Blind Pawsteps [Acceptance]

[neiko]

A rustling tree branch. A muted and muffled pile of snow falling from a high cleft. A dark blue furred creature moved silently through the trees, ears pricked and muscles tense. White, pupiless eyes seemed to dart back and forth, examining shadows. His tail was medium sized and bushy, the perfect thing for cold weather. He walked with the grace of youth, but carefully with the wisdom of age. The wolf paused, narrowing his white eyes as a scurrying sounded from somewhere in front of him. He lowered his head and pawed at a bank of snow before him, listening in his ear fur for the tiny beat of a heart.

In a moment he'd pinpointed it, and successfully made his kill with little effort. It was no more than a mouse, and a scrawny one at that, but it was better than nothing. The blue wolf swallowed it whole before continuing on, deeper into the forest.

After a time, his hearing told him that he was in a fairly secluded part of the forest; so distant, in fact, that even the usual forest sounds seemed faded. He circled around for a few moments, sizing up the area with scent and sound, and curled himself up into a ball underneath a low branching tree. The branches would sheild him in case snow began to fall again, even though they were thin and naked of leaves. He blinked his eyes shut and placed his tail over his sensitive nose to save warmth, and slowly slid into the dream world.

[Squeeji]

There had been an unreasonable cold snap as of late, even for the typically icy Arnlan even the local wolves couldn't help but feel the touch of frost at their core. Pollux was no different in that regard, the wolf had caught a bit of a chill as she patrolled the pack lands, she shuddered. Had she had been a younger wolf, this wouldn't have been as much of a problem. But it was so cold that even the other animals of the forest seemed to be on holiday as of late...

Her temptation was to lay down for spell to conserve her energy, but it was duty that kept her going, she had not the desire to think of what was, and what should have been. Because for Pollux that wasn't how things were now. Her ears tilted back in a moments thought. Something wasn't right. The scout tested the air idlely, until she picked up a scent.

With a huff Pollux felt a second wind come to her, there was someone new in the territory, and she wagered that no one had met up with him yet. She bolted out of the clearing she had been in with rare enthusiasm...anything to clear her mind and keep her busy. Moving hastily she ran into her intruder....

Sleeping peacefully trying in vain to keep himself warm. Pollux looked at the dozing male with a moment's concern, hoping that the cold hadn't started to lull him into his own death as it would often do to those not used to these harsh temperatures. With a hesitant step forward, she nudged at the male with her nose. "Its not safe to sleep out in the open here..."

[neiko]

Ardrane snapped his head up, blinking his glazed eyes. His ears flicked nervously. "Uhh.." he scrambled awkwardly to his paws, unsettling the snow around him. "Forgive me." he stammered, his tail bushed out and hackles raised defensively. "Nre'fa-o, am I intruding? I didn't notice any scent markers.." While that had been a lie, the markers he did notice weren't very strong; as if they hadn't been renewed for a long while. He hoped he sounded more innocent than he was. "I've come from Va'an-ward.. looking for a place to stay." he mumbled, bowing his head. "Say the word and I'll leave your territory in peace."

[Squeeji got logged out]

The defensive stance of the male seemed to completely be brushed off by Pollux, who didn't seem to care that he was getting so worked up, or that he was actually in the lands.

"Relax Blue...you're in no trouble..." she chuckled and blew her mane out of her face, she had this feeling he was lying through his teeth, but that didn't bother her any. "Did I did seem like I was getting up in your face?" she asked inquisitively. "But seriously. Can you feel your paws? Its cold out...a wolf can freeze in hours in these elements."

It wasn't the scouts position to judge, or harshly interrogate newcomers. Or at least new comers that seemed rather placid, if not over protective. She stepped around Andrane, inspecting the male, it seemed perhaps he couldn't see that she wasn't threatening...maybe he hadn't been blind long? Who knew.

"I'm Pollux, Scout of the pack of Arnlan...you're at our borders edge, hence the...lighter scent markers. " she paused, hoping that the male would respond in kind...

[neiko]

Ardrane lifted his head to look straight ahead. "I'm called Ardrane. It's nice to meet you, Pollux." he paused, shifting his front paws. The fact that she was a scout made Ardrane relax a bit, common sense telling him that if he was going to be attacked and chased out, it would have happened already.

"And no, I'm fine." He tried to ignore the subtle numbness in his paws. "Did you say that this was a pack's territory?" he asked, curiously. He was hoping it hadn't been. Trespassing on a loner's territory wasn't all that bad, but a whole pack was pretty daunting. It wasn't as if he wanted to take territory for himself. He didn't care about that sort of thing. Besides, being blind wasn't good to be when running territory.

On the other hand, a pack sounded better. "Might I speak with your alpha?" he asked Pollux suddenly, failing to catch his tongue before the words slipped out.

[Squeeji]

Pollux nodded at Andrane, "Likewise." She stood tense, still testing the air for whether or not this male had friends...so to speak. But an ambush didn't seem likely, over the years the scout had grown cautious the further she traveled from the core of the pack lands.

"These are the lands of Arnlan. You are far from the heart, but it is still owned none the less as part of Arnlan. " And the edges were always the most dangerous part of these lands. Not far from here she had lost her scouting partner, having thought they had been in the clear had made their folly their loss. Her loss. The female frowned, fortunate that the male probably couldn't see her budding sadness.

Hmm, that was something, there had been packmates even here that had no pupils in their eyes, but this male seemed to have the milky cataracts of an old wolf with failing eyesight.

"Might I speak with your alpha?"

Pollux laughed a little trying to rain cheer again, shaking her head. "You ~might~...the fun part will be trying to find them. Karolek and Sofika the alphas of these lands are scarce if you look for them...they're masters of obfuscation, you might say..." she nodded sagely at her own advice, though there was a comic tone to her voice.

"Perhaps they will come on their own accord..."

[neiko]

"Ah." he sighed, sitting back in the snow on his haunches and flicking his tail dismissively. "I hope you don't find my questions too.. bothersome?" he asked quietly, not hoping for an answer. A small pile of snow was upsettled from a branch far above. It fell on Ardrane's nose with a -plop-. He shook his head, the snow falling to the already snow-covered forest floor.

Ardrane shifted his feet again. "Anyway, how many others live in this area? I scented many when I first entered the territory, but some scents were old, and some were newer, so I have no idea how many occupy this land exactly." He paused, blinking his glazed eyes, thinking. When he looked back up his eyes were narrowed into slits.

"The reason is, I've been needing a more.. permanent home.." he looked down again. He didn't want to bring around the topic of joining the seemingly already large pack, and the fact that he needed to depend on others for anything hurt him the most. "I'm afraid that because of my impairment I've found it increasingly hard to live on my own.."

He flicked his tail uncomfortably.

[Squeeji]

"I hope you don't find my questions too.. bothersome?"

Pollux cocked an ear towards the very sound, nay the notion that the old blue male was a being a nuisance. So she smiled and let a bit of laughter out. "You? No of course not...why?" She paused and took a few cautious sniffs at Andrane, he passed the test...he didn't smell of any rival pack lands.

"This is not a small packland" she didn't know what to add to make things more clear to the male. "There are many that call these lands home...myself, am unclear of how many...." It was true enough the Scout knew many of the things going on in other packs lands...but not as much about the new comers to Arnlan.

His last statement made the female feel for him, honestly it did. But Sofika was a harsh alphess on occasion, she did not wish to care for and coddle the majority of Arnlan, though she cared for them all. But Pollux was a different wolf, the years had made her value the life of all wolves...even blind ones. Perhaps she could vouch for the male...she didn't know.

"You will have to bring your interest up to the alphas Andrane. Though I can keep you company until one arrives..." She offered helpfully.

[Sofika]

Skimming along the border in a content, happy mood went Sofika checking for sentry tracks or trespasser tracks. Fresh tracks from wolves of the pack made her content that they were doing their duty and just the general feeling of the day was making her happy. She did not pause on her medium paced journey but kept going with her fur billowing gently about her lithe self. Then a scent came to her nostrils and then another. One was familiar, and one was not, and so she set her course in that direction.

She was coming up on Pollux and a new wolf. Faintly could she see them in the distance from her view in the shadows. She was coming up quickly but only managed to catch Pollux's final sentence. Seeing as the scout was safe, this wolf probably wasn't much of a threat and by the look of him he seemed like a nice wolf. Emerging out from the trees, her paws crunched on the snow and she stood half in and half out of the tree line. " Goodday Pollux. Who is this? " she said in a slightly higher tone than normal and straight to the point.

[neiko]

He nodded his head in understanding at the description of the size of the territory. Something tugged at his mind. "Doesn't that worry you sometimes, if you come across a scent you don't know? How could you tell if it was an Arnlan wolf or not?" The thought itself somehow made his skin crawl. And he should know - all he can do is smell and hear. In that respect, with heightened senses, he thought of himself at an equal interval with wolves who could see as well. Even if most of them didn't think that way toward him.

Ardrane turned his head at the sound of approaching pawsteps. The tone of voice caused him to think importantly of this wolf, and he dipped his head respectively.

[Squeeji]

"Not really...I'm pretty good of telling who's who when it comes down to it. Its when I smell the taint of another pack I get a bit concerned..." Pollux replied to the blue male with a shrug.

Pollux smiled and wagged her tail slightly as the Alphess came out of hiding, in the back of her mind part of her could only think: Speak of the devil, and she will appear. But the scout seemed pretty pleased that this business might be taken care of quickly. Taking a few steps forward to meet the alpha respectfully, she tilted her head in the direction of Andrane.

"This is Andrane. He wishes to speak to you Alpha, in hopes of perhaps joining your fine pack." She never spoke as flowery as many of her pack mates. She always kept her tone respectful as one would talk to an elder, but she never resorted to brown-nosing. Thinking that calling Sofika "my lady" and "mistress" just sort of insulted the intelligence of both involved.

[Sofika]

" Andrance, " she repeated after Pollux whilst continuing to look at the unfamiliar figure before her. " Acceptance you seek? " she clarified and nodded to Pollux in thanks for attending to the male. Judging from the tone of her scout, she had observed the male and found him acceptable for she had not signalled a distress call. A slight smirk rolled on her lips and she nodded to the male.

" I believe that Pollux has good judgement and if she finds you acceptable then welcome to the pack Andrane. " Her eyes, although covered by her long fur, looked to Pollux and her head turned to face her. The scout had a great deal of trust from Sofika and she would rely on her words. "Do you feel that he should be permitted to join Arnlan? " Lately alot of wolves had come seeking acceptance and not many were being found fit for Arnlan.

This male seemed keen, even though she had only been watching him for several minutes. The alphess was quick to judge character and put full confidence in Pollux's decision. Sofika was in no rush, she liked to get straight to the point and avoid unecessary dawdling and unwanted tension. A smile twitched at the corners of her shiny lips. What harm was another wolf to the pack as long as he done his fair share of work around the territory?

[neiko]

Ardrane raised his head and narrowed his white eyes into slits. He sized the alpha up with his mind. She sounded very kind, and nonchalant. The pack leaders he'd known in the past weren't like this one; and that made him nervous, not having a clue about how he should act around her. He'd go with the typical pack structure and laws, he decided silently, and would hope for the best.

He sat up straighter. "Indeed I would like to ask for permission to join your pack. If you'll have me, that is."

[Squeeji]

Pollux paused, she had no place to say whether or not Andrane should stay in Arnlan. But Sofika's kind words about her competance made the Scout smile.

Hopefully the blue male's testimony would be acceptable to the alphess.

[Sofika]

After listening to the male and waiting for Pollux, Sofika stayed silent for a moment to contemplate. He seemed pretty eager to join and Pollux did not seem to have anything to say about him, so she nodded her head and said " Granted. Welcome to the pack Andrane. I am Sofika."

" If you don't mind Pollux, I must be off. " Sofika nodded in thanks to her for taking care of the situation before her arrival and then slowly moved towards the shadows. where she stopped and turned to watch them both. Sofika would then turn and sit at the shadows, with only her neon blue spots giving away her location because her midnight fur blended into the darkness.