Hope and worry {Aster, please}

Tala paused to sniff the air, taking it all in with two big sniffs. She blinked suddenly, sniffing again. Did she really smell another wolf? The young wolf had smelt other wolves in the land she had been traveling through of late, but this wolf smelt close and seemed to have a powerful air about them. With the luck she had been holding of late with alphas and what not, was it worth the risk of trying to find another pack? What would happen if it was a complete lunatic like her former alpha?

Tala sighed, shaking her shaggy head. "Things were so much easier when I was a pup." She said to herself looking out into the bush in this new, unknown land. She sniffed again as if trying to decide her course of action. Here goes nothing. Tala thought to herself as she raised her muzzle and let out one short, loud howl. Nothing to sound threatening or like any sort of challenge, just a howl to inform whom ever owned this land that she was here and waiting. The young wolf sighed again, switching her tail a bit in a bored manner as she stood waiting for what ever fate threw at her.

Aster had been patrolling her borders alone, checking for intruders as well as exploring her new territory. Coming on a fallen log, she bunched her powerful hind legs and sprung on top of it, opposed to just going under it, and paused; her dark eyes momentarily glinting in the last rays of the setting sun. Her nose twitched; she smelled something. It smelled like another wolf. Aster paused to contemplate this, wondering what another wolf would be doing in this territory unless it was a loner. She was too far away to tell right away, but from what Aster could smell, it smelled like the other wold was another she-wolf. Otherwise, she couldn't make out anything else.

Aster's sharp ears perked as a howl tore through the sky, reading it. She replied with her own sharp yip, not saying anything but to stay still and she would come find her. But she made sure she kept her yip neutral, not aggressive but not overly friendly either. She was cautious, just like any wolf with half a brain would be when meeting a new wolf.

Leaping from the log, Aster headed toward the source of the noise and smell in a quick lope. After a few minutes she spotted the wolf, and paused. The female was young, not yet an adult but not a pup either, she had shaggy red fur that looked very well kept. Aster padded slowly forward, making sure to keep her head high and her tail up as an alphess would do.
"Hello. I am Aster." She said, cautiously coming closer to catch the other wolfs scent better. "Who are you and how may I help you?" She asked, being friendly but still letting the other wolf know that she would fight her if she attacked first. Just looking at the younger wolf she was impressed; she smelled clean, looked clean, and had bright eyes. Aster couldn't help thinking that she would be a very good addition to Lightning Pack.

Tala second guessed herself on announcing her presence the moment the other wolf appeared. She knew with one glance that this wolf had to be an alpha, as she had guessed. The young wolf could not help but shiver at the thought of dealing with another alpha, this one had to be different, she was a female but that made little difference sometimes.

When the female approached, Tala bowed her head lightly and flattened her ears in simple respect, nothing more and nothing less. "My name is Tala." The young wolf replied to the alphess, obviously choosing her words carefully as she spoke. "I am taking the risk of finding myself a new home -- pack, I mean... I'm not challenging you." Tala said quickly, a look of confusion and embarrassment crossing her features. "I really don't want to challenge... I know my limits." The young wolf explained, still trying to smooth things over as she thought she had said something terribly wrong.

"I'm sorry... I'm a bit nervous."

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OOC: Blah, writer's block = short post

Aster relaxed at the simple sign of respect that the other wolf gave her, knowing that the younger she-wolf would not be challenging her for her position. At least not anytime soon.
"Hello Tala." She said kindly. "It seems that you are in luck. Lightning Pack is in search of new wolves, if you are interested." But if she was not, Aster would have to set her boundaries on what a loner could do in her territories. She usually allowed loners, but in return she expected protection from them as well.

Aster was amused at the other wolf's embarrassment; it made her feel important to be able to have that affect on others due to her high position. It was good to make an alphess to feel that way, especially if you were trying to get onto her good side. Aster let her tail sway slightly in what could have been an either partial wag or just swaying in the breeze. Her eyes bright, she sidled closer to Tala to catch a better whiff, just as any canine first meeting another one would do. She liked what she smelled. The young feme obviously took care of herself, and although she was nervous Aster could not smell any terror or any other suspicious scents on her. If she grew a bit older and Lightning Pack didn't have a beta yet, Aster could see the red wolf as a possible candidate.


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OOC: Ahaha, thats fine. Yay muse. <3

Tala wagged her tail several times when the alphess had spoken of the fact that her pack was in need of new wolves, she quickly stopped her tail's movement. She was not a pup any more, she had to get that through her own head. Wagging ones tail was not exactly the wisest thing in the world, especially around a new alpha, one that she did not know. "I would very much like that, joining the ranks of your pack that is." The young wolf paused, looking told Aster with big, puppy dog eyes, saying hopefully, like a child wanting something in the toy aisle. "That is if you'll have me." Tala smiled lightly, completely forgetting herself. "Only trouble is, I'm not a very good hunter yet, my first hunt out I tripped over my big feet. But I can manage some rabbits, got a beaver once..." The young wolf paused as if pondering, trying to come up with more.

Tala blinked suddenly, her ears flattening, head going low. "Forgive me. Started to ramble there, upset my old alpha doing that." She explained quietly. That really was the truth of the matter, but there was little that didn't upset her former alpha, and surely he was still continuing his tirade back in his lands. The young wolf shook her head, too bad her mother did not take the risk and come with her on this venture. There was some much life outside of her birth lands. "Is there anything you would like to know about me, Aster-- Alpha Aster? Alphess?"

"Call me Aster." Aster said with a flick of her ear. She was amused by the younger wolf and relaxed at her almost puppy-like way of thinking and talking. Aster stepped forward, sniffing the female more and making sure that their scents mixed so others would be able to tell that they were from the same pack. "And say what is on your mind. I enjoy the company." In truth, Aster herself never really had much to say and it often led to awkward silences, at least for the other wolves who weren't as talkative as Tala. "Walk with me back into the territories and I will show you your new home." Aster turned around and looked back over her shoulder, beginning a quick trot toward the camp.

"I'm sure we can work on your hunting skills." Aster said, sure that she would be able to hunt for them both if Tala was as clumsy as she said she was, which Aster doubted she really was. Somehow Aster had the feeling that Tala's old alpha may have criticized her too much and restricted her ability to learn and preform at her best because she was always worried about messing up and upsetting the alpha.

"If you do not mind me asking, what was your old alpha like?" She asked with a crooked head, still padding further into the territory. Curious about other alpha's and packs outside her own, Aster wasn't sure if it would be a sensitive subject or not. Aster wanted her pack to be comfortable around her as well as respect her, so Aster figured the easiest way to gain that respect would be to prove that she was trustworthy and could be talked to about anything without getting angry or aggressive. Aster knew that while packs could be ruled by fear and intimidation, they tended to preform better if the whole pack acted as one and knew and trusted each other.

"Aster." The young wolf repeated as if trying to add it to her little memory bank. She could not help but smile and wag her tail a bit when the alphess said that she would show the young wolf her new home. Home! What a friendly word she had longed to hear for the longest time. Tala cheerfully broke into a trot following after her new alphess with a spring in her step and her tail still wagging side to side. She was obviously forgetting herself again. Her tongue lolled out of the side of her mouth as she walked, her big feet carrying her shoulder to shoulder with Aster.

The young wolf nodded several times in a silly pup like manner, which was made even funnier with her tongue hanging from her mouth, when Aster commented about working on her hunting skills. "That would be good, never really worked too much with group hunting. Would have but when we got a new alpha things changed fast." Tala replied.

She gave a look of distaste when Aster had asked about the young wolf's former alpha. "He wasn't a very good alpha. The young wolf stated. "Only cared about himself and if you messed up, you'd feel his wrath." She shivered slightly at the thought. "My first alpha was better though, he was fair and just and all. Thought before he acted, made sure everyone had enough to eat. All that loveliness. But the new alpha came in, and took over. Killed my father and slowly starved more, Alu." Tala shook her head sadly.

"Alu was our pack elder. She wasn't strong enough to be a leader, nearly lost her one leg to a bear, but father kept her around because she had seen more than any of our pack combined had. Saved the pack from a flood once." The young wolf sighed. "But when the new alpha came in, he said that if you couldn't hunt you didn't eat... which was amusing because he never hunted and always ate first. All of us tried to get poor Alu some food but every time we tried we felt the wrath of the alpha. Poor Alu couldn't hunt, not with her bad leg, couldn't leave either for the same reason."

The young wolf shook her head again. "Ended up dying of starvation... she had some of the best stories...