~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ This is How we Do - Katy Perry Regarding the dark caverns with bright eyes, a huge grin grew upon her face. Charcoal dipped plume would wriggle excitedly behind her, and she took a step within. The fact that it belonged to someone else completely went over the dame's head, and she trotted into the shadowy cave system. Looking like a bouncing pup, despite being a giant wolfess well into her third year, she looked around. It was pretty cool, it had been quite some time since she'd found caves anywhere. Stalactites dripped with warm water that had been long in gathering, and nearly joined with the stalagmites growing from the floor like giant teeth. She felt almost like she'd strolled right into the maw of some enormous beast, and was about to be swallowed up. All over again, she felt like a little kid investigating a secret lair that belonged to a hoarde of bats. Of course, that trip had ended in her being attacked by all of those bats when she scared them with her echoing barks and yips. "Yooooo!!" She called, and was rewarded with the deep resonation of her voice through the tunnels and caverns, then her voice being thrown right back at her. Practically wiggling with mirth, the she wolf kept walking, seeking anything that might be secretly lurking deeper into the caves. A few lizards scuttled away from her huge feet, and every now and again a rat would let out a warning squeak before it skittered away as well. She watched everything with a curious, and amused expression. She loved finding new things, and wondered if there were any treasures to be found in this cave. Just as she thought about it, something shiny caught her eye. In the corner of her vision, something was glittering demandingly. She whirled around, and crept toward the thing. As she approached, the shining steel babe found herself staring at a deposit of shining stone embedded in the wall. Cranium would tilt to one side, and she pawed at the store of metallic stone. Ebony claws scraped against it, but nothing especially interesting happened after that. Frowning, she lowered her head to sniff at the stone quizzically. What was it? Silver? Platinum? Iridium? Something she'd never even heard of before? Of course, it wasn't long before she was made aware of the presence of another behind her. Freezing where she stood, the pale wolfess slowly raised her head and looked over her shoulder. Oh. Shit. Came the instantaneous thought in her head. This probably wasn't a good thing. A sheepish smile would come to play across her ivory masked features, mismatched eyes wide as she was caught in the act of harassing a wall without an obvious reason. Was this the woman's home? Ah crap. "Uh, hi.." She murmured, slowly turning around to face the stranger. Her coal audits leaned backward, plume twitching nervously behind her. She had probably done something wrong already, since she had a habit of doing something stupid fairly quickly when she found a new place to explore. "Speech"

Azalea slept restlessly, her lips and paws flailing as her rib cage jumped up and down with heavy breaths that were quickly exhaled. She would kick out, back paw hitting the wall of the chilled cave in which she slept. It was large but her bed was near the wall and as she struck it she woke with a gasp, curling in on herself as the shock of the impact ran up her leg. Once the initial shock wore off Azalea was able to sit up, stretching out her front legs in front of her across the caribou skins that she had gathered for her bed. Below them was a mess of pine branches, to add a springy, nest like factor to it. It was mid stretch that a sound echoed through the hollows of the cave system, bouncing off the walls. Her attention was snagged, getting up and exiting her private sector and heading toward the entrance. She was making an assumption as the sound had been too distorted to tell who or what had make it, let alone which direction it came from. Azalea stopped near the exit, peering toward the beam of light before the sound of scrabbling claws pulled her attention back inside. She followed it, finding herself behind the intruding she-wolf who seemed completely oblivious if not loopy. Azalea drew her lips back. This would be the first intruder she'd ever dealt with and she had to weigh her options. Pale blue eyes turned upon her, an awkward greeting spilling from her lips. Azalea's tail rose high over her back as she bore her fangs. "Dangerous ground you tread, little dove. This land is the property of Ethereal and I do not take lightly to strange wolves blindly waltzing in." She let her snarl loosen, amber eyes narrowing as she stood solid to block the exit for the girl. "I am Azalea Adravendi, Empress, and as I am not a cruel wolf I will give you some options. The first the most welcome is to offer your services to the pack, join. Second, submit yourself as a prisoner and I will release you once you have served your time for intruding. Third, pay for your ignorance in blood." Her eyes would flit over the larger female.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The aggression she was met with should have been foreseen by the pallid femme, however she wasn't used to stumbling onto packs. She'd lived far from any sort of packs, and she sure didn't encounter any in her travels between large islands and small sand bars to get here. Wow, she'd only been here for probably a week or two, and she'd managed to seriously screw up. Her features twisted into a frown, audits pressing against her skull as she lowered her crown. Trespassing. Honestly she was a moron sometimes. It wasn't long before her future brightened up, and she relaxed her taut muscles very slowly, regarding the amber faced queen with intrigue. She looked from the empress to the ground, then back to the smaller she wolf, before letting out a very loud, distressed sigh. Well, she could join, it wouldn't be so bad if she had a pack to live in. As well, that meant she could investigate the deposits of shining metal within the caverns. On the inside, part of her was wriggling with glee at the prospect. Being a prisoner seemed less than fun to the steel femme, and she wasn't too keen on being a punching bag. She'd taken enough abuse back home when she'd lived with her mother, whenever someone spotted her and weren't a fan of any of Kaisin's bastard children. Or when the overthrowing of the Xanilov line began, and everyone attacked everyone. She'd gotten her fair share of fighting just watching, let alone the few times where she'd been thrown around like a rag doll. Fighting was pointless. Which was why she frowned at the very last option, and looked a lot less enthusiastic about that than the rest. "Well, joining seems like it'd be okay..." She hummed, shrugging her shoulders. "Though I don't have any valuable skills to offer. I'm a fast runner though, and I'm pretty good at tracking, finding things and all that." She added, her haunches dropping to the ground with a less than graceful thump. Her tail laid itself out beside her leg, charcoal tip flicking absently. "I'll make it up to you though, I always keep to my oaths." She promised, dipping her head to the alabaster bodied dame. A small, cautious smile was given, though she felt that from here on out she'd be in shit with Azalea. There was a fair bit of scarring around the wolfess' left eye, and she wondered where that could have come from. She waited for a response from the angry woman, and some cosmic force must have been quietly chuckling at this- a massive, unruly looking wolf with big teeth and a wiry, coarse ruff, was completely docile and quiet in the face of a smaller, lovely looking lady. OOC: Awkward, crappy post sorry! xD Sacha is so chill and whatever about everything omg "Speech"

The light slate colored miss seemed apologetic, lowering her head to Azalea. Azalea would state her crime and appeal with her options. Really, Azalea didn't expect her to join and it was rather unconventional. This stranger could prove completely and utterly useless in Ethereal and then she would be forced to get rid of her. The intruder seemed to be thinking, going over the possibilities laid before her. She had to choose one as Azalea was blocking her only viable exit. The last option definitely made the woman frown, Azalea fighting the urge to smile a bit cruelly. "Well, joining seems like it'd be okay..." She would raise her shoulders, letting them drop in a motion that seemed indifferent. "Though I don't have any valuable skills to offer. I'm a fast runner though, and I'm pretty good at tracking, finding things and all that." The pale eyed wolf would seat herself heavily as Azalea evaluated her words, giving her another once over. Tracking ability suggested a worth in the hunting department but her overall tone said to the Empress that she really did not care. Perhaps Azalea was making a mistake. Amber eyes flit to the steel colored tail on the now perspective member, noting how it seemed to always move. "I'll make it up to you though, I always keep to my oaths." Azalea seemed to be getting thrown back and forth, debating her choice. She decided to let things ride out, nodding and smiling back lightly. "In which case, welcome home. If you would be interested, you could train to be a hunter? Your tracking ability would be put to good use there. If not... hmmm.. there's a teaching rank but that's more for elder wolves with real world experience... do you like children, perhaps you could be an Orator, a storyteller?" She was thoughtful, her body language and tone friendly now. "Ethereal is a pack for realizing yourself. Where you can rise above your past and create your own future. Be the best that you can be. We are a united force, being reliable and standing up for those that are being wronged." She gave a brief oversight of the pack. Azalea wanted this to be a place where they took no bullshit. Ethereal would be a place to stand strong. "Oh, you're name. What is it?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ There was a shift in the queen's demeanor, it came slowly as she talked about her pack. Azalea was obviously very proud of what she'd created for herself, and the pale silver lady felt a twinge of joy for her decision. She spoke of becoming a hunter, which was something the giantess was quite good at, but she didn't really want to do that. When the option of being a storyteller caught in her audits, the charcoal splotched she wolf perked up. "I can tell stories, I'd like that." She announced, bobbing her head enthusiastically. The empress began to explain more about her pack, what they represented, and the things she would need to know now that it was her home. With it came a duty, wolves to protect and standards to uphold. Not something the rugged wolfess was familiar with, but how hard would it be to figure that out as she went along? She blinked at the auburn crowned queen, a small grin playing at her lips as she realized the question. She hadn't even gotten a chance to introduce herself. "Sacha Alianovna Volkov, miss." She informed her new queen, dipping her head politely with the admission. A pause for a beat, and her brow furrowed quizzically. She tilted her head to one side, her demeanor more childlike than it should be. When it came to packs and stuff, she had no idea what she was doing. She didn't know the first thing about how they operated, had never been part of one or encountered one other than meeting with the occasional wolf travelling away from home. "So hang on," She began, looking down at her paws like they held the answer to all of this, eyes narrowed in obvious confusion. "If this is my home now, does that mean I can still leave and gather things, find things... visit the other lands?" She asked, slowly looking up to the queen with a baffled expression. Packs were weird. Family was much better, you knew everyone, and they understood things about you a lot better. Tall charcoal audits stood tall atop her cranium, attentive for a reply. If she could make a den, and still go out to collect her treasures? She would need things to decorate it, and soft things for her bed. She'd miss her broken bed in the cabin on Alias Island, but it wasn't really a big deal. Having any kind of home was good, no matter where it was. Right? "Speech"

"I can tell stories, I'd like that." The ashy female seemed happy enough. It wasn't really a rank but it would be a good one to have, her puppies were a handful and surely would just adore having someone to fill their heads with fantasy tales. So, Azalea smiled and nodded, "Very well. Normally I require wolves to prove themselves of their rank but I will let you be with yours. Just don't do anything stupid, I'd hate to have to ruin your pretty face for getting weird with my children." Her tone was light though she was dead serious. If she decided to harm her babies in any way Azalea would be forced, as a mother, to destroy the lass. When Azalea asked her name, the female would grin, "Sacha Alianovna Volkov, miss," She would reply. Sacha. Azalea nodded with a light smile of her own but it quickly faded as the new member seemed to have thought of something that confused her. "So hang on," She began and Azalea's ears perked forward to listen, "If this is my home now, does that mean I can still leave and gather things, find things... visit the other lands?" Azalea would quirk a brow spot, having to take a step back to brace herself as she started to laugh, her tone full and hearty. "Yes, you are free to roam where ever... okay, do me a favor and don't go into another pack's territory, that could make things tricky. You are welcome to come and go as you please unless you are needed here. Meetings and such are mandatory so you will need to be here for those. You can pick a cavern here for your own, its pretty easy to tell if someone has laid claim already or not."

The auburn faced female accepted the choice in rank, nodding her head once and offering a small smile. However, she was quick to make sure the steel toned babe was well aware that if she harmed the wee ones, she'd probably lose her face, or the good parts of it. Eyebrows would furrow, and she would give an incredulous smile. Mismatched eyes were filled with mirth, despite her obvious confusion at the warning. "Why would I do anything to the little ones?" She would inquire, cranium falling to one side in curiosity. When she was small, others used to hurt her, but it was the curse of being a bastard, and for that she was well aware. But why would she hurt someone else's children? No one deserved that. At her question, the woman began to laugh, thunderous and full of mirth. It made the femme smile, and she herself was sucked into the gleeful moment. After a few moments, the laughter died down, and the queen was able to speak. Azalea explained that she was allowed to roam, but she was not to enter the lands of the other packs in the area. She was also allowed to move about as she desired, save for when her presence was needed. Meetings, those were a new experience for her. She'd never been to anything even remotely similar to that. At the offer to pick her own cavern, a grin lit up the silvery wolfess' features. Of course, there would be no claiming of others' things, that would be rude. She nodded, looking around. The giantess acted like a pup very often, though it couldn't be helped, with such a joyful attitude. "Thank you for having me here, miss Azalea." She hummed, smiling kindly to the smaller woman as she got back to her feet. Her demeanor had shifted, less fearful and closer to her usual state. Though she towered over her queen, the she wolf hardly noticed the difference in height. She was a big girl, but she seemed incapable of deeming herself better than anyone in any way. She dipped her head politely to the regent, elbows bending ever so slightly to offer her new queen a small bow. She was gracious, is only for not having been mauled for trespassing. "If ya need me, for anything, really, you can just call." She assured her superior, straightening up as her bi coloured gaze drifted over the surrounding caverns. She had a home now, and that was good, if extremely confusing and hopelessly new. "Speech" OMG THESE FEN ARTS ARE HOT STUFF

"Why would I do anything to the little ones?" Azalea sighed with relief, looking down as her brow spots pulled in slightly. "Forgive me my caution, I have had the misfortune of having my children taken away from me before... and they were not treated kindly." The mood lifted and Azalea explained that Sacha wasn't forced to stay within the pack lands. That would be torture for Azalea and imagined it would be as bad as being imprisoned had been. "Thank you for having me here, miss Azalea." She smiled back as Sacha stood up, "If ya need me, for anything, really, you can just call." Azalea appreciated the respect that the new member gave her. "Now, don't let me keep you, you have a cavern to pick out. And likewise, if you need me for questions or anything just give me a holler." Azalea moved, turning about and walking away from her then, toward the exit of the caves.

The queen explained her reasoning behind the warning she'd given, looking rather relieved that that wouldn't be a problem with the steel femme. A small whine would be Sacha's reply to the sorrowful reason, and she would frown. Why would anyone steal another wolf's children? That was just wrong, and cruel. The bond between mother and child was the strongest thing out there, and breaking that bond was just plain wrong. Though when it met her charcoal audits that the children were mistreated, a growl was barely stifled within the giantess' throat. No child should be hurt in any way, their innocence was what kept them safe from most of the horrors in the world. "I can promise no one shall ever lay a wrongful hand on the children." She assured the woman, showing her age so suddenly in the power of her voice and spark in her mismatched optics. Azalea ended their little meeting with an offer of her own, and left her to her own business with a bid of farewell tossed over an alabaster shoulder. Sacha grinned, dipping her head respectfully once more before bounding off into the waiting darkness of the caverns. She needed to find the perfect cave to call her own, and she needed to make sure it had shelves or something to hold all the cool stuff she was going to cover the walls and things in. Large paws propelled her onward with reckless abandon. Many turn offs passed her by, but she had yet to be drawn to one. She would know when to turn, where to look, she always did. There. The little nagging voice in the back of her mind commanded, and the woman skidded to a halt. Crown would swing around to fix an ice and lavender gaze upon the dark tunnel leading further into the very earth itself. It angled downward, which promised that it would be much warmer. Tail sweeping jovially across her heels, she trotted downward and sought the next lead off that would grab her attention and pull her inside. It didn't take long, the cool stone began to warm by bare degrees under her powerful paws. Her attention was drawn to a familiar glinting in the shadows of a cavern to her left. Without second thought, she slipped inside and let out a contented sigh. yes, this one, it would be her home. She would collect trinkets and things now, she needed soft things to create a sleeping place in the corner, where sand had replaced the solid stone. She could dig out a nice sleeping place a wee bit deeper in the ground, and fill the hole with fur and the bits of fabric she collected, maybe some soft moss. Then everywhere else would be home to the shiny, or colourful things she collected all around. Yes. That was it. .:End of Thread:. "Speech" OMG THESE FEN ARTS ARE HOT STUFF