RAGS ______________________________ It had taken her a long time to find a place to rest for the day. Although this area was clearly thick with the scent of pack, the leggy girl was tired of focusing on putting one paw in front of the other. Regardless of who staked their claim here, it seemed as good a place as any to rest her head for the night. Rags ambled along, tripping on exposed roots and occasionally nothing at all. Her body language was loose and neutral, with her tail hanging low and free and her ears flopped over like a faithful labrador. These lands were strange! So much to do and see. Each time she thought she had covered most of the territory, new locations popped up. They were like gophers - chase one down into a hole, three more scamper to the surface somewhere else. It was a frustrating business, being an explorer in these parts. Ever the intrepid adventurer, Rags headed a bit further, following the pleasant but faint scent of water. After some time, she happened upon a lovely little pond, filled with summer's bounty. Frogs made frog noises and fish made underwater fish noises (probably). Rags' tail gave a faint twitch of interest and she padded towards the water's edge. With a soft noise of frustration, the lanky female laid down with her nose practically in the water. Her long tongue scooped out quick gulps, frightening all of the frogs away. It was a shame, as she would have loved some company... and a snack.

Torin was about to turn in, his mind already lost from the track of his lazy patrol of the borders. He wanted nothing more than to slip quietly into his den and wrap himself around the pregnant form of Derecho. He wanted to lay a paw on her abdomen to see if he could feel the movements of his children, wanted to listen for the millionth time to try and catch the beating of tiny hearts. He wanted to wrap Derecho in all the love he felt flooding through his body, he wasn't sure he could ever express how much he felt. But it seemed he wouldn't get to do that... at least not right now. A strange scent caught his attention. That of a wolf he didn't know and at first, he didn't think much of it, it wasn't totally uncommon for loners to skirt the borders before continuing on their journeys... but this one? Instantly Torin's hackle's began to raise, lips peeling back from sharp canines. He felt an instinctual ferocity flood through him. Whoever this loner was, she didn't belong here and yet she'd blatantly crossed the clear borders. Torin quickly strengthened the marker where she'd crossed over then began to lope after the scent. He lifted his voice in a call as he ran, summoning his father and sister to his side, his remaining warriors. His mind flashed to his burgeoning family and he felt his anger strengthen though now an icy jolt of fear joined it. He silently prayed the scent wouldn't lead towards the den he knew would house Derecho and their unborn children. Luckily for the intruder she'd chosen to avoid that part of the territory. Though as Torin drew in the sight of an awkward lanky woman his anger had yet to dissipate. Torin didn't bother to try being polite; where normally he'd be cautious of a stranger and give them their space he had no such concerns now. If she'd wanted that luxury she'd have not trespassed. Torin raced towards her until he was practically standing on top of the woman, his dual toned eyes hard and a growl rumbling from his chest. "You are intruding on Lirim lands, explain yourself!"Torin demanded, his baritone filled with all his new confidence and the power he could summon. He pulled his ears back, swishing his tail high above his rump in a show of dominance and bent his knees, ready to react if the woman put up a fight. "Silent Treatment" & Deep thoughts

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RAGS ______________________________ Rags had her eyes trained on a nearby frog, her mouth slavering. It had been a while since she'd last eaten. With her clumsy limbs, it was beyond difficult to secure prey without giving up her location while stalking. This was a source of endless frustration - when her mind couldn't quite keep up with her limbs, she felt absolutely useless. Theoretically, she understood that if you leaped and pounced on the frog, gobbling its head off, he would be a tasty snack. But she knew if she even attempted that, she would wind up face-first in the pond. Living by herself was difficult. It was mostly long walks towards the scent of carrion. "Oof!" Rags grunted as Torin was upon her. His pounce drove her closer to the water's edge, and she tripped forward into the pond as she tried to stand. Gasping and standing upright in the stagnant water, Rags whined and lowered her head. Her tail hung loose and low as always, and her ears flopped forward. "M'sorry, give me a moment!" Rags pleaded, carefully picking her way to the pond's shore. Once she was on dry land, she carefully laid down on her side. "Hold on, this gives me some trouble," she said, grunting and struggling to use her somewhat numb limbs to roll onto her belly. Once she was finally prostrated appropriately, exposing her vulnerable stomach and ribby upper body. "Didn't mean any trouble, just looking for a spot to rest!"

She wasn't far when Torin called, but she had been a little busy at the time. She was patrolling the other territory, but the moment she heard her brother's call to arms she didn't hesitate in answering it. From the sound of it, someone had intruded. It was a first for her, Lirim never had any sort of trouble and now it did! Maybe she could prove to her brother that she could be a good warrior and chase them out or something. With a wild grin, she raced across the lands as fast as her feet could carry her. She thought about what kind of intruder it was, who it was. Was it someone she knew? A stranger? A big, burly wolf who thought the pack was easy pickings? Whatever the case, she would do her best to take 'em down! Her brother came into her sights first, and then the intruder. It definitely wasn't someone that she recognized, a complete stranger. And while the intruder wasn't a big burly tough guy, she still wouldn't hesitate. Running towards the stranger with all the speed she could muster, she aimed her body towards the stranger and sought to barrel into her with the intention of knocking her over. A snarl left her lips as she drew closer, bi-colored gaze never leaving the intruder. In her haste, she didn't notice let alone realize that the intruder was already practically submitting to her brother. Walk, "Talk" Think

If Torin had been in a better mood he might have found the way the woman fumbled to prostrate herself before him amusing if not somewhat annoying if she was simply going to roll over at the first sign of consequences then why would she have even disrespected the boundaries in the first place? And while he was bemused by that he wasn't at all amused, mostly feeling a deep irritation. He had his family to think about now and not only had this woman blatantly ignored any clear boundaries, a sign of deep disrespect in his eyes, she'd wasted his time by doing so. He could have been snuggled up with Derecho right now and instead, he was here looking down at the awkward woman as she simply let him walk all over her. Never in his life had he thought any creature was pathetic but he considered that label for the woman right this moment. He wouldn't have many more thoughts about the woman as a red and black form bundled into her and Torin blinked, suddenly aware of his sister. He flinched away from her sudden appearance, then stepped forward to gently push his muzzle into his sister's shoulder, a gentle sign she could back off the intruder. Torin sighed and swung his gaze towards the stranger, a frown furrowing his brows but otherwise keeping his tumultuous thoughts from his face. "Lirim strives to provide a place of rest for the weary and a safe haven for anyone who needs it. However, it's usually expected that anyone looking for that respect our borders." He felt the growl rising in his tone. He narrowed his eyes at he looked at the gangly woman. "If you wish to ignore our boundaries so flagrantly than I'll give you a place to stay. You will henceforth be kept in Lirim as a Girvin, you will not be allowed to leave the pack lands and members will be told to keep an eye on you. Until such time you have proven yourself capable of respecting our authority, then you may be permitted to be a full member or leave as you see fit." He thought about it for a moment, he was loath to put the woman near his mate and their unborn pups but he also wanted to keep an eye on the woman himself. "You will be confined to the valley for the time being." He spoke with all the authority he could muster, watching the woman to see if she'd try to fight him on that, more than confident with his sister there to help back him up. "Silent Treatment" & Deep thoughts

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"Oooof..." Rags groaned, as out of nowhere an entirely new wolf barreled from out of sight and slammed into her side. She had already been on her back, but apparently these wolves took defending their homeland seriously. With a graceless tumble, she was rolled back into the pond from the force of Kairi's impact. A great splash sent up water all around. Luckily, although she was terribly uncoordinated, Rags was a passable swimmer. Something about the buoyancy of the water made it easier on her clumsy limbs. After a moment of being underwater, she managed to right herself and drag her soaking wet body up on to the shore. "I wasn't planning on going for a swim," she sputtered, spitting up some pond water. "Oh -" Rags said, pleasantly surprised that they were offering her a place to stay. Her tail, limp and wet, gave a little twitch, which was the best she could manage on a good day at wagging it. "Um... but what's a Girvin?" It sounded ugly, like a little worm. Although she was goofy and long-legged, Rags wasn't dumb. "I don't particularly like the idea of being confined, but if you insist," she said, rolling her wet shoulders in a shrug. "You can call me Rags, and I promise I won't be any trouble, as long as you don't go punting me off into any other bodies of water." The female sneezed, pond water burning out through her nose. If only she'd managed to catch that frog when she was so unceremoniously dumped into the water. "Speech" Think

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She had succeeded in knocking the stranger away and into the water. She hadn't meant for that to happen but maybe it was well deserved considering the circumstance. She stood there with her eyes on the intruder, noticing how the intruder was actually bigger than her but...seemingly very clumsy. She felt her brothers touch and she glanced at him, getting the hint that she could back down. She did. Reluctantly. She stepped back and settled at her brothers side, bi-colored gaze not leaving the other girl as she struggled out of the water. She felt a little bad she had almost drowned her, but she had to admit...it was also pretty funny. Her ear cocked to the side as her brother spoke, telling the stranger she could stay but as a girvin. Kairi couldn't help the small smirk that she tried and failed to hide, but hey, if this girl wanted to stay then that's where she'd start. Maybe she wouldn't have that position though if she had been smart and called for Torin like a normal person, but this girl was all around strange to her. And yet, the girl seemed...surprised she had been allowed to stay at all. "Consider yourself lucky," She warned. Though it was a hidden intent at trying to be threatening. It wasn't like they were going to tear her apart. The least they would do was probably run her off the lands if Torin had decided she wasn't welcome at all. "Um...but what's a Girvin?" Was she serious? didn't her brother just say what it meant? Or maybe she just didn't understand it enough...She wasn't sure. Kairi wasn't even sure how to explain it, really. She had gotten that rank for a while because she had been slacking, but this girl was a newcomer. How to explain it? "It's the lowest rank we have. Think of it like an Omega. Or better yet, a prisoner." A devious look entered her gaze. She knew prisoner isn't what it was considered, but maybe the term would scare the girl enough into learning that packs had rules, and trespassing was one such universal rule that shouldn't be broken. "I'll keep an eye on this weirdo," She said as she glanced at her brother. Finally, something was actually happening and probably something that would amuse her and keep her busy. "You can call me Rags, and I promise I won't be any trouble, as long as you don't go punting me off into any other bodies of water." She looked at the stranger again, a brow quirking up at the name. Rags? A strange name for a strange wolf. It was fitting. "I'll try not to, but no promises. You probably needed a bath anyway considering..." Okay, she wasn't going to finish that sentence. Torin probably wouldn't like that she thought the girl was super weird and strange and maybe "not all there" but who was she to judge that out loud? She had the feeling she would be in for some interesting days ahead with this woman... Walk, "Talk" Think