A pair of pale yellow eyes cast their gaze to the east, piercing the darkness of night to examine the tall mountain peak in the distance. The female moved swiftly, nearly as unnoticeable as a shadow at night, only illuminated faintly by the gentle moonlight that shone from the heavens down onto the earth. Despite her grace, and the fluidity of the movement of her limbs, she would never cease to go noticed during the day, a tall bulky female with jet black fur. But when the sun set, the world was her playground. By day she would rest, and by night she was free to roam as she pleased.

The beast's pace would slow abruptly,her head whipping back to look behind her, as though searching for someone. Nothing was found, but still a soft bark left her throat. No more than a moment later, a similar call was returned to her, the deep rumble of a male, his voice approving of the direction she had chose for them. Her brother was near, though too far to be seen. She continued her journey without hesitation, knowing he was not far behind. Silently she wondered whether her brother would approve of finding a home in these lands, among the rocky, uneven land that lay before them... but her worries were short-lived. He would like this mountain; it would remind him of home. And with autumn beginning to set it, she was beginning to consider finding a safe den for them to spend the winter.

But it seemed as though all her hopes and dreams were crushed as she neared the territory. It was not unclaimed land, no... nostrils flared to take in the scent of at least a dozen wolves. A pack had claimed these lands. It had been so many seasons since they'd dared try to assimilate to pack life. And her brother had failed miserably, eventually wandering far enough that Xhen was forced to leave the family she had grown accustomed to, to find her brother.

Unwilling to risk trespassing, the canine paced at the borders of the claimed land, letting her eyes feast themselves on the territory that lay before her. It was likely they would be unwelcome, but the silence that lay behind her told her that her brother was not unwilling to go forward. A gentle call would leave her lips, head tipping briefly to the sky. It was even more likely that her brother would be denied a home here, and then so would she -- but it was worth a try. The nostalgia that had been sparked in her at the sight of the mountain was overwhelming, and she felt compelled to travel forward and make herself at home among the unsteady rocks and vast cliffs.

She had returned home. Finally. Kylar had rescued, leaving her in the care of Viri until she was well enough to travel. She had cleaned her pelt while with Viri in the delta, had eaten and drank, slowly getting her strength back. As far as she knew, her children had no idea what had happened. Kylar had made up some story to tell them. But so far she had yet to see them. Smalls paws carried her to the call the rang out from the border. She wasn't rushing, whoever it was could wait, if they really wanted to join then they would be patient. The older woman never rushed her graceful movements. Besides that it was late. The wolf was lucky anyone was even coming to greet her. A yawn parted jaws, lips pulling back, ivory fangs revealed. Sapphire eyes finally settled on the dame that paced the border. Good, she wasn't trespassing. Yellow eyes stood out against her pelt and the dark of night. Remaining standing, Secret would look even at the dame for a moment before speaking, quietly assessing her. "What brings you to Tortuga?" Routine questions. All the packs where still fairly new to these lands, and most wolves had no idea what each pack was about. The wolves that showed up at the border often had no idea what they were getting into when wanting to join Tortuga. Had no idea of the insanity that swept the lands. Seating herself on the ground just inside the border, tail curled around her paws, cool gaze falling on the wolf. "Talk here."

She had always loved the night, often traveling and patrolling in the evening rather then during the day. Her thick red coat was not nearly as brutal as her brothers in the summer but it still seemed to suck in the heat and lock it in. The course fur lining her neck was the only hint of her arctic heritage, in the summer her body thinned out and her legs remained the same. Night was much more forgiving, the chill of the evening air almost comforting to the red lady. She had grown up in the shadow of the mountains and it had always been chillier in her home then anywhere else until you went into Diesal's Hideway which was naturally heated by the underground hot springs. She swore her sense of smell wasn't nearly as good other wolves purely because of the sulfuric scent she had grown up with. It was an awful stench... Without thinking nose lifted and she tested the winds, wondering what other wolves might smell in her place and if her sense of smell was truly damaged. This wouldn't be the first time she would be considered over dramatic.

Stray audit twitched, a breif howl cutting that train of thought short as a lone femme called for someone from the boarder. Hopefully it would be more interesting then that last female to show up... God and if that old man should show up she would simply hang herself, she hated him so much. Why did everyone who held the higher ranks have to be so much older then her! Nose crinkled and jaw worked as she mouthed out their last argument during their previous encounter. Thank god Kaien had shown up or they would have been at each others throats in front of a visitor. Asshole, god she hoped he'd keel over and die soon. Smelly old man...

She was still grumbling as she trotted towards the new visitor, ears folded back and breath seeming to hiss between her teeth as she prayed that Ulrike would not show. All those ceased as two black females came into view and the red woman's head shot up. Black lined eyes would take in both her brothers play thing and the black mind across the boarder who had called. Regaining her composure she shook herself, white paws stretching forth as she moved to join Secret. That had gotten to know each other well enough that Vi didn't look down her nose at her anymore. But they were still far from friends. A tip of the head would be given to Secret in greeting as Vi drifted around her fellow Tortugan to place herself on Secrets right side. She didn't add to Secrets words, she knew what she was doing and was being polite unlike Ulrike had been. God damn old man... Sneer was suppressed as easy smile slithered across her lips instead.

No impatience crept into her stance, for the woman had all the time in the world. She was well aware of her brother's presence in the far-off distance, but knew he was not close enough for his scent to be noticed. If he was unwilling to encroach on this pack's lands, he would make his displeasure known to her. But ears swiveled atop her head, catching no sounds from his direction. Massive paws carried the female back and forth, pacing the borders of the unfamiliar pack's lands. Meanwhile, her pale yellow gaze would examine the mountainous terrain in the distance. While it lacked the arctic terrain she was so used to, something was oddly appealing about the vast expanse of terrain she saw before her.

Xhen was somewhat surprised when her call was answered. The hour was late, which was why her call was soft and not the slightest bit assertive. But in the distance she saw the approaching form of another, and her posture straightened, not wanting to seem rude right away. Gaze remained fixated on her as she neared the spot where Xhen stood. Immediately the female inquired about her intentions here, hardly even greeting her.

"Your lands intrigue me," she stated honestly, voice low but sincere as she observed the wolf before her. "I know nothing of your wolves or your traditions. I've never heard the name Tortuga uttered before." Her tones were serious, lacking in sweetness, though it was void of aggression. No particular emotion was visible on her solemn facade, though her gaze was unwavering. Honest, if anything. "Truthfully, these lands remind me of where I was raised. I suppose I'm seeking a place to call home, and this is where my paws have taken me." Eyes gleamed as she averted her gaze, letting her attention wander over the landscape.

The arrival of another female was unexpected, but not entirely surprising. A glance was given to her, a simple nod of acknowledgement.

Before the dame could answer any of the presented questioned, a familiar scent washed over her. Viri. It was unexpected for her to make an appearance. But the two had gotten to know each other a bit and no longer scowled at the other when in each others presence. The red she-wolf seated herself beside Secret with little more than a nod of hello. Secret dipped her own head in greeting before returning her attention to the stranger. A smirked tugged at inky lips at the dames first few sentences. While tones held no aggression, not even a slight emotion, she appeared to be honest. A rare trait. These lands remind me of where I was raised. Was that her only reason for wanting to become part of the pack? Even with Tortuga's neutral place amongst the other packs, many of the wolves that resided here had no problem taking the life of another, many had their sanity tore to shreds, thirsty for blood. Eyes drifted briefly to Viri, void of any emotion, but surely the dame was thinking the same thing as her. "Well since you know so little of our pack, let me explain. Tortuga is home to all the outcasts of society. The insane, the blood thirsty, murders... We don't go out on ruthless killing sprees as a pack, preferring to stay a little more neutral, wolves here are unforgiving" Lyrics didn't criticize her lack of knowledge, only speaking the truth. Eyes watched intently for her reaction. Would she go running for the hills, or would this intrigue her even more? Neither Viri nor Secret presented this image like many did, the two each had their own skeletons that lay hidden away until someone drags them out. A brief moment pasted while she waited to see if the dame would stay. And if she did another question would be asked. "How would you benefit the pack?" Time would be given in between questions for Viri, should she desire to ask any of her own questions to the wolf. "Talk here."

The female that had first greeted her began to speak, her words blunt but truthful, while the other remained silent. Clear yellow eyes watched the woman as she spoke, explaining what the pack that inhabited these lands stood for. Immediately she disclosed that the inhabitants of Tortuga were the outcasts of society. A very slight smile appeared, a barely visible twitch of one corner of her mouth, but the expression faded as quickly as it appeared. "Tortuga sounds like a pack I wouldn't mind being a part of," she said simply, clicking her tongue softly. Considering the possibility of a life here.

Was Tortuga really full of the kind of creatures that this female spoke of? Would this be a place where her brother could finally live in peace... or relatively contently? Eyes briefly trailed over the other woman, a red-furred beauty. She was then asked how she would benefit the pack-- a reasonable question. It would be silly for any kind of tribe to take a member in who would contribute nothing.

"I'm well-trained in battle," she spoke with simply confidence. Scars that were littered across her bodice would confirm this. "I'm confident I would be a worthwhile asset as a warrior. I'm surprisingly light on my paws, and tend to be good at stalking and hiding. A spy, if you will." Her words were frank. She was not entirely inclined to sell herself based solely on her skills, but she knew that was necessary. Especially as winter drew nearer and nearer. Tortuga would not want to feed mouths of useless wolves, with no skills or desire to contribute to the pack.

A slight pause followed, a clearing of her throat. "I do ask that, if I be given consideration, as will my brother. He is nearby, but will not show his face quite yet -- when he is ready, I'm willing to bring you to him. He's..." her words trailed. He was not in earshot, would not hear her speaking, especially as she spoke in a slightly lowered tone. "He has violent tendencies, and is not always fully coherent, but I can assure you that none of his behaviors be directed at pack mates. He will obey me. He's a powerful creature, and will certainly be willing to fight to defend Tortuga if need be. But he isn't very social, and rarely speaks." And this would be the final point-- if they denied this slight stipulation, she would be forced to turn and leave. "I think he will like it here." Maybe it'd be good for the male... calm him down. Soothe the darkness inside of him.

(Ps. I haven't finished her brother's profile yet, but will soon <3)

Words washed around her, purposeful but meaningless at he same time. Secret went over the usual with new wolves, speaking bluntly but to the point to this female. Vi's sharp gaze remained on this new female, pelt of black appealing on a primal level to the striking red female. Vi remained silent at Secrets side, mind drifting as words continued to float about, ready for her to catch them if she so desired but she never did. Every so often a word would dance tantalizingly close to her ears, enough for her to flip and large audit towards it and catch it. Battle. Warrior. Spy. It wasn't until she mentioned her brother did the red lady tune in and give all her attention to the topic on hand. She listened carefully as she described the male, a small smile slithering its way across delicate features. He sounded a lot like Ky before he had met Secret and had a family. Oh how much they had changed since they came here.

Paw would raise, white appendage waving away the statement even as the female spoke. There was no need for this. Vi wasn't sure how exactly Kaien operated with newcomers but bother Vi and Secret had been a part of Jaegers pack originally and Vi could only assume that they were on the same page after the scolding they had gotten for trying to enslave Pi. Everyone was welcome here. Even the psychos and rapists that Vi would rather kill at the boarder Jarger had accepted them. But he had been able to control them. Karen's control of this pack seemed to be wavering. But hey, if they could control this female well enough and her brother listened to her then who were they to turn them away. "I believe there will be no issue with your brother, mine was much the same when we first joined. Now..." Voice trailed off thoughtfully. Now he was running off to challenge their potential allies lead male to a death match over the female stationed to her left. But this new female didn't need to know that yet. "That's besides the point. When he arrives bring him to myself or Secret here and we can officially appoint him a rank. I'm Viridiana by the way, Viri or Vi for short though" she purred, voice carrying a low, husky quality as they slid off her tongue.

Attention was turned to Secret now, easy smile still stationed upon her maw as she studied the older female. Vi carried her head slightly higher, chin tipped down cautiously for those just on case moments, but it was fairly obvious that they were close in rank. Vi's tail, though, rarely left from where it kicked at her heels, choosing to never give someone the chance to grab it in exchange for asserting her dominance. "Do we still have a rank for spies? I can't remember since the pack structure was remodelled... Or should she be and Iscarac and be one of yours?" she asked easily, time polite and devoid of its usual sarcasm. It was becoming a more common occurance for her to speak normally. Since her meeting with Morphine Vi's politeness meter had gone from 0 to maybe a 3. Still not great but she was working on it. She wanted to play a bigger role in this pack and that would take some practice when it came to her social skills.

Secrets word had brought the faintest smile to the dames lips. So she liked the idea of making this her home? Perhaps she would survive. She listened carefully. Battle. Warrior. Spy. She would first have to prove her worth before Secret would hand her the rank of Spy, can't have newcomers running off with pack secrets, things where already shaky amongst all the packs as it was. Before Secret could usher another word, the dame offered a stipulation for her joining the pack. A brow lifted slightly, surely she was in no place to be setting up guidelines for her acceptance. No words where spoken until she finished. Tortuga needed the numbers, and what was one more blood thirsty wolf. It was then that Vi finally spoke up. She let her sentence drift off thoughtfully. Eyes drifted to Vi. She knew exactly what the red she-wolf wanted to say. Expression remained cool as her gaze shifted back to the waiting wolf."There will be no problem with your brother, like Viri said, just find either of us." She felt Viri's gaze on her, causing her to look once more at the Beta. She didn't know? Secret didn't have the slightest idea either. While the two where both close in rank and high ranking amongst the pack, it was thought that the red Beta would know. But no one seemed to know anything anymore with the way Kaien was switching everything up. "For now she will be ranked as an Iscarac, until she proves her worth as a spy." Face turned toward the dame, giving her the instructions. Secret still Commanded the light weight warriors, though it was hard to tell who was still around, and it wasn't necessary for them to gather regularly. At some point she would need to call them together and sort it out, but now she would focus on the dame, giving her necessary knowledge before releasing her to explore her knew home. Only time would tell if she would make it here. Though it appeared as though she would make a good addition to the pack. "Talk here."

Neither of the two creatures seemed bothered by her description of her brother. Fantastic, she thought silently, bowing her cranium in a slow but certain nod. The red female seemed quite dismissive of her slight warning about him, lifting a paw as though attempting to stop further words before they threatened to spill from her throat. Surely they would have issue with her sibling tormenting fellow pack-mates - and she would never let it get that out of hand - but it seemed his behavior wasn't permissible otherwise. Quite interesting. She swore she heard a slight rusting in the distance, but ignored the likely sounds of her brother, instead listening to the larger of the two wolves speak.

"I will bring him when he is ready," she acknowledged carefully. Words came slowly and with caution. Still she was unsure of the customs of these creatures, of how they lived, how they interacted with one another. Though these two women seemed decent enough, she was sure that some of the others were less amicable. "Thank you, Viridiana, and you as well." The other woman had yet to give her name, but she acknowledged her with politeness regardless. "My name is Xhen."

She watched with interest as the two had a slight diversion. Seemed like the pack wasn't as stable as it could be, but this didn't deter her interest. Tortuga would be a decent home for Hoven; his needs would come before her own. She was certain her brother would scout the borders, examining the wolves from a safe distance, keeping entirely to himself. Making a decision about whether this was a suitable for the two siblings. He was far pickier than she, and Xhen could only hope he would be satisfied, even if it seemed as though the pack lacked a stable structure.

It didn't matter to Secret when this womans brother came to join the pack, while his addition would be beneficial, she had no desire to badger the pair for his recruitment. Xhen. She would remember the dames name, as she did with most that she accepted at the borders, though it became clear that she was interested in her own name. "My name is Secret." Typically she only gave her name to those who asked for it, she wasn't particularly interested in pleasantries, rather just getting to the point of the matter. The question of whether or not their was a rank given to Spies didn't seem to shake the dame of her joining, though Secret preferred not to show any weakness of the pack to newcomers. Hopefully things would be sorted soon. One could hope. At last though it seemed as though this meeting was coming to an end, Xhen didn't appear to have an questions, Viri didn't seem to have much to add. "Then if you have no further questions Ill be on my way. Welcome to Tortuga." She offered a ghost of a smile, rising to her paws, dipping her head in farewell to the new wolf before offering the same to Viri. Perhaps she could catch a bit of sleep before the sun rose and more newcomers came to the borders. Turning on her paws, she waited a brief moment to see if an questions were raised, though she was sure Vi could handle it, and with that the ebony she-wolf made her departure as quietly as she entered, becoming nothing more than a shadow. -exit Secret unless stopped- "Talk here."