Well. Null was finally here, at the border to Salsola territory, prepared with gifts as Draugr had instructed. She was hit by a sudden attack of anxiety and began to tremble, before shaking herself briskly to dispel her nerves. No pack would accept a shaking wreck of a pup; she had to remain calm and present herself as a worthwhile potential pack member. She took a few deep, calming breaths, checked that her gifts were at the ready-- beautiful jade, emerald and green peridot bracelets and amulets, wrought in silver and gold, alongside a pair of brass binoculars, the whole lot kept in a dark wooden box carved with depictions of roses. She had wanted to make the best impression possible, and had scoured many dilapidated old human homes searching for a suitably pretty box. The actual gifts, though, those she had already in her bag.
She thought back to the brief lessons on proper submission given to her by her mother-- Head down, ears back, don't meet their gaze, tail down, look meek-- before taking a deep breath to howl. Just before she made a noise, however, she panicked and stopped, instead taking several deep breaths and trying to prepare herself again. She was already in a submissive, anxious pose and there was no one even around! She had never been in a pack, had never seen pack interaction; what if she did it wrong? What if they rejected her? Should she drop Draugr's name into the conversation or wait to see if she was asked how she knew of the pack?
She shook herself again, rubbing her hand over her eyes. She had to get it together. Null was certain that she would do this right, there wasn't that much that could go wrong, surely? She braced herself, took a deep breath, and let out a quick howl, announcing her presence without seeming pushy.
Now, all she could do was wait. She had announced herself now. There was no running away from this. She maintained her submissive position and tried to keep calm. If her ears were especially tight to her head, her tail especially low, well. She was simply trying to make the best impression, now, wasn't she?
The past three days were filled with tingling excitement for Draugr, who paced the borders perhaps a little too frequently in her awaiting of Null. She hadn't told anyone, for she was afraid of spoiling the surprise -- or looking a fool, if it happened Salvia found Null unfit for the pack. She did not think the latter would occur -- or at least, she desperately hoped it would not. Some of the others seemed to have noticed her extra pacing of the borders; Miqui in particular had gone so far as to smirk and make a quip toward her.
Draugr hadn't really thought it a challenge to her rank or an insult, but she had demanded his apology anyway, remembering the surliness with which he'd treated her on their southerly trek to AniWaya those many months ago. Draugr was not fearful of losing her position, but she assumed others operated as she did: they would act swiftly to capitalize on weakness, and Miqui was no exception. Her chastisement hadn't been at all brutal, though, for his face had fallen and he'd offered the sincerest apology she'd ever heard of him or anyone else.
That perplexed her a fair bit, and she was ruminating over it while tending to the garden. There were always little green sprouts to pull; the indomitable weeds threatened their tiny piece of agriculture on a daily, if not hourly, basis. She engaged the duties of her rank absently, counting plants and taking stock. She'd passed through the cultivated and neat rows to the northern patch of lemon balm, the sweet-sour scent thick on the air, when the howl echoed through the territory. The dark-hued wolfdog stood up straight as an arrow and pricked doggish ears to listen. It had been some time since anyone howled at their borders -- Salsola did not entertain visitors, after all -- and she was sure it was Null.
As she took off toward the source of the sound with long strides, graceful in even her two-legged form, her certainty wavered. Perhaps it was just a trader, or perhaps some other come to beckon the kingdom for acceptance. What if she wasn't the first greeter? She should have been watching the borders, not fiddling with the garden. This made her run all the harder, jewelry clinking madly as she went. By the time she drew past the thickest part of the great forest, the wolfdog slowed to a trot and finally a walk. She was panting lightly, and wanted to catch her breath before appearing on the borders.
The scent that entered her nose was a familiar one, and all her excitement returned. The familiar form was standing in wait at the borders, her pose already excellent for a Salsolian applicant. Null, she said, greeting the woman with a solemn nod of the head. There was a small smile offered to the woman, though it was almost furtive in nature -- as if Draugr suspected there were other eyes on the border. It would not have surprised her; she was not the only canine to attend to patrol seriously. I'm glad you came.
((Oh gosh, I feel this post is really bad. Sorry!))
Null had been fidgeting nervously when she first heard approaching footsteps, but the first whiff of Draugr's scent set her lowered tail to wagging. Draugr had come to meet her! She felt significantly more confident (though still nervous), but she held her submissive pose; she didn't know how far behind the alpha was, after all. She did return Draugr's smile, though, though slightly more exuberantly. She was very pleased to see Draugr, after all, and she felt no need to pretend otherwise.
Draugr! I'm glad to see you. Null fiddled with her bag without looking at it, checking for the millionth time that her gift box hadn't slipped and spilled its contents. How are you today? I did as you said and got lots of green and something useful! She spoke politely, but it was obvious that she was one huge bundle of nerves at this point. But she was sure that she wouldn't mess up, not with Draugr here. Draugr would help her out, wouldn't she? That was why she had come to meet her, wasn't it? Null didn't like to make assumptions about anything anyone did, but she was fairly confident of this one.
S-so is my stance right? I never got taught properly what to do, I don't want to offend anybody. She asked, sure that Draugr would understand even with the barest knowledge of Null's family. She wanted to get everything perfect for the Boss, after all, and she was eager for any advice that the wolfdog would be willing to offer.
The wolfdog was infinitely glad she was first to the borders and first to greet Null. She could prepare the mottled wolf far better here, with the possibility of Salsola directly before her, than she could in the northern village. There were only so many secrets she could spill there, but on the borders here -- Draugr could hope Null would soon be a member of the pack. That gave her rights to share in the pack's secrets, and therefore there was no harm in sharing more now.
She ignored the inquiry as to how she was, although without rude intent -- it seemed a cursory question and less important than Null's readiness, so Draugr only smiled her approval. I'm glad to see you, too. I trust you did good with the gifts, the hybrid said. She would not be so presumptuous as to ask to see them before The Boss, for if Salvia happened upon her looking at gifts meant for the leaders, Draugr could not think anything but ill would come of it. You look ready, the woman said, observant of the woman's stance. The smile slowly faded and Dra became serious as she observed.
The anxiety she displayed was appropriate, Draugr thought. Some might stalk confidently up to the borders -- her mother was one such. That had been under a different leader, however, and her mother was a different woman. If Dra had been amongst the outsiders, she too ought to have adopted a small quiver upon approaching the borders of this pack. You're fine, I think. A little bit of nervousness is good, but don't cower unless you've made anyone angry. Listen to your instincts, too -- we simply play an old game many of our kind have forgotten or abandoned. Submission and dominance were ingrained in all of their heads and minds, and Null, too, might find that deeper knowledge ready and waiting for her.
When the leadership comes, I'll talk first. Don't speak to her until she speaks to you, or if I ask a question. The earthen-hued woman decided she probably did not need to ask any questions; her mind still lingered on the words Null had spoken during their previous meeting. Traps, and traps of all kinds. Any last minute questions? the earthen hybrid asked, a smaller ghost of her previous smile returning, soon to disappear until they were again alone.
Null listened intently to everything Draugr had to say, nodding along earnestly to show that she understood. She assumed that by 'old game' the wolfdog ment more traditional submission rules, as the mottled wolf was well aware that many canines had begun to abandon their own ways in favour of those of humans. Null herself was far more comfortable with her instinctive submission than with any silly pseudo-human ritual that anyone could come up with, so the information that she had best follow her instincts was a huge relief.
Did she have any last-minute questions? Not that she could think of. Draugr had told her what to do, and it pretty much covered her concerns. She was still worried that she had forgotten something important, but that was probably just unnecessary panicking on her part. She had a gift. She had the right stance. She knew not to speak without being spoken too, and to follow her instincts. She had Draugr here, too, and Draugr would speak to the Boss first. She felt that her chances were probably much better with the earthen-toned wolfdog here to help.
I don't think so. I'm ready. Thank you. She wagged her low tail a little and answered Draugr's small smile with one of her own. Now, all she had to do was meet the Boss and convince her that she would be a worthwhile member of the pack. Surely that couldn't be too hard? Draugr had seemed very interested in Null's trapping, so that was clearly a valuable skill that Null possessed. Surely the Boss would like to add that to her pack. She needed to stop panicking-- she didn't want to mess up in front of Draugr and the Boss. That was probably more of a risk than being turned away for lack of skill, actually. So, if she just managed to not panic and freak out everything would be fine!
(473) Hey hey! To keep things moving we'll be skipping Sie (Draugr) from here on out. :3 The italicized dialogue is what Dra said, as Sie has given me permission to PP her for this part.
Something old and terrible was breathing under the ruins of her pack. It was strange to her, now, to think of Salsola as something she owned like a horse or a cat. Before, it had belonged to Sirius and her mother, and then just Sirius with her as an acting lieutenant. Having Eris below her was something that felt right but not without this dreadful and growing doubt. Why was her brother spending so much time there? Suspicious and clever Salvia had thought up a thousand scenarios and slowly quelled them. Her heart was a hardened thing now and even the rage could not touch her sometimes.
So that was why she had come to find her allies in new blood. Siv and her daughter were amongst these, as was her aunt, who (much to Salvia’s annoyance) had made it her duty to sniff out rumors from all parts of the Thistle Kingdom and beyond. Siv was still a riddle to her, but one that was placated by responsibilities. Warden suited the storm colored witch well, but any fool could see that Siv desired the position Eris currently held. Why else would she be so keen on offering advice or learning medical skills, however simple they might be? No; the Helsi woman wanted power. Salvia understood this better than most and, in her own way, respected Siv for it.
She thought about all these things when she trained. She should have been focusing on the sling, and on the way she flung the stones from it—twice now she had missed entirely, brooding over one shadow or another. Angry, she had scrunched her face and forced her mind to close. This time a satisfying THWACK resounded as the stone not only struck but snapped a massive chunk of wood from the dead stump. Salvia smiled in spite of herself and was then torn from her work by the call.
Without a horse she moved with the singular grace of a hunting animal, lithe and familiar with the woods. It did not take her long to find the source, and was surprised to see it was Draugr with a stranger. The girl was small, so much so that Salvia thought she might have been a coyote if not for the petite and rounded ears atop her head and puffs of white at her cheeks. She looked, upon Salvia’s first impression, like a wide-eyed kitten. How odd.
Salvia’s mantis-colored gaze trailed to Draugr, who dropped her head. “Is she yours?”
“I met her before, yes. Her name is Null. She says she’s good with stealth and trap-making.”
Both of these caught the blonde’s attention. She looked over the tiny thing, wondering just how in the world something that looked so…fluffy could survive, and decided that alone was worth hearing her out.
Null caught Salvia's scent long before she saw her, and dipped her head lower in respect for whoever was approaching-- especially as it could well be the Boss. It was confirmed that the light-coated female was the pack leader when she came into view, body language strong and confident, and Draugr dipped her head. Null was nervous; this was the Boss, and Null's hopes were hanging on making a good impression on her. She was suddenly hit with the feeling of her stomach dropping as she panicked, sure for a moment that she was completely unprepared and unready, before she calmed herself, taking a deep breath.
She listened to the brief exchange between the Boss and Draugr, and her large, dark eyes widened when she was addressed. She replied to the Boss's question quickly, though she couldn't quite hide the note of anxiousness in her voice.
Pit traps, rope traps, spring traps, bait traps, snapping traps, wire traps, net traps, traps for big things and traps for small things. All sortsa traps for all sortsa things. She detailed the kinds of traps that she could create, some that she had invented and others that she had learned about from books. Traps that kill and traps that contain. She added, in case that was a factor that the Boss would want to know about. The Boss was clearly interested in her traps like Draugr had been, and she hoped that it would be a suitable skill to gain her acceptance into the pack.
The tiny, fluffy wolf kept her head down and awaited further questions, not wanting to speak out of turn. She wasn't sure when to present her gift; she assumed someone would indicate that she was required to make an offering. Null supposed that that was one of the things she should've asked Draugr prior to the Boss's arrival. Why did these things never occur to her when it was important?
I saw your character speaks Spanish--Salvia does too! That would be an awesome thing to mention. :3 Aaaand we should be wrapping up with this soon, whee!
It would have been foolish for a stranger not to be afraid of Salsola, especially when (as Salvia assumed) the whisper of what they were had come from Dragur’s tongue. She was glad to hear it and further pleased by the knowledge. Fear was one way in which to earn respect, after all. The fact she could back her talk up with more than just sharp words was, if anything, all the more reason for such trepidation to be shown.
Null went on to list all sorts of things and Salvia was further pleased by the idea of being able to really put this to use. They had done so once before, but the traps had been abandoned after the Boreas conflict (or perhaps before—her mind still held a black space somewhere before her injury) and with each passing day the likelyhood of someone noticing their shrinking numbers would lead to foolishness. No doubt, Salvia was pleased to hear about the skills. It did not show on her face, which remained as frosty and impassive as ever.
“What more than that?” She prompted, feigning her true excitement at the prospect of a rogue amongst them.
Null quickly ran over her skills in her head, wondering what else she could do that would please the Boss. Well, she could do plenty of things; she had at least a basic knowledge in many subjects, and she supposed that it couldn't hurt to mention them. She had no idea what the Boss was looking for, after all.
U-um, I can read and write. I speak pretty good Spanish, though not as good as my English. I can be stealthy, I'm very good at not being noticed. I'm a decent tracker, too. I've got a pretty good aim with throwing knives. I have a basic working knowledge of medicinal plants, different gems. I know some first aid, um, stuff like tending to wounds, resuscitating people, treating burns? But I'm best at sneaking and tracking and traps. I learn quick, too, so I'm sure I could learn to do lots of useful stuff! She tacked onto the end, implying that she was fully willing to learn new skills to best aid the pack. Null hoped that these talents (that she herself considered not worth a lot) would be enough to convince the Boss to let her in.
The Boss had asked her what else she could offer. Null wondered if this was a good time to present the gift? It was covered by the question, in her opinion. And now she could see why Draugr had suggested green jewelry. Null was suddenly even more pleased with the selection of jewelry in the box-- it would go perfectly. U-um, Null added hesitantly onto the end of her list of skills, hoping that she wasn't mistepping, Please forgive me if I am doing this wrong, but I have a gift for you. I do hope you like it. I'm a little unfamiliar with the procedure, but um, I would like to-- to offer this to you?
She had retrieved the beautifully carved box from the top of her satchel, holding it steady so as not to tip it's contents about. She undid the latch and pulled the lid open with one hand, revealing the actual gift part of the gift-- a collection of fine, green-stoned jewelry alongside a set of brass binoculars. Something pretty and something useful; it couldn't hurt to give both. She kept her body low and her head down, awaiting the Boss's response.
(364) You two are welcome to continue or not, but wheee! Welcome to Salsola!
A great deal of interesting things were suggested, and Salvia found the prospect of them pleasing. Draugr had done well—she would have to find a way to reward her. Green eyes flicked over to the wolfdog, who was watching quietly, and Salvia thought to rub this delightful little bit of news in her mother’s face. After all, was Eris not the one meant to find them worthy blood? A child had shown her up, she who had once brought so many in (and, perhaps as further testament of her failure, away from) Salsola.
Then the girl produced an intricately carved box. This might have made a fine gift, and for a moment, Salvia suspected it was. The contents, however, were intended for her. She extended one hand and touched the jewelry, remarking on its color and cut, and greedily removed the binoculars. Salsola itself had a spyglass, but these were for her alone. Her mouth finally broke into a faint, wolfish smile. “Clever girl,” she said softly, speaking perhaps more of what had to be Draugr’s obvious assistance in the matter.
“Your gifts are well chosen and your skills suit our needs. You will join Salsola as an Associate—for now you are under trial, to see that you prove yourself here. There are many traditions for you to learn. Draugr will be your mentor in these matters,” she added, and spared a glance to the Helsi woman. When her face returned to Null, she was still smiling in that peculiar way. “Algunos de nosotros habla español aquí,” her own Spanish rang clear, though she lacked the speed of a native speaker. “Es una buena habilidad para tener.”
Satisfied, she flicked one ear and scented the air. “Give these to Molcaxitl,” she ordered, more to Draugr than the new girl. “She will see them to my home. You two have a lot to speak of, I’m sure,” the Tigress added with a rather savage grin. “So I leave you to it.” With that the woman strode off, head high, positively thrilled to have asserted her authority over a fresh face—one that only knew her as the Boss and not simple his replacement.
Welcome to Salsola! As a new member of the pack, you're ranked as an Associate. We strongly encourage you to read over the Associates page of our website for further information about your rank, promotions, and other relevant things.
As a new member, why not:
Start plotting with your fellow members -- start or join an Open Thread on Salsola territory.
Figure out if your character wants the Cotona ritual to take place, and where on their body they'd like the scar.
Figure out which of the Jobs you'd like and let the leadership know which you're considering.
Check out our pack game and start earning points! You can claim a residence in the Borgatas Colotl or Coatl after 50 points in the pack game (note: residences outside these two areas are free).
Add yourself to our Directory, and please remember to add your character's animal companions to our Stables! See Salsola Maintenance for further information.
Familiarize yourself with the pack's leaders and make sure you contact one of us if you encounter any sort of difficulty or require any assistance. You can send us a Private Messages or post to the Salsola Maintenance thread.
