where the wind takes you
Her journey south had been a long one; the unknown that laid before her called with an enchanting hum. So her tawny paws moved across the connecting land mass in a few days time, the female becoming all too aware that the earth around was turning from the chilling winter to a heated summer. The air swirled about, wrapping Zuri in a blanket of sunshine and warmth. She knew she was heading south by this change, and was hopeful that more abundance of herbs would be offered in these strange new lands.
Since meeting the few wolves she did in the north, graced with their friendships and blessed with their knowledge of the plants that grew about them, she had become more skilled in the art of healing. Though with every new place she ventured to, the more she had to learn. Every place holds it's unique wonders after all. But the unknown never turned Zuri away, she was excited to learn about all corners of the world.
Soon, a as a strange structure came within her sight, a scent followed the currents of the wind to her nostrils. She had never been a part of a pack before, but she knew that this new scent was a warning. The lands before her were claimed, crossing them could mean potential harm. Her chocolate ears flattened against her skull, as she slowly backed away a few yards. After she was sure she had not been seen, she turned to leave, but a thought crossed her mind. Why should she leave? From what she could gather, packs offered structure, security, and a chance to learn about a lot of things, not just healing.
Zuri turn to face the tall towering structure in the distance once more. The idea of joining a pack, filling her thoughts. Perhaps she should? She was no skilled hunter and she refused to fight. Having others who could do these things would benefit her greatly, and she was sure there was some good she could do in return. With no second thought, the cinnamon female felt a rumble in her throat as she tilted her snout to the sky, allowing a lone, echoing howl to roll across the lands. She would not be so bold as to enter unannounced.
Now all she had to do was wait. She let her bum sink to the ground as she sat to do just that.
This structure...he loved it. It provided practically everything they needed. Plenty of space, shelter, lots of places to explore. Some herbs seemed to grow throughout the courtyard and along the walls and the surrounding forest. He had been taking his time in exploring the inside and outside of the castle, but it was so big! There were lots of rooms and hidden passages he had yet to discover. They had been here for a short time, and the pack seemed to have grown quiet. It unsettled him...maybe it was because of the move, getting accustomed to new lands and a new way of life. He wasn't his mother, things would be different.
Padding along the old overgrown pathway down the castle steps, he paused when a howl sounded in the air. His head tilted, wondering who it might be. Auster so far had seemed pretty quiet, and he figured visitors would be few and far in between. Still, he was excited at the prospect of greeting this unknown for the first time as an alpha!
Bounding his way towards the border, the excited male arrived quickly to see a female at their doorstep. His head tilted, tail wagging mildly for a moment before he realized that he should probably be more composed. Slowing down a bit, he shook himself to try and get himself just a little bit composed. Standing tall, he made the rest of the way over to greet the woman. "Welcome to Talis, stranger. My name is Dragon, and I am the Drakon of these lands." He dipped his head to her, then quickly realized that he oughta make it clear what exactly his rank name meant. Duh. "Er, that means I'm the alpha!" He grinned with the slightest bit of embarrassment. It felt weird trying to be all...formal and stuff. |
Dragon never goes anywhere without his Dragon armor, assume he is always wearing it unless otherwise mentioned! He also has a pair of seeing eye jaguars, assume they're always present unless otherwise mentioned.
Patience was something the young female was able to learn at a rather young age; being able to stay in one place for long periods of time and still finding ways to entertain herself. Watching the clouds never seemed to fail. The fawn female eventually laid on her back, her paws folded and pointed towards the sky. White puffs of clouds floated across blue skies, their destinations and origins unknown, but still they moved with purpose. Zuri wanted to be like the clouds, boundless but still have purpose. She knew where she had come from, and knew her purpose in life would be to help others with her herbs.
It was when the earth began to rumble did she pick her head up to see the rustic male coming her way. For a moment, she paused to notice the excitement in his step, and how much younger he was than she had expected. But that didn't matter, she didn't question it. So the young woman rolled to her side, then got to her feet, thinking she should be respectful and proper before the pack member. Welcome to Talis, stranger. My name is Dragon, and I am the Drakon of these lands. She smiled brightly, though unsure what most of that meant. "It's a pleasure to meet you Dragon, my name is Zuri Brass." She greeted, tilting her head down in respect of the young man. Er, that means I'm the Alpha! With all her might, Zuri could not hold back the small fit of laughter that passed through her lips.
It had become evidently clear that all the stories her mother had told her about packs as a pup, were not entirely true. She remembers her mother saying an alpha was the oldest and wisest of them all. This alpha seemed young and full of life. She was surely glad of that. She quickly calmed her giggles and smiled softly, "are you as nervous as I am? I have never been a part of a pack before, and I'm getting the feeling you're new to this alpha business?" Her chin dropped slightly, feeling the heat rush to her cheeks. She looked up to meet his emerald gaze, hoping the awkward feeling would dissipate soon.
"My name is Zuri Brass." Zuri eh? It was a pretty name. To him at least. Then again he hadn't really been out and about mingling with others, his social bubble was pretty small since he was usually around the pack helping out his mom when she was the alpha. Now he was, but that didn't mean he had to stick around in one spot or two, now did it? "Zuri? Pretty name!" He grinned. She laughed a bit at his quick and awkward recovery at the alpha bit, and if blushing could be seen then his cheeks would be red. Luckily his brown fur hid the flush on his cheeks, so at least that was one less thing to be embarrassed about.
Or so he thought.
Unfortunately for him, he hadn't exactly picked up his mothers grace. Before she passed the pack to him, she was always the one greeting strangers with a more dignified and composed air about her. But him? He was still young. Still figuring it out. If this woman was here to join, then she would be the very first one he'd get to accept as an alpha! His nerves nearly vibrated with excitement, but also nervousness. And apparently it showed. "Ah...you can tell, huh?"
Dang it! He guessed he should have expected that. He was too eager. Too excited. Too...well, everything! Maybe because he was young, too. The only alpha he had known besides his mom, was Valentine. But even that guy was almost twice or even three times his age! And his mom was seven...and he was...two. Maybe it was unusual to see such a young alpha? He didn't know. "Well, guess there's no hiding it aha. But yeah, my mother was the alpha up until recently. She passed the pack to me a few weeks ago, and then we moved here. As a matter of fact, you're the first one that i would get to accept into the pack as an alpha!"
Er...maybe. Wait...was that how it worked? He didn't even know what her skills were! Aw man he felt like he wasn't doing as well as he should be. But he could always try to transition into a smooth recovery and play it off. Besides, what was the harm in striking up friendly conversation first?
"ROAR"
Dragon never goes anywhere without his Dragon armor, assume he is always wearing it unless otherwise mentioned! He also has a pair of seeing eye jaguars, assume they're always present unless otherwise mentioned.
Her tail wrapped around her side tightly, giving her something to play with and distract her. She was beyond nervous. What if he didn't like her? Didn't accept her? What if he attacked her? Zuri was against conflict, fighting especially. Her train of thought was interrupted, however, at the compliment thrown at her. Zuri? Pretty name! She let her ears fall back, if she wasn't blushing before, she certainly was now. "Oh, um, thank you. I.. like your name too."
Zuri let her gaze follow the brown male, watching as he seemed to feel a bit uncertain about this as well. Hopefully they could work it out together though, because the more and more she thought about this alpha, she realized she hit the jackpot. He was young, and excited, but also took things seriously, as far as she could tell. He was just the sort of alpha she needed. Someone who could help her adjust into a pack life, and someone she could grow with and have fun with, all in the same wolf. This, made her smile softly to herself, and relaxed her nerves a bit.
...you're the first one I would get to accept into the pack as an alpha! Wow. This was kinda a big deal then huh? The fawn woman giggled quietly, more because she was super nervous than anything. "Oh well, congratulations Dragon. This must be a very exciting time for you. And yes, that's why I'm here. I've never been a part of a pack before, but I recently met some wolves that seemed to highly recommend it." She pawed at her tail, letting her nails run through the strands to calm some of the nerves. She quickly shot up to add; "That is, if you will have me? I don't know what people have to do to enter a pack, is there some sort of test of something?"
He beamed when she thanked him and in turn, said she liked his name as well. It seemed the both of them were equally nervous, which made him feel sort of...normal. Maybe he didn't have to be so formal every time like he thought he would have to. Being an alpha didn't mean you had to be all grown up and act proper and stuff, right? He wasn't quite sure. He liked being himself. So that's who he would be. He was himself before becoming an alpha, and he would be himself even now. He didn't want to restrict himself. He didn't want to feel like he couldn't have friends and such. Though...he wasn't sure why those ideas even entered his head. His mom had plenty of friends when she was an alpha, but for some reason his mind assumed that he had to be the macho male keep everyone at arms length type of guy. And he felt wrong for thinking that in so many ways. Granted, he had his responsibilities and duties now. He would take them as they came and act appropriately and accordingly.
But the world is imperfect. That's what makes it so beautiful. Yes...he was imperfect too. Everyone was. Nobody was perfect, even if they thought they were. No matter what, everyone had a flaw. A weakness. And his was...well...he wasn't quite sure yet. Green eyes sparkled as she congratulated him, the young males tail wagging as a lop sided grin took hold. Indeed! It was exciting and nerve wracking. But with the help of his peers and the experiences to come, he was sure he could do it. She explained that joining was the very reason she was here. That she hadn't been part of a pack before. "Well, being in a pack certainly has its benefits. It's far from a lonely life. Unless you prefer that, but...personally, I don't." Then again...he had only been in a pack as far as he could remember. Save for the few days he was a loner while his mom was making preparations to raise Ivalice. Her question brought him to thinking then. A test? Hmm..."I'd love to have you among our ranks! But um...that's a good question about testing...I've considered it, but from an outsiders point of view, what do you think? What kind of...experience do you have?" Testing potential members was definitely something that weighed on his mind a lot. After all, his mom hadn't tested the members joining, and a bunch of them ended up leaving after claiming loyalty. And now he was stuck with a bunch of lying around doing nothing. Ah well...he would change that soon enough.
"ROAR"
Dragon never goes anywhere without his Dragon armor, assume he is always wearing it unless otherwise mentioned! He also has a pair of seeing eye jaguars, assume they're always present unless otherwise mentioned.
The little lady was becoming more and more fond of the young alpha as their conversation continued. He was kind and open about how he felt, he wasn't uptight or aggressive. Realizing these traits, Zuri could actually see herself joining this pack and growing in it, not only that, but watching Dragon grow into his position too. From what she could gather, they were both young wolves just entering their trade. She would hopefully grow into a skilled, and wise healer in Talis. As for Dragon, the fawn woman sincerely hoped he would grow into his leading position-though she knew it would be no easy task. Perhaps she could help with that too.
Hearing him ask if she preferred the lonely lifestyle, Zuri shrugged. "To be completely honest with you Alpha, the loner lifestyle doesn't bother me. But I prefer a position where I am able to help others, and I think a pack could do just that for me!" The female flashed a large, enthusiastic smile, her tail patting against the earth. The only fear she ever would have was being hindered from helping others; not even death itself. She could only hope the young man would understand her request, and not object it.
When he agreed to having her join his pack, the inner pup in her sprung up, literally leaping to her feet. Her tail was erratic, her cheeks pulled back into an over joyous smile-even her icy orbs dazzled with happiness. "Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You won't regret it Dragon! I promise!" This was great news! She could finally become part of a pack and meet new people and help others and experience the pack life that always intrigued her and... breathe.
Her little moment was cut short, when Dragon asked of her experience. She assumed, he was referring to her skills, or what it was she could offer to the pack. Immediately her body calmed, and she held a look that was borderline serious. "Oh well that's easy, you see, I'm a young healer. I use herbs and medicine to heal wounded or sick people. I've learned what I could from my mother, and picked up a few things from bumping into others along my journeys. Besides that, I suppose I'm an average hunter, and I don't know the first thing about fighting." After this, she realized that might've made her look bad, and quickly went to add to it. "As someone sworn to healing-the mind, body, and soul-fighting isn't really in my vocabulary you see. But I'm willing to help your pack in any other way."
He listened with enthusiasm as she spoke, though when she called him alpha, he felt a little...awkward. He was still getting used to that title, so he wasn't quite used to hearing that yet. "Please, you can call me Dragon!" He exclaimed, a sheepish and embarrassed grin showing. When she told him her lifestyle preference. He could respect that. Who was he to tell her, or anyone for that matter, how to live? He returned her smile, and he felt that this would not only be the new beginning to a mutual relationship of respect between pack members, but perhaps a new friendship would blossom from this as well. He was generally open to having friends, but he didn't have any really. On top of that, he didn't know many others outside of the pack either, and even within the pack he knew others by name and appearance, but hadn't talked to them all. "Well, glad to hear that!" He was pretty curious about what she wanted to do, though since she mentioned wanting to help others then...maybe a healer?
He wouldn't get the chance to dwell on that thought too much as Zuri grew excited. Her excitement seemed to be contagious, because his own tail was wagging right along with hers as he gave a broad smile. This was what the pack needed. Someone as enthusiastic as she was. They all seemed so...broody and unsocial and depressed, or keeping each other at arms length. Distant. Just...he didn't like it. They didn't even really feel like a pack. "Haha, I don't think I'll regret it either, Zuri!"[/b] He sat down then, green eyes watching her as she suddenly fell silent and serious for a moment. She dove into an explanation of what she was good at, though mentioned too that she was still learning, so to speak. An average hunter, and that she didn't fight. Though when she mentioned the fighting thing, she seemed to try to make up for her lack of fighting. He nodded, and of course he understood. He was more of a fighter, a hunter, and everything in between. Healing was not his forte at all. He didn't know a thing about it, but he wasn't opposed to learning some things about it, he supposed. "That's okay! Actually, I'm pretty glad you showed up. We...don't have any healers, you see. Our only healer died last season, so we've been without one. Luckily no one has gotten sick enough to need one, but..." It wouldn't stay like that forever, right? He stood up again, motioning for her to follow. "Well, I guess I should show you around eh? Also, I can explain to you about the healer rank! It's...a little different than the traditional healer rank." That was perhaps one of several things he wanted to talk to her about. And he kind of also wanted to get to know her. She seemed fun so far!
"ROAR"
Dragon never goes anywhere without his Dragon armor, assume he is always wearing it unless otherwise mentioned! He also has a pair of seeing eye jaguars, assume they're always present unless otherwise mentioned.
Please, you can call me Dragon! He didn't seem to be quite comfortable with his title, she noticed. The fawn lady felt kind of bad making him feel that way, her ears falling flat against her head as she jumped quick to apologize. "Oh, I'm sorry. Dragon it is." It didn't bother her to call him by his name rather than rank, in fact, it felt less formal and more personal, which she preferred anyway. Being professional all the time would be exhausting and she would be bound to mess up eventually.
It became somewhat official. She would be joining Talis. A pack, an actual freaking pack! Internally, Zuri was screaming, overjoyed with the exciting new life ahead of her. But on the outside, she toned it down a little bit. She hopped from side to side, her tail wagging fiercely as she became overrun with happiness. A smile would spread across her face, wide and bright, even her eyes shined with joy. "This is so exciting! I can't wait to meet everyone, and learn about your history and what people like to do for fun. I can't wait to do pack things like group hunts or meetings or training. This is going to be so much fun!" Her voice was rushed and yet bubbly. She looked at the rustic male before her and thought about tackling him with a hug she was so happy. She never thought she would be able to join a pack, yet here she was, the newest member of Talis.
When she heard about the previous healer passing recently, her little moment of joy vanished. Death wasn't something she liked, nor wasn't unfamiliar with, and understood it was a part of life. But still, she instantly felt sorrow and pain in her chest. Her tail dropped, her body stilled, and her chin tilted down for a moment. "I'm sorry to hear that, Dragon. Truly. But death comes for all of us, it is a part of life. But that doesn't make it any easier does it?" The male continued on though, talking about the next steps in her joining process. Of course she needed to know her territory; her mind instantly going to what herbs lay within her homelands and which ones she would have to leave to gather. Her homelands... these lands were her home now. She had an actual home. A small smile slipped onto her lips at the thought of this.
At hearing her position, a large grin plastered her face as she rose to follow him. "That's alright, I have a few questions about the position as well. Like, will I have the freedom to leave the territory to gather herbs? Will I have a class to teach? Are there any members in the pack I should check in first? That sort of stuff. That was really all she had for questions, besides that, she figured any rule that came with being a healer she could follow, or any requirement she had she would do. So long as she could help people, she would be one-hundred-percent content.
She was so freaking excited!