A will to survive [Acceptance]

[sarhea]

The bitter cold of the winter night was enough to send any sane creature to the warth of its den. The moon shown brightly from the heavens, illuminating everything that ventured out into the open. There was not much movement this cold night, only the movement of the trees and other vegitation as the breeze gusted across the land.

The ice blue eyes of a dark creature stared out from the hidden shadows of the thick brush, taking inventory of the surrounding area. She was slowly chilling to the bone, but a strange strength from within kept the female wolf's mind focused on checking the safetly of her surroundings. She was thin, her shaggy dark gray pelt streched over her frame, bones showing through. She could not remember anything about her life before the past 4 months. The only memories she carried with her now where of the kind stranger who'd she awayken to find taking care of wounds she didn't know how she'd recieved.

A sharp pain from her left shoulder reminded her of that day every day. Though the deep wound was healed over, the damage that had been done had left her with a forever limp, and in cold weather like this, it was a very painful reminder. She shifted her position ever so slightly as to loosen up her cold joints. She thought back to that day, the first day that she could remember....Kia was the old wolf's name. She had not been well, but had taken care of her all the same. There had not been much food, hence the dark female's sad condition at present.

Kia had aked her name....she didn't know....just rembered the wind...that strong wind and then nothing.....So Wind she had been dubbed.

Wind's sensitive nose attempted to taste the breeze, but the sheer cold of the night froze even her poor nose, keeping any scents from reaching it, freezing even the tiniest bit of moisture. She had to get moving or she'd freeze to death. Wind silently stood, and began moving as stealthly as she could, ignoring the pain in her shoulder, sticking to the shadows of the brush where she blended in perfectly. She had to find food, find shelter and hopefully not find any vicious inhabitants. She would not be able to defend herself well in her half starved condition....

The strength from the unknown source pushed her on, willing her to survive....

[Sofika]

Concealed in the shadows cast by two large trees, a dark one slumbered. Protected by the thorns of the bushes all round her, she had chosen here to take a rest. The night had been long, and a bitter one at that. The coldness of the air had slowly sipped away at her strength until she found herself lying here, but not quite exhausted. Peacefully she lay, with her ears flat on her head and her tail curled around her side for extra warmth. Her neon spots of blue did not give away her position, for they were covered by the long fur that grew over her face.

A faint rustling sound awakened Sofika.

Rising quickly to her feet, she stretched a little to relieve her muscles and then she crouched and peeped out of one of the few gaps in the bushes. Cautiously she looked around. The movements did not sound familiar, not at all. So it must be a trespasser. A spy, assassin or simple wolf who got lost in their travels, no matter what she would take no chances, and it was then she leaped out of her hide place. Shaking her soft pelt, Sofika waited momentarily before moving forward, listening intently for anymore of those sounds. Where were they coming from?

As she made a stealthily way across the pack lands in the keep of the shadows, she happened to come across an unfamiliar figure, with bright blue ears which made her duck down behind the trees. She appeared not to have noticed her, and so once a safe distance was made by the other walking away, Sofika carefully followed after her, wondering what her game was. Was she lost? Or was she looking for something. Or was it someone? A low growl escaped her lips, which she could not suppress, and she thought she blew her cover, so ran at the female.

As she neared close to Wind, she noticed how rough her pelt looked, and how gaunt her figure was. Just as she was about to leap onto the others back and take her by half surprise, she veered around her and halted her in her path. Angry growls escaped her wrinkling lips, and she flicked her tail angrily behind her. " Who are you, and what are you doing in these lands? " she growled. What harm could such a weak looking female like that do to Sofika? Nothing much, she thought to herself and eyed her cautiously.

[sarhea]

Wind paused, her black ears swiveling....had she heard something? The gusty breeze caused the trees to sway, rustling their leaves, but this sound had been different. She stood rigid and still....the sound was coming....before she knew it, a snarl came from behind, and before she could turn her cold joints to face whatever it was, a dark figure hit the cold earth beside her and came to rest before her.

Wind had been caught by surprise and off guard. What was that snarling before her! She could see no eyes in the shadows, only unnatural glowing blue spots on what appeared to be the creatures muzzle. Her physical senses screamed to retreat, but something from deep within caused her to stay put.

" Who are you, and what are you doing in these lands?

As the creature spoke, snarling at her, Wind was able to distinguish the form of a wolf. She was about Wind's height, and in much better health. She carried herself with much authority, and obviously held an important position. 'Show her respect!' her subconscious demanded. Wind lowered herself to the ground, her ears back and looked up to the female who's eyes could not be seen.

"I'm sorry I have found myself on your lands this night. I am Wind, and i do not mean to trespass. I have been traveling in search of a safe place to recover from my injuries, and got caught out in this freezing weather. I did not know where I was," she said, looking at the ground at the other's paws. From the way this female carried herself, she could very well be this land's alpha, which she knew either meant she would die this night or maybe finally find a place she could heal, and maybe even a place to call home....

[Sofika]

It's the same everytime, thinks Sofika as she listens to Wind ramble about how she did not intentionally trespass and about how she needs food and shelter. Well, everyone needs food and shelter in this season. Famines can strike at anytime, especially in the neutral areas. You'd think they'd occur more often in packlands because of the many wolves eating all the prey. That wasn't the case here because Arnlan was well prepared for any prey shortage.

" So you have not come here in search of acceptance into the pack. You are here because you want food and a den. "

They were not questions. They were statements of the obvious. This she wolf did not know where she was or who's pack she had stumbled into. She just said she was searching for food and shelter. Sofika gave a nasty snarl to the female and looked down at her. This angered the Alpha. What was Arnlan? A bloody pit stop for wolves to come and go as they pleased? She did not see it this way and with every wolf that came in saying what Wind said only annoyed her more.

The amount of she had come across who appeared on the border by mistake was a figure she did not know. Alot however done this. Yet most of them ended up joining and serving the pack under her and Karolek's word. Smirking, she circled the female, still with a low grumbling in her throat to suggest that she was not amused. Sofika knew she would probably end up accepting this female into her pack. She always did.

[sarhea]

Wind kept her lowly stance as the authoritative black female circled her, a continuous growl sounding from her maw. At her clumsy words, the female had snarled angrily. She'd said something wrong. Wind's ears turned back, a hint of frustration in her eyes as she listened to what this wolf spoke....Was she here to join the pack of wolves who roamed this land? Wind thought hard...She was slowly recovering, but would never survive on her own. Though she couldn't remember anything from her previous life, something deep inside recognized the importance of sticking with a pack....there was strength in numbers, for all involved. Then the dark one made the blunt remark about food and shelter....she thought Wind was here to freeload off her pack...

A frown formed on Wind's maw....she never wanted to be considered a freeloader, the thought angered her soul...But she could see the High One's anger over the issue...such wolves were a drain on the pack...

Wind looked up at the hidden face of the female, a sudden look of determination and a hint of hurt pride in her eyes.

"Forgive me, High Lady of these lands, for my previous words. I did not mean to sound like I wanted something for nothing. I may not be quite up to par as of yet, and yes, food and shelter would be nice, but I am not one to have these things without working for them. Acceptance into your pack would an honor, and though I'm recovering from injuries, I would would do everything in my power to serve this pack and be a contributing member. I do not take lightly the privilege and responsibility that comes with pack life." Wind stopped...she'd spoken too much, and too forcefully in her own opinion....where had such strong feelings come from? She lowered her gaze from the female's face back down to the snow at her feet... Time seemed to stop as Wind wondered if she was about to be shredded for her outburst....

[Sofika]

Sofika rolled her eyes and gave an annoyed sigh. Why were they always quick to ramble out, give reasons as to basically why they shouldn't be torn apart? She noticed how anything she said made trespassers become suddenly panicked for their lives, made them think that they were in some form of danger. That was when their rambling came in. If she wanted to kill the wolf she would have done it swiftly, and without their knowing.

" Where did you come from. " she grumbled. Females were taking over the pack. If this one did end up joining, that would add to the count. Few males, why? Why was there so many lone females? Had they all been rejected by former packs? Arnlan needed males, strong males who would defend the pack from fights because females were always considered 'weak'.

[sarhea]

This wolf was not moved by her speech. If anything, she seemed annoyed and bored, as if she was hearing somthing she'd heard many times before. Then the dark one asked where she'd come from. Great....now she could annoy the alpha even more, for she only knew she came from the lands to the west....So far, she was not dead, and figured that unless she did something really stupid, it would stay that way. As annoyed as the other seemed, she had not attacked, and had continue to question Wind. Wind shook her head in frustration.

"I am afraid that I cannot give much of an answer to your question, only that I have been traveling from the west. I had to take travel when my caretaker passed on from this world. I do not know of my life before the past 4 months, only that I awoke with injuries and no memory of how it happened,"

Wind stopped there. It was pointless to ramble any more....

[Sofika]

So, what she had before her was a partially injured wolf with no memory of where she came from or how she ended up with said wounds. Sofika gave a low, bored growl. Did Wind think that the only way to avoid death was to try and get into the pack, even if that was not what she had come here for? She wasn't having that. No, she was sick of these wolves wanting only their lives.

" You've come from a land unknown to you, and have ended up on my border. You seek acceptance only because you fear for your life. "

Turning around, she snaked towards the shadows with curled out over the snow as if trying to grab Sofika into the safety of the lands. Not that she felt in any danger at all from this... wreck of a wolf. Her fur bristled on end and with a flash her teeth were bared with snarls erupting from clenched teeth. Wind was not going to get the safety, food or shelter of Arnlan. Her intentions were completely wrong.

" Get out of here Wind. You have no idea what you will get yourself into entering these lands. Now get out, before I rip out your throat. "

Sofika considered that this wolf would probably move on to the next territory which was that of Sallin. If Wind did go there and managed to get accepted, Sofika had no doubt in her mind that she would meet with Arnlan some day again. That was, if she even made it there first off. With one last warning growl she waited for Wind to turn tail and leave.

[sarhea]

Wind was speechless. As the alpha turned from her, teeth and fur bristling, a strength from deep within surged throughout her being. Wind slowly stood to her feet. She had began to grow chilled to the bone while the dark one was questioning her, but she felt none of that now. This wolf had taken everything she had said completely wrong. She did not remember her previous life, but she did learn the past few months from Kia, her caretaker, that you should always show respect to the leaders. Wind had only tried to show this Alpha respect, not out of fear. At first, yes, she had been startled by the sudden appearance of the female. What was the value of speaking in truth when it only gained this responce-Wind had answered the female's questions truthfully.

She stood strong, her gaunt frame bracing against the bitter cold of the wind. She could have gone any direction after Kia died, but she felt a strong directive to head this way. Destiny had brought her here, even if it were to meet her end....there was a time and place for all things....

Wind watched as the female stopped just inside the shadows, snarling her warnings, then demanded that she leave this land or face death. Wind's eyes narrowed. She did not fear death, and even as death stared her in the face, she knew that there was some higher reason that she'd been brought to this land.

"I do not fear death. We all have an appointed time to die, and if my time is tonight, then so be it. I did not come here for fear for my life, I was drawn to this place if by destiny itself. I do not pretend to understand destiny. I believe in being truthful, and so answered your questions in truth, and out of respect for your position, I will leave as you demand. But first, I request to know if there is any way I can prove myself to you."

Wind was overcome by the ghost of a life she did not remember. She felt so strongly that she was where destiny had brought her. Even with the snarling face of the alpha of this land not far from her, she stood firm, not even feeling the pain of her shoulder. She felt no fear, no bitterness at the rejection. Despite this all, she felt a strange respect for this wolf. She stood alert and strong-a strange sight indeed, but without hint of aggression, and awaited the alpha's final words.

[sarhea]

The alpah continued her bristling snarling, threatning to kill her at a moment's notice. Wind finally gave up, realizing that it was useless to push the wolf any further. She did not feel like it was her time to die this night, and an urging in her soul told her to continue her journey. Her destiny lay somewhere close, maybe not this land, but she would know when she found it...

Wind lowered her head, ears back in frustration, and turned into the blowing wind, heading back the way she'd come, out of this pack's lands. She paused only once to look back at the snarling alpha, but there was no change, and she continued her journey into the darkness....