Approaching Storm

[Saidin]

At first glance the wolf padding slowly along the shore appeared to be pure white, her pelt an eye-catching counterpoint to the darker, shifting sands beneath her paws. A second look would reveal dark brown eyes and patches of lightest tan staining her coat here and there, easily overlooked spots of color. Marika paused, ears swiveling as they snared each little sound carrying across the gently sloping dunes. Alone. She was alone out here, having successfully avoided that quickly-growing pack of open-hearted loners. A rough snort escaped her delicate maw, the fae's thoughts amusing her. She doubted that ragtag band would last long, even without a threat like Sweeper after them. Ah, now Sweeper... what had that one wolf- Bruno?- been saying about him? A freakin' albino, crazy guy who'd tried to hurt one of their own. Tried. When SHE set out to do something, it happened. Most of the time, she amended.
She hadn't yet caught a whiff of the albino, but Bruno had sounded quite adamant that the others not go south, beyond their meadow. It stood to reason she ought to be able to slip into Sweeper's claimed land quite easily, considering how small his pack- if such existed- must be. She was certain, however, that this "pack" was the one that would survive, not those compassionate weaklings' attempt at standing together. Once she proved her value to Sweeper... well. First she had to find the colorless aberration, impress him. Once that happened... she'd plan from there.

[Snow™]

My eyes caught sight of the femme, orbs narrowing, tail swishing along the ground behind me. She smelled faintly of the other pack, the lighthearted fools. They were hunting now- I'd gone and checked on my little darlings. I had gotten better now, healthier. I'd been staying out of the sun, since my skin was so easily burned. Blind was behind me, nose stuck into the air, looking like a fool. It was quite silly for me to have ripped out his eyes. He was useless. My- his throat was ever so vulnerable whilst he was posistioned in that manner.
I turned my attention back onto the female, expression cocky as I stood. I was in the shadows, though there was no doubt in my mind she could smell me.
My smile was sinister, though I dropped it as I circled, staying in the shadows, then sat down again, tail swishing once more. I didn't know who she was, and she... Probably knew who I was, and if she was as softie as the others she wouldn't have come down here. Unless she was as cocky as I.

[Saidin]

Nostrils flared as Marika sampled the gentle breeze again. Bruno had only said south, not how far... the scents of two unfamiliar wolves assured her she was headed in the right direction. She scanned the sandy area where she stood, then wandered in the general direction of the smell. If it was Sweeper she had found– or at least, two of his pack– then it might be obvious what she was doing. They were, after all, standing upwind of her; only an idiot could possibly miss their scent. Then again, if it was intentional... she paused, head lowering to nose with affected curiosity at a large spiral shell half-buried in the sand, ears swiveling to try to pick up any hints as to where the two were and what they were doing. Was it a trap? Just might be... she didn't really, after all, know who she was dealing with– only a little hearsay from Bruno. What she'd heard, though... Finally deciding the best course of action was direct confrontation, she padded into the shadows. Head, tail, and posture, her demeanor was one of alert confidence. Whether it be Sweeper or his underlings she encountered here, she was not about to give them the impression she'd be easily dominated, smaller size notwithstanding.
She halted for a moment as her eyes adjusted to the decrease in light, using the delay to pinpoint the other wolves' location. Both were white, she noticed that right away– not a big surprise, considering what she'd heard.... She regarded them silently, without moving, not even the usual tilt of head to provide another perspective. Her gaze flicked from one to the other, taking in their appearances. This near one was fully, purely white with a fleshy-colored nose. Did that make him the albino– the dreaded Sweeper? Perhaps. She wasn't about to jump to any foolish conclusions just yet. The other... his odd behavior drew her attention fully to him. What on earth was he... ah. Marika was unable to fully hide her startled reaction to the wolf's eyeless face. Bruno had mentioned another, a "scapegoat" of Sweeper's. This must be Blind, then. Aptly named.

[Snow™]

I had to rip my eyes away from her to see what caused her to look so very disgusted. I followed her gaze to Blind, who was stumbling towards me. He stopped, head whipping so that it looked like he was focusing on the femme. His nose twitched, and a snarl escaped his bared fangs. He did look quite fierce, to tell you the truth. His eyeless face was scarred, and his wrinkled maw kind of hid his uglyness. I made my way towards Blind, then shoved him forth, into the clearing, before following. I moved to his side, which he pressed against. I lowered my head, looking at her with caution, before raising it, one side of my maw turning up. What are you doing here? I said simply, tail swishing, knocking dust into the air.

[Saidin]

A low grumble rose in her throat to answer Blind's snarl: not a challenge, but a warning. She was not going to put up with any nonsense from the maimed brute; his condition would almost automatically make him the omega for any pack– though of course, this little pack was hardly a typical one, now was it? At any rate, Marika was not going to give him the opportunity to try to place her below him, status-wise. That was just asking for it. Watching the way Blind's companion maneuvered him into place, she turned her calm, interested gaze on the colorless wolf. "I'm looking for someone," she announced impassively in response to his query, "an alpha." That ought to catch his attention, with the added bonus of stroking his ego if this was, indeed, who she wanted to find. "I'm sure you know the wolf– Sweeper." Her slight pause was intended to suggest one of two things: either she was merely stating the name of the one she hunted, or she was addressing the albino directly. A simple but fairly effective strategy for ascertaining the truth in her opinion, Marika thought while judging the pair's reactions.

[Snow™]

My eyes narrowed, and I sat down, snorting. Blind stayed standing, Marika's growl making his fur stand on end. The blind brute's hackles raising. I stood abruptly, throwing my side against him, making him stumble to the left, ears going down as he turned to lift his lips at me, causing me to snarl quite loudly, and send him backing back into the trees. I turned back to Marika to look her over, listening to her suggestive tones, audits flicking with interest. Alpha. Hmm. My chest swelled at that. Road Sweeper... Alpha Male. Of the world. I sniggered, nose twitching. I sat once more, tail still. I yawned passively as she paused, then listened, not so attentively, as she continued.
You talk alot. I rolled my eyes, then stood up, closing most of the distance between us. My nose twitched again as I sniffed at her, hair standing on end. I snarled, pulling back.
You smell of that group of idiots. I shook my head, then backed away from her, audits pricked, alertly leaning forward on my small head.
But you have found who you seek. I am Sweeper. Lips lifted in a smile that looked more like a baring of fangs.
The femme didn't seem like much of a risk to me. She had put Blind in his place. She had spunk. I surveyed her closer now, taking in her body structure, the colors of her pelt. White. Satistfied, he relaxed. Who, may I ask, are you?

[Saidin]

Observing Sweeper as he first inflated, then snickered at her alpha comment, Marika was keenly aware of how little she knew about this albino. She would have to tread carefully for a while until she was more certain of both him and where she stood. Lips lifted briefly in distaste at his mention of her scent, and shoulder muscles rippled in a shrug as she dismissed the odor as unavoidable, saying briefly, "I had to travel through their land to reach yours." Conscious of his scrutiny, she remained still, apparently unconcerned as only her ears moved, twitching to track Blind's movement in the trees.
Suspicions confirmed at last, Marika considered how best to approach with her... request... deciding rather easily on a more aggressive track. Sweeper hadn't objected to her brusque behavior toward Blind, so unless the albino required a show of submission in order to assert his position she would continue as she was. She could put up with a little posturing if Sweeper demanded it, though he would find she wouldn't volunteer much until he did. Straightening to her full height– which wasn't necessarily that impressive– the fae kept her tail in a carefully neutral position. "I am Marika. I'm here to join your pack, if you'll have me." The latter bit was thrown in to avoid a statement that might sound presumptuous, though a slight nuance in her tone made it clear she did not believe she would be rejected.

[Snow™]

I have anyone that won't give me shit. I yawned, tail curling out. I cocked my head, snickering. But you're not even in the right lands. The only reason I'm here is because there was a fea here earlier, but she departed with another brute. I looked back into the forest, turning my whole body to look for Blind. No throat openings.
The wuss was sitting in the shadows, auds flicking to catch our conversation. That's Blind. I said, sounding disgusted, before I turned back to the fea. She sounded so sure that I would accept her. Lucky for her I wasn't that mean. HAH.
Yes I was. I'm such a funny guy.

[Saidin]

Marika nodded slightly as she listened. "I didn't know where your lands were, those milksops only said 'south'. Worked out all right, anyway." She took in Sweeper's careful stance, leaving no invitation for attack. Very cautious of one so open to the right... newcomer. The fae wondered if he would always be so wary, or if it was simply because he didn't– she doubted 'trust' was the right word– know her well enough yet. 'Yet' being the operative word, of course. Dark eyes followed his to study Blind.
"An interesting... ally," she commented, taking her cues from Sweeper and keeping herself similarly defensive against possible attack. She did want to impress him, after all– at the very least prove herself a worthwhile asset. "Where'd you find him?"

[Snow™]

ooc: my dog is being a baby and resting in my lap and i can barely type so if there's typos i'm sorry. ><


As she became interested upon how I stumbled on blind, a smile cracked my lips and I looked up, thinking, before my eyes rested upon her again.
I kidnapped him a while ago... and injured a couple people in the process... Lets just say that when you shun me... you pay. My smile was bigger now, lopsided, audits flicking forth to catch her reaction.
As for where I reside, its farther south than this. The land I reside upon is quite desolate. If I happen to find enough wolves to make a pack we'll just take some other lands. But I didn't want those idiots bothering me so I got as far away as I possibly could.

[Saidin]

An answering smile and a soft chuckle were Marika's response. Oh yes, Sweeper was certainly living up to what reputation he'd already created with the valley's other "pack". A strong leader, and one she could definitely associate herself with. While selecting a weaker pack would have put her in a position to maneuver herself into a superior rank with less difficulty, the arctic wolf believed she would be able to do so just as assuredly here; it might simply take a bit more caution and time. She had the advantage, after all, of discovering Sweeper while his strength and claim on this land were still uncertain. Why else would he be skulking about in less-than-desirable lands instead of forcing those other wolves into submission? His comment about finding "enough" wolves made her want to chortle, though she easily suppressed the urge. It seemed she had arrived with more than enough time to establish herself as a fundamental part of the pack.
"The distance might be effective at keeping them away, but it could just as easily allow them to recruit any potentials who would otherwise have joined us," she pointed out impassively.

[Snow™]

A snarl played on my facade as I registered her words, my crown bobbing. "You think I am that stupid? Any wolven worthy of ruling under me would never join a pack of... well, pussies, such as those." I grinned, tail swishing behind me. "Besides. Isn't that how you found me?" My rump found the ground, and I lifted a forepaw to sniff at it carefully, still keeping my eyes on the femme. I sniffed at it quite loudly, then set it back down, fighting back the urge to cough. My ailments had stopped... for the most part, since I had reached these lands. My new surroundings were much better for me than the dampness of the caves I'd resided in earlier.