Jetela: A Second Chance

[Jetela]

The sleek Mexican wolf stumbled through the mountainous terrain, her beautiful dark coat mussed and dirty as a result of months spent traveling over ruthless terrain. Her pale grey-green eyes were haunted by the deaths of not only her entire pack, but also the other survivors that had accompanied her in her westward journey. She could still taste the water of the rapids on her tongue, the spray, like tendrils of hands, snaking up from the waterfall's chasm to grab the last one, her sister, and send her screaming downwards.

How many minutes Jetta had stood shaking in one spot in the cold embrace of Death, she would never know. All she did know was that she somehow, somehow, she made it through to the other side. She remembered the encounter with the mountain lion when the first member of their rag-tag group had perished. The kindly older female, who had thrown herself at the animal with a frenzy, knowing she would die. Only the strong male hunter's force field magic lasted long enough to keep them safe as they ran away, leaving the female behind, her screams reverberating in numb ears, the sound of claws ripping through flesh and the crunch of cracking bones.

The male had died very quickly. It was snowing and they were crossing the perilous, rocky terrain just before it broke away to forest. One moment he stood beside Ela and her sister – the next he had fallen deep into a crack in the earth, a yawning hole, and for one moment a bright blue flash of luminescence indicated where it ran along beneath the snowy ground as his force field magic was employed, before there was a crack and all went dark. He was too weak to keep it going long enough, and Jetela found herself missing fiercely the feeling of protection, however illusory. The delusion of safety had kept her alive all those weeks of back-breaking travel, and although she knew it was a creation of her own exhausted mind, it was enough to chase away an overwhelming sensation of pointlessness.

The worst part about it? There had never been time to cry.

Jetela did not cry anyway, but the chance to mourn, the chance to stop and rest, the opportunity to indulge in self-pity came but could not be employed, for she was always on the move, always running away from something. She knew that if she did not soon reach the fabled Land of Many Lakes the legends spoke of, she would be dead very soon. Just the thought of water was making her drool. She stumbled through the forest, heedless of direction, as the sun rose and she became more delirious. She knew she was near the end, and wondered why she didn't just stop and sleep.

Because there were predators.

But did she really care if she died here, now, tonight, in three years? Why didn't Death just claim her now, stop playing this taunting cat-and-mouse game? For there were, she knew now, worse things than death.

No. She would not rest because of the nightmares.

The thin cries reaching out to her, Help me Help me JETELA! No!! AAAAAA! Some of them were her own, her own twisted mind playing games, consuming her common sense. And the moment she thought thus, the forest broke away before her like shattered glass, and she saw before her, as though in a dream – the good kind of dream – a lake!

It was surreal. She was convinced she was dreaming, or in some idyllic afterlife. She charged towards the water, sensing the smell of foreign pack territory, all her caution erased as her dogged determination took over. She ran until the water consumed her, washing away the caked blood and dry dirt, the bitter lines that ice had left behind, the red clay and pine needles and all those lost faces. Then she drank, and it filled her as though it were blood, her veins bulging, her eyes glassy with fervor.

As her senses returned, she realized she'd just lunged into what was most certainly another pack's territory. She took a few more desperate sips, then retreated into the forest. Everything was a dizzying euphoria, an adrenaline rush. She threw back her head and howled, and to her incredible joy … there was a reply.

She almost collapsed then, standing there shaking, the freezing water from the lake taking its toll. Her knees buckled and her vision swam. No, she thought deliriously. No, you must hold out until the Alpha comes. She focused on a shrub protruding from a nearby rockfall, and kept staring at it, intently, allowing her breathing to slow and her fur to warm up. She would keep staring at it until other wolves came. She hoped they would be friendly – she was in no condition whatsoever to fight. But she knew she had much to offer – and if she did not, surely it would be enough.

She hoped.

As her woozy head maintained its strained conscience, she dared to dream that she might have a second chance.

[laya]

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[atrb=background,http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v252/LabCat22/Characters/Tables/layatablemid.png] "Talking" Since getting her pack back – a fight that would have been much more interesting if that weakling hadn’t walked away from a land with so much potential – Laya had been incredibly lax in her border patrols. She had taken a few days to rest, to get herself acclimated to the feel of the area again. The familiarity was there, but besides covering up the few markings he had left on her borders, she simply needed a chance to settle. The small female had been lounging on her favorite rock, basking in the sun and letting it warm her chilly pelt. Her eyes were closed, but she wasn’t quite asleep; it was still difficult for her to do so sometimes, despite the internal calm that came when she found Malady and confronted her feelings for him. Confronted may have been a strong word, as they never really outright expressed how they felt, a fact which may have played into her insomnia. Still, she was resting quite contentedly, blanketed by feelings of pride and an almost hopeful sense of belonging. It took a moment after the howl reached her ears for her to give more than a twitch of recognition, and when Laya heard a reply her brow furrowed. I guess someone else heard too. She gave a gentle huff and stood up, shaking herself off before she let her own howl ring through the air. Her best figuring was that whoever had heard wanted to be sure she was up, since she could think of no other reason for their reply; nobody else would go out of his way to greet a newcomer while she was so close. After another moment of making sure her coat was relatively free of debris, Laya began running towards the source of the sound. She didn’t plan to keep running once she got close, but the faster pace made up for her small size, which meant her guest wouldn’t be waiting for too long. Her paws hit the ground rhythmically as she drew closer, her heart pounding in her chest as she enjoyed the feeling of freedom this sort of thing brought. These were her lands; she could do whatever the hell she wanted here. That feeling couldn’t be beat, at least as far as she had seen. As she drew closer to the stranger, however, Laya’s interest was piqued. The creature waiting for her looked so tired, she almost stopped out of fear it was ill. If nothing else, this strange wolf looked to be half drowned. Did that idiot try to swim in the lake? she wondered, but shook it off. Clearly leaving her – she had caught a whiff of the stranger and could tell now that it was, in fact, a she – was not acceptable. So Laya trotted over, panting slightly from her run, and nodded a bit to acknowledge the new wolf. “You look like a drowned rat.” It was a casual statement; the smaller female was still pleased with herself, which put her in a very good mood. She walked up beside the new wolf, standing beside her and looking to see where her attention had been focused. It didn’t seem to be anything interesting, so she stole a glance out of the corner of her eye. The other wolf seemed to be shaking, and Laya certainly hoped it was out of fear. She didn’t like the idea that anyone would be that afraid of her; nobody even really seemed to know what she looked like, which made that idea even more hilarious. Fortunately, the Alpha managed to contain her snickering. “Waiting for the Alpha?” she asked, almost sounding as if it were a common goal, “You’re already pretty far into the territory, so you’re lucky you didn’t run into a patrol.” She was bluffing slightly, but she did occasionally have the few wolves in the pack wander the borders, just in case. It wasn’t really frequent, since she didn’t have that many members and she couldn’t justify pushing them to exert themselves that much when there really wasn’t much to protect besides the land. That didn’t mean she couldn’t mess with the newcomer a bit. Laya could only wonder how long it would take for the stranger to work out that she was talking to the Alpha she was most likely waiting for. to;; Jetela muse;; Pretty good~ thoughts;; This isn't the best, but it came out pretty easily so I'll take it xD words;; 723

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[Jetela]

Jetela drowsily regarded the sleek steppe wolf, musing that the fur around her neck looked rather like a mane. They almost seemed to be opposites, but Jetta knew far better than to underestimate the pretty female. Her lustrous gold eyes were inexplicably like shutters, almost reminding Ela of a mountain lion, and she immediately became defensive. Best to understand this wolf before making any direct moves.

Strangely, the mere presence of another wolf strengthened Jetela and her reserves of energy. It had been weeks since she'd seen another wolf, and the last glimpse of one had been her sister plunging into the rapids below. It was almost euphoric to see a safe, at the moment non-aggressive wolf in front of her. What an interesting character this is, she thought as the wolf approached.

The steppe wolf spoke. "You look like a drowned rat."

A smirk tugged at the corners of Jetela's mouth. Yes, she thought, that much even I can tell. She did not say a word in return, feeling the smaller female evaluate her, those summery eyes a diversion as the shrewd mind behind them bored into her flesh and sought out her secrets. Oh, how much she had to tell! And how little she could afford to. Jetela wanted – desired – to pour out her story, but she knew well how to hold in desires, and she had no time for weepy confessions. Anyway, the other female didn't look like she'd make a good counselor… Jetta saw the flicker of a smirk and wondered with a start whether this was the alpha.

As though reading her thoughts, the wolf asked, "Waiting for the alpha? You're already pretty far into the territory, so you're lucky you didn't run into a patrol."

So this couldn't be the alpha, then. Could it? Something had rang a bell in Jetta's mind as the female spoke, her instincts dredging up some kind of warning, but it was vague and not immediate. She narrowed her eyes, curious. What is it with this wolf that makes me so … on my guard? On the other hand, what kind of a wolf wouldn't make Ela on her guard, after those months of death and horror?

"I have been traveling for months," she said, twitching convulsively only once, a most unusual thing by her standards, an uncharacteristic outlet of emotion. She would have checked herself more if she feared revealing too much to this wolf, but she suspected that if she had even flinched slightly the steppe wolf would have noticed just as easily. "I came with others, but they did not make it." She surprised herself by how evenly it slipped out.

She tried to read the other wolf's expression, but could not see a single thing. It was then that she knew something was wrong – either her own exhausted, sorrow-ravaged senses had failed her, or the other wolf was a maven of deception, a formidable enemy. Someone for whom mercy might just be a practicality, or a test. She dearly hoped the wolf was actually a Kintla, with good intentions, and found herself wondering once more whether this was the alpha after all.

She took a deep breath and cautiously phrased her inquiry, deciding to know now; she didn't care whether she heard it from an omega or a grasshopper at that. "Is it too much to ask to rest here? I know I am a burden, especially in this state, but I am valuable. And I have no other option." She spoke far more frankly than she usually would, but this wolf was the exception. She felt like the other female had another ear inside, one that heard all the unspoken words. There was one other thing she could do to impress, and she felt she had the strength to do it for the mere fleeting moment required.

She inhaled and her eyes fluttered. She drew from all around her the tiny specks of her surroundings and felt them flee to her, merge upon her, grow like a parasite all over her fur. It was not the first time she'd gone through the experience. She opened her eyes and knew that she had successfully camouflaged. She couldn't describe how she knew, only that things felt different, and she couldn't see her own body.

She released the particles then, sending them out in a flurry, abandoning her to her own mottled self again. Her gray-green eyes flickered to the steppe wolf again, and she awaited a response with a peculiar mixture of trepidation and hope that left her cold – not with fear, for Ela never felt fear – but with a numb sensation that quickly thawed into a fierce determination. She willed the female to assure her there would be a chance.

But she sensed the wolf's moods were fickle, and she could feel her own strength slowly ebbing away.



To: Laya
Thoughts: would just like to mention a genuine admiration for Laya's writing; my piece is kind of repetitive but I had to draw out a short moment…
Words: 813

[laya]

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[atrb=background,http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v252/LabCat22/Characters/Tables/layatablemid.png] "Talking" Ah, a smile. At least she’s got a sense of humor. It wasn’t hard for Laya when it came time to hide her response to the confusion that flashed across the larger female’s face, though she found herself quite amused nevertheless. It was fun for her to trick newcomers, a game of sorts to use their own assumptions against them. Though it was certainly good sport, it also taught potential members the very important lesson of not assuming that size played any role in one’s status – or their potential threat. Laya was an Alpha, and while she was smaller than any of her members, she also had Malady to back her up when it came to fighting. Her mind was as sharp as any, though, if not sharper, and she had no trouble at all when it came to planning or, as she was currently demonstrating, deception. When the stranger finally did speak, Laya’s ears perked respectfully, nothing in her body language saying she was ranked higher than an ordinary member, if that, “I’m truly sorry to hear about your companions.” she replied, noting the twitch but not commenting. The next question surprised her slightly, but she remained outwardly calm, “I doubt it would be much trouble; you certainly look as if you could use some rest.” Her reply was worded carefully, not giving away her rank while still giving permission. If the hypothetical Alpha did hear this story, it would be on her head for letting the stranger stay, which gave her a personal stake in the outcome of this meeting, as well. Once the words were out of her mouth, however, the smaller female found herself watching something she couldn’t claim to have seen before. As she observed, the stranger seemed to disappear before her eyes, and Laya chuckled, “That’s certainly an impressive gift, to be sure.” Her own gift, as far as she knew, only extended to the ability to heal small cuts and bruises. She had only recently been able to start controlling that power and she still didn’t know about the compulsion she had been born with. “I can guarantee the Alpha will be interested.” Yes, this female would be a great asset to the pack. She could see that now. “What’s your name?” she asked, the comment seeming to be nothing more than a polite afterthought. Laya didn’t know whether this female was familiar with the packs in the area and, although her previous admission would suggest that she wasn’t, the Alpha didn’t want to give up her ruse just yet. The question itself was informal, which certainly would help. The brown female’s tail swayed idly, a friendly gesture that wasn’t so forceful that it would force any sort of reaction. Her left ear flicked slightly as an unseasonably early bug buzzed near it. Laya’s mind quickly worked over what she had learned and she sorted the different bits of information, storing them for later. Her mind was like a vast filing cabinet and everything had its place; she could still remember lies she had told her father’s pack, if the need arose. While that type of dishonesty had no place in her pack, the Alpha was still very careful about what she told to whom; it would only take one member turning to another pack with the wrong information to bring Kintla down. That was why it took so much for her to trust someone, and even Malady could find himself under scrutiny at times. She doubted the brute would turn on her after seeing how worried he was for her safety, but she hadn’t thought her former pack would run her off either. Things happened, which was why she had learned to move on. After this meeting, she might take a nap. That sounded lovely, and the sun had warmed her coat up very nicely. Her mind was as active as ever, but the interaction helped; though deception took very little energy on its own, the run over had burned through some of the restlessness and left her just tired enough for a nap. It wouldn’t be a bad idea; she was up most nights wandering the lands, when she wasn’t talking to the few members that shared them with her, and during the day she was either trying to rest or checking the boundaries. It didn’t matter how much she pushed into the time she spent awake; when it came time to sleep, rest just wouldn’t come. Perhaps she would talk to Malady later and see if they could straighten things out. She might do that after her nap. to;; Jetela muse;; Apparently quite good~ thoughts;; It's surprising how easily these posts are coming out. Something must be wrong >> But thank you! o//o Yours wasn't that repetitive, but maybe having a short attention span helps? xD This is kind of ramble-y, I'm afraid :c words;; 765

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[Jetela]

"I am truly sorry to hear about your companions."

Jetela kept her face impassive. The wolf had an unassuming air, as though sadness nearly missed its mark when it targeted her. Again she mused of their opposite natures, and felt almost a bizarre sort of kinship – but perhaps it was because this was the first wolf she'd seen in months. Again she felt that strange something itch at the back of her mind, that bell with a tone she could not place her finger on.

But now was not a time to play games. The steppe wolf's next reply sent her mind reeling. "I doubt it would be much trouble; you certainly look as if you could use some rest."

Jetta almost snorted. You have no idea. The tense misgivings left her, and her heart soared when the other wolf remarked, "That's certainly an impressive gift, to be sure. I can guarantee the Alpha will be interested."

Suddenly Ela felt the something, that shrewd look as though she were made of glass and the female could see straight through. She thought she saw a flicker of approval in the sleek face and the sun-dappled eyes. No, she thought, premonition blossoming within her mind. No, it can't be! She mulled the words over in her mind. "I can guarantee the Alpha will be interested." How well did this wolf know the Alpha? And another thing – when other wolves spoke the names of those they knew well, there was a drop or lift in their voice, a tiny aberration that even Ela sometimes missed, a glimpse of inner thoughts. But at the word "Alpha", the steppe wolf's countenance remained unchanged, and there wasn't the slightest inflection in her tone. Perhaps it was merely another element of her elaborate golden façade.

But her next words tore Jetta out of her reverie. "What's your name?" It sounded a careless inquiry, but Jetela knew a lot better.

She lifted her muzzle and lowered her eyes respectfully. "Jetela," she said, "but others call me … Tel." Her friends called her Jetta, and her loved ones called her Ela, but "Tel" would be more than enough for this wolf. Sharp eyes caught a careless swish with an idle tail – a move she realized she was meant to see. In fact, the entire conversation seemed to be built around a delicate interplay of interpretation, assumption and a steady deterioration of Jetela's barriers. This wolf is a genius, she thought with definite approval. If she isn't the Alpha, she –

There! The bells again!

Jetela didn't bother hiding the emotion that spilled into her gray-green eyes. She smiled a little and said sweetly, "I suppose the Alpha won't be coming for a while. In the meantime, may I be so forward as to ask of your name?" She wondered whether the clever female had a mate. She could think of very few brutes in the world that would make a suitable match for this wolf.

She took the time to assess her surroundings. She hadn't paid very close attention in her mad run to the lake, but now she saw that there was a rocky bluff on the western shore. Interesting. Unless the wolves lived in burrows in the marshes or frequented treehouses, that would be the perfect place for dens, and very well-hidden ones, too. Jetta wondered whether the rocky terrain would be reminiscent of her old home in the vermilion mountains, and felt a sharp pang of homesickness. She halted it quickly. Not now, she thought fiercely. No time. In fact, there would probably never be time.

She faced the beautiful steppe wolf again and respectfully awaited a reply.



to: Laya
thoughts: really short, unfortunately, but there's not much to say …
words: a MEASLY 612!!!! I shall have to live with myself…

[laya]

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[atrb=background,http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v252/LabCat22/Characters/Tables/layatablemid.png] "Talking" Sadness could affect her, despite the stranger’s impression otherwise; Laya simply did not know the wolves that died, which played a large part in her reaction. The rest was more a matter of necessity; if she burst into tears whenever she found out a life had been lost, she would never get anything done. The world was too cold, too cruel, and she had adapted in order to survive. Genuine emotion from her was surprisingly hard to come by, though she did a good job of keeping up appearances. Laya rolled her eyes at the show of respect, timing it so that the other couldn’t have seen with her own eyes pointed away from the smaller female’s face. “It’s lovely to meet you then, Tel. Hopefully the nickname isn’t too... telling.” It was a play on words to be sure, and the pun was easily avoided, but Laya got the impression that this other wolf was catching on and she wanted to change things up a bit. Jetela’s next statement seemed to confirm her suspicions and Laya smiled kindly, “I suppose not. I doubt anyone missed your howl, though, so I have no idea.” She laughed, as if this sort of thing was perfectly normal. “Of course you can ask! I’m Jaeda.” The name she gave was that of a female who had come to the pack a long time ago, but left not long after. They had bonded to some extent, with the black female promising to teach Laya about her healing abilities. When she said it, she was careful to use the proper inflection. The small female dipped her head a little, a nod of greeting. She could feel a glimmer of approval for the wolf beside her, since it was usually quite easy to fool others into thinking she was just a female in the pack. “If I may ask, were you hoping to join? The Alpha can be a bit... picky when it comes to new members,” not that you have anything to worry about, by the looks of it. She kept the final bit to herself, though, her voice appropriately coated with concern and even a bit of sympathy. It was as if she had been there, with the Alpha picking her apart to determine whether or not she was worthy. It was as if she hadn’t been the one doing the picking at all. Her tail waved a bit more and then stilled as she let herself think, assessing the female beside her as she stared out over the water. She didn’t look like a particularly strong fighter, but she did have a body type that suggested speed. That, coupled with her magic, could make her a valuable messenger Or, she thought smugly, an excellent spy. Having one of those would be a great benefit and she certainly could use the extra eyes and ears. Her decision, however, had been effectively reached already; this was merely the formality of finding a place for the female once she realized she was, in fact, accepted as a member. It added a certain flare to the interaction when Laya already knew the answer to a question like that and she was all for streamlining the process. Now all she was waiting for was for Tel to call her bluff; guessing that she was the Alpha was one thing, but having the guts to say one thought so was another. Both were valuable to her, though the perception was far more important; learning to speak one’s mind was far easier than learning to see things easily overlooked. Her ears flicked slightly as she compulsively listened for anyone approaching; she really needed to get more members and get someone to patrol the borders more thoroughly. This female had gotten far too far into the territory without detection. If she asked, Laya would say she was a guard. True, she had said that the female might run into a patrol, but if it wasn’t her turn to guard the borders she had no reason to have found her sooner and, more importantly, she would have every reason to be paying attention to such things. to;; Jetela muse;; Pretty good~ thoughts;; Eh, it's shortish. Laya picked a random name, just in case Tel's heard of her xD words;; 690

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[Jetela]

"It's lovely to meet you then, Tel. Hopefully the nickname isn't too … telling."

Jetela regarded the steppe wolf curiously. Interesting, she thought. Humor. And that "lovely to meet you" bit – where had that come from? It wasn't something she had really expected at this point, but then, life was full of surprises. It was the answer to her next question that she paid great attention to.

"I suppose not. I doubt anyone missed your howl, though, so I have no idea." The statement was accompanied by a casual laugh. Strange, thought Jetta with a sarcastic smile. I wonder why that is. She tried to think of the last place she had heard that something in the steppe wolf's voice that caused the swinging lilt, the charismatic touch that permeated every utterance. Because, even though she was certain she'd never met the female before in her life, there was something in her words that seemed startlingly familiar.

"Of course you can ask! I'm Jaeda," the wolf continued. Now, if Jetta weren't so cursedly tired, she might be able to tell if that was a lie or not. But there was something other than exhaustion befuddling her thoughts. Of course, it didn't come to mind. "Jaeda" didn't seem to suit its bearer much, and Jetela wondered with a surreptitious twinkle in her eyes whether "Jaeda" was lying. Yet the thought seemed preposterous when it entered her conscious mind. Before she could keep puzzling about what was going on, Jaeda spoke again.

"If I may ask, were you hoping to join? The Alpha can be a bit … picky when it comes to new members." Goodness, was that a hint of sympathy? Either this "Jaeda" was a master of deception, or she was merely a concerned wolf who doubted Ela had much of a chance. Jetela began to wonder if it was not the latter. After all, had she not moments ago been quite certain this was the Alpha?

Thoughts that had somehow slipped away came flooding back, and she was once more sure Jaeda was the Kintla Alpha. Why, now, had that seemed a distant possibility the moment the female had spoken? Jetela's eyes narrowed with thought, but she did not say anything yet. She preferred puzzling things out for herself, then delivering a tactical blow that made retaliation a challenge. Not that any kind of social interaction appeared to be challenging for this wolf!

She answered the question instead. "Eventually, yes. For now, I just need a place to rest." Enough said. She thought of a warm den and a food-filled stomach, and had an abrupt compulsion to collapse within herself and fall into a deep sleep. But she feared if she slept now, she might not wake up.

Something rang sharply in her mind – those bells again, the ringing instincts that had never previously failed her. Something in her thoughts had set them off. Den … food … stomach … Then it hit her like a gale strikes a boulder. Compulsion. This "Jaeda" might be a male loner for all she knew. There had been a spy within the Red Rock pack once, and his power of compulsion had nearly fooled them all. She shivered as she thought of her old friends and family, and shook the shiver away. She mistrusted wolves with this power, but somehow could not see the steppe wolf in a malicious light.

Obviously, then, if she took the risk of trusting "Jaeda" and believing her to truly be the Alpha of the Kintla pack, this was some kind of test, a sort of game to test Jetela's bravery, perception, boundaries. Had she already passed, or was there something else to say? If Jetta had been healthy and not haunted by dozens of ghosts, she would gleefully play till one of them dropped dead with exhaustion (probably her; anyone who underestimated this steppe wolf was a feather-brained fool), but as circumstance had turned out, she wanted more than anything to end it as soon as possible so she could rest.

What to say? How to communicate respectfully but shrewdly? She gave up the brain-wrackingly analytical thoughts and said plainly, hoping she was not too brash, "If it is true that you are picky, I have only this to show you for now, and a promise that when I recover, if you are kind enough to offer me a place to do so, I will be twice upon thrice as valuable as I am now." She sighed and smirked a little despite her deflated spirit. "Which isn't saying much, but I'm guessing your pack must not be as large as you'd like, if a patrol never found me before I howled."

There was nothing else to do now but wait for either approval … or rejection. The humor was a half-hearted attempt at smoothing ripples in case "Jaeda" was a self-righteous egotist, but Jetta greatly doubted that was the case. She felt her knees weaken and willed herself to stay conscious long enough to process the reply, and when it came, act accordingly. Before the day was out, she silently promised herself, she'd be in a nice, warm, safe den.

Please, oh, please let that dream come true!



to: Laya
thoughts: meh... am I being too "perceptive"?
words: 873

[laya]

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[atrb=background,http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v252/LabCat22/Characters/Tables/layatablemid.png] "Talking" As Laya waited for a reply, she found herself amused once again with the other’s response; the curious look she received meant she had to suppress a chuckle before it showed in her features. When she noticed the sarcastic smile, however, her interest was certainly piqued. So you’ve caught on, have you? She still needed to put that to the test, so she gave a false name and carefully gauged the other’s reaction. It seemed as if her words had rung true, but then it seemed as if the lie didn’t quite hit its mark. Surely, as the Alpha, she was better than this! Upon confirmation that Jetela did, in fact, intend to join the pack, the Alpha relaxed a little – not so much as for it to be visible, but a bit nevertheless. There was a shift, however, that instantly set her on edge; a shiver and a shake, but also a general feeling she was getting – be it a smell or simply a sense of uneasiness – and Laya’s eyes narrowed the slightest bit in apprehension. What was going on here? The answer wasn’t entirely clear, since the smaller wolf didn’t actually know about her own magic. When Tel finally did open her mouth once more, Laya greeted her words with a raised eyebrow and an almost-impressed smirk. She nodded approvingly before she replied, her own voice touched with the faintest hint of excitement at having found someone who actually caught onto her little game, “Well, Jetela, I’m certainly convinced. Stay as long as you need; there is a place for you here when you have recovered, if you truly wish to stay.” The Alpha paused a moment, deciding how to comment on the other statement. Finally, she gave a wry grin, “The pack is much smaller than I would like, clearly. There are only a few of us to patrol a relatively large area; even if I could justify sending everyone out, there would be gaps in the borders.” It was a lot to tell a stranger, but she truly doubted a female this desperate for food and shelter was going to turn around and tell another pack without warning. The smaller wolf turned and regarded the female beside her, carefully taking in her weakened form. “Don’t move; I haven’t had many chances to practice with this...” she murmured, already focusing on the warm pulse of power within her. She reached inward, pulling that power to her, and carefully directed it towards Jetela. Her magic wasn’t even close to the strongest, but it would help ease her strained muscles, as well as mending bruises and any smaller scratches she had acquired on her travels. Laya had no idea what it would feel like; she only knew how it felt within her, personally. There was always the chance that she had gotten it wrong, as well, and that it wouldn’t do anything; she doubted she was that uncoordinated, but it was possible. Using her magic left the Alpha feeling weak and a bit lightheaded, almost to the point of feeling dizzy, but she shook her head and observed her companion once more, willing her eyes to focus and praying she didn’t stumble or something equally embarrassing. “How do you feel now?” she asked, unable to hide the tiredness in her voice. The small, brown female couldn’t quite manage to suppress the yawn that parted her jaws next, though she did give an amused laugh, “Looks like I could use some sleep as well. The dens are this way; there are plenty free, so you’re free to claim one.” She nodded towards the hills that now seemed quite far away and gently nudged her companion’s side, “The sooner we start, the sooner we’ll get there...” she added, the exhaustion that crept into her body getting increasingly harder to hide. She took a step in the right direction, then another, assuming that the other female would keep up. If she had trouble, Laya was still in earshot, so she could assist. “Oh, by the way, I’m Laya. Jaeda was an old friend...” It was safe to assume that Tel had realized she was playing games, so explaining herself wasn’t really necessary at the moment. Right now, all she was focused on was getting them someplace to rest. to;; Jetela muse;; Decent c: thoughts;; Hrm. We can end it after your post or we can continue to the dens, it's up to you. In the end, they'll both end up passed out, I'd assume xD Laya hasn't had much practice with her healing, so it takes a lot out of her still, especially since Tel's so worn out. words;; 714 (sorry ;A;)

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[zayla]

How about we just end it here? Jetta is pretty tired, and it stopped on an intriguing note.
It's been a pleasure! ;D LAYA is EPIC...

[mutt]

Sounds good c: