After finding his last pack, this was the last thing that Kiv ever imagined himself doing again. He already had a place where he was happy and even made a couple friends. But now he was leaving that world behind in pursuit of what, duty? His conversation with the then Beta Esmeralda in the mountains had been very troubling, to say the least. Despite the time that he had just returned from spending in the wilds, searching for herbs and also searching for his own will, he knew about the split in Alpha Azul’s pack. He knew that Beta Steele and Beta Esmeralda had split off and started their own pack, Erenyx. He also knew that this pack was without a Healer, and that single fact right there was the crux of his uncertainty. On the one hand, he knew that there were still things that he could learn from Healer Creek and he knew that he would have a good life in Alpha Azul’s pack, Helidos. However, on the other hand, his mother had taught him that if he could help someone, it was his moral obligation to do so. He was a capable Healer in his own right and knew that he could help the members of the Erenyx pack when they would inevitably get hurt.

He wanted to talk to Healer Creek as well as Alpha Azul about it, but something in the back of his mind had stopped him from doing that. Wouldn’t they think of him as a traitor for leaving his pack behind and joining up with the other? It was more likely that Creek would have understood, being a Healer, herself, but what of the Alpha? Wouldn’t he be jealous and protective of his pack’s members? In the end, Kiv had left quietly, without telling anyone where he was going and hoping not to draw suspicion by traveling out into the more wild areas. He had earned one or two scars, but they were small and almost completely hidden by his fur. He had also found a fairly good place to go and gather herbs that he did not believe that Creek knew about, so had mentally claimed that place as his own gathering place.

A change in the ambient scent of the air snapped him out of his musings and he paused, one paw half way lowered to the ground. Very carefully, he sniffed the air and then nodded. This was the place. Heart pounding inside his chest, Kiv lifted his head and gave a howl. It was only after he finished that he realized that the howl had been that of a wanderer, a packless loner, and not that of a Healer with a pack to call his own. That realization weighed fairly heavily on the young male and his tail sunk down between his legs slightly. Well, here’s to starting over, he thought.

The Elite had been running around and enjoying herself all day. She had hunted by herself, and ran without a care in the world. There was no guilt from leaving the old pack since she had been loyal to Steele all along. She ran now as well, stretching her legs as her tongue lolled out of her mouth. Her snowy ears stayed perked in attention, eyes of two different colors looking around excitedly. The howl that called out made her stop dead in her tracks and spin the other way. Her paws kicked up dirt as she propelled herself to dart towards the borders. A huge smile was on her face as she ran with the wind in her face. Nyx held her tail at medium height, showing dominance but not as much as an Alpha. She took deep breaths and calmed herself while walking through the thick brush of the borders. The elite gently cleared her throat to gain his attention, smelling that he was one of Helidos and not someone completely new. This made Nyx smile and take pride in the pack she had chosen. She looked at the male in front of her, sizing him up. "Have you come here with a message, or are you wanting entrance into this pack?" She knew there were one of two reasons for him to come to the border.

Kiv’s hind quarters dropped to the ground with a soft thump as his mind spun and his heart raced.  This was a huge decision and he could never go back on it.  Once a wolf showed up at this border and started talking to him, there would be no going back.  He did his best to slow his heartbeat, but enjoyed only a moderate degree of success.  He was still not entirely convinced that he was ready for this.  The few occasions on which he had interacted with Steele had been fairly intimidating.  But the Alphess, Esmeralda, was a different story.  He could tell that she was crafty and probably quite ruthless, but he also believed that she was slightly more level headed than Steele.

Before too long, a figure came crashing through the brush that Kiv recognized from his time in Alpha Azul’s pack, though he did not think that they had ever really met.  He dipped his head submissively and lowered his tail slightly.  “No, I bear no message.  I am Healer Kiv and I have come to request admittance into Alpha Steele and Alphess Esmeralda’s pack.  I have been studying herbs and their medicinal applications pretty much since I was born and trained under my mother and Healer Creek before the packs split.”  He fell silent, watching the female Elite that he knew was judging him as he spoke.  Hopefully she would be satisfied with his skills as healer and not challenge him to a fight or anything like that.

"I'm Elite Nyx, pleasure to make your acquaintance. My apologies, Kiv, you smelled of Helidos so there was a possibility of a message. I can grant you admittance, though your rank as healer will have to be spoken of with the Alpha." He seemed sincere in his expertise, she couldn't deny that. Nyx sat with her wars forward in interest as she looked him over. She didn't think Steele would make him fight, because healers were specialized for their fighting. The fae smiled to him at an attempt of being friendly. "As always, I will need your oath to this pack before you can cross the border." She sat, still keeping her head high in dominance. The dark patches of fur on her muzzle distracted her occasionally, but she remained her focus on the wolf before her.

Kiv nodded slightly, suddenly slightly more uneasy with this whole situation.  It seemed a little bit more real than it had a few moments ago.  When he heard that he would have to present himself before Steele, his tail tucked in between his legs for a moment, but then he remembered the words that had been spoken to him by the first friend that he had made in Alpha Azul’s pack, Marrok, and his shoulders squared, his ears lifted and his tail loosened slightly.  Not enough that he could be mistaken for claiming dominance, but enough so that he made certain to not look like a simpering pup.

When asked for an oath, Kiv took a deep breath.  This was it; the point of no return.  “I pledge myself and my life in service of the Erenyx pack, Alpha Steele, and Alphess Esmeralda.  I will use my skills as best as I can to serve the betterment of the pack.”  He fell silent, watching the female and hoping that her response to his oath was favorable.  As much as he did not particularly care for Steele, and Esmeralda made his skin crawl a little, he knew that it was his responsibility to help whoever he could, and this pack without a Healer could definitely benefit from what he knew.

Nyx saw him begin to cower down and a bit of doubt went into her mind. Steele wouldn't allow weaklings into his pack, he had said as much to her once before. She gave Kiv a look of approval as he stood taller and squared his shoulders. The elite stood taller as well, soaking up the feeling of confidence and courage. Her ears perked completely forward, listening for any hint of doubt in his oath. Nyx quickly nodded once in satisfaction, hearing he was sincere. "I can either escort you back to camp, or you can explore on your own. Welcome to Erenyx, Kiv." Either way he chose, she would still have hunting to do. Not many hunters were in the pack as of yet, and she'd been hunting to keep the food count up. Nyx stood and turned to leave, if he wanted to follow her he could.

It was a small relief when Nyx did not call him out on his momentary lack of confidence and the change in posture that it produced. He would need to make himself stop doing things like that if he was to really be a member of this pack, after all. He took a deep breath while waiting for Nyx to come to a decision about his oath, then let it out in a small sigh when she said that he was accepted. He dipped his head in a small show of thanks. “Thank you, Elite Nyx,” he said, his tail lightly swishing from side to side.

“Actually, I would appreciate it if you could show me the way to the camp,” he said. He did not really know this section of the woods and so did not particularly feel like wandering around, following scents for who knows how long. Once he had familiarized himself with the area, he would need to start gathering herbs immediately so that he could prepare them and set them to dry so that he would actually have a small stock. Alder and Dock were probably the most important, though some Marigold would be helpful, too. He shook his head slightly, clearing away his thoughts. Not right now, Kiv, he told himself, forcing his focus back on the present where he found Nyx already moving away. He trotted slightly until he was just behind and to her left. “How many came here from Alpha Azul’s pack?” he asked, wondering how many of them actually would prefer Steele’s leadership to Azul’s.

Nyx shrugged and nodded before pausing so he could catch up. "So far Chiara, Kennedy, Kodiak, you, and I have come from Helidos. I hope to see more, though." The thick brush that covered the border  faded into trees of the forest. Over the time she had been in Steele's pack, she had grown to enjoy being there. Nyx buried herself in her duties as an elite, even now she smelled prey among the air. The fae figured she should hunt later on. Nyx shook her head, nearly losing her way while she was lost in thought. She quickly corrected herself and padded quietly to the clearing.

Kiv’s ears perked up slightly at the mention of Chiara. At least he knew someone here. Why did she leave, though? Surely not because of Steele. Maybe she was loyal to Esmeralda, and so had only followed her to the new pack, regardless of who the Alpha was. He hoped that was the case, at any rate. She had seemed so nice when he met her at the lake. Kiv kept his opinions on the matter to himself, though, as he followed Nyx through the woods, keeping himself from laughing when she had to change her course. Maybe she was pretty new here, too. “Do I need to present myself to the alpha pair?” he asked, remembering the procedure that he had gone through in order to become officially a part of Azul’s pack.

"I believe you will, since I cannot exactly just say that you are the pack healer. That would be taking a whole lot of authority, don't you think?" She padded along, smelling as the clearing grew closer. The fae smiled and her steps sprung slightly, perking her ears. Nyx stopped at the edge of the clearing, nodding to it. "You'll most likely find them where the pack scent is strongest. Welcome to your new home, Kiv."