The early morning dew soaked the ground as careful paws padded along the forest trails. For many days now, Locke had been investigating this pack known as Helidos. He was careful not to make the pack feel alarmed or wary of him, and he would never stray too far to the border; instead, he found a small camp a little outside of the territory and every now and then he would try to sense any wolves within the pack through scent or sound. The area was peaceful and serene, and, although Locke was certain that this would end up being a chance to begin a new start, he spent the past few days making sure what seemed fair was not foul. Finally, he drew the conclusion that Helidos was in fact what he had been searching for.

With graceful strides, Locke made his way through the terrain and closer to the border than he had ever been before. A rabbit hung from his jaws; still fresh from the morning's hunt. It would be an offering for whomever so respectively answered his call. While it was not the best trophy he could bring before his possible new companions, it was the only thing that had been hopping around in the woods that morning. Man was he sick of eating rabbit. Setting the juicy creature at his paws, Locke sat down and looked upon his messy white coat - he wasn't in the best condition to make an appearance with leaves in his fur and dry blood staining his fur. He hadn't been sleeping well, with his senses always raging and distracting him when he was in silence. Surely I must look like I've only just erupted from beyond the grave. He thought to himself, taking it upon himself to clean his coat as best as he could before the interview began. He picked away at the autumn leaves snarled in his fur; their beautiful crisp colors contrasted his coat so nicely with shades of red, orange, and yellow. The blood was a bit tougher to erase, but with time it began to fade. For now, it would do.

Standing back up on his paws, Locke cleared his throat. My it had been a long time since he had done this, and he secretly hoped his howl did not shame him. Slowly, he arched his neck back and let forth a crisp howl to alert any nearby wolves of his presence. Knock knock He jokingly thought to himself, letting the sounds of the forest ring in his ears as the howl's echo died off. Birds fluttered above and a squirrel, frightened after hearing his loud call, squeaked in frustration and continued packing his nuts and berries in the tree; winter must be a harsh thing for such a little creature. Locke, however, did not waver or move as he waited upon the answer, if ever there was a chance he might get one, from this pack known as Helidos. He was strangely nervous, although he dared not let it show. While he could never redeem himself for his past, the wolf dared not let himself put his life to waste; he would do anything in his powers at another shot of protecting the innocent and the peace. If these wolves allowed him, he would do just that.

It was a bright and mild start to the day, the brute could smell the condensing water forming around the entrance to his comfy hideaway, as his own heat from his body merged with the cooler outside air. A sleepy sigh escaped his maw, his golden eyes still gently closed. As he came to and slowly blinked a wake a groan accompanied the stretching of his idle limbs. He had allowed himself a late start today, or well, what was late in comparison to when he usually paid his first visit to the outer edge of the territory. With many new members recently, he had the habit of checking the border a few times a day. Realising that it was indeed past the time, he wasted no time in rolling up onto his paws and shaking off his pelt before crawling out of his den. No sooner had he stepped out into the camp clearing did he begin at a jolty trot on his way to the borders, starting at the same trail he always took first and would then work his way around. The ground by now was quick returning to its usual dull tones, as the fallen leaves rotted and lost their splendour. It was quite a shame, but then again nothing lasted forever. The wind blew over his mahogany pelt in waves, slicking back his fur as he moved in the direction opposing it and so soon ruffling his fur into a mess as he turned around a tree and was then travelling the same way as the gusts. The result was his fur being riddled in strands laying in all directions and bits of nature's debris scattered within it in several places. But he cared not for now and pressed on with the 'job at paw'.

Perhaps he should have taken something from the kill pile before he had headed out, as he was becoming quite hungry. The thought was cut short with a call unto the pack, inviting one to seek the caller. Eclipse paused for a moment, ears erected and listening. Ah, it was always a good feeling. Another who had heard of Helidos and wished to join. The voice had been faint to his ears so the other was a good distance away. The Elite took a deep breath to open his lungs and swiftly turned his muzzle to the sky during the silence that followed, replying with a loud song to let the other brute know someone was coming, but that there was some delay. It was not much time though until Eclipse reached the loner, posture forward yet relaxed, not wanting to be too intimidating although his tail tip just breached the level of his spine. Straight away he saw the food offering at the wolf's feet, a fine little rabbit. He inspected how it had been killed and sniffed to check how old it was. It was recently killed which was very nice, a good job. Turning his attention to the wolf now, he could see that the white one had a fair bit of filth on his pelt, but such a fur color must be difficult to keep looking pristine. Eclipse also knew that currently he was in no position to judge appearance either. He offered a quick nod of his head and a polite smile. "Hello Brute, I am Elite Eclipse of this pack, Helidos, ruled by Alphess Quinn and Alpha Fenris. Let me guess, you wish to be considered to join us?" His large ears flicked to the sounds of the things around him whilst he sat tall and poised, listening most closely to the one of his own species before him.

Deep within the forest, Locke's howl had been answered. The powerful reply rang through the forest, causing the loner's ears to go up in attention. Suddenly his nervousness ceased to exist and the mind cleared. If what he had heard upon the rumors of told, he had nothing to worry. Helidos was a strong and proud pack, but it was welcoming towards others; exactly what he was looking for. Now remember, Locke, he jokingly thought to himself, Remember to mind your P's and Q's. Nothing drew the wolf's attention away from watching the forest beyond the border - this was the moment of truth. Nether the animals of the woods nor the wind blessing leaves with flight could avert his eyes. While the reply had been that of a 'late notice,' it was in a short time that a dark-furred male wolf stepped out from the pack's territory.

Locke quietly watched the wolf approach - who was seemingly interested in the rabbit at his paws. The pack member appeared relaxed, though of course someone in his position would have to be cautious as well - as noted by the tip of his tail. The loner made sure to keep his tail lowered and eyes calm; certainly an aggressive domineer would not lend him any favor points. It wasn't until the wolf's full attention came upon Locke that he felt a tad bit nervous again. Silence had been a dominant aspect of his life ever since he was young - opinions had been rarely his to give. Positive social interactions had been practically non-exist, and the times when the wolf was allowed to speak it was in unfortunate situations. The cool words of his interviewer suddenly flowed through Locke's attentive ears breaking his social anxiety. The loner silently took a moment to consider his words, before replying to the wolf whom now declared his name Eclipse. Greetings, Elite Eclipse. Locke lowered his head and shoulders, offering the wolf a polite bow. While he had been raised as a cutthroat, his ex-alpha had taken it upon himself to teach his little shadow a little thing or two about manners. Publicly lowering his rank to his alpha brought the pack to awe the leader even more - anyone who could tame such a foul beast was thought of gloriously. It was doubtful that Eclipse would expect such manners, but his politeness was sincere.

Licking his lips and raising his head, Locke gave a small smile. "Yes, I seek entrance into Helidos. I have traveled for many moons before hearing of your pack with admirable description. I know not if you are allowing others to become members, but I am more than willing to do my part to earn both your and Alphess Quinn and Alpha Fenris' trust." His voice was low and raspy from years of not speaking, but his words were pure and strong.  Nodding his head, Locke stepped gracefully back a bit from the food so that the pack wolf could freely choose whether he wanted it or not, and ponder the loner's words,  without Locke hovering right over him.

[ooc - it's been years since i've roleplayed, please excuse me for any slow or strange replies~.]