On Patrol (Open for lone wolf acceptance)

Blitz had woken early that morning, rising before the sun to set out on a patrol of the Northern Ridge. It was typical of him to patrol, however, never this early. But something told him that he should today, so he got up early, stretching as he yawned, and headed out towards the border. He reached it rather quickly, his eyes scanning the ridge carefully. There was no sign of life, but he had to be careful. The ridge provided plenty of hiding places for those hoping to escape pack eyes, and he often had to investigate to make sure that his pack borders were safe. Generally the spirits protected the pack lands, but it was up to Blitz to physically fight off intruders that had intentions of overthrowing him.

But today everything seemed rather calm, with no sign of life nor of movement. So he sighed softly, slightly disappointed in the turn out. He had hoped there would be at least one wolf here to greet, maybe even accept into the pack. The burning desire to fulfil the spirit pup's request filled him until he nearly burst with frustration. It had been at least two years since he had found the pup in the meadow. She had promised him that he would see her soon, yet the longer he failed to do as she requested, the longer he had to wait to see her again. He growled in frustration, kicking a small stone down the side of the ridge as he sat, contemplating the severity of his situation and the frustration it caused him.

'How do I manage to always stumble upon such lovely land,' growled the long-legged wolf to himself as he lithely, yet agitatedly, made his way over the loose, rocky outcropping. All he could see were rocks and cliffs and a long climb ahead of him. Pausing for a brief moment to scope out his path up the rugged hillside, the red-hued wolf wondered if this trek was worthwhile. He didn't really need to leave his former clan behind, did he? But even as the ridiculous question entered his head, it started to vanish. No, Inferno wanted more than what his old pack could offer. There had to be other wolves who weren't afraid to fight for what they wanted, to have the strength to stand up to a challenge. Inferno had not been able to change his cowardly, weak-hearted pack, so he was seeking out wolves just the opposite of those he'd had to grow up with. It didn't even matter that the wolf would be entering into any new pack at the lowest rank, almost a complete reverse of his placement before. But trying to lead sickly pups was a worse experience, he was sure, than anything that could come from his current endeavor.

Finally, the lean wolf crested the tall ridge, finding himself surrounded by even more stones, but the hope of trees in the distance called him forward. The wolf loped onward, scenting the air for any sign of another candid. Eventually, the sign came. It was sudden and surprisingly strong, especially as it was just the scent of one wolf. 'What's a loner doing marking territory?' thought the rust and copper-toned wolf, suddenly intrigued and suspicious that there were others around. Not taking a chance on getting caught trespassing by an entire pack, the wolf lifted his head and sent out a howl, announcing his presence in as non-threatening a way as possible without sounding afraid. He wasn't here to encroach on another's land, but he wasn't sure yet if he were asking permission to pass through. Curiosity, mainly for the one wolf who felt the need to mark such desolate land, was the instigator in this case.

Suddenly Blitz was greeted with an unfamiliar scent, one that nearly smacked him in the face. His ears perked curiously as his eyes searched the ridge, hoping to find the source of the scent. After what seemed like several moments, he spotted the other male. But not seconds after her spotted the wolf did he hear the howl. Even though he was within his sight, Blitz lifted his nose, releasing his own howl of welcome into the sky. Seconds later his eyes lowered to fall upon the male's form once more. He remained standing now, watching the male silently as he waited for him to approach. He stepped back slightly, giving the other wolf room to come to the top of the ridge where there was secure footing, something he was sure the newcomer would be grateful for.

He couldn't tell if this wolf was very interested in joining, or even passing through, but he was willing to listen to him at least. The white male's eyes remained trained upon the form of the approaching wolf, studying his movements carefully, hoping to predict his movements and behaviors. Blitz's hopes rose slightly at the prospect of a possible new member, but he refused to get his hopes up too much. He couldn't stand getting disappointed too much right now.

The wolf pricked his ears at the near-by response to his howl. His gaze following the direction of his ears, Inferno was able to spot the answering wolf. It wasn't entirely difficult, considering the other wolf was big and completely white.

After a moment spent carefully eyeing the wolf and the surrounding area, the copper-colored wolf accepted the white wolf's movements to be more on the side of neutral and curious than threatening, and so Inferno made his way over to the other male, nodding his head in acknowledgement and gratitude for the space he was given. How wonderful solid, flat ground felt!

As he was the newcomer, the long-legged male figured he should introduce himself first, since the white wolf really owed him no explanation. "Do you live alone here?" was what Inferno ended up asking. Just because he figured he should have introduced himself didn't mean he would end up acting on it. Sometimes his mouth was faster than his brain. Fortunately, it was only sometimes.

Blitz watched the male carefully as he approached, studying his movements and calculating what he should expect from such a male. Soon the other wolf came to a stop and spoke, surprising the alpha at his words. He had expected at least an introduction, but instead he got a question. But the large white wolf only smiled, his ears flicking backwards in only slight annoyance at the question he was asked. It was not annoyance at the newcomer, but annoyance at the fact that he truly did live in Silverlight alone. Even the spirits had seemingly abandonded him.

"Yes, I live here alone. I am building a pack in these lands. Unfortunately the growth has been difficult. Not many wolves pass by these lands on their travels."

He said, sitting down and letting his bushy white tail rest beside him. His ears perked curiously as he studied the other male's face, making mental notes of distinguishing features to remember him by. But soon he took a deep breath, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly before exhailing. After a few more moments of thought, he opened his mouth once more to speak.

"My name is Blitzen, alpha male of Silverlight, or the lands you see behind me."

He said, gesturing to the territory behind where he sat. He hoped that this male wouldn't pick a fight over the land, for then the spirits would truly be angry with him. And well, he couldn't afford to anger the spirits any more than he already had with his failure. But he forced himself to keep trying, to never give up. So he remained sitting by the new male, his tail flicking slightly every once in a while as he waited for some type of response from the lone wolf in front of him.

Inferno was usually quite suspicious of stranger wolves, but Blitz had happened to perfectly state facts that the steppe wolf couldn't help but believe, such as 'unfortunately the growth has been difficult'. 'No kidding,' thought Inferno, 'you're the only one here!'

Turning his head to look behind him at the steep ridge that had to be crossed to reach the pack lands, the wolf responded, "I feel many wolves pass by, but just, down there." He nodded to the base of the ridge, considerably less rocky and treacherous. He now had burning questions for this wolf, but his head was taking over again - there were other issues he had to address first. "My name's Inferno, and I'm looking for a pack," he introduced himself, sitting down as well and narrowing his eyes slightly in a questioning look as he added, "Why have you chosen to build a pack /here/. Obviously, you've gathered how tremendously difficult it is for anyone to get up here..."

Blitz smiled as the male spoke once more, stating his name and saying that he was looking for a pack. His eyes studied those of the other male for several moments, determining whether or not his words were sincere. Soon , however, he was greeted with a question from the male, asking why he had chosen these lands to start a pack on. He sighed, thinking back to the encounter with the spirit pup.

"Well, to be honest when I first came here, I had no intention of starting a pack. The thoughts going through your head about this place were the same as the ones running through mine. This place was beautiful, sure, once you got passed the ridge. But how could a pack gain members when no one can get there?"

He said, looking down the ridge, his eyes filled with frustration as they surveyed the dangerous and difficult terrain. A large part of him hoped to see another wolf approaching, longing to see the wolves that Inferno assumed passed by frequently. But no, he was greeted with only the ridge and abandoned land below. Soon his eyes returned to Inferno's form.

"There's a meadow, within these lands, filled with flowers and tall grass. I happened to reach it just as night fell. When I approached the center of the meadow, the moonlight shone over my back and onto a tiny furry form in the center. I just thought it was some sort of dead prey animal, but as I got closer, the form lifted it's head. It was a wolf pup, with all white eyes that seemed to burn through me. Then she spoke. Her voice was beautiful, and not that of a pup, but an angel. She told me to start a pack here, to teach the wolves to respect the spirits that helped these land grow and flourish. But I regret to say thusfar, I have failed at fulfilling the spirit's wishes."

He said, his ears flicking backwards as he finished. But as he took a deep breath, he calmed himself, watching the newcomer once more. His eyes searched Inferno's for some sort of reaction, expecting him to laugh or mock him. After all, who could believe his story? And why would they want to join anyways, after he had failed thusfar?

Inferno silently, thoroughly studied the face of the white alpha, searching for the clue to prove that he was lying. But there was none; on the contrary, every emotion that crossed Blitz's face blazed with sincerity. The auburn wolf twitched an ear, still wary, trying to find a reason why Blitz would compose such an unbelievable story.

Finally finished surveying the wolf in front of him, Inferno dipped his head. He was going to trust Blitz - nothing else fit. "It sounds like there's a purpose to be fulfilled here, and - if you would allow me - I would like to join you." There was no way that Inferno was going to call this a 'pack' yet, but what Blitz was trying to do, and why, intrigued him. It was a challenge and a mission - two things that the wolf couldn't resist.

Blitz could tell that Inferno didn't truly believe his story was true, he studied his face for far too long, most likely looking for any sign that he was lying. But he had told the truth, and after several moments the newcomer seemed to trust him. He smiled as he heard Inferno speak, his tail wagging slightly as he rose to his feet, dipping his head gratefully and in a welcoming manner. He smiled at the new male, grateful and excited that he would now have a companion in these lonely pack lands, even though he could tell that Inferno had yet to consider it a pack. Unfortunately, Blitz had to agree.

"Welcome to Silverlight, Inferno. I am grateful to have a companion, these lands get quite lonely when the spirits turn away from you."

He said, glancing back in the direction of the meadow. He had gone there every night for the past couple years, hoping for just a glimps of the spirit who had given him the responsibility of Silverlight. But every night he was met with only an empty meadow and moonlight. There was more than just the spirit in the meadow that first night he had arrived, there had been a feeling of awe and wonderful beauty. But now the meadow was simply flowers and grass, seemingly emotionless as it sat there in the absence of the spirits. The lands were dying, suffering in the spirits' absence. Without wolves in the lands, the spirits could not survive. It was Blitz's job to build a pack, and to return the spirits to their once flourishing home.

Inferno nodded his head in return, rising to his feet and waving his tail. 'Silverlight...what a fitting name.' The wolf's gaze followed Blitz's, and he wondered what it was the white wolf, his new alpha, was thinking. Sometime soon he'd figure it out - this place was a mystery that was waiting to be solved and shared, and the auburn steppe wolf was eager to help Blitz figure out how to make this land thrive...though he had a long way to go until he was even close to understanding what exactly the "spirits" had to do with anything. But he was confident that the white wolf would share everything soon. This place, as Inferno looked deeper into the territory, was beautiful in a secretive way, as if the land was waiting for its cue to emerge into its full glory. And there was most definitely a potential for glory here.

While Inferno was still caught up in examining the almost eerie land, another wolf was making her way toward Silverlight. Indiscernible bits of a grumbling chatter echoed lightly off the rocks of the ridge, making their way up to the ears of the two males on the top of the ridge in boughts of sharp sound. The male's ears twitched back as the first unexpected sound reached him. Quickly turning his head to stare down the steep rocky slope, Inferno began to pick up the added clamor of clacking rocks, like the sound of stones rolling over each other as paws trod on top of them. He shot a quick glance at Blitz before returning his gaze, ears pricked forward intently, to the red and black wolfess trudging grumpily through the rocks parallel to the cliff-like ridge that that was Silverlight's border.

Blitz smiled as he watched Inferno study the lands behind him. But he had to admit, no matter how gloomy the lands seemed before, this was a step toward them becoming what they once were when the spirits reigned in Silverlight. But soon his thoughts were interrupted by sounds of another approaching, obviously an agitated wolf, most likely because of the ridge. The white male could not contemplate why so many wolves entered through the ridge, since it was one of the hardest ways to enter the lands. But then again, the rapids were deadly, the mountain was unpassable, and the forest was so dense any wolf could get lost in it forever.

But the difficult to enter borders protected the lands from attack, something Blitz had to admit that he was grateful for. He would not need to worry about humans invading, nor other wolf packs. From the outside, Silverlight did not seem like it was worth battling the deadly terrain just to gain control of it. But once inside the lands, nothing seemed more important to Blitz but staying within them and protecting them. He sighed softly as he thought, but then his eyes were drawn towards the figure of a female wolf approaching, and Inferno's glance back at him. Within seconds he released a short, deep howl in her direction, announcing his presence and claim of the territory.

The red female stopped suddenly and pricked her ears at the howl. She whipped her head up the ridge, toward the sound, and involuntarily raised her hackles as she spotted the two males looking down at her. Was she surrounded? Had she honestly trespassed?

Fallon did not possess the involuntary instinct to run when confronted (and this had caused her problems in the past), but in this case, as she stood frozen, defensive at the bottom of the ridge, it allowed her to really get a good look at who had sent out the call. The wolf was white and big and accompanied by another tall, though more lanky, copper-colored male. And they were standing on the top of essentially a cliff. Now curiosity was gnawing at her...why were they /there/?

Still huffy and feeling antagonized by the horrid sharp, loose, rolling stones under her feet, the female called up to the two males, mainly addressing the white one who had howled, "What?! Don't tell me you own this wretched rock pile." Growling at the possibility of a fight, the possibility of dying, and the possibility that, after all that had happened, she didn't care, Fallon kicked at a rock with one of her hind feet. She was hungry, hot, and thirsty, and she couldn't believe that she was having to waste time talking to these two!

Blitz was mildly amused by the female's lack of anger control, but he didn't let it show. He watched her study them with obvious frustration and finally her call echoed in his ears, making him chuckle softly. His own call responded, stating that yes, it was his land, and that the terrain was much less difficult once she reached their side of the cliff. There was also a patient, welcoming tone in his howl. He then sat, watching for her reaction as she looked up at them. It was obvious that she had some sort of anger problem, but he always did his best to see the good in others. Which is what he had done when he had first seen Chaos, their little violent female packmate. But even with her in the pack, Blitz had felt lonely. Chaos rarely showed herself, and to Blitz, it was like being the sole member of the pack, not part of a pack with two members. But now he had Inferno, and possibly this new female, who seemed a bit less angry than Chaos had been when he had first met her.

Fallon listened intently in silence to Blitz's reply. Her angry expression softened slightly as she focused her energy into deciding if it would be worth the climb to get to the other side of the cliff, where the terrain was better. Another came with that option, though, aside from the treacherous crossing: the pack. The tone in the white wolf's howl was unmistakable; he was welcoming her. To the pack? Her first reaction to this was that he was desperate, for she had been anything but comely in all aspects, and yet she could take a place in this pack, possibly. Well, that was what she had been looking for when she'd started this journey, left her old pack...how unfortunate that frustration and the hardship of being alone had caused her to almost forget her purpose. With this in mind, she began her trek up the ridge for the chance to find out if this was what she really wanted.

Meanwhile, Inferno had turned his head toward Blitz to give him a questioning look. If he had known the white wolf better, the look could have been chiding, but the copper-colored male controlled his criticism and disapproval - it was not his place here, now. Inferno was quickly coming to a sense of the kind of wolf Blitz was, and it was turning out that the two males were quite different. Sure, Inferno was pretty fair and friendly, but he was also skeptical and required more than a two-second look-over before accepting anyone. But then, Blitz had done this exact same patient, calm acceptance deal with Inferno, so it shouldn't have surprised the wolf so to see it happen again.

Finally, Fallon made it up the ridge. Panting and shaken from having slipped twice on the way up, the female made her way to stand before the white male. She was too tired now to make much of a fight anymore, but her eyes still blazed with pride - since she had nothing else at the moment - as she told him, "My name is Fallon."

Blitz could see in the female's face that he had surprised her, and he did not let the surprised and disapproving glance from Inferno go unnoticed. But he brushed both aside, remaining where he was as the female began her climb. It was quite impressive how she made her way up the cliff, showing that she truly was curious about Silverlight. Of course, Blitz was no fool, he had not accepted or welcomed her into the pack, he had merely welcomed her to the border for a conversation. Once she arrived they would see how things played out. But for now, the lone female made her way up the ridge as a rogue. His ears flicked backwards slightly in mild annoyance as he spotted Inferno's remaining disapproval, but he said nothing. It was not the new male's choice to make. Once the female arrived, panting and seemingly too tired to fight, Blitz smiled, dipping his head in a slight greeting as she stated her name.

"Hello, Miss Fallon. My name is Blitzen, and this is my newest pack member, Inferno."

He said, gesturing to the male that remained beside him as he addressed the female. The male beside him was a great asset to the pack, but he had yet to prove himself and gain a higher position than new member in Blitz's mind. But soon his attention was back on the newcomer, his head held high and his eyes studying her face. What was her purpose here? He could see in her eyes that she didn't even know. But maybe now that she saw the lands, met the inhabitants, and finished her trek up the cliff, she would be able to organize her thoughts and desires. But that was not Blitz's choice to make, it was her's. So he remained sitting, head held high and ears perked as he waited for her to speak and state her purpose in his lands.

Fallon, lonely and exhausted from much traveling, almost fell in love with Blitz when he smiled at her. Her former frustration and irritation melted away rather quickly with the discovery of not only /friendly/ wolves who didn't want to tear her skin off for entering their territory, but also with the discovery of such a beautiful territory. The female had not expected anything near what she had seen from her brief glance around as she eyed both males. She was almost sold on this being home...

"Hello, Blitzen," she greeted him in return before giving Inferno a nod, as she was still a bit too out of breath for more words. Inferno, still standing and watching her with somber contemplation, dipped his head slowly in return, starting to feel a bit more at ease with her. At least her fire seemed to have died down a bit, so she was less likely to try anything, and if she did, he was now certain that it would be easy for either he or Blitz to challenge her.

After taking another moment to catch her breath completely, Fallon stood up straighter and looked at Blitz. Flicking her ears back to show her submission, in spite of her rather liberal stance, the female asked with a hopeful smile, "May I join this pack?" Her yellow-green eyes flicked between the two wolves of the "pack" before continuing, "I've been looking for a pack like this..." Kind, welcoming, male... "and can't imagine having to leave and travel again." Her ears hugged her skull and her face twisted into a displeased grimace as she looked away and considered her past journey and the idea of having to continue on it. Redirecting her gaze back up to the white wolf's face she ended, "I really would be so grateful if you would let me join."

Blitz was glad to see her relax as she looked around, seemingly amazed by the beauty of Silverlight. Oh, if she only knew what it had been like before the spirits had disappeared. He thought, his mind wandering back to his first journey to the packlands. But soon he focused back on Fallon, his ears erected as he listened to her words. Another smile crossed his muzzle and his tail waved slightly behind him, obviously excited. But there was something hesitant about his body language, making it clear that he was unsure of welcoming a new member that he knew nothing about. But hadn't he done that with Inferno? His eyes studied her, as if he were trying to see her very soul through her eyes. Was she trustworthy? Would she help or hurt the pack? Then again, the pack only consisted of three members. What was the harm in accepting her?

His mind raced for several moments before he curled his tail around his paws while he sat, tilting his head curiously to the side. He had decided how he would determine whether or not to accept her. But first he wanted to make sure Inferno felt comfortable around her. He glanced over at the male beside him, who seemed more interested in the new female than uncomfortable. He smiled, looking back at Fallon curiously.

"Miss Fallon, if I were to accept you into Silverlight, what position would you want to be placed in and why?"

He asked, cocking his head slightly to the left as he spoke, his ears perked and waiting for her reply. If this female had no talents, he would never figure out where to put her. But he would wait for her to speak before he put any judgemenent on her. He wasn't like that, hell, he had accepted Chaos into their pack. But that had proved to be a good thing, no matter how hostile and solitary she was. But Chaos was not the new wolf now, it was Fallon, and he brought his mind back to the present, his eyes staring straight at her and waiting for her response.

Fallon smiled at Blitz's question. Her tail waved behind her as she answered enthusiastically (angry or happy, it always was intense with her), "If you were to accept me into this pack, I would want you to place me wherever I am most needed," she continued with a confident look, "because I can do anything." And it wasn't a lie. Sure, she could do certain things /better/ than other, such as hunting over fighting, but overall, she knew that she would work hard and make herself fit any job given to her. The way she held herself and the way she expressed herself probably said that much louder than her bold words. She just wanted to be in this pack; she would do whatever she needed to.

Blitz's ears pinned backwards slightly as she spoke boldly. He wasn't all too happy about her seemingly conceited behavior, but he did his best to see it in a positive light. After a few moments of thought, he turned to Inferno curiously. He wanted to know what the male thought. He had already conceived a seemingly acceptable solution to the problem he was faced with, but he wanted to hear from his most recent member. The opinions of his pack mattered greatly to him, and he wanted both Inferno and this female to know that and understand it clearly.

((Pack continued - with time lapse: https://incendio.rpg-board.net/t46-forbidden-access-open#274 ))