Silence is a Casualty[Acceptance]

[britney]

Silence choked the air like smog, thick to walk through. A layer of snow had already coated the ground, more still falling to fill in the blanks. The wind whisked itself through the trees, causing them to whisper to themselves. Their branches creaked and moaned under the winter's cold, the breeze pushing them to their limits. They shedded, dropping globs of wet snow intertwined with ice down on top of any unknowing passer-byer's head. The snow swirled, giant flakes spinning, casting shadows down onto the ground. Even at night the shadows of these white stalkers could be easily identified. Swirling, spiraling down on their descent. The wind shook the world, rumbling it, silently suffocating it as it trembled. They nip at your little toeses and noses.

Her paws splayed flat on the cold snow, toes being spread apart in order not to leave one footprint behind. Her steps were plotted, as if she had looked over them for hundreds of hours, watching as the snow fell, finding which points on this tricky tundra would be safest to walk upon. She stood out against the snow, a black hole on a star's playing field. She blinked, avoiding letting the ice crystals fall into her eyes. Instead they fell around her, bustling and rustling. She minded them but no attention, as if they were, per say, snowflakes. The wind was harsher then she had hoped, her scent being blown willy-nilly, even from her skinny frame.

The moon cast an eerie glow down upon the gloomy earth from behind its veil of clouds, hidden behind a protective shield from this cold and blustery night. It was a wicked day. Nothing seemed to survive. And as the she-wolf descended further and further into the lands of Arnlan, she knew, for something in her mind always seemed to inform her, that she was not to be alone for long. Her white eyes gazed around, almost glowing as the moonlight's tender fingers reflected off of them. Once more she blinked, once, twice, three times. Darned snowflakes.

Her dark hued tail flicked as she finally stopped. She would wait. She knew where she was. She gazed around. She needed a place to confide. A place to be used. She wouldn't be left to wander and squander about. Especially in this freezing cold. Harsh and brutal was it so. The forest protected its inhabitants, to an extent. The winds were strong enough to make even the strongest barricade fall. The female was femininely built, making it look as if she would freeze with the frigidity of this weather. The conditions were being pushed to the limit. Beyond even. But she could withstand it. She was stronger then most gave her credit for. Lithe legs stretched out in front of her, thin and spindly. But the muscle was there. She could run. How else would she have gotten here?

But there was a reason she was here. Arnlan. She'd heard some about this. It was seclusive enough, not pushed out there. But it wasn't a place where she'd be sitting for days, snow piled upon her shoulders until she turned white before they noticed she had trespassed. Oh. They'd know soon enough.

And so she waited.

[sarhea]

Orion had slept most of the day, building up his energy for his plans for the night. He was hell bent on conquering his hunting deficiencies, and thus far his prey had been able to escape him during the daylight hours. He'd decided to try at night, where the darkness of the deep shadows of Arnlan would conceal his presence, hopefully giving him an advantage over the crafty rabbit.

He stood and shook the dirt from the floor of the den from his dark gray pelt. A cold breeze drifted in, a few snow flakes finding their way in also. Great, it was snowing....he thought, grumbling. But it would not stop his quest. He entered the cold night air, taking in a deep breath, and releasing it, the smoky vapor dissappearing into the night. He looked out into the darkness, the snow falling at a steady rate. Yes, tonight, he would be victorious.

Orion trotted through the dense forest of Arnlan, but so far, he had not found the trail of any prey. It was a bitterly cold night, and it seemed that even the rabbits had decided to stay in their burrows. He began to wander closer to the borders; maybe he'd find something there. A strange smell came to his nose; it was not rabbit....it was wolf, and it did not carry the scent of Arnlan. Orion immediately transitioned to defensive mode, his ears lowering, his hackles raised as he slunk into the shadows, heading in the direction of the intruding scent. It did not take him long to find it's source. Out in plain sight, a small wolf sat in the snow. She seemed not at all worried that she was tresspassing, if fact had an air about her that she knew exactly where she was. Oh, Sofika would not like this one bit, he thought and a low growl began to errupt from his maw.

He emerged from the cover of the trees, his ears flat against his head, every hair on his neck and back bristling in anger, his lips rolled back to show a hint of the sharp teeth. As he neared the female, he realized that she was smaller than he first thought. Small and dainty-what on earth was she doing out in a night like this? Orion was suddenly curious, but kept the feeling hidden; his first priority was the safety of his pack.

"You there, tresspasser, who are you? I demand to know your purpose here!" he snarled. Her eyes were so strange to him-they glowed white and seemed to have no pupil. She seemed so calm and full of purpose....he couldn't help but wonder if she was a spy.....

[britney]

Even the strongest wolf would not be able to hold strong against this gruesome weather, as she soon figured out. A chill ran up her spine. For the fact that it was cold, or was it that she knew that she was being watched, monitored. She paused, looking around. She was on her guard. She knew where she was right now. What she was right now. A threat. She was here for a reason though, and even when her best instincts told her to turn around, head back to a warmer climate, she stayed. It was not long. Not long at all before she caught the scent of another. Yes. She was downwind of the wolf, assuring not to be a surprise. She gave good warning, not sneaking up on anyone to scare them brainless. Another shockwave ran down her spine, telling her that she was being watched. Eyes were on her. She was an intruder. But she hoped not to be one for much longer.

She steadied herself on her feet, bracing from the wind. She faced to where she could detect the faint scent of the male. It was hard to tell, nearly impossible with such conditions against her. Her eyes scavenged through the forest, her gaze looking for the scout. The scout for her, for she could not tell what the rank was by the faint scent that he gave off. Her position was not the greatest in trying to identify the wolf that had come to spot her out. But it was needed. The packed had an upper hand, and so she felt she had to put herself in a vulnerable condition. Most other times she would have tried to lend the upper hand to herself, seeing as she wasn't the bulkiest. She couldn't scare a rabbit by her appearance. Unless, of course, those choppers were bared. All wolves were equipped with a set of those babies.

The sound reached her ears of a growl, rumbling from the other. She dropped her stature, trying to show submission. He came into view, a foot taller then him. She recoiled her head. She never liked being reminded that she wasn't the largest or most threatening. This guy, however, was. And he wasn't the kindest. She averted eye contact, though his scent immediately told her that he was of regular ranking in the pack. Still a rank above her. His teeth were bared, hackles raised, hair on end, making him look even larger then he really was.

'You there, trespasser, who are you? I demand to know your purpose here!'

She bowed, exposing the top of her neck to him. This of course, was a reason why wolves bowed, to make themselves vulnerable. That the other had the power. She dipped low, graciously extending one of her forelegs in front of her; a lady-like quality she had picked up, whilst curling the other underneath her chest fur. "Permission to speak?" She asked, rising out of her bow, but not to stand. Her voice did not quiver, but held strong, even through under usage. She knew she couldn't keep silent. He would have taken that as a sign of power, being arrogant and stuck up, as if she was too good to speak to him. No. Words could not be avoided. She would not stay silent, as her body readings took a while to get used to. Her voice would be put to use this night. Of course, her question 'Permission to speak?' was just to alert him that she was going to answer his question. She was a lady, not a hillbilly.

"I am Snake, not from anywhere, of no royal heritage. I have come to join Arnlan. I presume I am in the right place?"

[sarhea]

Orion kept his eyes on the small female. She had taken a submissive posture upon his revealing himself, and that made him smirk inside. Orion was not cruel by nature, all bark and no bite to sum it up, but he did put on a good show-he enjoyed the feeling of power it gave him. He was hardly afraid of such a small, petite creature, never a thought crossing his somewhat arrogant mind that she could be more trouble than she seemed.

He made a slow circle about her, giving her a good once over. How she was not frozen to death in weather like tonight's was beyond him. And then he realized that she must posses more than he was sizing her up to be. He came to a stop in front of the female as she gave a polite bow. Her voice emerged, requesting permission to speak.

His head cocked slightly at her request, as he was not used to such politeness from any creature. His stance began to slowly relax as the female's voice came again.

"I am Snake, not from anywhere, of no royal heritage. I have come to join Arnlan. I presume I am in the right place?"

Her name was Snake and she sought acceptance. Orion's mind chewed on the words. She'd trespassed strangely far into Arnlan lands, seeking acceptance. This was a privilege that he was not qualified to give, the Alphas and Crow were the only ones he knew to have that power. She spoke with honesty as far as he could tell, and his aggressive stance eased a little more. He eyed her again....what could such a small wolf have to offer the great pack of Arnlan? It would not be for him to decide, and he honestly didn't know how the outcome of her request would turn out. Many had come seeking acceptance into Arnlan, only a few had achieved it.

"Yes, you have found the lands of Arnlan. I am Orion, member of this pack, but I cannot grant your request. Only the alphas, Sofika and Karolek can do that, and I must warn you, they will not be pleased with your trespassing" he finally answered.

No, the alphas were never pleased with trespassing, and he knew that one of them would be along soon. What was he to do with her until then? It was cold out, and it took all his strength to keep from showing his body's desires to succumb to shivering. How was this female able to handle this weather?

"Why do you want to join Arnlan? What could you possibly have to offer this pack?"Orion did not have a way with words, and the blunt statement fell from his mouth without any hesitation or thought.

[Karolek]

^{((edit:// Thaaaar he blows.))}

Snake was correct in her suspicions. Silently, he was watching.

Cold, disinterested, unpredictable - the weather this night mimicked his mood. The biting cold had penetrated nearly every area of the pack's lands, save for a select few densely-forested patches. And of course, the male's favorite hiding spot was one of these. The grove was packed with pines, their overwhelming scent a bit uncomfortable to those who were not acclimated to it. They completely masked the wolf's own smell and served to further conceal his presence. But, although unbeknownst to the two below, he examined the couple as they spoke. One wolf he easily identified as Orion, the sibling of his scout...whom, he remembered, he needed to speak with sometime soon. The hastiness of Orion's decision to act as an aggressor toward the outsider troubled him a bit. They were in need of support - Sallin continued to add to its ranks, and Arnlan would be at a great disadvantage if it did not recruit a few decent wolves relatively quickly. Karolek made a mental note to remind the younger male of this and moved on to distantly inspect the female. She was one he'd never seen before - a wolf of his own color, slender, a bit lanky, and relatively markingless. One might have taken them as siblings at first glance, and he did not let this resemblance go unnoticed. Intrigued, he crept, almost catlike, from the height of the thicket and down to the site of the meeting below.

His descent brought him on to the path about ten feet behind Orion. His neon markings glowed with their usual vividity, presenting the illusion of a small, four-eyed face in the distance. As he approached further, the shadows dissolved to reveal his form - not overly impressive or bulky, but authoritative nonetheless. He continued toward them without a word, seeing it unnecessary to waste his breath with formalities or small talk when more important issues were at hand.

And finally, he stood before both of them. A crooked grin briefly overtook his muzzle before it returned to its inexpressive state. "I can't say I was expecting to see any other wolf out of his den tonight," the alpha drawled, in his usual chilling tone, "To what can I attribute this meeting? What brings each of you to this place on such a bitter night?"

[sarhea]

A sudden, overwhelming chill in the wind finally broke Orion's resolve, a shiver racing up down his spine. Something suddenly felt different, there was another presence nearby. Before Orion could take his eyes from Snake, the elusive Alpha of Arnlan himself appeared from seemingly nowhere. Orion was still amazed at their ability to do this. He lowered his head in respect, and it was strange how quickly his demenor changed. He'd backed off his aggression almost completely before Karolek arrived, but now there was only humble submission.

He raised his eyes to peer at the face of his alpha, but no eyes could be seen, only the slight glow of his neon spots on the side of his muzzle. Keeping his head slightly lowered, he answered his alpha.

"Alpha Karolek. Greetings. I was about this night hunting, and came across this trespasser." he stated simply, motioning his head towards Snake.

[britney]

She wasn't too far into Arnlan, she hoped. Was she causing a commotion? But she kept her head straight. She wasn't some distraught little girl, all flustered up at the difficulty. No. She had a head on her shoulders. And a brain in it. She wasn't completely defenseless when it came to body, but she would be the one to most likely lose in a fight. But if she had the element of surprise, she could take nearly anything down with one bite. Clamp the jaws around the neck, locate the juggler vein and pop it with pressure, then leave. That always seemed to be her tactic. She would deliver a fatal blow, then escape and let nature take it's course. She no longer needed to be their and monitor over it. And it kept her from injury. Now if that didn't work, her chances of winning basically went down the drain, seeing as most wolves stood taller then her. And were stronger. But she had a brain. Brains were good too, right?

'Yes, you have found the lands of Arnlan. I am Orion, member of this pack, but I cannot grant your request. Only the alphas, Sofika and Karolek can do that, and I must warn you, they will not be pleased with your trespassing'

Then why was he here? To make sure she didn't do anything? She mentally scoffed at him. He was useless as of now, having made her go through the trouble of introducing herself, then telling her purpose. For what reason she assumed? None. Ha. Out of the corner of her eye, the movements in the trees were not disregarded by the female. They moved different then the wind did, causing her to glance over there for a second, before returning her blank gaze towards the large male. The wind blew fierce once more, causing her fur to be pushed up, and the wind was at her back. Her tail whipped around her side, but she wasn't cold. This weather was easy for her to adjust to. It was a good climate, just a little nippy. Her fur protected her, hugging her in a coat. It kept her as warm as it needed too. No need to complain for her. Nothing more was expected then mediocre from the weather. If it was even remotely good, like twenty degrees below, it was better then twenty one below.

'Why do you want to join Arnlan? What could you possibly have to offer this pack?'

He acted like he was all high and mighty. He was getting cocky, another mental dislike of him had been put on her list. Before she could reply, however, the silently creeping wolf had once more caught her eye. This time the black wolf was coming towards the little gathering. Hopefully it wasn't another useless thing, unable to let her in. But a faint scent of high ranking was detected. No. This was an Alpha, no doubt. Or at least a higher ranking being that could accept her into Arnlan. He stopped at the meeting grounds, giving a quick smile as he did so, before he let it disappear. She slid into a bow to the Alpha, turning to him. Once more her leg slid out in front of her, etching lightly into the crusted snow. "Greetings." She spoke lightly, before standing again, but not completely upright. She kept her head at a bow, as was the male.

'I can't say I was expecting to see any other wolf out of his den tonight,' She nodded in agreement, giving a quick smirk at the thought. 'To what can I attribute this meeting? What brings each of you to this place on such a bitter night?'

She turned her head to the other male, apparently no higher in rank then a subornite, who looked like he was preparing to speak. And she was right.

'Alpha Karolek. Greetings. I was about this night hunting, and came across this trespasser.'

Trespasser was a little harsh, seeing as she did have a purpose on why she was here, and a liable one at that. She turned back to Karolek, as so Orion had called him. "I've come here seeking acceptance," She started, pausing for the wind to voice its tone as it screamed through the lands, making the trees moan in agony as it did so. They swayed from uphill, creaking, threatening to break, at least the dead ones did. The pines stood strong, sheltered by their spears, but even some of the pine needles had flown to the wind, lost causes as of now. They would end up in some poor, unsuspecting wolf's fur, or in the paw, such a painful feeling that was. Snake knew it all too well. "I have already been confirmed that this is indeed Arnlan. If what this wolf says is true," A shoulder gesture from Snake was given towards the subornite. "you can accept me into this pack."

[britney]

(( Bump? D: ))

[britney]

(( I think I've waited a LITTLE too long. :| ))

[Lazy Shanda]

Maybe now that Karolek has a new player, we can finally finish this thread...lol...it has been way too long a wait...

Oh Karolek.......

[Adiemus]

Oh dear. O: I thought this thread was dead and gone. >.>

I'll start typing a reply like...right now.

[Karolek]

"Alpha Karolek. Greetings. I was about this night hunting, and came across this trespasser."

It was mildly amusing, how the two scrambled to bow to him and shower him with other signs of respect that had little to no effect on him. Sure, the Alpha enjoyed being praised, but he didn't need to enflate his ego any.

...This, of course, didn't mean he'd put a stop to the worship.

"I've come here seeking acceptance,"

What a shocker. His face kept that same indifferent stare, as if the events taken place currently were, so far, unmoving. Which, in fact, they were. It wasn't as if accepting a member was a new experience to Karolek. Since few in the pack had the power to grant someone membership, he found that many times, he was the one doing the accepting. This duty was mildly amusing. So many strange wolves, coming from far in wide to join this pack...The Alpha watched them come and go. And the best part was, he was in charge of who did the staying, and who did the going. Perhaps one could accuse him of abuse of power.

Chances are, the insult would be disregarded.

"I have already been confirmed that this is indeed Arnlan. If what this wolf says is true, you can accept me into this pack."

Karolek let the words mull around in his head, as if they held some sort of great question entwined deeply within them. Which, naturally, they did...This wolf, this Snake, wanted to join the pack. It was his job to figure out whether she was worthy or not. At long last, the Alpha spoke, his voice just a distant as ever, "I can accept you. Indeed, I can..."[/color] A momentary pause, probably placed in more for dramatic effect than anything else. "However...Any random passerby with the hopes of joining our ranks doesn't always get their wish granted so easily. Sometimes even the Alpha needs help making decisions...And now, you, Miss Snake, must help me with this decision..."[/color]

Here came the part he hated. The tedious, annoying question-and-answer game. Karolek would ask the basic questions, yes, but it wouldn't take long for him to decide whether or not this wolf was Arnlan material. Perhaps it came with the constant meddling in the minds of others, or maybe it was just a natural gift -- Karolek was fairly good at judging character.

Or so he fancied, anyway.