Zero Sanctuary [Open]

[[Copperyn]]

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[atrb=background,http://i55.tinypic.com/34xiyhs.png] The sky, vaulted above, was a dusky purple, resembling the hours just before dawn, or just prior to sunset. In reality, it was the time of deep winter when, even this far south, the sun skimmed and dipped below the horizon, the sky never fully growing light or dark. It was a stretch of days marked by perennial dawn, or sunset, or dusk - one could never really tell. Snowy earth glimmered slightly under the surreal lighting. To the north, the land grew flat, stretching toward the horizon, an endless expanse of snow. To the south, trees could be seen, their shapes casting dark shadows, contrasted by the thick piles of snow on their branches. Zatenya moved along the treeline, breath escaping her jaws in mist-like clouds. The female moved over the snow easily, her body lightweight enough that, despite her petite paws, she did not break through the layer of ice that topped the snow. Occasionally it would splinter beneath her weight, making a soft -crunching- sound, but these were rare, and for the most part she moved quietly, stopping occasionally at a tree or shrub or rock. The scent borders of Raekerin needed to be renewed, and frigid weather would do little to deter the alphess from the task at hand. A frown tugged at her lips for a moment before vanishing into the indifferent look she usually wore once again. Really, this should have been someone else's task. more and more of the everyday tasks of the pack were left to be split between fewer and fewer wolves. Their numbers would need to be bolstered if Raekerin were to remain strong, she knew, and it was her task to make sure this happened.

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[timber]

Alder moved slowly over the thick layer of snow. Big paws compensated for his size to some extent but with each step he still managed to leave a large imprint in the snow, making him even slower than usual. Thankfully he wasn’t the type to rush, he was happy just taking his time and taking in the Raekerin landscape. Although he may have appeared to be on a quiet stroll he did have a purpose for being in the territory.

So far all of the scent marks he had found were older and a little faded. He had hoped to come across some fresh ones that might lead him to the alphes. His wish was granted when he noticed a set of shallow tracks in the snow up ahead. When he got closer he noticed that one of the rocks nearby had been marked recently. He stopped and glanced around but the wolf that had left the mark had obviously moved on. He sighed to himself; he would have to run if he was going to ever catch up. He could tell by the tracks that the wolf was much lighter than himself and therefore probably faster.

It seemed impolite to howl and expect this other wolf to come to him, she was obviously busy marking the territory. There was a chance that it was the alpha herself doing the marking and it seemed especially wrong to expect her of all wolves to come to him. He would just have to try and catch up. The large male moved at a fair pace but found he was moving through the snow rather than over it as he crashed through the crust on the top with each heavy step. After around fifteen minutes of keeping up the pace he caught the female’s scent in the air and he knew she must have been close. He continued until he saw a canine figure ahead. He slowed to a walk as he got closer, not wanting to seem aggressive “Hello!” he called and his deep voice echoed off the trees and rocks.

[[Copperyn]]

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[atrb=background,http://i55.tinypic.com/34xiyhs.png] Zatenya halted, examining a carcass half-buried in the snow. A reindeer had fallen here, its skin stretched over bones like a canvas, little left of the creature to tell what had brought it down. The alphess circled it, studying the thing. If had been picked nearly clean by scavengers - ravens, mice, foxes - it showed the evidence of many visits. Still, something had killed it in the first place, and it hadn't been lowly carrion eaters. If it had brought down by wolves, she needed to know who - either someone was hunting along her borders without permission, or someone in her pack had kept a kill a secret. But no, there was a thick rime around its nose and mouth, and the scent of sickness hung there faintly. She wrinkled her nose, stepping away. A sound brought her head snapping up, and she turned, ears forward and eyes glinting. A dark-coated male was making his way toward her, furrowing through the snow under his own weight. She raised her tail and took another step away from the pile of frozen bones and skin, watching him. He didn't appear to be sick, or aggressive, so she waited as he approached, authority obvious in her calm, still stance. "Hello! He called, and Zatenya raised an eyebrow. It was a simple greeting, simpler than she usually heard. Not that that was a bad thing - spouting endless empty praises was a good way to get on her bad side quickly, and life stories were better saved for something besides first salutations. "Hello to you, stranger," She responded, voice cool. "What brings you to these borders?" She didn't bother to introduce herself yet - he hadn't offered his name, and it should be obvious that she was a wolf of high rank. No other information was necessary until he gave his reasons for being here.

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[timber]

Once the brute was close enough to carry on a conversation without raising his voice he stopped walking. The female’s stance gave away the fact that she was of a high rank, the aphess maybe? He would find out soon enough. He dipped his head respectfully as she spoke “I’m here to find the alphess. I’m hoping to gain acceptance to Raekerin” he explained. So far they shared in the fact that neither of them liked to beat around the bush with chit chat.

The strong odor of death was the next thing to grab Alder’s attention. He glanced over at the fallen caribou for only a moment, it was clearly too rancid to eat. He couldn’t help but think that it was a waste of good food but now wasn’t the time to be thinking of eating. His attention returned to Zatenya once more “My name is Alder.” he introduced himself. He stood with a relaxed, non-threatening posture, his tail dangled limp behind him, his ears were relaxed, there was nothing aggressive or menacing about him. He had a good feeling that he was talking to the pack leader but he would let her introduce herself rather than demanding to know who she was. For a wolf who had spent three years as a loner his manners were quite good.

[[Copperyn]]

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[atrb=background,http://i55.tinypic.com/34xiyhs.png] Here to find the alphess, then? Zatenya let the hint of a smile tease at the edge of her maw. Perhaps it was lucky that she was out marking borders today - this male's first impression of Raekerin would be of it's leader herself, for what it was worth. "You've found her, as luck would have it," she said, stepping past him, away from the carrion. She cocked her head and tipped her muzzle toward a spot a small distance away: an indication to follow. There was no reason to continue the encounter so close to the reindeer and it's stink. "I'm called Zatenya." She said as she walked, looking over her shoulder at him, her tail still high. He was a large beast, heavy-framed. Muscles bunched and stretched visibly as he walked, even beneath his heavy winter coat. Satisfied with both her examination of his movements and the smell in the air, she turned. "Raekerin is not a pack for the weak, or the lazy. All members besides pups, elders, and the injured are expected to spar and train often enough that they keep in top fighting shape." It was hardly an accustation - if her assessment was right, this male was neither weak nor lazy. Still, the alphess made it a point to inform all new recruits exactly how strict Raekerin could be. "What would you bring to my pack, Alder?" Some came with a preferred rank in mind, others did not.

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[timber]

A satisfied smile crossed the male’s black muzzle when the stranger identified herself as the pack leader and then continued on to introduce herself. Alder nodded to the lady’s gesture and followed her away from the dead animal to the spot she had pointed out. Once they were out of range of the creatures stink she turned to him once more and he stopped, listening to her speak. Now that they were acquainted he felt it would be acceptable to sit.

He listened closely as she explained her expectations for her pack members. There was a reason Alder had decided to join a pack after so many years of being a nomad. When he’d heard about Raekerin, and the dedication the pack had to strength he was immediately curious and now there he was looking for acceptance.

‘What would you bring to the pack Alder?’ That was a good question. “Well first of all I can assure you I’m neither lazy or a weakling. I may not be as quick on my feet as some others but I can use my size to my advantage when it is called for” he said to start. “I’m a good fighter and an excellent tracker. I can compose myself in a crisis and I can assure you that my feelings will not get in the way of my work, whatever that may be. It has been a long time since I have been a member of a pack and I likely would have stayed a loner had I not heard of this pack and its strength so you can assure I will remain dedicated to you and this pack” he spoke quick and to the point. He hoped his words would be satisfactory.

[[Copperyn]]

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[atrb=background,http://i55.tinypic.com/34xiyhs.png] She stood, listening, ears perked forward as he spoke. Her eyes were on him, though she made no particular attempt to meet his eyes. For him to meet her eyes would have been a sign of challenge, and she had no need to make him feel uncomfortable. His words came forth in a tumbling flood now, and she sifted them for what they were worth. His pledge of loyalty meant little - as far as she was concerned, it was something that would be seen over time. Still, it was a customary promise when joining a pack, and she was pleased to hear that he had chosen this pack for it's strength, not so that it might provide him shelter and a home over the winter months. The feats of fighting and tracking were evident enough - for a loner to not be thin and hungry, they were necessary skills. She took another moment to survey him, his frame and movements, before she spoke. "In Raekerin, our fighters are known as combatants - they are broken up into three classes. One for the strong, one for the fleet-footed, and one for the sly. You strike me as someone who would fit into the the first category." She was referring to the Wolverines, of course, but there was no need to use the military slang with a stranger. "Each group has it's own commander, and at the moment, I'm in need of a strong wolf to lead that regiment. If you truly can keep your head in a crisis, and don't mind the extra work, I think you'd do well in the role." Zatenya paused, studying his reaction to this. "If you're up to it, I'll assign you as commander provisionally. At our next pack meeting, I'll decide whether you've met my standards." It might have been a hard approach, but Zatenya preferred to see how her members handled important roles before trusting them fully, especially when the wolf concerned was a relative stranger to her.

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[timber]

He paid close attention as Zatenya described the military ranks of her pack. The system made sense, it was organized and focused on each wolf’s specific skills he could see how this would be an asset. The thought of being a part of such an army pleased him. His focus remained on the alpha as she explained how each group had its own commander. He nodded with a serious expression when she mentioned that she felt he would do well with the role of commander, inwardly he was overjoyed but he managed to keep his composure.

The fact that the rank was on a impermanent basis for the time being was understandable. He had fully expected to have to prove himself worthy to remain a member of Raekerin, even more so with such a high rank. He had expected to earn a rank as a fighter but commander was all the more desirable “I understand and it would be an honor to hold such a rank. Thank you” he said with a smirk. In a pack such as Raekerin he was sure to have plenty of competition for such a role but he would dedicate himself to keeping it.

So far he had a great deal of respect for the female, she seemed to be strong in both mind and body. At first the idea of a female leading such a powerful pack had been questionable in his mind but now that he had met her she seemed more than capable. “I won’t keep you if you have work to do” he told her. “Can I be of any help?” he asked as he got to his feet.

[[Copperyn]]

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[atrb=background,http://i55.tinypic.com/34xiyhs.png] "For now, I'd like you to familiarize yourself with the territory," she said. Knowing the layout here would be vital in any strategic planning he was to do, and as a loner, he'd have no prior knowledge of the lands. Marking the borders wasn't a job for two, especially when she'd already half-finished it herself. If the pack had cadets, their training would have also fallen among Alder's duties to the pack. However, there were no youths in Raekerin now. "Our main dens can be found in the great stone bowl near the forest to the south of here - it should be easy enough to locate. The stones are warm, and you're free to any of the caves that haven't already been claimed. Some have small streams or pools in them, others don't. I'd suggest not exploring too deeply - it's easy to become lost, and I won't be bothered to search for you until spring comes and your carcass begins to stink." The statement was half-joking, but her voice and face barely gave it away. Among Zatenya's many strong points, humor was not to be found. "The borders are marked, although they may be faint to the east. You're free to wander the loner lands as well, but avoid crossing into Fjordsong or Valkyr." She paused a moment, and then nodded in dismissal. "Raekerin shall be glad to have you, Alder." With that she moved off again, tawny-grey form moving lightly over the frozen snow-crust. The ice crystals glinted softly, deep purple against the indigo of the sky. On the opposite side of the sky from the sun, the horizon was darker, though never completely black. A few stars glimmered bravely, delighting in their short-lived victory over the sunlight.

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