Stranger in the Snow {Sofika}

[nightblood]

Frozen rain fell from an overcast of gray-white clouds and onto a winter landscape. NightBlood was familiar with the temperature. Below freezing, maybe in the twenties... the low twenties. The black-and-tan wolfess gave a great yawn, letting a cloud of silvery breath escape her muzzle. She gazed layzily southward, her right eye focusing on the clear boarder marks of a near by pack. The scratches were on the trees of a hill top only about fourty paces away.

NightBlood was two years old, nearly full grown. Red marks above her blood-colored eyes made her apear as if she were always awake. It was a great feature for warding off stealthy attackers. The fur on the back of her neck was always pushed forward as if she were in a constant rage and two horizontal scars on the left side of her face betrayed her blindness in her left eye. She didn't complain about either of her characteristics.

The young female was laying down on her left hip with her head up and forepaws forward toward the strange pack's border. She had just woken up and was now in a daze trying to organize her thoughts. A moment passed... now she remembered. She had been hunting a hare the day before. Successful, she wandered up here to rest and found the marks of a pack of wolves in the area. She had been looking for a decent pack to join since hunting without a pack made the task a bit harder. This group had only a few members. Perfect! She hated large numbers...

Hauling herself up, NightBlood forced a long stretch of her muscles and then padded to the top of the hill. She let lose a deep howl and sat down. A gust of wind blasted at her back, sending any loose fur into the pack lands. They'd know her scent. She was upwind of them. better to let them know she was there than to sneak up on them.

[Sofika]

Sofika watched without expression at the darkening sky and then titled her head to the left. The black wolfess was situated upon a very high rock which was rough, and crawling with plush moss. Slurry mud and patches of snow surrounded the chunk of boulder, and here and there paw prints were smeared into the muck from when the alphess had approached the stone of grey. Licking her lips, the she wolf turned her head and eyed the territory around her. Something, or someone, was close by, but who? Sniffing, the midnight coated one suspiciously inhaled the peculiar scent. Female... she whispered and leaped from her boulder gracefully. The hair that grew over her eyes so none could see them remained in a perfect position there, and her black fur billowed about her on her descent to the ground.

Landing softly on the ground, muddy water still rippled around her feet, staining her perfectly smooth fur. On her maw, two neon spots of blue glowered somewhat as she made her way into the dark forest. She had been simply sitting down, monitoring the land, taking note of who she saw and who she did not. There were some wolves, who Sofika had not came across in quite a while now, and she was becoming slightly worried of there whereabouts. Had the cold temperatures and bogged land been too much for them so hence they had died to disease or starvation? She would go in search of them... right after she investigated the female scent that wafted to her nostrils. Was this some sort of Sallin spy? Or just a wanderer wolf? Well, she'd soon find that out wouldn't she?

Sauntering to the borders, the alphess listened for the howl that echoed about her, and she followed the sound and the smell that persisted to come to her attention. Emerging onto the borderline, she shook her fur to rid it of leaves and twigs that had scraped onto her coat as she had clambered through bushes. There, only several feet away, stood a dark female, and a snort was of Sofika. Thrusting her tail into the air behind her, as well as her nose before her, she rushed over to the she wolf and eyed her suspiciously. Who was this wolf calling to the pack? And what exactly were her intentions. The borders were closed at the moment, but had she had not picked up on that? Maybe she sensed that they would soon be re opened and had arrived too early? Rolling her shoulders, the dark figure loomed towards the other and she parted wide her jaws to speak.

" You there, " she said in a very serious tone. " why do you stand before me on my land, calling to my pack? What are your intentions? "

[nightblood]

NightBlood snaped her head to the left. The alpha had come up on her blind side. She knew this black female was the alpha by the way she carried herself. Her tail was high in the hair and she held her head to match it. The only break in her midnight coat was two neon blue marks on her muzzle. A tuft of hair shielded her eyes. The corner of NightBlood's lips twitched in amusement and she snorted an approval. The alpha female was very clear in her demands.

" You there, " she said in a very serious tone. " why do you stand before me on my land, calling to my pack? What are your intentions? "

She answered the questions in order. "I sought someone to talk to," said nightBlood, "I wish to ask acceptance into your pack."

After she said her piece, she gave a shallow bow to the wolfess. As she rose she realized that this one was about two inches shorter than her... though some years older. She stood on long, thin legs and had a narrow body. NightBlood recognized the form of Timber Wolf. She was greatly opposite to her own muscular Artic/Gray Wolf body. She looked almost frail... but she wouldn't under estimate an alpha. She probably had speed twice her own.

"May I ask the name of your pack?"

[Sofika]

Sofika flickered her ears and had them sway back and forth on her head. This curious female had spun so quickly that any other may have strained a neck muscle or two. Cocking a brow, even though it was hidden by her veil of fur, the alphess pondered this one. The female seeks acceptance? Just as she thought. A smirk flashed across her maw but faded instantly she regained a serious look on her features. She was not one to fool around. Every decision that was made had an effect of some kind. So, observing the she wolf, she opened her powerful jaws slightly to give her the answer she saught.

" My pack name is Arnlan. Surely, one residing in this region would know of this pack. Why do you wish to join what you do not know? " dipping her maw, a snort blurted from her leathery nose and she wrinkled it in dismay. The alphess grabbed at the mud beneath her paws, coming to possible conclusions as to why this female that stood before her did not know that it was Arnlan that reigned this territory. Maybe she was not from around here. Rolling her shoulders she disregarded the question in mind and made a swift circle of the wolf. Her height and build were noted, but Sofika was unafraid.

Regaining her position in front of her, her spots may have seemed the only thing in front of Nightblood, because the rest of her form blended with the shadows of Arnlan behind her. The black trees appeared to be crawling out to wards the two, and the shadows loomed dangerously over the border. The wind was slowly stripping the branches of their dark leaves, and it sent them spiraling onto the marshy ground. The temperatures were dropping each day. The pack could do with some more wolves, incase any members fell ill and died during the winter. Sofika smirked and watched the wolf. She would see in time if she was fit for Arnlan.

[nightblood]

" My pack name is Arnlan. Surely, one residing in this region would know of this pack. Why do you wish to join what you do not know? "

Arnlan... NightBlood dug thru her mind for its meaning as the Alpha circled her, but could not place it. Defeated, she recited the reason why she had not heard of the pack. "Others seem to be... intimidated by me. No one has crossed my path so that I might gain information from them. As for why I wish to join, it is simply a matter of my hunting abilities. I do fine on my own, but It takes more than rabbits to sustain me. Hunting large game proves difficult, though not impossible, for a loner."

As the alpha stoped in front of the forest, it's shadows seemed to swallow her. Her raven black fur blended beautifully with the ebony trees behind her. NightBlood flicked her right ear as another gust of wind blew a snowflake into it. That made her refocus as she awaited the alpha's responce.

[Sofika]

This female was great of build and looked strong, so it was no surprise to Sofika that no loner wished to steer in her direction. You could never be to careful in this region. The place was crawling with big bad wolfies snatching the game from the weaker, recessive wolves out there. The scent that had come to Sofika had suggested that this was not a straggler approaching the border. That was why she had come instead of allowing another to find her first. Shaking her head slightly, Sofika listened carefully, nodded and then proceeded to speak to the female.

" So you want our food? Would it displease you to know that the wolves of this pack practically live on the creature that does not content you? "

Smirking, the alpha stretched forth her legs, and grabbed at the ground and then rose again and licked her lips. She was not afraid of the female wolf, and so acted in this way because she was relaxed. Tense was she not, because her speed was un matchable, and even though one should not underestimate the abilities of others, she never underestimated. One would think that she thought she was the perfect specimen of wolf, small, speedy yet powerful force. But she was not here to bring the other down, she was here to evaluate the others abilities.

Considering many things, Sofika was concluding that this one would be a valuable wolf to the pack, maybe. Strong, obedient, just what the pack needed. The alpha was constantly irritated by most of the newer wolves because they kissed the ground on which she walked, always sucking up to her. They were intimidated by her she knew, scared of facing her unknown wrath. But this one. Sofika doubted that she would be like them. A smile flashed on her face.

[nightblood]

" So you want our food? Would it displease you to know that the wolves of this pack practically live on the creature that does not content you? "

NightBlood gave a snif and sat down, wraping her tail around her hind leg. "Then another hunter should improve productivty, huh?" she asked as the alphess stretched to show her relaxed state. She revealed herself to be at ease as well with her statement. She grined when she saw the smile on the Arnlan leader's face.

This was one of the few who didn't show hostility or fear toward her. The first two wolves she had ever seen during the first few months of her wanderings were know dead. The cause being the fact that they had attacked her and maimed her. One cut the vein in her left ear, leaving it to hang while she was not fully alert, which was only while she was sleeping. The other had ripped his claws thru her left eye, causing her blindness. They were probably skeletons by now, pecked clean by buzzards and vermine.

She liked this alpha. She knew her abilities well and respected others enough not to underestimate them. If this was the leader, then the rest of the Arnlan members must be just her kind of wolves. And to think she was about to mearly pass this pack up. NightBlood flicked her tail in amusment toward her own foolishness and waited for the Arnlan alpha to speak.

[Sofika]

Sofika deliberately ignored the last statement from the female. She believed that another hunter would only help run the food store and ensure that all the meat was fresh for those who required help when it came to hunting. Other than that, the members of the pack were expected to be able to hunt and feed themselves. Pups, and injured ones only, where to use the food store, and so Arnlan only had one official hunter at this time. Flicking her ears, she watched the female for a moment as she sat down, following her motions with her nose which tingled with the outsiders' scent.

" What is your name, " she said in a sharp yet soft tone of voice. Droplet of rain continued to fall, changing from the snow to water as it neared the land. The patch of snow only strides away from the the two had prints of the pack across it from earlier work and play. " In what way do you reckon you could be of any use to us? " Despite the borders being closed, Sofika was willing to accept this female into Arnlan. She dared not think of allowing her to pass them by and be taken in by Sallin. This one, thought the alpha, may end up a powerful opposition.

She had noted the fact that the female was blind, and that she had a torn ear. Her eye, she could see from careful observation that it was no use to her, and that was the reason why she had spun around so swiftly when the alpha had approached. That was one apparent downfall, but surely, if loner wolves such as the ones in the region were afraid to approach her, then there was a strong impression of dominance and strength emitting from her. Sighing, Sofika awaited a reply, and shook herself clean of the beads of water that had clung to her plush pelt.

[nightblood]

" What is your name, " she said in a sharp yet soft tone of voice, " In what way do you reckon you could be of any use to us? "

She considered it for a moment while the Arnlan leader shook off the water the had accumulated on her fur. She rarely gave her name to anyone, but seeing that this one was an Alpha, she thought it best to obey the request. "My name is NightBlood," she answered, "And I believe your pack can benefit from my strength and cunning. Although, you probably hear that all the time."

Her thoughts floated back to the time when she was a pup. Her father had made it clear that he wanted her to be a fighter, even though she was destined at the time to be alpha after he and his mate departed. He would play fight with her when the other pups wouldn't. He would fall on top of her and make her fight her way up. Much to the dissaproval of her mother, NightBlood was becoming less and less feminine by the day.

It was thanks to her father that other wolves were wary of her at first glance. She smiled at the thought of him, wishing silently that he was still alive. Realizing that she was now looking at the snowy white ground, NightBlood redirected her attention to the alpha. "May I ask your name?"

[Sofika]

Nightblood. Sofika repeated the name in her head several times once the female had finished speaking and had requested to know her name. She agreed that the pack would benefit from having her, and she was grateful that she had come looking for acceptance in here instead of elsewhere. Smirking, the alpha moved towards the female and stared at her eyes. Her veil of fur remained over her own, but her neon spots of blue seemed to shimmer slightly.

" I agree, that you would benefit us Nightblood. "

Sofika turned around and padded swiftly towards the dark trees. The shadows enveloped her body and it was only when she pivoted to respond to the female, that her position would be noticeable from her dotted maw. A smile rolled on her lips and she bucked back her head into a long howl. She was calling to the pack, announcing to them that they had a new wolf amongst them.

" My name is Sofika, alpha female of Arnlan. Karolek, my brother, is the alpha male of the wolves residing here. Welcome to Arnlan, Nightblood. "

All the wolves accepted by Sofika may have felt slightly burdened because there was always high expectations for them. Perhaps that was the impression put upon them from the black one, but that was just her way. She was very serious and rational when it came to decisions whereas her brother was more laid back and reckless. Her face then suddenly turned expressionless and her watch was on the female for her to come forth and join her and the others of the land.

[nightblood]

NightBlood's ear flicked as Arnlan's leader took a few steps toward her. No one had ever dared get that close to her since she had left her old pack. She was bold.

" I agree, that you would benefit us Nightblood. "

She gave a swift grin that just as suddenly dissapeared. The Alpha female had given a knowing smile. That was it. She knew she was in as she howled to her pack.

" My name is Sofika, alpha female of Arnlan. Karolek, my brother, is the alpha male of the wolves residing here. Welcome to Arnlan, Nightblood. "

Sofika... Karolek... She liked both names and quickly stored them in her mind. She would have to know everyone's name by heart eventually. "Thank you, Lady Sofika."

She got up, shook the snow from her fur, and trotted after the glowing blue dots: all she could see of Sofika as she entered the shadows once more. She looked thru the ebony trees and into the inards of the forest. Almost nothing but darkness. All the better. NightBlood didn't like bright sunlight that much.