Deaf Defense (Joining Thread)

[~braelyn~]

The female timber wolf stared intently at the rushing river before her, amber eyes speculating its clear, cool waters. She relied mostly on sight to live, as well as her magic and strength. She was abnormally large for a female wolf, weighing at 91 pounds and measuring at 32 inches tall. Her silver fur stuck out against the lush greenery surrounding her, the white of her underbelly hidden from the sun and the black of her spine hot from the glowing ball of fire that lit up the day. Her ears were torn, shredded beyond recognition of the fact that they were her ears. They were hard to identify as the hearing appendages most others had. It was for this reason, that she couldn't hear much that was around her, including the beauty of the river before her.

Braelyn lowered her head and sniffed at the river bank's stones with her pale pink nose, then shifted her muzzle towards the transparent liquid. Her pink tongue slithered out from the crack in her mouth and silently lapped up the water. It slid down her throat and she lifted her head when she was finished. Braelyn stepped into the river, paws sinking into the soft mud. She moved her body forward, pelt flattening the farther into the river she got, and soon she was unable to touch the ground. Her numerous muscles propelled her bulky frame easily across the body of water and to the other side, where she pulled herself out.

She gave her pelt a shake, scattering droplets of water across the ground. She walked on, making way to a nearby tree. Tired, she sat beneath the tree on the roots, curling into a comfortable position. Aware of her bad hearing and the fact that she was possibly on an other pack's territory, she placed a force field around herself. It expanded to three feet around her entire body. It would stop anyone from getting close to her to kill her. Braelyn allowed her eyes to close, feeling the safety of the force field around her, shielding her from unwanted guests.

[sköldpadda]

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[atrb=background,http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae183/sigathkerr/Tables/skoldpaddatablemid.png] Heat was radiating off the large wolf's copper toned pelt, his damp tongue hung limply from the side of his mouth, heavy inhales and exhales of carbon dioxide escaping his lungs as he made his daily trek through glacier's lands. His coat was still rather thick and heavy, although some of the previous winter bulk which had been there was starting to thin out and disappear, leaving his coat looking rather dishevelled and scraggly. He was headed toward the western borders of his pack lands, toward Avalanche river, the main supply of fresh drinking water for his wolves. It was a beautiful place, but it was also a dangerous one. Skoldpadda knew the river was daring in the summer months, and that time was slowly approaching. He would have to make sure he looked over those parts closely in the summer, especially with the young ones in his pack. Muscles rippled beneath his copper pelt as he quickened his pace, the shine which normally decorated it wasn't quite as apparent today, with his pelt matted and frayed from the shedding. Not that he minded, appearances were the least important thing on his mind. He stopped periodically a few times along his route to brush his mangy fur against branches and tree trunks, allowing him to remark his territory and remove some of the access fur which was clinging to his body. As he carried on his path, a curious scent wafted toward him on the slight breeze, and his ears began to twitch in alert. The scent was strong, yet muddled, he could tell it was another canine. Skoldpadda slowed his paces, golden eyes keen and alert. The current of the river was strong in his ears now, and he figured that the water was masking some of the scent. He approached the river diligently, gaze wandering the grounds around it for the source of the smell. It didn't take him more than a minute to spot the out of place colour which was huddled in a blob beneath a tree. Golden eyes narrowed slightly in frustration with the silver wolf, did they not smell the boundary markers? He approached the wolf, noting that it did not seem to sense his presence. Judging by the wolf's body shape, Skoldpadda decided it was a female, although a larger one. He stopped a few feet short of the wolf who was curled on the ground, clearing his throat to attract some attention to himself. "Wolf," The single word was spoken rather loudly, his voice ringing with a note of authority. "What brings you swimming and sun-bathing in my lands? Don't you know that that is considered trespassing?" His golden eyes were fixed squarely upon the other wolf with the damp coat, his face kept stoney and emotionless. He hoped he hadn't come across to the female as too rude, but he didn't much appreciate trespassers on his land. ooc; sorry this is extremely short and bad. My first time replying to a joining thread and it's been a while since I've had time to write a post in general. x]

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[~braelyn~]

In every dream Braelyn's mind was continuously occupied with during sleep, she attempted to imagine herself in a place where she felt nothing. However, she was always stuck in the same place: a meadow with soft, waving grass and vibrant poppies springing up every few feet. The sun was shining, the clouds were floating by, and there was no sound but the wind. She couldn't even hear herself if she attempted to speak. Not that it would do her much good anyways, her ears were torn beyond recognition and hearing was a difficult thing for the four year old female to come by. She was unsure as to why it was the same every time, and she wished it would change, but she had a slight feeling that there was some subliminal meaning behind all of it. Though, it was just the meadow, nothing ever changed.

For a moment, there was a disturbance in the air around her, an incessant buzzing sound that managed to protrude what was left of her ears. Curious, she turned her head, only to find more of the endless golden grasses of the meadow stretching out before her. There was nothing there, but the noise continued and got louder. It was within a few moments that she realized she was waking up and she waited for it to happen. The meadow vanished and all was black, then she pried her eyelids open. She managed to somewhat catch the last words of someone's sentence. It took a second to register. There was someone behind her, standing just on the edge of her force field.

Braelyn's amber eyes snapped open wide in alarm, every instinct propelling her from the ground and several feet away. She swirled around to face the other presence. Her lip curled back over her gums in a snarl, though no sound left her throat. Her fur bristled, sticking high off of her skin, and her eyes scanned over the wolf before her. Copper fur, gold eyes, male. He was bigger than she was and it would seem she would lose if she were to engage him. What remained of her ears pricked up towards him, the severely torn edges attempting to pick up any more sounds. Her force field went down, for the position she was in showed she was ready to fight. A thought crossed her mind. If he had intended on attacking her, he probably would have done so.

Her pink nose twitched as she sniffed at him from where she stood, trying to remember what he had said to her. Her poor hearing and scarred ears had somehow forced her to forget the words, but, with effort, she managed to bring it back to her conscious. Her lip covered her teeth again, minus the canines sticking out from the edges of her mouth. Her muscles didn't relax, rippling slightly under her sleek silver pelt. "I did not mean to intrude. I've been traveling for awhile now, I was only tired." Her voice was quiet, as she tended not to speak much. Her calm self took over and she made sure she wasn't seeming hostile in any way. "I didn't wake immediately. My hearing is bad, as you can see, but that doesn't mean I can't defend myself." She wiggled her shredded ears for emphasis on the hearing loss part of her sentence.

Braelyn wasn't sure of what was to come. It had been awhile since she had come across another wolf who didn't attempt to chase her out of their territory. Then again, the only other wolf who hadn't was her brother, Canyon. They had separated nearly a year ago and she missed him greatly. This wolf somewhat reminded her of him, but with gold eyes instead of blue. The fur was a huge resemblance, causing a tinge of pain to prod at her heart.

[sköldpadda]

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[atrb=background,http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae183/sigathkerr/Tables/skoldpaddatablemid.png] Skoldpadda stood silently for a moment after his speech, ears and eyes ahead on the silvery grey female who seemed to stir only at the end of his words. He was curious as to why she hadn't moved sooner, surely she had the basic canine instinct to protect herself? As she scooted around, Skoldpadda was mildly amused to see the rather feral snarl which had so suddenly decorated her features, athough not surprised. Most wolves would react in such a way if approached from behind, or caught off guard, it was simply amusing to him that she chose to snarl at him, when she had obviously wandered into his lands willingly. To him, their roles should have been reversed. He shrugged it off, however, and simply stood motionless until the female's wave of emotion rolled past. His copper-ringed eyes scanned the female's features quickly, sizing her up almost absent-mindedly to see where he might see her fit if she decided she would like to become part of his pack. He quickly noticed one major detail about her, it was rather hard to miss. His gaze hesitated upon her shredded appendages for a moment, the stumps which protruded from either side of the top of her skull. Her ears had clearly been destroyed, but how or why he didn't know, and didn't think it polite to ask. This was the answer to why she hadn't noticed his approach earlier, and he seemed to be relieved by that. A wolf without natural instinct could never mean something good. His own ears twitched as her soft voice rang out to him, and he strained only slightly to hear her words clearly. He simply nodded at her first sentence, not wanting to interrupt her train of thought. They never meant to intrude, did they? And they usually were tired from travelling. Again he was slightly amused by the female's choice of words, was she trying to sound threatening? Skoldpadda nodded again, musing over her words. That didn't mean she couldn't defend herself, of course it didn't, but had he wanted too previously, he very well could have. Although that had never been an intention of his. Skoldpadda didn't claim this pack to fight anyone or chase everyone off. He claimed this pack to help protect the other wolves who sought aid or guidance or protection. He pushed the amusement out of his voice, responding to the female's words in a neutral tone. "I don't doubt that you could protect yourself. My name is Skoldpadda, I am the alpha of these lands," He dipped his head toward her slightly in greeting, lowering his haunches to the ground as to level himself out with her somewhat. He was a tower over most wolves, his size often intimidating to other wolves, so he figured it would put them more at ease if he sat during a first meeting. This particular female was of a decent size, so he doubted she felt too threatened by him, if at all, but he figured the action was just of common courtesy. "May I inquire as to your name, or what you're in search of here?" He offered the female a gentle smile, showing her that the words were not meant to be offensive, but simply of genuine interest.

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[~braelyn~]

Braelyn strained her torn ears to listen to him speak, watching him as he sat before her. Whether the gesture was courtesy or not, she remained standing to be sure. She felt no fear standing before him, despite his size. There were few wolves she knew of that were larger than her, and he happened to be one of the two she had met. She was not intimidated, but confident in her ability to fight should she be in any impending danger. She didn't feel safe, but not in danger either. It was more of a happy medium her instinct hung in.

Skoldpadda... She would be sure to remember it. She rarely forgot names. Name? He wanted her name too, as well as what she might be searching for here. She wasn't sure what she was searching for. Canyon had left her nearly a year back, for he had enjoyed a specific land so much that he went in search of its pack in hopes to join it. When he had left, Braelyn just wandered, no aim or purpose to her travels. She thought for many minutes, silent as though there was nothing there. Her amber eyes were filled with fret as she debated on what to do. She wasn't absolutely sure she could trust him, but, in the situation, there probably was no reason not to. He hadn't attacked her, and she decided that was reason enough.

"I'm...Braelyn." She said softly, feeling as though her lips were barely moving. Her posture relaxed some, fur laying flat finally. "I...search for nothing in particular. I've been wandering aimlessly since my bother and I parted year ago." She didn't know why she was telling him of her brother, but the resemblance Skoldpadda held to Canyon was remarkable, and Braelyn couldn't help but see her sibling in him. It was strange, for she hadn't seen her brother in a long time. She nearly wanted to cal him Canyon, but perhaps that was her heart playing tricks on her, reminding her of how much she missed him.

She regained her senses, voice still quiet. "This is your pack's lands. I am sorry for intruding upon them." She suddenly felt awkward standing there, encroaching on someone else's territory, though kept her calm facade. Her pelt rippled as she moved to leave, turning only slightly enough to reveal her flank. "If you wish for me to leave, then I will go. No violence necessary." Braelyn waited patiently for an answer, wondering what the alpha would do with the stranger he found on his lands.

[sköldpadda]

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[atrb=background,http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae183/sigathkerr/Tables/skoldpaddatablemid.png] Skoldpadda's mind was clear today, completely alert and keen on the little details. His magic, was not clouding his thoughts today, and he hoped that it wouldn't start too later in the day. It was always a nice day when the blackness stayed out of his head. Because of the clarity on his mind and judgement, Skoldpadda was able to properly analyze this particular wolf's actions and body language. He watched the slight changes in her facial expressions and her bodily movements. He could tell that she was remembering something from long ago, which was possibly painful for her. And he wanted to make this meeting as pleasant as he possibly could. She was on his lands now, which meant she was his responsibility, whether she was a member of his pack or not, or whether she chose to be or not, or whether she was supposed to be on his lands or not. Skoldpadda didn't much agree with trespassing, but this she-wolf didn't seem to be trying to stir up any trouble, so he could look past the fact that she had roamed into his territory without permission. He nodded subtly after she introduced herself. Braelyn. It was a unique name, not one he'd ever heard before. "Pleasure to meet you, Braelyn." He answered smoothly, letting the name roll off his tongue so that he'd be sure to remember it. His copper tinged ears perked toward the silver toned female as she spoke up again, her voice still soft and almost shy sounding, very different than what he'd expect to come from such a fair sized female. So her and her brother had been close, maybe that's what she had been remembering previously. Skoldpadda nodded his head slowly, letting her finish her words. Skoldpadda himself had been very close with his brother when they had been younger, the two of them had left their parents and wandered on their own. But they too, had split up eventually, and Skoldpadda understood the hurt that that sort of separation caused. It was hard to say goodbye to a close family member, whether it was a natural part of life, or not. "I understand, Braelyn, my own brother and I separated not that long ago, and I wandered for a long time by myself, as well." His words were friendly, trying to coax the female into a more relaxed state, his magic of compulsion laced the words, but only slightly. He was slightly caught off guard by the female's abrupt change of conversation, and the large male cocked his head to one side slightly. Violence? There would be no violence, could she not see that? He uttered a small chuckle, shaking his head from side to side quickly, trying to answer the female before she decided to take off. "There will be no violence here, Miss, I can assure you of that. You are more than welcome to stay, if you'd like, I understand how draining living by yourself can be." He paused only briefly, offering the grey wolf a friendly smile. "I have a large amount of land here, and not that many occupants, I could surely open my arms to a fellow wolf." He chuckled slightly as he finished, finding the expression of opening his arms faintly amusing. He wanted the female to feel at ease her, to know that she could choose as she wanted. Skoldpadda had no idea if she'd take up his offer, or if she was even looking for a pack to join, but he would welcome her if she decided she would like to stay.

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[~braelyn~]

He had separated from family as well? Braelyn was sure not too long ago that she and her brother were the only ones to have done such a thing. Perhaps the world was smaller than she had thought, but it seemed when she was young that there were no others wolves in the world, for her pack had lived in such a desolate place. There were nothing but the trees, streams, and ferocious animals that wanted to kill them everyday living in the surrounding areas. Every day was a life or death situation, but she had survived, only to have her pack die off and Canyon and her having to leave their mother to die in the open wild with no one to protect her. Braelyn remembered how her mother had lost her senses when their father was killed.

Skoldpadda offered to let her stay. She thought about it. A Large territory with few wolves. She wondered what there would be for her to do if she were to stay in the territory and join this pack. She voiced her opinion on things, though she was still quiet, "I assumed no violence would leap forth. You would have attacked me if you deemed necessary. If I were to stay, what would there be for me to do?" Braelyn waited patiently for an answer from the wolf, the alpha of these lands.

Something nagged at the back of her mind. Did she really want to join this pack? What would be the benefits? She weighed her options, the good and bad things that could come of it. She was unsure. She liked traveling, but she also liked being in a pack. She remembered what it was like to defend for her last one. Her force field magic had often times come in handy when there was an enemy that got too close. She remembered the joy she felt in knowing that she was useful, that she had something to protect, and she assumed she would do anything to regain that feeling.

Braelyn stared into the nothingness for awhile, contemplating on what it would be like to have a life again. There were the good things and the bad things, but everything had those to come with them. There was no stopping such things. The good things that came to her mind were the facts that she could protect, serve, and have a family again. The bad things that came up were the fear of rejection, and those disregarding her because of her ears. It had happened before.

However, perhaps things would be different this time. Perhaps she could find a place not based on the judgement of others, and maybe this would be the place. Braelyn allowed herself to smile, happiness breaking through her calm facade, amber eyes twinkling brightly. For once, she felt at ease and sat herself on the cooled earth beneath her. A small laugh left her throat as she thought of how strange she was being, how out of character she was being. It was weird, but she was sure this wolf wouldn't mind.

[sköldpadda]

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[atrb=background,http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae183/sigathkerr/Tables/skoldpaddatablemid.png] Copper-ringed eyes scanned the female's stature again, her body language told the alpha that she was much more relaxed now, and for that he was grateful. He also took in the nicely proportioned masses of muscle which showed through her dappled silver pelt. It appeared that she would be a strong wolf, most likely a good fighter if she were to be put to the test, most likely also a good guard if she were to be put to that test. He was sure this particular female could stand her ground if it were necessary. Whether it be in defending the borders of the territory, or simply fighting off other unwanted wolves. He surely wouldn't go into any further depth in his observations until the she-wolf had accepted or declined his invitations, however. He watched her face carefully, analyzing the emotions which flickered across it as she seemed to assess the offer. He wondered what options she was weighing exactly. As she spoke up, Skoldpadda's facial features seemed to soften a fraction. He was glad she had figured out on her own that he was not here to do harm to her, he was here to help her. He was no mean, cruel alpha. He nodded simply as she addressed the situation of him attacking here. If he had felt it necessary, he would have done it long ago, when he had first spotted her resting under his tree, unaware of his approach. His gaze flicked to the dame's tattered stumps of ears again as she spoke, bringing this factor into his assessment of the dame. Her hearing was poor, and because of that he thought that the position of a guard might not be as perfect for her. Hearing was an important part of being a guard, if you didn't hear the approach of an unwanted guest, that could be deadly. A crucial factor, although a wolf's sense of smell was almost as good, so the fact of her ears did not completely rule out the position of guard for this wolf. A small smile rose to Skoldpadda's lips at the female's question. He was happy to hear it, it meant she was considering his offer fully. So she had been thinking about her position in the pack as well, well surely Skoldpadda would voice his thoughts on the matter now. "Well, Braelyn, there are many different positions in the pack, and I can lay a few out for you which I can see promising for you, but in the end the choice is mostly yours, seeing as it would be your ranking." Skoldpadda paused, collecting his thoughts before he spat out the rest of his spiel. "Basing my judgement solely off your size and body structure, I would consider putting you as a warrior, or even a guard. I wouldn't say a scout, seeing as you appear to be more muscle than speed," He paused again, inhaling deeply before concluding his thoughts. "I would say the position of warrior would fit you best, however, because you said your hearing was not the best, and that is an important part of being a guard, hearing approaching mammals." He trailed off, letting his gaze wander from the female and to the ground for a second, re-evaulating his words to make sure he was satisfied with them. He finally nodded to himself, letting his gaze rise back to Braelyn's features. "Although, whether or not you'd like to accept that position is completely your choice, my judgement could be flawed, of course, and I wouldn't want to put a fellow wolf in a position they were uncomfortable with. You know yourself better than I do, surely." He let this statement conclude his speech, a small smile still resting upon his mug. He awaited the female's response, wondering if she'd be happy with his thoughts, or if she'd want something else.

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[~braelyn~]

The emotions of change were a strange thing, something Braelyn was mostly adapted to. Losing her father and, slowly, her mother, then parting from her brother. It was all a common thing by now, something that had become an everyday deal. Things constantly changed and she knew this, but the fact that whether or not it was for better or worse was the most important part of making the decision. Good things and bad things, the world was full of them. Most couldn't tell the difference, which is why the silver female was considering this offer as carefully as she could. She wanted to make a good decision, not a bad one and end up unhappy. She released a sigh from her throat as she took in all of the information he gave her. It was a good thing he talked loud, or she wouldn't hear him otherwise.

Warrior. That word definitely caught her attention. It sounded like something she could do, not scout or guard, but fight. She was certainly large enough to do so. She hadn't met a wolf yet who could outmatch her strength. It was weird, because she was female, and most thought of her as male when first meeting her. She listened to him conclude and took the opportunity to voice her quiet self, "My hearing may not be the greatest, but I have my strength. My magic is useful as well when I cannot hear others. I can use force fields, usually undetectable by those around me. Perhaps you didn't notice, but I had one around me when you arrived."

She contemplated some more, her thoughts racing almost painfully. She had never thought this much about one thing before, so it was indeed something new, some type of change she hadn't adjusted to just yet. She wondered...what would come of her joining this pack. She wondered if she would be accepted and loved, despite her ears. They had been a setback in the past, but there was honestly nothing stopping her from leaving if she didn't feel at ease. It wasn't the responsible thing, but she felt like she should probably give this pack a chance. Just one chance to show her that change could be a good thing in most cases.

"Skoldpadda..." Braelyn murmured, lifting her amber gaze to meet his. "I accept your offer and will do my best as...a warrior, perhaps? Yes, that seems adequate..." Braelyn waited patiently once more, awaiting the answer of the alpha before her. Her paws kneaded the dirt under her feet, creating little rivets in the soft soil. She wondered what would happen next. Why am I so at ease? Braelyn thought curiously. Is it perhaps...he looks like Canyon?

[sköldpadda]

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[atrb=background,http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae183/sigathkerr/Tables/skoldpaddatablemid.png] Skoldpadda continued to watch her features change, noted her soft sigh as she absorbed all the information he threw at her. He wondered what her final decision would be, although he knew that the female would most likely accept his offer. Why else would she have wandered onto a packs grounds? A small scuffle in the brush caught the male's attention for a brief moment, and he swung his head to the left, golden eyes flickering across the earth to spot the source of the disturbance. He caught sight of a fleeing squirrel a few feet from the two sitting wolves, and he rolled his eyes with little humour. Stupid rodents, they would be the end of him. Skoldpadda returned his attention to the silver female, seemingly at ease now that he had located the source of the noises. He could tell she was still mulling over her choices, weighing her options. He had a good feeling about the outcome, however. He nodded as she spoke again, his interest peaking slightly as she mentioned her magic. Force fields? He hadn't encountered another wolf with such a magic before. Skoldpadda himself had two different magics, compulsion and illusion, both of which were an inconsiderable nuisance to him. His compulsion worked against him, causing him to sometimes act ignorant toward others, or cause him to have blank periods. The illusion, wasn't so bad, he just didn't have full control over it yet. It would randomly seize him and conjure up images which were unwanted at the time. Oh well, it wasn't anything that the alpha couldn't handle. "I wasn't aware," He started, musing somewhat to himself. "But that would be a very handy magic to have as a warrior." He nodded again, content with the choice of placement for the she-wolf. He wondered vaguely if the female had any side-effects with her magic, probably not, but you never knew. He was always intrigued by others who possessed the skills of magic, he found it interesting to learn about what exactly their magics could do. But he figured that would have to wait for another day, let today be a day for the silver wolfess to relax and settle into the lands if she chose to stay. A smile graced his features as the female spoke once more, voicing her decision to stay as a warrior of his pack. "Of course, Braelyn. You are more than welcome to stay as a warrior of the pack." And that closed the deal. She would be a warrior for the pack, now all that was left was for her to explore and to figure out the lands. They would have time to meet and talk again later, but for now the alpha was more concerned about letting the female have her space and get acquainted with the area. "Feel free to explore the grounds, if you'd please, you may also claim a den if you'd like, the majority of them are still vacant." Skoldpadda offered the female another friendly smile, pushing himself up from his sitting position. It was time for him to finish his daily border patrol. ooc; Braelyn is now officially accepted as a member of the pack, you are welcome to post anywhere in the glacier lands now.

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[~braelyn~]

Relief washed over Braelyn, a feeling of happiness almost, one she hadn't felt in the longest time. Time. That was another thing she was so at ease with. Things had seemed to go by so quickly in her life, the losses and the gains. This would be one of those gains, something she obtained that made her feel useful again. Being accepted by the male was a step for the amber eyed dame, the thing that she felt would set her life in motion again. Perhaps, there would be some zest added to life again and she wouldn't be stuck like she had been before, wandering aimlessly among the lands.

She nodded, more to herself than to him, making a mental note to go find the dens when this conversation was finished. After all, her new alpha had just said the majority were vacant. Perhaps she could meet a few others while there, even though it was stated earlier that there were few wolves in this pack. She was another addition. She hope, that just like her, more and more would join the pack to make it strong. It would be a good thing. It was a good thing, for any pack. Diversity is what made a pack strong. Braelyn had bad hearing, Skoldpadda didn't, and she was sure no other wolf in this pack didn't either.

Braelyn noticed he was about to leave, then decided to voice her earlier mental query. "You know... I just asked myself why I was so at ease by being near you." She murmured, pondering the real answer herself. "You hold a great physical resemblance to my brother, as well as personality. I'm not sure what you were like as a younger wolf, but Canyon was wild and always got himself into trouble. He matured over the years and acted a lot like you when I last saw him." She shook her head at her melancholy, a small chuckle leaving her throat. "Perhaps...that's the reason I decided to listen to you, the reason I felt like I wasn't in danger."

She pulled herself off of her haunches and gave her body a stretch. "I would like to continue my nap, but I will find my way to the dens and take one there. Relations with my new pack would be the best thing to do right now. I will see you later on." Braelyn turned around to leave, planning on heading in the direction she had come. She had passed an area that had smelled strongly of wolves, so she assumed that's where the dens lay. Earlier, she had gone around it to avoid provoking anyone from attacking her. "Thank you, Skoldpadda. I will do my best." Braelyn began to saunter off, slowly, knowing that here, in the colder lands, she was safe.