Sinopa

Sinopa: Intuitive, Scholarly, Tolerant, Complex, Impassive, Solitary, Anxious, Overthinker, Insecure

Slowly but surely, the damsel pushed the rocks aside with her paw. Her nose twitched and a look of confusion crossed her face. Beneath the pile of heavy rock was a small crevasse - nothing unusual for the mountains. However, the bundle of herbs stuffed into the thin sliver of space was completely out of place. Her brow furrowed and she scooped the drooping plants out of their hiding place. They had been tucked away for some time, most likely forgotten by their previous owner. Sinopa studied the bundle for a moment and quickly identified feverfew, winterfat, and buffaloberry. At this point, the plants had lost the majority of their beneficial properties. It was a sad sight for the lonely female.

Before she could realized what was happening, rocks came tumbling down from up above her. Small pebbles cascaded over her and she winced as a few collided with her lithe frame. Her body tensed as she came face to face with a bristling grey and cream female.

Sinopa folded her ears and took a few steps back. "I, erm... I'm sorry," she sputtered anxiously. "Are these yours? I didn't mean to take them." She swallowed the lump in her throat and tensed as her paw hit the edge of the small mountain path she was on. 

"How did you find those?!" the female retorted incredulously. "I've been looking for weeks!"

The red dame frowned slightly. "Their scent... When plants die, their smell increases for a short period." Her head tilted and she observed the stranger. The grey canine smelled heavily of milk and other wolves.

Letting out a sigh, the stranger admitted, "I'm no good with herbs... My name is Lyra. I am The Banished Lands herbologist." Her shoulders slumped and she looked down for a moment. "But..." she perked up a bit. "You! You are good with herbs! You can join the pack and take my place!"

Sinopa was wary of the offer, but she tentatively accepted.

Sinopa’s story began when her mother and father decided to have children. Her mother is a beautiful light grey dame with glistening emerald eyes. Tasha, her mother, had a sing-song voice and a truly kind heart. Her father, Zion, is an obsidian hued male with silver ticking along his entire body. With a sharp yellow gaze, Zion radiates power.  The two wolves were madly in love. Part of a conservation project, the two wolves were monitored via a tracking collar on Tasha’s neck. When the four pups were born, the rangers were quite surprised to see two black pups, one grey pup, and one odd ball. Sinopa, ever since birth, sports a bright tawny and orange coat. 

Though Tasha was a loving, caring mother, Zion was quite rude to Sinopa. He grew suspicious that Tasha was unfaithful, but he never cared to take it up with his mate. Though he convinced himself that he trusted his mate, he ended up taking out his insecurities, anger, and frustration on Sinopa as a result. She quickly learned to become nothing more than a shadow when her father was around. In the presence of her family, she rarely spoke unless spoken to. When she was with her siblings, she felt free to be herself. As the pups aged, Claudia passed in an unfortunate hunting incident. Her two brothers, following in their father’s footsteps began to pick on her as well. She spent most of her days wandering the forests and prairies inspecting wildlife and plants. It was easy for her to get lost in her own mind. Her mother was busy with nesting for a second litter, so Sinopa was practically on her own.

One day, while out alone, Sinopa felt a sharp pang on her hip. With a yelp, she took off and ran - unsure what she was really running from. Darkness overcame her. When she woke up, she was in a strange, unfamiliar land. She stood up on unsteady feet. Feeling a tight thing pulling around her neck, she spent the next few minutes trying to orient herself and trying to scratch at the item dangling around her neck. Eventually, due to a clip that wasn’t properly fastened, the tracking collar came off. As it flew away from her, she leapt up and raced off into the forest. 

She was wandering for quite a few days before she stumbled upon the a vast mountain range. With no where else to turn, she decided to take her chances up in the rocks and pine trees. It wasn't long before her presence was discovered by a wolf named Voyager. She spent days trying to evade and avoid him. However, he found her one day, and extended an offer to join The Banished Lands. Tentatively, she has joined their ranks as a herbalist. Sinopa is still, quite noticeably, flighty about the prospect of being in a pack. She fears mistreatment, but she’s willing to give group living a try.

Sinopa is well-known for her bright amber coat. Her underbelly is a sandy color. Black and white markings are a stark contrast in regards to her rather warm coloring. Despite her intriguing pelt, she has relatively simple brown eyes. Overall, the dame is quiet and shy. Few wolves realize that she is in the pack unless she comes out to grab a piece of meat from the hoard or a wolf requires medical care. She is relatively new to the pack, so she is still trying her best to find her place within it.

Despite her uncertain social prospects, Sinopa is wonderful at her job. She takes her tasks seriously. When wolves are healthy, she is always off gathering herbs, farming what herbs she can grow, and mass producing medicines for her pack. She is always prepared when a wolf in her pack falls ill. Her skilled paws never seem to stop moving.