She didn't know Tyrian very well, she definitely didn't trust him yet. She was starting to like him a little anyway. Something about his dark humor, and wry amusement. It was like he wanted to find amusement in life, but it wasn't as cruel as the laughter she had left behind. Something about him shouted 'predator' but... it didn't shout 'threat' not yet, and not to her. Perhaps it was a bit of untrustworthy optimism peeking through. She really needed to keep her guard up against how charming he could be.

A 'commoner' sounded like a pretty big step up from 'slave daughter.' Better yet, it didn't sound like he wanted to keep her there. Of course, it wasn't going to all be rosy sunshines... laughter bubbled up out of her chest, rich and warm and deeply amused. "A just punishment for my lies" She agreed. Through it didn't surprise her in the lest that he had a rank dedicated to his sheep. From her brief time with him and the shaggy creature, they seemed like a big part of the pack. Maybe he even... worshipped them. She snickered softly, before reeling it back in. Right, she still had to look professional she supposed. She gave a polite incline of her head. "I'm Sera, and thank you Tyrian, I intend to prove myself worthy of those greater responsibilities" She had freedom, and nothing was going to slow her down.

She wasn't put off by the unpleasant requirements ahead; or, if she was, she hid it well. Either way Tyrian was happy to have her. This had been an interesting encounter and a lot better outcome than he had expected when he found himself short some sheep. All his day was missing was the murder of another coyote or two. "Alright," he said both to Sera and to Tashi, "We may as well get going. Get this lady," he slapped a paw on the sheep's rump, "Back to her flock and get you settled in." By now Tashi had the sheep ready to go and began to prod it in the direction of Fireside. With it taken care of Tyrian fell in step behind the langur as quiet support - not that he thought the sheep would be unruly just that his presence coupled with Tashi's would encourage the sheep to move with the "flock". To Sera, he asked, "I'll show you around once she's taken care of. Do you have any questions for me?" ""