It's A Wonder We Dont Know

[xander]

Jessi had been here through what she now called the wet season. She had spent a great deal of time roaming the lands and becoming accustom to them. She hadn't stepped out side the lands since arriving and she didn't intend to just yet. She wanted to do something and well she wanted to talk to the alpha.

Jessi had made up her mind she was nearly six and needed to show worth. She had spent so much time learning how to deal with her slight disability and she was going to help the pack. The sun was high in the sky and the world seemed so colorful. She smiled she enjoyed this time of the year.

She lifted her tanned maw to the sky letting a howl ring through the air calling to speak with the alpha. All she wanted was to talk with him. To get to know him better and learn more about his pack and hopefully more about him.

[{chay}.«]

DONE.

The vibrating whir of cicadas had, in one fell swoop, dislodged the quiet that was cast alongside the gentle glow of evening; their chorused voices were steadily being joined with the fleeting calls of howls and the occasional ha-rump of a bullfrog. The distant horizon, barely visible above the line of trees that seemed to surround the territory, was of such a ethereal hue- as soft a pink as a coral pearl and equally as lovely- that it was quite difficult for the brindled giant that stood beneath it not to feel incredibly dwarfed by its substantive surreality. For while he was rather brilliant as lupines go, he did not lack the tender side that his position required. Indeed, he was a finely made and regal specimen of a wolf, yet he harbored such a deep-rooted respect for his surroundings that brushing aside such sublime beauty seemed bizarre.

Teeming with a near celestial allure, the howl that broke through his smiling thoughts did little but force his too-small ears to tip forward at first; shortly after this gave a low growl of recognition and started forward at an eased pace, tawny paws thankful to find near-dry ground and his thick tail sweeping side t side between his hocks as he padded toward the source of the noise. Obviously, it had come from the throat of a member- no intruding scents had been caught- and there was something vaguely recognizable about the voice (aside from the fact that it was evidently female), but it was a rather sharp surprise to realize that it Jessi, and not another, that had placed herself before his den. A wry smile crooked his handsome features before it faded into a serene smile, one that more befitting. His gait was slow, but the quiet power that lurked with each step spoke worlds of the physical prowess that he retained. He was not a small wolf by any means- even Haden Valley's largest subordinate, a guard by the name of Gambit, still stood nearly half a head below him. And so it should not have been a surprise that he walked with a natural dominance, a smooth assertion that was present without being entwined with inherent arrogance.

And it was with this suave demeanor that he spoke, sonorous voice a dulcet baritone.

"Jessi," his muzzle lowered in the slightest, greeting the female with his typical courtesy. There was a hint of something akin to a sultry smile. "Shouldn't you be settling down for the night?" he chuckled then, something that was almost odd coming from an animal so large. "Though I suppose," he continued, moving until he was directly before her and glancing down with kind eyes, "That if that were the case you would not be here now, correct?" He hesitated before her for only a moment more, gaze darting quickly along her in a once-over before he turned his head, great jaws unhinging in a wide yawn and his paws carrying him into the cool stomach of his den. From within he called out to Jessi as he shifted his weight, and settled himself- first it was only his haunches, but it would be apparent to the femme that there was a certain amount of fatigue slipping through him, and as if this was realized his front end slipped down as well, heavy muzzle resting on giant paws. "Come in, if you please. I can assure you there's no shortage of room."

It was only once his maw was so near the refreshingly solid floor of the cave that a familiar scent caught him happily off guard- an almost honeyed scent that immediately brought to mind the golden fur of his childhood friend. In all truth, she was the one thing that had always accepted every singe one of his faults, even when he was a chubby pup, with a mild sense of awkwardness and no apparent friends.

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[xander]

Jessi sat very silently just looking up at the dusk sky. She loved to watch the colors of the day mix in with the colors of the night. her ears flicked back as she heard the sound of the alpha. She turned around and smiled some as she listened to him. She took in a deep breath and kinda laughed some "I probably should but then i would miss the beauty of the dusk sky." she spoke very softly. She turned back to the colors that were mixing. She soon heard him say she wouldn't have been here. She kinda laughed and then nodded her head. "This would be true my lord. But I wished to not find a den for now and speak with you."

It was the only thing that Jessi wanted to do. was sit down and talk to the alpha, get to know the male more and learn more about his ways in the pack. She watched him slip down into his den and then heard him say she could come in. her ears flicked around her head as she sat there for a moment just thinking about what she was going to do. She then got up and slipped down into the den with the male and laid down not to far away from him. The scent of another female caught Jessi's nose and she kinda sneezed some. It was something that Jessi was not used to, there shouldn't have been any other scent then the alpha in his den, but maybe he ran things differently.

"so Gavin, what made you come to haden?" She asked as she laid her head delicately on her petite paws. Her stunning baby blue's scanned over the male and then they darted out towards the den entrance and watched as birds flew by as well as a small squirrel. They were all headed for their homes to settle down for the night. Jessi would have to do the same after she spoke with the alpha, but that wouldn't be for a while. She then turned back to the alpha and smiled some.

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[{chay}.«]

DONE.

The male mirrored her smile with a pleasant one of his own, nodding and angling his head so that he, too, could once more admire the near-pyrotechnic display of colors that was bursting at the edge of the world.

"It is a rather intriguing sight, I must say. Though I prefer to watch the sun as it rises; I am often less exhausted." Another lengthy yawn caught his tongue's fancy and so his jaw's parted, revealing once more the rows of still-pearled teeth, their size accommodating the broad amount of space they had to occupy. As he heard her words, however, his jowls quickly snapped shut; his palely cyan eyes narrowed sharply and a rather terse and succinct correction was supplied. "Jessi, I must ask that you refrain from calling me 'my lord'. It is degrading to us both; it implies both ownership and obligation. On another note, you may want to decide on a den before the choicest ones are taken. And of course, I have no conflict with speaking with you. Is this a rank discussion? I have been meaning to talk to everyone about their decisions, or, in your case, if they have made one yet."

The granite floor seemed to swallow the heat that was radiating from the gargantuan wolf, much to his relief, and so he remained satisfyingly cool despite the level of humidity that raged just outside. Black lids had slipped down several times in the time it took for Jessi to pad inside; he had somewhat expected her to remain seated and so as she settled herself quite comfortably not too far from where he himself lay the behemoth Alpha gave something of a low grunt as he shifted, angling himself so that she could be within full view and also soothing the slight sense of discomfort that he had felt with her close proximity. While he was a social creature, his relations to females were incredibly limited and as of yet he felt discomfiture even when reposing in Anevay's presence- though the two of them had spent endless nights as cubs, it was entirely different at this age, at least to him.

"Well, I suppose my main reason for choosing this territory was because it has a rather agreeable location. The variety is game of good, and while we are in danger of flooding, other potential disasters- drought, for instance- we are safe from. This place, in all its beauty, is an Eden to me. My previous pack was not so fortunate as this one; the litters were often small and game was usually hard to find in any season but the summer. I find it odd, however, that others from my home pack have made it here- Anevay, of course, and then my half-sister Lamis, whom I doubt you have met- I think we may all have been drawn here because it's so unlike our birth pack. What about you? What drew you here?"[/blockquote][/blockquote]
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[xander]

Jessi smiled and nodded her head. She always had enjoyed the colors that appeared when the sun began to set. She heard his voice speak about how he enjoyed the sun rise. She never really woke up in time to view the sun rise. She would have to do so some time. She picked up her head and folded her ears back. She was quite happy not really having a den or a position. She wanted to earn her position, of which she wanted alphess. She turned her head and sighed some "I have never really slept in a den. Nor have i ever slept in a hallow tree. I don't know but me and my brothers always just kinda slept outside under the stars" she said as she looked at him and smiled softly. Her baby blue eyes shimmered slightly as the moonlight hit her face and seemed to light it up some what.

She watched him shift himself to where he was more in her sight. She could tell that he was a little unsure of her presence or of the other female that she had seen him with earlier. She knew that they had a past of pup friends as well as just being good friends, but something told Jessi that there was something more that the two held back from each other. She took in a deep breath and then rested her head back down on her cream paws. She watched the alpha for a slight moment before lifting up her head to let out a yawn. her pink tongue rolled out of her mouth and also revealed her pearl white fangs. She shook her head and looked at the male as he spoke about why he was here.

She listened very intently and then smiled some as he spoke of the land scape and the beauty that it held. She agreed with the male, the land scape was very beautiful indeed, which was another reason why Jessi picked this pack over the others. She heard him speak of Anevay, she flicked her ears back against her head, she did not like the female very much but she would never allow the alpha to know that. She heard him say that his sister Lamis. She turned her head a little bit and then shook it slightly. "No i have not met her, then again, i am not all that social." she said softly as she kinda sighed some. it was a curse to her, she spoke with a soft tone and was never a social wolf like the rest of her family.

When she heard him ask her what drew her here she turned her head a little bit. "To be honest Gavin, it was you. Also i enjoy the forest and the green grass. As well as i don't get along with the other canines that the other pack holds. I have had bad experiences with them in my past. As for a position in your pack, I want to work for Alphess, thought i know it will take time. I also came here looking for a pack of wolves that would accept me for who i am" She said very softly as she rested her head down upon her paws and sighed some. She wasn't sure how he would react to her saying it was him that brought her here but she didn't mind, she didn't want to lie to him

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[{chay}.«]

DONE.

He smiled, a soft and gentle smile, as she spoke of her family- these were things that he wanted to learn about his members, and he was immediately glad that he had taken the time to speak with the subordinate, despite the lateness of evening. He did not want to pressure any other wolf into bringing up their pasts- it could be painful, as he knew all too well- but then again, no one seemed to feel the need to talk, which he supposed he could not help. All he could do was remain available, present himself in an approachable fashion and hope that others would feel comfortable in confiding in him. He would never speak to other souls about what had been said to him- if Jessi, for example, were to tell him anything, no one else would hear it from him. Same for Taint. Same for Fly. Same for everyone within the pack. "Well, I will not force you to choose a den until you are ready- though I can assure you that they are perfectly safe. In the colder seasons, however, I do not doubt that you will want to sleep somewhere warm. We are close to the mountains," he spoke, thrusting his muzzle in the direction of Joselyn peak, "And so our winters will be far colder than usual. It is one of the downfalls of living in such a bucolic place." He smiled once more, glancing down and realizing that she was actually quite the pretty thing, though he did feel that every she-wolf in Haden Valley was attractive in some way or another.

In the midst of his speaking, he did not register the subtle flick of Jessi's ears at the mentioning of Anevay- though, if he had, he would not have been surprised. She was often detested by other females for many a reason, though none of them detested her as much as she loathed them, Gavin knew. That was probably the main reason why she had not been placed in a Beta position- she'd have all too much fun bossing the others around, and inner-pack distress because of it would not be tolerated. He might be more lax with Anevay, but she was not immune to his wrath. "Well, she is rather soft-spoken and is not the type to go looking to make friends or acquaintances. And as for your lack of social extroversion...I am of the same sort most of the time. Though obvious circumstances have forced to emerge from my den and talk to strangers nearly every day." He chuckled, more so to himself than to Jessi, though as she spoke again, answering his questions, he drew his ears back in utter surprise and shifted, tilting his head in such a way that it was not hard to see just how confused and taken aback he truly was.

"I'm afraid I don't quite see what you mean," he spoke at last, and it was the truth- for while Gavin was confident in himself, he was not arrogant, and did not see himself as any better a wolf than the other males in the pack- the only difference to him was rank. Flattery was not something he was used to. "As for the rank you desire...that holds a great deal of responsibility. The entire pack will have to place their trust in you, and you in them. I, as well, would have to have full confidence that you would be able to handle everyone in my absence, and that you would lead with firmness, but not without respect for the members. It is a very big deal, to be appointed to that rank. It cannot be taken lightly. Dissent among members is a constant threat, especially if they do not trust whomever I appoint...which is a large part of the reason why I have not chosen someone yet. I have not seen anyone exploit the characteristics necessary to be able to handle it." He frowned, and his tone became firm as he remembered the first day he had met his newest members. "In order to be accepted, you must first accept the others. If my memory serves me correctly, the first day you had met your fellow members, you seemed to outwardly disapprove of Taint- something that I doubt he has forgotten. If I were you, I would apologize to him the very next time the two of you come into contact." It was not an order; merely a suggestion, of course, and his face once again softened as he glanced down at her.

[xander]

Jessi turned her head just slightly and looked out at the colors mixing in the sky. She folded her ears back against her head and then turned back to Gavin and smiled some. She would chose a den when she felt it was right, as for now, sleeping out under the stars was something that she would always enjoy it. She looked at Gavin as he spoke about the winters and what not and how they were colder here only due to the mountains. She took in a deep breath and then sighed some "It is always a wonder why the mountains make lands that circle around the towering rock colder then others" she said as she looked at the peek of the mountain. She yawned once more and then flicked her ears back.

She then heard his voice enter her ears. She looked at him and then looked at Gavin. She was kinda glad that he was some what like her, some what anti social. She smiled some and then took a deep breath. "Well it is your duty Gavin to greet the members, you have grown accustom to meeting new wolves. Me, I have never been able to, I only seemed to get chased out due to my nature" she said as she turned to look out the den and watched the stars twinkle up in the dark navy sky's mixed with oranges and reds and pinks. She folded her left ear back some as the sound of his voice hit her ears once more. She turned her head back to him and nodded her head to him slightly. It was nothing new to Jessi, no one really understood what she ever meant.

"I mean out of all the packs i sniffed out, your scent was the strongest and oddly enough it drew me to here, i couldn't get enough of your scent. It was odd to me, My brothers told me to go with them, to follow them but instead i followed my nose to you. I don't know what it is Gavin but you drew me to your lands" She said softly as she locked eyes with him. She shivered some as a very cold breeze sweep around her body and fluffed up her fur some. She turned her head back towards the sky's and looked up at it. She had no idea why she was here, she knew that his scent brought her here, but also she wanted to get away from her brothers. She then heard him speak again and he spoke about a wolf named taint. her ears went back and then she tried to think.

"Oh when i laughed. It was not because of the male taint. It was a thought about a leader i had met a few years back called Tainted Soul. I had only thought of him when the male appeared. I did not direct the laugh at the male." she spoke softly. She had no idea that her out burst of a laugh could have hurt the male. It was something that Jessi would some times do, just bust out in a laugh for no reason because of a memory of a past pack member or a friend. She turned back to Gavin and sighed some. She would have to speak with Taint and apologize to him, she would never laugh at another member. She knew what it was like to be mocked and laughed at.

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[{chay}.«]

DONE.

The Alpha nodded, though a broad smile split across his face- a flagrant intellectual, he enjoyed educating others on things that he himself was conscious of. "The mountain itself extends into the sky, you see? It is colder there, which is why the peaks themselves are perpetually covered with snow. And the mountain is stone, so it does not absorb heat as well as other things. Because our lands border the summits, its cold temperatures are distributed through Haden Valley. That is why our winters will be bitter and unforgiving, and we are in danger of avalanches. I may enforce a rule that the area around Joselyn Peak is off-limits in the winter." He looked as if he was deep in thought for a moment, pondering the idea with great thoroughness- though it had only occurred to him that it could be a decent idea only a moment ago, he nodded to himself, securing the thought away.

He frowned at her words, tilting his head so that his eyes could rest on hers. "I do hope that you haven't felt as if anyone had ousted you, Jessi. As members of a pack, we are supposed to work together and not drive each other away. I expect everyone to treat each other like family- and no one is an exception to that rule. If you are having difficulties with any member- and I do mean any member- please, do not hesitate to mention his or her name. They will be dealt with swiftly, and will be none the wiser as to who told me." It had come as a surprise to him that none of the females had complained about Anevay yet- usually hackles were riled within the first few days, in his experience. A lone female had attempted acceptance into their old pack, and while the leaders had warily allowed her to join, Anevay had caused the femme such distress that she was gone within the period of a few days. Females, it seemed, could be quite cruel when they wished to be.

He felt a burst of pride as she spoke, and he chuckled softly. "Well, it seems I did my job well, then- I couldn't tell you how many days I spent scent-marking these boundaries. The land seems so much bigger when you're having to traipse through it for almost a fortnight. And you do not regret your decision, do you?"

[xander]

She listened to the male very silently and nodded as he explained to her the mountains and how they were off limits when it came to the winter time. She stood up some and stretched out a little bit and flicked her ears some as she laid back down. She had moved a little bit closer to Gavin. She looked at Gavin and cocked her head a little bit "What is it Gavin?" she asked. She turned her head back out to the sky and flicked her ears back as she watched the sky's shift colors. She folded her ears back against her head as the voice of her alpha hit her delicate ears again. She looked at him as he looked at her when she spoke about being chased out.

"It is something i have grown accustom to. I have learned how to deal with the wa others treat me." She said very softly as she laid there. She laid her head down on her paws and kinda whined some as the memories of being chased out flooded her mind. She shook her head and felt as if tears were swelling. She turned her head so he couldn't see the tears. She got up and walked out of the den and sat at the entrance and wiped the tears from her eyes. She looked up at the sky and let out a soft howl towards the sky. She missed her family, she missed her friends, she missed everything that she had back home. She turned her head back towards where the alpha was and sighed some.

She headed back into the den and looked at him some and smiled some. There were tear marks on her cheeks. She heard him ask her if she regretted coming to his lands. She shook her head and smiled. "I do not. I only wish to get to know you better and to try to keep my distance from others. I am not sure how they feel about me, especially Anevay." she said softly as she laid down just a foot away from Gavin. She didn't care if the female came in and seen them, she was enjoying Gavin's company and that was all that mattered to her.

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