It had never been a mere coincidence that had kept Starshade out of a pack. She had been born to nomads and the only packs she had been exposed to had been makeshift, temporary arrangements that often dissolved when better weather and hunting conditions arrived to the north. In fact, her having stayed in Asteraia for as long as she had was an oddity: her arrival had been out of pure need, after all. She had battled off an illness and she had paid the price some seasons ago and as such, she had been forced to consider the various territories of Moladion. The smaller pack size of the prairie pack had been its advantage - she knew she would not need to fight for her food, or at least, she'd have better opportunities when not competing against dozens of starving mouths. Yet, despite the improvement in her condition, she had decided to stay. Perhaps her curiosity had gotten the best of her, or perhaps she had begun to see the potential value in a pack's lifestyle. Here, she could learn more readily without the risk of hunger, exposure or attack. It was unusual to feel as if life were easy, that much was sure.

And so, she had found herself patiently awaiting the presence of their newest leader. She hadn't the opportunity in the past to learn much of the former alpha, Jaidah, and yet she had a nagging suspicion that she would benefit from understanding the unnamed queen. After all, she seemed to possess a strength that hardly seemed founded in a cosy, coddled upbringing. Perhaps she had been a loner, too? Or at least, from a land much more fierce than Moladion? It had piqued Starshade's curiosity, to say the least, and yet, it also came with the added bonus of being provided opportunities. Opportunities to grow and learn. She was still young - there was plenty more to survival than what she knew, and perhaps this new leader would be part of the experience.

When the older female emerged, her unusual appearance did nought to phase Starshade. In fact, such condition was not too uncommon in the wild lands beyond Moladion's borders - perhaps not as pronounced, however. Even with her ability to see past the jagged, torn skin, she had to acknowledge that a typical wolf might not survive such an injury. Still, she remained as composed as ever as she coolly observed their leader. Dark and scarred and yet, with an easy enough grace that made Starshade suspect that she had skills far beyond Starshade's own. For all intents and purposes, Starshade had never really been an overtly skilled wolf - she had merely been smart. Smart enough to avoid trouble and smart enough to outwit those around her in order to better survive. Any scars she carried had been received during a hunt, a scramble or by the too-close teeth of another during a feast - never anything more. The alpha, however? She had an idea on how some of those wounds might have been inflicted.

Subtly, Starshade fell into a slightly lower stance, confirming her submission with a sweep of her tail and with her eyes averted now. Her ears flickered towards the dark female as she spoke, with her eyes only following when she had assumed her intentions had been clear enough - there had been no maliciousness in her approach and even now, any tension between them came only from Starshade's cauion. Even she knew she would need to speak eventually, though, and her hushed voice finally broke the silence after she dipped her muzzle ever so slightly in a hesitant bow of sorts. She had never been a big speaker. Her voice always seemed quiet - always cautious.

"I have resided here for some time. I hope to stay. However, I do not wish to be a burden and as such, I desire to find my place in the pecking order."

She followed Tick Tock's lead. Slowly, she lowered herself down to be seated, her plush fox-like tail coiling about her small body as she shifted between observing their leader's face and looking elsewhere. She had to be certain not to overstep any boundaries lest she face something much more than being a burden.