Whitestone Monadnock thunder up

Set the evening after this.
@Morganna @Isuni @Saradathia @Piety @Zahira @Anaia @Kara @Lorcan @Greer
Summary: This is a pack meeting, but a 'casual' one - Craw and Morganna have not howled for everyone to come, but rather, Craw declared a hunt, with the intention of discussing WRF afterwards. So this ithread s set immediately after the whole pack (minus Anaia) going on a successful hunt. Having fed well and dragged/carried back what scraps and pieces were left for the cache and Anaia, everyone is lounging around in the common area by the white boulders.
No post order.  Craw/Morg will be the round markers. You are not obligated to post in each round, but that just means that your wolf has not contributed anything; it's still assumed that they are present, and listening. Do feel free to strike up small convos/asides between the subordinates, casual interactions are the best, since I'm not expecting any 'speeches' to happen which will demand attention. Obviously all wolves should be keeping an ear on the more important aspects of what Craw and Morganna are discussing.
Hopefully it's a fun one, there's a lot to discuss <3

There was nothing like the taste of freshly spilled warm blood after a hard chase and stubborn prey. It had taken patience and care, particularly to avoid a well-placed hoof in the face, but the wolves of Whitestone were not fools. The stag had been chosen due to a keen observation by Sara, who had pointed out the subtle limp in his gait. The beast was otherwise tall and proud and healthy looking, but there were no obvious disabilities in the rest of the thin-looking herd, and the idea of that much meat had been too much to pass up. Besides, the monadnock wolves seemed to be growing in number by each new moon, and running with them all by his side - save the poorly white thing they'd left behind as some mimickry of a guard dog - gave Craw an even greater thrill than finally bringing that stag down. Weakened by the cold, by how the near-constant blanket of snow had smothered the grass and given the deer's frame a touch of malnutrition, it was the perfect season for such a kill. Harassed and efficiently cut off from the other deer, who were shooed away and encouraged to run along by a few of the wolves, it became a battle of stamina.

Wolves almost always won such battles, and such was it in this case. The stag came down, exhausted and nibbled at and bleeding, and it was over.

They fed well.

What was not eaten on the spot - the sweetest innards, the thigh muscles, the breast - was torn off from the whole and carried back up to the monadnock, to make sturdy their winter reserves. Craw himself chewed off a hindleg and dragged the limb all the way, leaving a long rivet in the snow from the killsite right up to the common area, and by the time they arrived his heart was still pumping from the continued exertion. Telling Lorcan to fetch his ward, Anaia, so that she may join them and eat - though he did not normally permit her to do so - the spider took his usual spot on one of the glittering gold boulders around the den, full and content and ready to spend the rest of the day digesting a belly full of meat.

They hadn't yet told the pack at large the outcome of the visit which had happened earlier that day, though he expected that the majority of them knew something had happened. This was a good time to discuss it, though he was prepared to let them all settle and get comfortable first. They had just enjoyed a hugely successful hunt, and deserved to revel in it. Looking to Morganna, the spider chuffed to get her attention and gestured to the empty space beside him, pawing coyly at it, a different kind of hunger in his smile.

(This post was last modified: Dec 20, 2016, 09:58 AM by Craw.)

@Lorcan let me know if you want me to change anything! I assumed everyone else was already there because of the hunt so if anybody wants me to change something, tell me and I'll get that done.

Anaia was lounging outside the den, gnawing on a small stick she’d found on her way down to get a drink at the lake.  She probably should have waited for Lorcan before going, but she was a grown up and could walk herself down, just like she’d caught her own mouse.  It hadn’t been large enough to really fill her, but it was enough to take the edge off.

 
Pawsteps caused Anaia to look up, expecting to see Sara coming for a visit again. She was only mildly surprised to see the healer; she hadn’t expected him for a few more hours at least.  He told her the pack made a kill and she was welcome to come up and eat.
 
Ears twitching in surprise, the small white wolf abandoned her stick and followed the healer up to the top of the Monadnock, tentatively trying to put weight on her leg a few times – but only a few.  She idly wondered if Odin was already there.  She was soon to discover that she was the only one not present as they joined the pack. Slightly uncomfortable with how many unfamiliar faces there were, Anaia limped over to sit next to Sara, though she watched Odin out of the corner of her eye.  She nudged her sister in greeting. She was still reeling with the discovery that the sibling she’d lost as a pup would somehow end up here, in the same place she was.
 
Curious as to why we was finally allowed to come up and meet everyone, Anaia directed her gaze to the leaders on the rock.

(This post was last modified: Dec 19, 2016, 07:39 PM by Anaia. Edit Reason: Fixing PP )

The long-legged shadow was sprawled, lazily, atop a large rock overlooking his packmates, his tongue picking at pieces of meat caught between his teeth. Prey always tasted better after a long, challenging hunt. His belly was warm and full, making the idea of taking a lengthy nap very appealing. For now, while he digested, Greer silently studied the hodgepodge group of wolves below, a frown pulling at the corners of his mouth.

There were some new additions. A familiar face was among them—Skoll’s former mate and baby momma had returned to the Lore and found her way to Whitestone rather than grovelling at the borders of Willow Ridge. But why hadn’t she gone looking for her son? The shadow quickly dismissed the thought with an absent flick of his tail, his mercury gaze falling, briefly, to redhead he had encountered at the borders with Morganna. She seemed… alright. Truthfully the Archer had no desire to get to know her, or the other two pale females the had joined their ranks. One of which was injured. Greer exhaled through his nose as his hardened gaze landed on her; he was clearly unimpressed with her appearance but he had no say in the matter. As far as he was concerned, she was useless. Here she was, gorging on a meal they had caught, and what was she offering to the pack? He rolled his eyes. If she stuck around once her injury healed Greer hoped she wasn’t as daft as he believed her to be. Perhaps she would be of some use to the pack then. But until she was better she was just another unnecessary mouth to feed.

The other pale female, however, had proved useful on the hunt. She had actually pointed out the injured stag they had feasted upon—so Greer disliked her a little less than he initially had. At least she was useful.

His attention landed on the silver spider once more as he pressed his bloodstained chin to his forelegs, ears pinned forward. Once the food in his stomach digested a little more he would slink away to his secluded den before venturing down to the lowlands. 

He could feel his heart still pounding inside of his chest, thrumming like a war drum against his heaving ribs as the last of the adrenaline coursed through his hot veins. There was nothing quite like a fresh kill, especially when it was a large one such as this. Stomach full beneath his thick agouti fur, Lorcan had spent the last few moments of the meal chewing at the stag’s neck, crunching through bone and sinew as he worked to behead the fallen beast. Having noticed @Craw gnawing fondly on the large branch that @Saradathia had gifted him, the medic had decided that at the next opportunity he would claim a chew toy for himself and stag antlers rather appealed to him.

Clutching the heavy head of the deer between his scarlet stained jaws, Lorcan had carried his prize up to the monadnock and begun peeling flesh from bone when he had been instructed to retrieve his patient from the old coyote den. Dropping the head between his paws, the male offered @Kara and @Odin a subtle glare as he left the gathering momentarily, silently warning the younger wolves to leave his toy well alone. @Anaia had not put up much fuss and had followed him up the goat track willingly before quickly settling beside @Saradathia. Lorcan’s golden eyes lingered on the pair then, noticing the resemblance between the star-crossed sisters and wondering why he hadn’t noticed it sooner.

Salmon pink tongue swept across his charcoal lips then as his mind returned to chew toy. Traipsing through the group, past @Isuni and @Piety, the agouti male chuffed at the women in affirmation before pausing mid-step to acknowledge another recent addition to the ranks. The woman, he had no doubt, was same fiery individual he had helped in the fjord exactly a month ago. He offered her a friendly nod.

Moving along, he dipped his head towards @Greer in passing, before moving to settle back down with his stag head, tail flicking eagerly as he grasped it firmly between his outstretched paws. A contented chuff was offered towards his two superiors, @Craw and @Morganna, as he pressed his head and ears down submissively before he once again began working on his price, taking the time to carefully nip and peel the flesh from the skull so that he would have something impressive to chew on later. Something that the others would surely be envious of.

(This post was last modified: Jan 16, 2017, 12:44 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

The little arctic hunter trudged up the Monadnock, The remaining hind leg, one that hadn;t been claimed by Craw trailing behind the stocky female. Her blood raced through her veins from the hunt, a small amount of pride filled Saradathia with the knowledge that she had been the one to find the subtle placed hint in the stag’s movement and had been the one ran down by the pack and killed. Content with her place for now, the small white wolf plopped down in the shade of a gold laced boulder, her silvery gaze flicking toward the wolves present and those arriving as she chewed absently on the remaining flesh, soon she herself would have a bone to gnaw on in her spare time.

Ears angled downward and her tail wagging slightly, Saradathia happily and idly chewed on the leg as Lorcan returned with Anaia..her sister, it was still so odd to think about it. A small yip escaped the yearling, inviting them over as a slight smile tugged at her, quite happy to see these two she said “I save you some of the best parts.” toward Anaia as she nudged the meaty limb of a leg toward her sibling, she still intended to claim the bone that resided below while Lorcan worked on his skull prize.

They had hunted and while Piety had tried to relate it to her hunt with Morganna it was rather different. So much more wolves to work with. She still tried her best to implement what she had learned on her one-on-one trip. When the animal had been brought down they feasted. It felt strange but she had taken what was offered and moved with the rest. Silently following the crowd's movements so she wouldn't stick out. There was another pale female too, who she could almost look alike. Except for the scar crossing over their muzzle and Piety had no battle scars except for a missing ear.

The Santoro woman truly wanted to be left alone after the hunt but everyone was gathering around the common area and she figured she best be there too. Finding a more secluded spot in the back of everything, she slid down and happily laid. Her muddy eyes watched everyone and offered polite smiles or gentle nods to those who acknowledged her. She just wanted to stay silent and listen in. Not sure if she'd even have anything to say or contribute to anyone here.

She found it interesting to feel contributed again. That maybe if she really worked at it she'd belong here. Of course, being here was some sign of belonging but she really wanted to feel connected. Piety realized she would have to open up with the others to get that connection but it was a work in progress. No need to rush.

"speech"

WHITESTONE Monadnock

TEMPLATE © NDA OF RCR & RPG-D

(This post was last modified: Dec 22, 2016, 06:37 AM by Piety.)

# C W T

With such a full belly and more than pooped from the run trying to bring the beast down, Odin didn't feel much like partaking in his usual shenanigans. There were no teeth clicking by cheeks or bounding along to tug on ears, just a contented, bloated waddle as he followed his parents back to the Monadnock for a well-earned sleep. Rather than retreat to the den, he thought he would join the rest out in what sun remained (for he was sure it wasn't just his imagination that the days seemed to grow shorter and shorter with each turning of the sun).

He watched as the others settled, the smallest spark of mischief not extinguished yet sent the young wolf in the direction of his @Greer. A nimble leap and well-placed paws left him standing over his prone uncle, a small wave of his tail a familiar smirk teasing at the threat that the boy might just choose to sit on the older wolf, but then he thought better of it, leaping down to lean against the boulder with a well-meaning wag of his tail and a lick thrown in the direction of where his uncle's chin should be. Deciding this was as good a place as any, the boy settled down, ears turning to catch whatever snippets of conversation he could.

The hunt and a full belly had worked some of her frustration out but she was still agitated none the less. Had her sides not been bulging so, she might have tried to entice @Isuni into a spar to work out the last of her denied desires to send yesterday's visitors packing but that just wouldn't do. With an uneaten segment of ribcage clamped between her jaws she had made her way home with the victorious pack, ready to settle down and sleep off the feast they had so thoroughly earned.

Once the food was safely stowed away she moved to join the gathered wolves, narrow glare answering Craw's coy pawing to let him know she still hadn't forgiven him for intervening as he had. She didn't understand the need, having been standing on their own borders with numbers more than on their side. Civility was reserved for those with sense and it was clear neither of yesterday's visitors possessed an ounce.

But she joined him none the less, jaws opening to gently snap by his muzzle before she buried her nose in his cheek. She settled herself down with a grumble and a huff, "I still don't think we should 'ave let 'em go." She almost spoke with a pout. After all the bullshit they had endured at Willow Ridge she was fresh out of patience for empty words and veiled threats. She was ready to burn it all down. "Wouldn' they make good practice?" She added with a smirk, knowing full well the gathered could hear every word she spoke.

(This post was last modified: Jan 02, 2017, 12:26 AM by Morganna.)

Retagging for visibility: @Morganna @Isuni @Saradathia @Piety @Zahira @Anaia @Kara @Lorcan @Greer

Having allowed himself to feel content after their feast, Morganna's cool glare was like a bucket of cold water. He hardly needed the reminder that the meeting had not gone swimmingly, that she was displeased with how he'd chosen to approach and conclude it, or indeed that they'd let the two Wild Rye Fields leaders leave with their lives at all. The very same notion had crossed his mind more than once, including at the time, but he had made a choice to try diplomacy, and would see it through.

There was nothing to say that they couldn't change their minds - but he would be damned if he was going to bring war to Whitestone when it was unnecessary. Looking around at the wolves gathered, at how they lounged contentedly, at how he could guess that Greer already was planning to creep away, at how Odin was effectively ruining those plans, at Lorcan retrieving the still-recovering Anaia before sinking his teeth into his prize again, at Sara bringing food to their ward, and he saw... loyalty, satisfaction, security. But not warriors.

Capable was the only one who could have been called that, and Craw didn't trust he knew where her head was, where her motivations and desires truly lay. Like Celandine, he kept waiting for the day when she would simply vanish without a word, or perhaps just a few choice ones... and yet she was still here, despite his reservations, and perhaps it was his imagination but she seemed... less cold than he remembered. Maybe he was misjudging her.

His misgivings were clearly able to be forgiven enough for Morganna to come to him, and he accepted the snap without flinching, though pressed into her touch more eagerly. He was being unfair on her, he knew it; she was simply in a similar headspace that he had been in two years ago, he recognised it, the fire, the impatience. The only difference was that he had the subsequent failure under his belt, and was loathe to collect a second. Still - her remark brought a snort of amusement from him, and he softened at the sight of that smirk, because that was the Morganna he adored, through and through. He could not pretend otherwise.

"They would," he rumbled in mock-reluctant agreement, "and I do not think they would be able to put up much resistence... but I don't like knowing so little about them." And it would be the army in front of them which would be getting their feet wet, and it was at them that he looked next, from one face to another. "Has anyone else had a run-in with our neighbours recently - these Wild Rye Fields wolves?" he asked, manner light but the intent serious, the question open to the floor. It was such a quaint little name, he still thought so - perfectly befitting their unkempt and careless presentation. "Any news?"