A Subtle Interest...[Any]

[Squeeji]

He had left Sallin many, many seasons ago, the scent of the great wolf pack finally leaving his mangy coat. The lands of Synl were a interest, never in his life could he figure out how a pack of mongrels had managed to pick out a niche for themselves in this meager land. But then again, Rat wasn't one who would mock survivors, as he himself was one...in fact, he respected them mostly. The decision their Alphas made was commendable...even he left eventually.

The scarred male sniffed, only sensing slightly more life than he had when he was in Sallin, his nose twitched and he sighed, lifting his head up in greeting, he wondering if the dogs here would try to tear him down, but that was of no real consequence, he was here not as a member of Sallin, but as a wolf of no pack, and he came here to do what was his rank long ago...

He came to deliver a message.

[Nisse]

Nisse had found himself with a problem.
Every time he edged toward the borders he felt that same tugging feeling pulling him across. And oft times, he followed it. The past few weeks he had been in and out of the pack lands more times than he could count. But this was not his problem. His problem was that everywhere lately had an air of quiet lifelessness. Things
He could cause a bit of havoc in one of the villages, maybe? Probably Hallow, he didn’t really want to get another ear-beating from Faline today.
Luckily it wasn’t a problem he had for very long.
Ho ho, what was this, a visitor?
The scruffy dog practically skipped through the shadows cast by the branches of the wine-leaved trees, following his nose.

It wasn’t difficult to find rat, and when he did Nisse made a quick approach with his head and tail raised in an air of authority.
“Urg,” Nisse barked out, though it was amusement rather than disgust that etched his voice. “You look like you got run over by a six-horse cart team.”
A grin played along the collie mutt’s lips – not particularly cruel or mocking, just amused at the situation. Under all those scars and old wounds, it was obvious that Synl’s little invader was a wolf. Wolves were rare around these parts, close to the villages. It was so often stray or feral dogs that come knocking on their door.
“What are you doing in these parts, stranger?”
As if Sallin hadn’t made it clear enough, wolves normally didn’t like to associate with dogs. Lesser beings that degraded themselves by crawling around on their bellies for men – haha, right. There hadn’t been a day in his life were Nisse had obeyed a human’s commands.
But, back to the here and now… This one, he didn’t smell like a pack just his own scent, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be a spy. Though if he was a spy just rambling around Synl’s edges, he was a pretty crappy one…

[Squeeji]

“You look like you got run over by a six-horse cart team.”

"Cute."

Rat sighed, well it didn't hurt that Nisse didn't recognize him, the large scarred up wolf took a seat and eyed the collie curiously, a wide toothy smile crossing over his face. "I'm Aje. Terribly pleased to meet you." he dipped his head respectfully, his brown eyes looking up at the obviously ranked young male.

Rat had been part of Raknu before the division, and had joined Sallin mostly due to fear, he was fully wolf after all, but he had never held any particular care towards dogs, or mongrels...after all, nothing could be as disturbing to look upon as he, which made him more great and terrible than any mere dog or wolf, he chuckled some, and ran his tongue over his teeth.

"I'm here to leave a message for your Alphess Kahvie, the former Alpha Heir to our common pack, Raknu. Sallin is low right now, many are leaving under Nightshade's nose while they can." he wondered if the message would be relayed. "irregardless, as a refugee myself, I request sanctuary for myself and my apprentice until a time where we can move off on our own." He didn't even image that he'd be allowed as a member of Synl.

But still Rat waited, his clever eyes bored, but his gestures genial and knightly, he sat with casual grace and that slick smile on his face as he waited for Nisse.

[Nisse]

Aje… Aje… why did that sound familiar? Nisse mulled it over before giving a mental shrug, quickly casting the thought aside. Raknu seemed like a different lifetime, and the details were already foggy. It didn’t help that between all his wanderings and everything he had witnessed it seemed Nisse had lived for what felt a hell of a lot of life times.
But even with all the experience behind him, what came next still fell on unsuspecting ears.

“What… what!” Nisse barked a laugh, fixing Rat with an amused smile. “Go on, pull the other one.” . Well, this Aje certainly had some guts.
“So let me get this straight,” He raised his voice, the remainder of a smile still flittering around his face. “You want us to accept not one but two Sallin members.” The scraggily mutt perked a cheerful, curious eyebrow. “And just what might incline us to do so?”

And yet he was thinking it over. He could have passed the buck to his sister on this one, could have called Kahvie and let her deal with it, and leave any blame for anything that went wrong to her. But . Maybe these ones would swing the other way and be useful. He was a gambling man, and the stakes were interesting, even if they could’ve been high.
He sent up a few loud, demanding barks – a call for the Alphas. Well… it wouldn’t hurt to string their scarred messenger along a little more.

“Kav-Kahvie-“ he corrected himself at the last moment, “May just be out. I’m sure if that’s the case, however, the beta would make a suitable substitute.”

[Squeeji]

"The boy is a hybrid, part wolf, part dog, left at the borders...if you aren't to take me, at least take him. I parish the thought of Nightshade taking any of her frustration upon him, I could take care of myself if you decline, he however, could not." Rat dipped his head respectfully to the Beta Nisse, a smile on his own features.

Rat seemed and was certainly sincere, an would give whatever lipservice he had to to assure Scratch's safety, damn the consequences to his safety. "As for myself, I offer no inclination as to why I should be allowed to join Synl, I should not. I was a member of Sallin, you are correct. When Raknu separated, I chose to pick sides with Kaine....and to a lesser extent, Nightshade. I did so because my kind wasn't invited." he cocked a pinkened brow "Are there any wolves in Synl?"

Rat chuckled, thinking that it was partially funny that Synl appeared no less aggressively segregated than Sallin.

[Nisse]

Rat seemed to be speaking with genuine care about his yet-to-be-seen companion and, better yet, seemed to mention Nightshade with a certain distaste. The odds were improving.

“Some hybrids like your little friend, I think.” The wolf’s question was answered rather more casually by the scraggily mutt, complete with toothy yawn. Nisse didn’t know the answer for certain. There was so much wandering around by both him and pack mates that it was hard to keep track of them all. For some time now he’d spent rather more time outside the pack borders than in. He gave a short shrug. “We don’t really get many wolves around here.”
“Speaking of, how’d he manage to worm his way into Sallin? I thought Nightshade was anal about the whole ‘polluted gene pool’ thing?” Nisse’s eyes rolled, his smirk firmly in place. Nightshade, the cold hearted bitch, taking in a (what he assumed) young hybrid seemed rather out of character.

“Anyway, what rank did you have that you’d have an apprentice?” Any hint that he was taking this with the air of seriousness it deserved as a hind paw lifted to scratch roughly at a fluffy, oversized ear. He was acting rather more like a man at a tavern than a beta dealing with an intruder. “And,” Nisse continued, rather enjoying the sound of his chatter, his voice bumping with each scratch, “Why leave your pack, your rank and – better yet – run straight to what should be your enemy?”
Finally his foot thumped back to the ground and his attention returned to the patchwork wolf before him.
“What would you do if I were to, say, offer you and your little sidekick an invitation now?”

[Squeeji]

"Nightshade had been over looking her distaste of hybrids for use in shock troops, however, most pups didn't survive the arduous training procedures." Rat was honest in that regard, he had no reason to lie to Nisse when telling the truth was so much rawer. "The ones that did, well, they were second class citizens at best, scape goats at the worst of Nightshade's fury." Though he had followed the alpha of Sallin obediently, he had always found her an uncivilized git of a female.

"I took him when it appeared that he wouldn't make the grade of Warrior, I am was a Messenger, and when he learns the trade, he could be as well." He could respect that Nisse wasn't beating around the bush, he rather enjoyed the barrage of questions he was getting, after all...who didn't like being the center of attention? He smiled and nodded. "To be honest..."

"I left why any wolf would leave a pack, incompetence. All the ranks and loyalty in the world won't keep you from an utter lack of effective leadership." Rat yawned and scratched himself, getting better attuned to how this conversation was going. "Randomly killing your own packmates hardly equates to effective leadership mind you..."

"And why did I go to Synl? In hopes that someone would recognize me." Rat's eyebrows bunched up in thought, wondering if really that had been the case. "I held no ill will to your pack, it just appeared at first, that I did not belong in it....I was hardly a part of Raknu at the time...I suppose i came for familiarity. Besides, could you really imagine me running to Arnlan? They're more my enemy than the likes of Synl..." It was true enough that the wolves of Arnlan would kill any wolf that wasn't their own, double if they were of Sallin, and anyways, the stories he heard, of the magic in those lands gave him the heebie jeebies.

“What would you do if I were to, say, offer you and your little sidekick an invitation now?”

Rat seemed to ponder this and his smile faded in the process, his tongue clicking against he teeth as he did so. "My dear, I would whatever it is you'd think I'd need to do to prove my loyalty, because it would never be half as terrible as what Nightshade would have me do." He smiled again, bowing his head to the beta.

[Squeeji]

((Anyone can jump into this thread so...Bump?))

[Shantik]

(Want me to pop in? :3 I got Sonny and all... (Surprisingly, still xO))

[Bandersnatch]

Interesting. He’d know from skulking around just how quiet Sallin was, and to this the other was not lying. But to get a good idea of just what the extent was… well, this little discussion had been quite interesting. This Arj could have been a lot of help…
“If that’s the case, our leadership mightn’t stand up to your standards either.” Pack members running in and out of the borders on raids, an alpha and beta often missing in action.... “At least we aren’t as prone to violence – not unless we have reason.” A look, with rather a solid meaning behind, was given to the acceptee – he would back his words. A little voice at the back of the beta-mutt’s mind nagged about how ridiculously formal this all was – made his toes itch with anticipation. It would have to wait a little longer.

“A messenger?” Nisse continued, though at that point he was more speaking aloud to himself then addressing the larger canine before him. His eyes rolled up to squint thoughtfully at the sky. ”I think we already have one of those, maybe? I’ll have to talk to Kahvie about just what to do with it.” Of course, talk with was more likely code for him dumping the responsibility on her, but hey, he’d made some effort.

But his final answer came rather quicker than was probably expected.
“I’ll let you both in,” He barely paused between words. Instead he took a sharp breath, hurriedly continuing. His brain just wanted to get the damn boring formal talk out of the way. Blah blah blah, c’mon already. All these routines and traditions were just not his bag. “On condition that neither you nor your little apprentice step foot outside the borders without our knowledge and an appointed escort.” A gambler he might’ve been, but he wasn’t stupid. With how empty Synl had been of late, however, it was hard too tell how much would just turn out to be bluff and hot air.
Still, he was rather proud of his conclusion – it even almost sounded as though he had been channeling his slightly more responsible sister. Nisse linger for a moment, waiting for the other’s response. Not that he knew why – hell, it wasn’t like the guy seemed the type to jump for joy at his acceptance like some more eager newbies did.

“So, you know, you can go fetch him now. With the assistance of the very best available, of course.” With something that very much bordered on a pause.
However, a scuffling of leaves interrupted. Had someone answered him? The beta mutt shifted his gaze, letting out an audible ‘hrrrrrm’. ”Or maybe…”


((Sure, bring Sonny in if it's fine with Squeeji, especially since I’m obviously not efficient with replying >_>
Sorry Squeej, was super busy for awhile there while parents were away, but everything has slowed down to a crawl now.))

[Squeeji]

((Of course ^^ I don't mind at all, if you'd like, I can wait for you to post! BTW, I'm not sure if Scratch will actually come (as Paradigh might be gone) but I didn't want to leave her out if she comes back...you know?))

[Shantik]

(Man, I feel so bad for having you guys wait for so long... well, here goes!)

The scuffing of leaves happened to reveal another dog the next moment; a scruffy Borzoi, his eyes sparkling, alert yet still cheery, it seemed. "Hey, Nisse, I heard your how..."

Sonny cut off as he caught sight of the stranger. He tilted his head to one side at first, but catching the familiar, foreboding scent, he narrowed his eyes. Having not caught that scent at first, he'd jumped to the conclusion that Nisse was alone. How very wrong he was. The Beav turned to Nisse with more curiosity than mistrust. "What's up?" Let's act as though the stranger did not exist for the moment, and concentrate on what his best friend's brother had to say...

[Squeeji]

((UGH,....I'm so sorry, I am gonna be keeping Rat, probably as my Synl character.))

The sight of the Borzoi just made Rat smirk, ever so slightly, but he remained seated, ever polite and very quiet. It would be rude after all to cut in, the beta and the sight hound were talking, that was his cue to listen.