[Tiberius]

Morning came quietly as ever as the rays stretched out across the tops of the trees and each individual blade of grass as if to say good morning. A low fog rolled through the lands as the world eagerly tried to disperse the water back in to the sky from which it came. This particular morning was colder than normal and even the woodland creatures felt the chill in their bones. The birds chirped from the warmth of their nests and even the squirrels kept huddled together for as long as they could. Spring was always a wary season when it came to weather, but there were some who found it almost relaxing.

In fact, the early morning fog gave way to one such creature; a behemoth of fur and scars. The dire's head swung low with each step, his nose taking in the damp world around him and the pollen that clung to each droplet as it was sucked from its temporary home back up to the sky. He had been on this particular stretch of land for a day and a half, following the fleeting smells of wolves that had passed through the area. Tiberius let out a low growl as the scent he had been following disappeared once more from his grasp. The dire lifted his head and squinted, crystalline blue eyes searching through the still dimly lit forest. The sun had only just begun peeking through and his eyes were still well adjusted to the darkness of the wood he found himself in. With a long inhale and a huff, the male pressed forward through the thicket and in to a small open patch of grass. 

"Damn," came the low rumbles of his voice as he looked around. His nose, however, was sent in to a frenzy as he entered the small clearing; the scents had come anew and in a quantity he had not quite expected. It was clear to him that he had crossed that fateful border of no mans land in to...well, someone's land. Tiberius' head rose as he searched the thinning tree line around him, fur beginning to stand on end. At the ripe age of three, he was all too aware of how loners in a sea of pack lands worked. Yet the vagabond paused for a moment in his heightened state to think about his current situation. He was a loner, a mercenary for hire, and he was getting forever older. Perhaps...perhaps settling was not the worst that could become of him? The dire snorted as the thought crossed his mind; packs these days were rare to accepting drifters like him; but there was never any harm in forming alliances with other packs, no?

As the minutes ticked by and he fought with himself, the only cons Tiberius could manage were simply: he did not belong anywhere. He...was not sure he belonged anywhere. Yet despite the short list, the list of why it may be a good idea for him to find a home surpassed those negatives. So with a heavy sigh, a roll of his eyes, and a heart pounding out of his chest, Tiberius lifted his muzzle to the yellow morning sky and bellowed out a call to any around. Surely, if his assumptions were right, then he hadn't been alone at all for some time. 

[Cassian]

CASSIAN

Cassian was up and about early this morning — far earlier than usual. He had barked out a hasty good morning and be back later to his family, before racing off with stubborn determination of catching his own breakfast. Spoiler alert; he couldn't quite catch his own breakfast yet. The golden prince had chased after rabbits that were far too quick for him, pounced at field mice that were far too observant for him, and growled at squirrels and birds in the trees that were too far out of his reach.

But Cassian was a prince, therefore he could not give up yet.

After many attempts, the boy had steadily gotten better and better. He was certain he'd finally catch his prey this time as he slowly stalked toward an unaware robin as it distractedly pecked at soft soil. The young prince carefully crept forward, minding the trigs and plants that may be in his way (he had learned to walk more and more carefully by attempt #6). And in the pale yellow morning light, Cassian was grateful for his golden sun kissed coat. Another step, the bird still happily pecking away at it soon to be last meal. He was going to catch this one — finally, on the count of three he was going to lunge forward and get breakfast clasped firmly in his jaws.

Once — two —

A howl sounded into the peaceful morning, and in a flutter of feathers and a loud cry, the robin took to the air, leaving Cassian to leap into nothing.

What was that? Spinning around and huffing with indignation, the boy opened his mouth to give an earful to whoever messed up his hunt. But something made the boy pause — he had strayed to the borders of Inaria's territory, the howl came in the direction of a foreign scent. A visitor? An intruder? Was someone hoping to join Inaria?

The child turned, about to head back into the heart of Inaria and call for a soldier or sentinel, but once more he paused. Why wait? He could handle this. It was only one stranger, after all.

Turning back around, Cassian made his way through the bushes to make his presence known and — wow. The stranger looked tough, big with scars across his muzzle and cheek.  The child couldn't help but wonder how he got those scars. Was it some epic battle? Was he a knight? Did he slay some beast or fought in a war? The questions sat eagerly on the tip of his tongue, but Cassian swallowed them down, replacing his momentary look of awe with a stern expression that may have been a bit comical on the face of a child. He needed to be professional!

"You're at Inaria's borders, Stranger." Cassian announced boldly, projecting his voice to make sure it sounded solid and important. How did this go? What was he supposed to say? The hesitation lasted only a minute, before the boy settled on. "State your business."

[Aeolus]

There were so many concerning things that had happened lately that he had been patrolling more frequently and more carefully so he had noticed the other nearing the border and had taken care to position himself out of sight and where the wind would not carry his scent towards the stranger so that he might observe the other better. The others behavior was curious to say the least as with the head down the stranger seemed to be scenting, searching for something, which of course was what had caught his attention. For one to seemingly be searching in such close proximity to Inaria and the borders begged the question of whether this individual was searching for Inaria or possibly a specific Inarian. He didn't know but he  intended to find out and bounding out and demanding answers was not likely to work if the stranger were here for nefarious purposes so he stayed hidden and watched.

Even when the stranger crossed the border he remained quiet and hidden. Not because he was afraid of violence but because he wanted to see what would be done. Would the male go in a direction that would give indication of an particular Inarian they were after? Or would it be Inaria in general that was the target? An answer was vitally needed so while another might have gone charging in for an attack he bided his time. Watching and waiting for any sign as to what the stranger was after. The stranger did not move though other than to raise his head and gaze in the direction of the inner pack area. Which was even stranger and raised a new concern. Was the stranger working with someone from Inaria? It was not a pleasant thought but it was a possibility that he couldn't ignore if simply brush aside no matter how much he would have liked to. With his dual ranks of Sentinel and Page it was his job to know when things, when others, were not what they seemed. It was his job to spot the lies another might weave and to slice them through before they could be woven into something in which Inaria could be ensnared and brought to harm.

When the other howled however he he shifted his head ever so slightly and prepared himself. If it was another Inaria the stranger was waiting for they would likely be racing here to try and beat the Sentinels, like himself, and if that happened he would be able to catch them in the act as long as he didn't give himself away. So he remained still watching both the stranger and for any Inarian that might be seeking cause harm to the purple kingdom from within. As the moments stretched on and no one arrived he figure it was time to go and see why the stranger was trespassing on Inarian soil. He had intended to slip out quietly and do his questioning calmly but the glint of yellow fur of a small pup so close to an intruder changed all of that.

What ever might be being said between the two was lost as he crashed forwards calling out an alarm to alert others in the area. "Intruder! Pup in danger!". He had left out that it was royal pup. With those colors it couldn't be anything but, it wasn't likely to matter though as the only pups he knew of within the pack at present were all royalty which meant any nearby that were close enough to hear his call would likely come running as he now was towards the stranger to either get him away from the pup or to bring him down. And the pup would perhaps learn a valuable lesson today..that there were consequences for going places that were off limits to those without permission to be in them.

[Tiberius]

You know that feeling when you desperately want something to go right and then it goes horribly wrong? Murphy's Law; if it can go wrong it will go wrong. Well...this was...exactly the circumstances that had befallen the dire.

His head lowered as he finished his call to any in the area, and waited as the minutes ticked by. Perhaps there was no one around after all and this wasn't what he had thought it to be. Yet, as Tiberius grew wary of the world around him and his thought process of being wrong came in to his mind, something urged him to stay put. His instincts had paid off more than he realized at first; it came in a golden flash, and then, standing before him was a mere child with a pelt so pure and golden that it made him instinctively squint. His ears shot to the top of his head as he took a step back, raising his head away from the child. The sun was his enemy as was the fog that surrounded them, causing the water droplets to magnify the brightness and sheer volume of the pup before him. The dire blinked a few times before looking back, his ears perking forward as the young one began to speak.

"You're at Inaria's borders, Stranger. State your business. "

Inaria? The dire's attention came full frontal to the pup that had asked, no, demanded an answer. Tiberius felt a laughter bubbling up inside his chest as he was interrogated by this child. What kind of pack was this? A pack run by pups?

But his curiosity and need for a good laugh was cut short as another voice came in to his ears- this one was shrill and sharp: a warning.

"Intruder! Pup in danger!"

Tiberius let out a low growl as the other appeared barking out an alert like some mad fool. The dire had had an inkling that he had not been alone- though he did suppose it possible that this entire encounter was just 'happenstance'. As a soldier, Tiberius knew all too well that happenstance and coincidence was highly unlikely. It made him smirk softly to himself that he had been right two out of two in this regard. He was in fact on pack land, and he had been followed for some time. 

The dire's head rose as he looked to this newcomer, leaving little room for either to continue a rebuttal as he spoke. 

"Easy, friend," came the calm gravely voice of the dire as he gave this...guard? a steadfast look. He meant no harm, clearly, but it was to be proven if he were to gain their trust.  "I mean no harm. I am sure you understand that," he began, holding his gaze upon Aeolus, "given that you have been watching me for the better half of the last ten minutes." 

Tiberius was no fool; he was getting old but he was no damn fool. The dire slowly lowered his head, though keeping his gaze fixated on the guard of this...Inaria. He would not be foolish enough to glance at the child; it was not his place and giving way to looking at this pup would only encourage more of an altercation than what was already beginning to unfold. 

"I come seeking refuge in this...Inaria," he began slowly after a moment of silence. "My name is Tiberius. I come offering my services in exchange for a place to call home."

[Rieal]

((hey ilunga mind if I go ahead and post with Aeolus to keep this moving?))

[Cassian]

CASSIAN

The laughter was not something that Cassian expected from the stranger, and his shock was clearly expressed in a look of indignation. But like most children his age, amusement was practically contagious. A smile fought to pull at his lips, but the boy was stubborn, fighting back his own building amusement by twisting his face into a grimace of a snarl. 

Before he could shout the injustice of the stranger's mockery — because that's what it was! Mockery! An insult to him and Inaria and the royal line!! — a loud alarm call shattered the peaceful morning as a black and white figure barreled in between Cassian and the stranger.

Intruder! Pup in danger!

The young prince let out an angry growl at that. "Hey!!" But suddenly it was as though he wasn't there, the adults were ignoring him.

Easy, friend. I mean no harm. I am sure you understand that,

"I wasn't in any danger," Cassian chimed in helpfully, glaring at Aeolus through narrowed eyes as he boldly moved around the sentinel to once more get a better look at the stranger. Tiberius's earlier laughter was momentarily forgiven in the face of a new foe — an adult who treated him like some helpless newborn. It was an even greater injustice than some little laugh! "I was questioning him before you interrupted." The golden boy sat down with a loud huff, he had wanted to interrogate the stranger.

And maybe get him to catch him some breakfast — that window of opportunity was ruined now.

I come seeking refuge in this...Inaria, My name is Tiberius. I come offering my services in exchange for a place to call home.

The boy took a deep breath to reign in his irritation before casting a glance at Aeolus. Despite his earlier bravado, Cassian really had no idea how to go about this situation. Did sentinels... just... ask questions and then let someone in? Test them? The boy wasn't sure. "Please take over, Sentinel sir. Now that you're here, I'll observe and learn." He decided, stubbornly settling into the ferns to watch how sentinels did their job. The child had wanted to handle the situation himself, but that wasn't going to happen now.

Better to sit and learn than to be sent away.

[Xenia ♕]

---

As quickly as one yelled pup at the borders, the silver monarch arrived. Her panic had come at a level of concern for her own daughters, however her motherly affection and fear extended to the Valor children as well— one of which was the culprit of the alarming call to the borderline. Swooping in gracefully and with herbs in her mouth having been in the middle of tending to the garden (their Medic was no where to be seen and despite the Queen’s diplomatic duties, her heart always remained in the garden when her humble beginnings started) she abandoned them to her feet as she moved closer. Eyes quickly surveyed the situation, but her body moved to stand a leg in front of the golden child as he proudly stood far too close to the edge of the territory. This one seemed to want to grow up faster than they’d allow.

"I wasn't in any danger, I was questioning him before you interrupted."

“Hush, child.” Xenia said firmly, still with the dose of softness that the gentle Queen always possessed. “You are out of place.”

“I come seeking refuge in this...Inaria, My name is Tiberius. I come offering my services in exchange for a place to call home.”

Xenia’s attention turned toward the Sentinel and the stranger, some relief fell from her shoulders when she realized the situation wasn’t hostile at all, and a warm nod of appreciation went to Aelous, the swift action of the border patrol who alerted her to the young Prince at hand. Before Xenia had a chance to engage with the boy again, he wisely decided himself as to what he would chose to do.

"Please take over, Sentinel sir. Now that you're here, I'll observe and learn."

Although she was originally going to take the boy away, she chose to allow him to stay as long as she did. “You may watch, but please step back.” Firm tone started to fade now, although the seriousness in her eyes still brought authority, some of which she hoped the Prince would respect even if she was not the child’s mother. Once he hopefully took a few steps back to observe, Xenia did too.

“Apologies for the fuss,” She addressed Tiberius, “We have many eager youth within Inaria.” With that she’d allow Aeolus to continue the job he came for, but had no intention of leaving as long as the golden Prince chose to stay and watch.

Lowering her head for the boy to hear alone, with eyes still on the stranger she added, “I’d like you to come with me after.” A quick corner glance would be given to see his reaction before her attention averted back.

---

[Aeolus]

He had been fully prepared to crash into the intruder, to use whatever means necessary to protect the pup had the stranger moved to harm him. However the stranger had moved to face him instead and had begun speaking so with the attention on him rather than the pup he had slowed to listen while positioning himself between the intruder and the young royal. There were many things running through his mind. The pup being here, the suspicious behavior of the stranger along with the trespassing and the interesting request for sanctuary plus the current lack of any guards to help deal with any trouble the intruder might cause and even then he still didn't know if whoever showed up, if anyone did, could be trusted given the searching this..Tiberius seemed to have been doing for what or who he didn't know. Which meant he would have to deal with the stranger and protect the pup himself..or so he thought when the queen, or one of them rather, showed up. It was rather unexpected and not his preference for assistance as it would be his responsibility to protect her as well if things turned overly hostile but at least she would be able to get the pup clear, at least in theory.

It seemed her abilities were going to be tested by the pup first however who he saw out of the corner of his eye moving away from the safety he and the queen were providing and without taking his eyes off the intruder instantly moved to block the pup's progress, in case the young one went or somehow how got around the queen, in a way that should make it clear to the pup, if the queen's words hadn't already, that he was to stay back. If he didn't well..he didn't think the queen would have any difficulty in picking the lad up and pulling him back but if needed be he would move the pup back himself, royal or not, this situation was far to dangerous, to..questionable for the usual ceremonies.

The pup's indignation was noted though as he loudly protested, declaring he hadn't been in any danger at all revealing how naive the royal pup was, but then such naivete was to be expected from one so young but that didn't make it any less exasperating. And while he would have loved to be able to send this pup back home as he had the last youth who he'd found at the border, with so many doubts about the safeness of the inside of the pack he couldn't do that without the pup having an escort except the only ones who could escort the pup was either himself or the queen and he could hardly order the queen away but he couldn't leave himself without revealing her authority to the trespasser which meant he would have to somehow conduct this investigation with them both here unless the queen chose to leave and take the pup with her herself. If the pup would cooperate..and as luck would have it, either that or respect for authority, this pup at least seemed to acknowledge that he wasn't the one in charge here, stating that he would simply watch and observe, and the queen gave permission for it and as the pup seemed to be obeying..maybe now he could get to work of getting to the bottom of what this..Tiberius was up to.

"Sanctuary hm? Inaria does provide sanctuary but it tends to only be for those who are here temporarily and have cause to believe they are in either immediate danger or that danger will arriving soon..and even then they don't search around the land as you seemed to be doing and borders are seldom crossed unless the individual is in such distress that they can not help it and therefore, likewise, tend to be unable to provide Inaria with any services in exchange for anything, even a safe place to sleep...". He stated eyeing Tiberius pointedly his meaning clear, or should be at least, that he was waiting for an explanation for the intrusion within the lands and what exactly Tiberius was after with his searching and was he bringing danger with him or was he the danger himself and exactly what sort of services did he think he had to offer in exchange for being taken in even temporarily since Sanctuary and Acceptance were two entirely different things. Of course it was a bit awkward conducting such an interview with the queen present given that, despite being the queen, she was rather new and he wasn't entirely sure if she was aware of his being more than just a Sentinel. There was nothing to do though but continue.

This stranger had been searching around the borders, and had then crossed them and not only did he not seem to be in any distress, at least none he could detect, but the scars indicated he had at least some experience in fighting and was still young enough to put up a decent fight even if he wasn't entirely experienced which just added to the questionability of who this Tiberias was and whether he was here for sanctuary or for something else entirely and it needed to be found out. Of course despite his uncertainties regarding the new queen and how she would take the investigation, as he intended to be very thorough, there was at least one good thing about it, other than her being able to help wrangle the pup, reporting this incident wasn't likely to be needed as any slip the other made, or might make, in the course of this interview she would be here to hear it herself.

[Tiberius]

One became two, and two became three. It seemed as though perhaps his call for someone at the border had gone far from unnoticed.

Hey!! I wasn't in any danger, I was questioning him before you interrupted." cried the pup in protest as the larger male approached them both.

"Hush, child. You are out of place.” came the curt tone of a female who approached in a hurry, though she seemed to relax a bit when she took note of the situation.


"Please take over, Sentinel sir. Now that you're here, I'll observe and learn." quipped the child as he was chastised and gently reprimanded by this female; perhaps his mother?

"You may watch, but please step back." she said to him, and together they took a few steps back, allowing space between Tiberius and this...Sentinel.

"Apologies for the fuss, we have many eager youth within Inaria." She spoke again with a tone that sounded gentle, and the male took notice of it instantly, offering a gentle smile in her direction and bowing his head.

"I can understand that sentimentality completely. I was just like the young lad when I was--" but he was cut off.

"Sanctuary hm? Inaria does provide sanctuary but it tends to only be for those who are here temporarily and have cause to believe they are in either immediate danger or that danger will arriving soon..and even then they don't search around the land as you seemed to be doing and borders are seldom crossed unless the individual is in such distress that they can not help it and therefore, likewise, tend to be unable to provide Inaria with any services in exchange for anything, even a safe place to sleep..." came the hiss of the Sentinel as he interrupted Tiberius's small talk with this female. The large dire swung his head from looking at the young child and Xenia to this Sentinel once more. His facial expression had gone from gentle and peaceful to somewhat annoyed. His ears began to lower, pausing half way as he looked Aeolus. The scars across his face began to twitch as he bit his tongue. This was not his land, after all. He needed to continue being respectful.

"With all due respect, Sentinel," he said in a low and calm voice, keeping himself firmly grounded. Tiberius was not here to fight, and thus far the reactions he had received upon entering had been a decent 50/50 on how this pack seemed to run. Perhaps this pack wasn't as welcoming as he once thought it was, "I never stated that I was seeking sanctuary." Tiberius inhaled sharply and held it a moment before exhaling. Fine. He would repeat himself if need be.

"I come in search of a home. Refuge from the elements. As I am sure you are aware this is something I cannot ward off myself; however if you personally know of a way to stop snows from falling and heat from spreading I will gladly leave these lands." He paused, offering a small smirk at his jab of humor.

" I come offering services in exchange for a place to call home." His voice never wavered, keeping calm and unaggressive though his mind was racing at this point. His speech was a slow drawl at this point, similar to a Georgian cowboy lamenting about the weather. "Now I do apologize if I have come off in a manner which is not respectful to this pack, but I am not here to start trouble." He kept his eyes locked on to Aeolus as he spoke, only turning away to give a soft smile towards Cassian and Xenia. "There was never an intention to harm or cause harm. I called in hopes of finding you," he said a bit more pointedly, looking to Aeolus again, "but the child beat you to it."

Tiberius inhaled slowly this time, keeping his full attention on this Sentinel. "Do not mistake my appearance for an intruder looking to do harm. I am not one who will tell you no when you ask me to show you my belly for acceptance. " His voice grew sharp as he spoke now, though he never rose his tone or made a move to charge any further tension. "But I do believe mutual respect in some capacity would do the situation some good, considering we have a missus and child in our presence." The dire took a step back.

"I will ask again." Slowly, though never taking his gaze from the other, Tiberius lay on the ground and rolled over, exposing his neck and his stomach. "Will you accept my services in exchange for a home?"

[Aeolus]

He watched every move the stranger made, took note of every word spoken whether they were directed at him or not and he was unimpressed by the smoothness this Tiberius displayed. Of course it wasn't all smoothness, there were cracks in the others mask, flaws in the facade that he saw and read in the change of expression, the lowering ears a slight twitch across the face. They were tell tale signs that the other was not as easy going as he seemed to wish to portray himself as. Of course he supposed anyone caught trespassing would want to make themselves seem as innocent as possible, the issue there was in determining exactly how innocent someone who'd crossed the border really was or could really be. That was his job though, figuring out who to take a chance on and who not to, and he had experience in doing just exactly that.

The stranger continued on trying to convince them he was harmless, that he'd done nothing wrong. It could very well be true but it could also be a ploy and as it went he was now really starting to consider if he should ask the queen to take the pup and leave as this was looking less and less like a typical acceptance, not that there was anything typical about someone crossing the border and then saying they were only there for acceptance, but this was more unusual even than that and the pup and the queen being present made it even more so. The verbal jabs aimed at him were not missed, nor were they appreciated but they weren't going to distract him either. If this stranger thought to gain sympathy and instance acceptance upon describing hardships with the weather he would find himself very much mistaken. Not that he was incapable of sympathizing with the ruining effects of natural events, his former pack had been destroyed by one after all which was what had brought him here, but he had come before the war happened, when there had still been hope that it might be averted, before anyone knew how high a price in blood and in death Inaria would have to pay to remain its own.

Inaria did know now though, at least those who had taken part in the war did. Knew just how high a price in grief and loss it was to pay if something was missed or disregarded. He had no intentions of disregarding anything that might cause such a toll to be exacted upon these lands again. The apology offered by the other fell into that category especially given the inflection used. An edge was creeping into the stranger's voice, it was a subtle one, something the pup might miss, perhaps even the new queen, but it was there all the same. Not only was it there but as Tiberius continued to speak the edge grew more pronounced, so much so that even the pup should be able to detect it now and even if the child did not the queen certainly should be able to. When the other shifted to move after just mentioning the 'missus and the pup' as he had referred to them as he wondered if the other was about to go for them. It was highly unlikely, given how little chance of success there was but it was something he still had to consider and even when the male merely stepped back he still did not dismiss the potential for an attack from one so young and with an apparent temper and scars as well that implied that the stranger might be willing to start fights out of anger or perhaps even spite. That too could not be dismissed or disregarded as a potential safety hazard.

Then what had initially been a statement declaring a willingness to bare his stomach for acceptance turned into a reality as the other lay down and rolled over doing just exactly that. It was quite bold and brazen..and if treated as something that should garner immediate acceptance could cause something to be missed or disregarded that could cause harm later on. He was not going to allow that to happen. As unamused by the others antics as he was he remained composed. He did not wish to reveal Inarian secrets and he wasn't going to but he was going to address this others dramatic flair with a fact that was hardly secret. "Actions like that will not allow you to evade having to answer questions. This pack has already seen war, has already faced the threat of spies and assassins willing to say anything, do anything to convince others of their harmlessness and evade capture". He stated gazing down at the now prone Tiberius studying him carefully for any reactions that might give something away well aware that the eyes of others were watching.

He did not like stating things like that so openly usually as he liked to be able to trip others up, to catch them in their lies, but he also needed to make sure the queen knew why he wasn't automatically accepting this stranger after the display, he needed her to know why he was being so careful, why he was willing to come off as being harsh..because he was trying to keep them, all of them every single Inarian..safe. "You say you are willing to offer services in exchange for a home..what services might those be?". He asked unsure if he would still be able to catch the other in a lie, if he chose to lie, but he would still try. He would still do all he could to make sure this stranger was not someone who would proclaim innocence and then stab them in the back when they weren't looking.

((alright ilunga gave permission to be skipped and since Ark did as well..there ya go!))

[Tiberius]

ooc: I AM SO SORRY I HAVE BEEN AWAY THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS WITH WORKING INSANE HOURS AND NOT HAVING TIME TO REALLY BE ONLINE I AM SO SO SO SORRY T________________T 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Actions like that will not allow you to evade having to answer questions. This pack has already seen war, has already faced the threat of spies and assassins willing to say anything, do anything to convince others of their harmlessness and evade capture [...] You say you are willing to offer services in exchange for a home..what services might those be?"

Tiberius would have been lying if he had not detected the instant disregard to his own attempt at deescalating the situation as the other continued to press onward with an inflated ego. Or perhaps it was well justified? Yet as this one spoke of war, Tiberius's eyes locked on to the one above him. Never did he move or flinch, or make any attempt at rolling back over to continue the conversation. The soldier had long since forgotten the pup and other wolf were standing nearby; his attention remained fixated on the one interrogating him.

"If your pack has seen war then I believe my services would be beneficial. I am a loner; I belong to no previous pack. Yet I have spent my younger years as a...soldier for hire, I suppose you could say." Tiberius did his best to keep his voice level and toned down; to hide the irritation this sentry brought with him as he continued to press and prod Tiberius as some sort of spy. 

"My alliances with those packs was on a case to case basis. As I am sure you are aware," he began, keeping his neck and stomach still open and available for attack, "war brings tough times to those who cannot fend for themselves. I was the one protecting the smaller ones; the ones who couldn't keep their homes from invading forces." His eyes remained locked on the other, as if perhaps the thought of, ' I am not the bad guy here. You need to trust me,' would ingrain itself from Tiberius's own mind in to Aeolus's. But sometimes even those looks were never enough; so he decided he would follow up.

"You have every right to be wary, friend," he began, once more choosing his words slowly. He waited a moment before continuing his train of thought, "but you have no need to be wary about me. I am a simple retired soldier looking for a place to settle down from the world outside. I will offer you my teeth and my claws in exchange for the ability to lay my head down in a permanent home."

[Aeolus]

He listened to the words the other spoke searching them for any trace of a lie or inconsistency in the story all while taking special note of the fact that Tiberius had been involved with more than one pack and that was an inconsistency..at least almost. If the the stranger had been hired, been paid to fight and by more than one pack, then it stood to reason that he was a good enough fighter for a pack at war to provide valuable resources to which made their willingness to allow him to just leave somewhat questionable. On the other hand however a pack at war might be desperate to hire someone just to add to the number of fighters on their side, especially if they were outnumbered, it would likely have been far easier to see stranger standing before the enemy instead of someone they knew and loved and depending on how their resources were afterward might not have minded a stranger leaving all that much if it would mean more food to go around, if prey were scarce in the aftermath. It was of course possible but there was no way to know for sure unfortunately. Tiberius had also said he was young though which meant he might have been more easily taken advantage of so the hire price might not have even been a fair one to begin with unless..which was something else to find out about as that could present another sort of problem if it were to ever happen.

"These packs you defended..were any of them aware of your arrangements with the others?". He would start there with that and then progress to find out more about these other packs Tiberius had defended..and then left. After all if there were any such as that and they showed up to here holding a grudge and wanting to hold Inaria accountable for letting Tiberius in it would be a good idea to know beforehand if there might be any danger of that sort since while it was seeming less and less likely that he was a spy that did not mean there was no possible danger at all in accepting him and allowing him to call Inaria home if it might force Inaria into another war.

Of course there was also this possible pattern of leaving to be determined..but that was part of investigating the history of this..recruit. He wondered briefly how the audience was faring as he hadn't forgotten about them at all, they were the ones he was trying to protect after all or two of them any way, but still he took protection of his charges seriously and hoped that they weren't finding his questioning to upsetting as he was simply trying to be thorough and make sure no threats slipped past him not that he wasn't aware of the possibility of failure, as he was fully aware that he might still miss something as he was hardly perfect, but he would still put forth every effort to try and avoid it if it was at all possible.

((gonna go ahead and post to try and keep this moving))

[Tiberius]

"These packs you defended..were any of them aware of your arrangements with the others?"

Tiberius could feel the distrust dripping from the sentries maw as he spoke to him. The male gave a small, disapproving frown as he listened to each word spat down at him as he remained still in the submissive position. Even at the ripe age of three, the male could feel his back beginning to ache as he remained as still as he could; his only movements on his shoulder blades to readjust his spine on the ground. The soldier watched him carefully even though the world was turned upside down for the moment. He inhales sharply before giving a curt nod.

"Yes, they were all aware. That's frankly how I got work." he said after a moment, his eyes watching the other carefully. He had all but forgotten the pup and the other wolf off to the side watching this interaction. Tiberius bit his tongue for a moment as it drew in to his mind that still they watched from the shadows. He needed to be polite and not go off on this other male who so clearly did not want him here.

"I was able to stave off most invaders for a time, and once they grew bored with trying to claim the lands I would move on. Word spreads when you help out one family, and then another. Pretty soon you have a lot of families coming to ask for help. I did what I could." He watched carefully, shifting once more on his back to get slightly comfier. If this sentry...what was his name again? didn't give him his answer on whether or not he could join, Tiberius was all about ready to roll back over and stand up. Not out of disrespect but simply the sheer ache in his bones.


"I've retired. Been for the last six months. I made sure to end my contacts with those smaller families and have been in search for one of my own. Don't get me wrong friend," he began, arching his neck so he could get a better look at Aeolus, "I care for them equally. All of them. But they were not the packs for me. They were not a place I wished to call home."

[Aeolus]

He watched the frown, the slight shifts in position which could indicate impatience or pain either of which could become an issue, not an unsolvable one perhaps but the possibility was still something to keep in mind and that would need to be taken into account. There was more than movements to watch and assess though. There was the explanation of how he had gotten work and his relationship to the packs he had worked for. The explanation was an interesting one with some inconsistencies but the sort of inconsistencies that seemed to indicate inexperience rather than nefarious motives. Inexperience was not his favorite thing in the world but it was considerably better than dark motives and mechanations. Although he supposed there was always the possibility that the stranger was simply intelligent enough to know how to stage everything to make it seem like inexperience but at present moment there was no proof of that and proof for such a thing would likely take a considerable amount of time to gather and would require a certain proximity as well.

He had thought, or at least been prepared, to continue questioning for quite some time but with the answers he had been given there wasn't much more he could ask. At least nothing he could ask that he would have the ability to properly judge the answers on as he wasn't a healer. Which meant this particular chapter in the story had reached its conclusion. "Very well Tiberius, you may call this place home if you so wish but if you do call Inaria home it will be expected that it will be permanent rather than just temporary, the same goes for contributing to the pack". He stated hoping he was making things clear for while Inaria was a peaceful pack and would not necessarily hunt down anyone who left they wouldn't necessarily welcome back someone who had left with open arms either.

With his statement made he moved back towards where the audience, if they were still in attendance, was and would watch and wait to see if Tiberius was willing to make a permanent commitment or whether he would choose to seek a home elsewhere. If he left he would make note to keep watch for the stranger to return if Tiberius chose to join despite the expectations of permanent residence then so be it. He would escort the new Tiberius to where there were available dens and do his duties as a Page by showing a new recruit around and making sure all that was needed to be known for a new member would be.

((alright one more post from Tiberius should wrap this up unless Xenia has objections or something happens))

[Tiberius]

"Very well Tiberius, you may call this place home if you so wish but if you do call Inaria home it will be expected that it will be permanent rather than just temporary, the same goes for contributing to the pack."

There was a long hesitation and silence before this sentry spoke. Tiberius's head perked and the male felt his body begin to move as he rolled over back on to his stomach. His bones cracked as his weight shifted and once back upright, he sat up and dipped his head low in thanks. Partly thanks for acceptance- partly thanks for finally allowing him to change positions. He may have only been three; but the years away fighting for those who couldn't fight for themselves had really taken a toll on his body.

"I do not wish to find another," he began, slowly rising to all fours and stretching; his spine cracking once again loudly as he loosened up his body from the ground, "I will stay with Inaria for the rest of my days; unless the pack leaders find me unfit to fulfill my duties." At this, his head snapped to the two watching from the shadows and he gave another deep bow. He was unsure if she or the pup were any sort of Royalty, but Tiberius had a hunch that if these were just mere pack members he wouldn't have gone through the extensive interview. Tiberius's head turned once more back to Aeolus, and the male smiled. "It will be an honor to work beside you, friend."

OOC: SORRY THIS IS SO SHORT- also holy moly sorry for taking literal ages to reply to this. Life has been A MessTM for the last month or so but I should be 100% back on track for the foreseeable future!!

[Rieal]

Welcome to Inaria! You can go post to have Tiberius added to the ranks in the 'Not on the Ranks List' thread in the 'Sanctuary' board..the packs OOC board but you don't need to wait to be added to the ranks to begin RPing here as far as I know so..go be free to make threads and join others and of course to Have fun!