Accidental Intruder [joining]

[Lakya]

A cream-coated wolf gingerly walked upon the soggy soil, which sunk slightly underneath her weight. Her gentle footfalls were barely audible on this soft ground. Early morning fog accumulated in this moist area and Lakya basked in that cool feeling, her muzzle parting into two to inhale the chilly scents of the bog, and as her lungs expanded, her lips widened into a grin. The blades of pale-green grass penetrating the clammy soil had a thin coat of cold dew which also added to the feeling of contentment as she passed them. "What a lovely morning," the she-wolf quietly chuffed, taking a seat under a dimly-lit patch of sun which had cut through the thin foliage to cloak the area. "lonely, though." she grumbled. How long had it been since she was in a pack last? A while. She didn't quite keep track, but she knew that the realization of her isolation would try to envelope her mind every so often. Lakya managed to fight it off, though. It would take more work for it to get to her. She still remained genuinely happy and she loved it. No use in thinking about it, either. Amber eyes danced about the bog, examining the beautiful stillness of the terrain that was begging to be broken. The single disruption of this beautiful silence was waterfoul aerially cavorting, gliding gracefully upon the near-still air. Lakya sat there for several minutes, awaiting another diversion. Aside from unknown creatures creating minuscule ripples in a pool of water, there was none. This pool of water in particular was temping. Sunlight, even though it was dim, illuminated the area and even made the brown-colored water shine. The stagnant water probably had mud underneath, and if it had a mind, it would probably lie in wait for the time it would be stirred up and it could settle once more. That is, at least, what Lakya thought. An active imagination and body would gradually tempt her to go to one of these pool, and tempt it did. The female arose from the ground and broke into a run, nearing the pool, dodging any sharp, dead trees that permeated the earth. She slid in the mud, which brought her into the water, and she rolled around in the shallow pool, coating her body in dirty waters, temporarily converting her off-white coat into a brown one. Her face stood out starkly in the pool, being the single clean region. There she lay in the trivial depths, gazing into the sky and forest absent-mindedly, occasionally rolling in or pawing at the mud. What was next on her schedule? She didn't quite know. Perhaps a hunt was in order? For now, however, she'd simply soak in the dark-brown mud. (465 words - Anyone just feel free to come discover her She's oblivious to the fact she's trespassing.)

[Destra]

Caecis was wandering the territory when the noise came. Damien had wandered off again in an less than cheery mood and in all honesty, the alpha was afraid for her comrade. Damien was always unstable and when he grew angry, it was dangerous for every party involved. When the crash and splash echoed through her sensitive ears, the worst of fears flitted across her mind and she raced off to find it's cause, her pale blue eyes near blind and her thick fur wavering out behind her becoming patchy in the damp light. Her paws slipped dangerously in the mud, her claws struggled to keep a pawhold and created gashes in the earth beneath her.

While Caecis hadn't exactly known what her would beseech her eyes, what she found was definitely something she could see as a possibility. While her hearing was spot on, her vision had been a little cloudy, and instead of directly in front of the muddy pool where some strange wolf rolled, she had ended up a ways off, shielded in the shade of a large sycamore tree. Slowly, she approached, her paws silent in her territory. She hadn't been alpha for long, but she had held the position long enough to know that intruders generally weren't good.

As she neared, Caecis could distinguish little about the wolf except for a missing ear. Even her fur had been converted into a dark and matted color by the mud and this fact unnerved the female, her eyes seemed to glow in the darkness, her ears pinned back and the chocolate covered fur along her spine rose. Cautiously, she wandered closer, her lip twitching as she resisted the urge to snarl.
"Hello there" she called, still far enough away to avoid an attack but close enough to begin to distinguish more features about the wolf. From her size, Caecis guessed she was a female and every once and a while She could find the amber of their eyes.

[Lakya]

Her maw parted into two and her salmon-pink tongue loosely rolled out, and through this crevice in her muzzle did she respire the musty air. Her eyes were barely visible as she squinted, looking towards the sun which had recently rose. At noon, its highest point, it would normally be blinding, although at earlier hours the sun seemed more compliant. It seemingly granted others the unspoken permission to gaze upon it for short periods. The sun wasn't beautiful in itself, as it was merely a white gaudy thing in the sky, although it did create much beauty. The beauty that anyone would enjoy - The reflections of a pink sunset sky upon a lake, and if the peace of such a lake was broken and ripples were created, the sunlight would break into shards. And yet, it maintained its grace, even as the water would be disturbed. Even the present moment was an example. The morning sun cast sunlight upon this pool and it mirrored the sunlight. Her right ear flickered upon an unknown noise and she tilted her head around awkwardly so her left ear could perhaps pick more sounds up. She heard little, however, Lakya knew something was disturbing the blades of grass and something was approaching. The female grew still and her breathing slowed, not daring to move once so she could clearly hear the animal's approach. She slowly and quietly got up and looked towards the source. It didn't take long for the cause to appear. It was a wolf; another of her own kind. The wolf looked quite dissimilar to herself. Pale eyes, darker coat, thicker fur and a slightly larger build. The only trait that would match herself at the time would be the darker coat, given that the she-wolf was coated in chunky, dark mud. She seemed quite threatening with hackles up and ears pinned and Lakya recoiled in fear at the sight of the larger canine. Hello there the female had greeted. These words slightly relaxed her, as they could mean she wouldn't immediately attack. If Lakya got her words right she would be safe. "Who are you?" Lakya gently inquired. Those were the first words that came out of her mouth. Perhaps it had been a bit rude not to offer her own name. "I'm Lakya," added the female "lone wolf. Are you a lone wolf, too?" The words kindled thought in that mind of hers. She'd not thought of the possibility of this wolf being a pack wolf. If she was a pack wolf, that means she was potentially trespassing. Lakya slowly breathed through her nose, and now paying attention to the scents in the area, a plethora of scents hit her nostrils, plus, along with that, awareness of the fact she was trespassing. She could smell the territory markers and the scents of other wolves before her. Oh no, she began to mentally scold herself this must be one of the packs. I had nearly forgotten about their presence. She wasn't here too long, however, she'd heard from other loners about the packs. Three of them, if memory served her correct, were present in the area. Such a seemingly small amount, and yet, here she was, unknowingly trespassing on one of the pack territories. (545 words)

[Destra]

Gently, Caecis's brow crinkled, her head tilted and a glimmer of amusement flickered in her eyes as she drew closer. Noticing the other wolf's silly antics the alpha had grown more relaxed, it was obvious in her lowered hackles and her not-so-taut muscles that rippled beneath her long fur. The wolf seemed hardly more than a pup in her current state, all mud and gangly appearing limbs. The fae certainly didn't seem to be of any sort of threat; At least not to Caecis anyways. As the thought crossed her mind, she immediately heard Soran's stern snarl and reprimand because even though they were equal in rank, it was obvious who held the reigns. If Soran had found this girl instead of Caecis herself, she may not have even had the chance to utter her own name, Lakya.

The name traveled over the alpha's tongue, caressed her teeth and teemed out of her muzzle, brushing along the roof of her mouth, "Lakya, what a pleasant name." Her eyes had grown soft in the rising light, the sun reflecting over her shielded pupils and although the light didn't bother her as much as it did other wolves, she squinted slightly as it rose. Quietly she snickered at the wolf's words, 'A loner she says!' her mind snorted, relishing in the naivety of the female before her. "Oh no, I am no loner" Caecis giggled, her chest rising and falling with the noise, "As a matter of fact, you happen to be in my territory." The words were loaded with seriousness, yet no anger reached her expression. The female's reaction would depend all on how Lakya decided to act.

"Welcome to the territory of Lingua Veritatis." Caecis's voice seemed to roar through the dense land, although it had not raised a bit in volume. It soon became obvious in how the alpha portrayed herself, that she commanded the pack. Soran may speak as though he rules it, but the real leader was Caecis. She was the main decision maker, she belted out orders in Soran's absence, she cared for her wolves like a mother coddling her pups but was not afraid to let them fall in order to learn. She was the mother of Lingua and the wolf in front of her could either pose as a threat to her kin or an ally to them. "My name is Caecis Oculis, I am alpha and owner of the mud you happen to be covered in." Again, the light of laughter twinkled in her eyes and dusted over her words, "What exactly are you doing here?"

[Lakya]

The she-wolf's amber eyes looked up towards the female, who had been gradually approaching closer. Thankfully, she'd seemed to have grown softer as her threatening appearance melted away into what seemed to be amusement. Still, she did seem grand and proud from her own perspective. Significantly larger than the petite Lakya, strong, and the first sunlight of the day lining her shape as it hit her only made her seem more grand As a matter of fact, you happen to be in my territory. Welcome to the territory of Lingua Veritatis. her ears perked up as her interest piqued "You own this?" she thought aloud "It's wonderful here!" her tail, slick with mud, waggled slightly, and in the process, chunks of the dark liquid were flung off her tail into the pool "How large is this land of yours?" Lakya asked "I hear there are other packs; who are they?" the female began an outflow of questions and excitedly awaited an answer. She adopted a new position, leaving her one of shrunken fear and instead standing up. Wet mud dripped from her belly and onto the ground, filling in any silence with the occasional plop. My name is Caecis Oculis, I am alpha and owner of the mud you happen to be covered in  "Caecis," she repeated, trying out the name for herself, letting her mouth fall open and her tongue peek out in an agape grin "Sounds lovely!" her tail waggled once more as she returned the compliment the female had given Lakya about her own name. As Caecis asked of her goals in her lands, not many thoughts were stimulated. It was rather simple to her. The swamp was quite endearing in the time before sunrise - White fog hanging over it and a cool breeze invading the area. She'd been lured by the mystery and rough beauty of the swamp and was especially interested in the chances of fun possibilities. In this case, the mud lured her and her perhaps childish desires to play. But what would she do next? This wolf would probably let her go without harm. Caecis was a friendly leader, it seemed, and Lakya was grateful for such a thing. If it had been another wolf she could be easily harmed and overpowered by now, considering the size of her small and fragile frame in particular. Lakya could be pinned to the ground and grabbed by the throat. But she didn't like to think about that. The thought of her own death with give her shivers through her body, and thus, the subject of her mind quickly changed. Would she leave? She didn't know. What would she do next? Could she stay, perhaps? "I couldn't help myself. This place just looked fun. Simple as that," the wolf said in response "although I'm wondering," Lakya paused, tilting her head slightly "am I welcome to stay here, by chance?" her eyes brightened with curiosity as she looked at the leader "This seems a real lovely place you own here!" (504 words)