Deadlines and Commitments

She drew a paw down, smearing a thick, grout-like paste over a junction of stones, not part of the wall, yet. Three more pawfuls slathered more of the stuff over the stones, and she stepped back, eyeing the semi-circle of stone around her, the beginnings of a shelter.

Turning, she bent, picking of a rock in her jaws. This rock was visibly shaped into a rough block, mostly from the efforts of both Ayodelle and Paladin’s primate companions, whacking harder rocks with growing precision until the shape had been obtained.

Carefully, she laid the shaped stone upon the first layer. She had just finished nudging into an acceptable place when an unfamiliar howl lifted her head, ears perked. It was the call with which a leader called his or her equal, and she turned neatly on her haunches with a swish of long hair, bounding in an easy lope, fast enough to be prompt, slow enough not to be out of breath when she arrived.

She slowed well before she reached the pass the alpha would be standing at, dropping neatly into the silent prowl that sent her gliding forward, melding with the mists around her.

The effect was a soundless appearance of swirling fog around a ghost-white based form as she stepped into sight, stride one of easy regality and grace. Her gradated sapphire to sky blue gaze studied him, flicking up – and up – to his face. He was massively tall, the absolute tallest of their species’ ability to grow, yet he seemed leaner, his colors made of tawny creams and golds, struck with ebony.

Her gut spoke clearly that this wolf, and his pack, was unlikely ever to be a threat unless her own pack gave them a good reason. Every wolf had a certain way about them, and this male’s bearing spoke no arrogance or latent hostility.

Finally, she spoke, after a few beats of silence as she studied him and allowed him to take his own look and assessment of an equal. An easy smile rested on her features as she nodded lightly to him.

“Welcome to the borders of Valhalla. I am Aurielle Adravendi, Spirit of Valhalla, or its leader. How may I help you…?”

She delicately trailed off at the end of her greeting, a casual prompt for his name and reason for calling for her, and that intensity came into her eyes—that interest that made it as though whomever came under that gaze was the most important wolf in the room.

Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think