Whitestone Monadnock You'll be safe with me

OOC! All Welcome, but mostly for @Wraith and @Piety  

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Setting: Heavy snow, 30F/-1C, evening of 3.31

Word Count: 286

Roose didn’t like to think of himself as old, but he had to admit he wasn’t young anymore. The cold made his joints ache, though he could usually ignore it.   Tonight however, he found himself trudging through the heavily falling snow to reach the warmth of the pack den.  Once he reached the top of the monadnock, however, he turned aside and headed for the edge, gazing out over the tundra.

Visibility was low, but he liked coming here to think. He settled on his haunches, fluffing up his fur to help keep him warm as he stared moodily into the empty space. He was not pleased with the arrangement of the pack.  Once he had been a beta.  The older man wasn’t ambitious – it had been why he’d left his original pack to begin with – but ranking lower than that man irked him.  While the Morelli man had been around more than Roose, it still rankled.  He was too old to battle for a respectable position, so he supposed he would just have to earn it.

He had given good thought to following Craw, who had gone after Morganna and their children. But he was too different; not the same man that Roose had lost.  Not only that, but Morelli was here, and that meant trouble would be coming.  He liked Wraith and his new mate.  He also detested Morelli. He wasn’t about to let the trouble the other man could muster harm the new ruling pair.  

So he’d offered them his loyalty. He needed a new family.  He could teach the young ones that were coming; who knows, he might even find a new protégé to adopt. He supposed he would have to see.

"Speech"  Thought

In his time up north, Wraith had already determined he enjoyed Roosemooth's company. In all honesty, he trusted the older man's intentions far more than Mittani. But the white male had been present for longer and was owned the respect of his rank until he proved otherwise. Though he had no specific reason to feel something was off with the Morelli man, he couldn't shake a nagging suspicion that he should be concerned. Perhaps it was simply how quiet the male had been. In the time that he'd known him, Wraith didn't often see Mittani so scarce. And yet, with the season ending, he realized he hadn't seen the man much at all. Something to worry about later, he supposed. For now, he had others to make feel welcome.

He'd seen the older male coming from on top of the Monadnock and felt something settle in place. Relief, he supposed. Each time he set eyes on a packmate, he was able to take a breath with the knowledge that they were safe and well. Wraith couldn't help but wonder if he would worry more for Roose above the others. He wasn't that old, but he was no spring chicken either.

On quiet paws, Wraith settled beside the gray man and joined him in looking out over the terrain. It was a poor day to survey from this height based on the thick fall of snow, but the view was pleasant regardless. "Everything alright?" he rumbled gently.

She had been down by the old coyote den, where Anaia had stayed when she first arrived. Piety wasn't sure what she was doing in there. She had sniffed around it and even took a brief nap in the den. It wasn't really comfortable but it was a private place to be. Yet when she awoke it was starting to get dark out. Instead of instantly scuttling off she laid there and watched the Monadnock in the evening glow. It was a stunning empire she had never asked for.

Slowly she rose from her spot and made her way towards the top. Piety was positive that Wraith would have noticed her absence if she stayed away from the group any longer. The last thing she was truly in the mood for was her concerned mate being all over her tail. While she of course loved and appreciated him it was simply her mood today that drove her to be a bit negative. Nothing a good meal and more slumber couldn't fix. So she stopped at a cache to sort for something of worth. She was eager to find that the hare Cheedo had brought was still around. Happily, she snatched it with her jaws and finished her stroll to the top.

The leader heard Wraith's voice, though. Without a word, she silently slunk from behind with the hare protectively in her jaws. If she could recall correctly the other wolf here was their newest member. Roosemooth. The dove gently slid against Wraith's side with her tail wagging to let everyone know that she wasn't about to unleash her slightly negative mood on them.

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A lynx has left behind the remains of a deer. +5 Health

OOC!  

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Word Count: 241  

He hadn’t really expected to be joined on his lonely look out, but in hindsight Roose supposed he shouldn’t be surprised that his new leader would at least come speak with him.  It was the responsible thing to do when the oldest member of the pack was sitting in the snow alone, looking into the storm.

“Of course.” He said in reply to Wraith’s question as their queen joined them, a meal dangling from her mouth.  Roose dipped his head respectfully to her.  She probably shouldn’t be out in the cold while expecting children, but he had learned long ago not to tell a pregnant woman what she should and should not do.  

Roose was not one to openly share his feelings.  He had spent years mastering his ability to keep calm and maintain a neutral expression.  It must have affect how he actually experienced emotion, because he couldn’t remember the last time he had really gotten riled up over something.  He would describe most of what he felt as mild irritation, disappointment, or pleasure.  He was hardly ever angry, and joy was all but foreign to him. It helped him keep from digging himself into trouble for sure, and he had yet to have anything negative come from it.

“The storms here are rather mellow compared to where we were.” He noted, watching the flakes drift down across the tundra. It would certainly be easier on him as he continued to age.

"Speech"  Thought

As @Piety joined the pair of them, he rumbled a pleased greeting to her and reached over to nibble at a tuft of fur at her cheek. Love shone clearly in his gaze and Wraith was not one to hide in the first place. Each time he saw her or felt her at his side, some piece of his soul grew to serve as a balm to the bits that had gone missing. His tongue thumped happily against cold stone before he turned his gaze back towards @Roosemooth.

Wraith's laugh was full bellied and deep at the male's comment. "Yes, they are," he agreed wholeheartedly. Winter in the North was far harsher than anything Relic Lore had ever seen. Risk of death from the weather alone was far higher in the mountains of his homeland and he was certain in Roosemooth's case as well. He'd barely made it through the blizzard on his way to find the wolves of Craw's old pack to begin with and was reminded of how dangerous it could truly be.

"But it would be foolish to discount the weather here as a spring breeze. Anyone caught in the worst of it could still lose their lives if they weren't well prepared. We're well shielded on this part of the Monadnock, but others are not so much." In truth, he worried about the pups. While there was a den at the base of the monolith, what curious child wouldn't want to explore the heights? It was a wonder to Wraith how he'd managed to keep both Odin and Kara from falling to their deaths. Perhaps he should teach his own how to climb safely. When they reached an appropriate age, of course.

"I'm ready for Spring," the brute admitted. True spring. Not this semblance of one that had more snow than sun. There were so many things to look forward to like the return of the majority of the herds and of course, meeting his children. He smiled at the thought of having pups around again. It had certainly been quiet without the antics of Morganna's brood around.

She appreciated the dip of Roose's head. Her tail raised slightly to give a few swift waves in the air and she tried to offer a woof with the hare still between her jaws. It was muffled but her point was still made. She plopped down next to Wraith and leaned her head into his large side. The pale leader was content to let the men talk and simply observe.

Chatter about the weather? Seemed strange but she assumed it was better than a lot of other topics. Her body slowly slid down into a laying position as she finally set her meal on the ground. A few licks were given to it before she casually began to eat. Satisfaction would follow from the taste of food. She was by no means starving but the expectant mother was certainly not turning away meals.

Her good ear perked softly at Wraith's mention of spring. They had been stuck in eternal winter it seemed. "I think we all are." She chimed in as brown eyes looked between the small male and giant one. Piety certainly was ready for the cold to go away along with the arrival of children and other life. It would be a much better change of pace.

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OOC!  

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Word Count: 214  

Piety seemed to be in an amicable mood, which Roose supposed was a good thing since it meant she was unlikely to suddenly lash out at either of the men. Still, he kept half an eye on her as he spoke with her husband.  At the mention of weather in the north, the king echoed the sentiment.  Roose was always forgetting the dark man was from the north originally himself; that had been part of the reason he’d been up in the area in the first place, wasn’t it?

Roose nodded with his words.  “It takes a hardy wolf to survive out here.” He agreed, glancing at the pale woman with them. If her pups were anything like their parents, they would be strong indeed. He smiled as she also said she was looking forward to spring and nodded. The warmth would be nice.  That and having several bundles of fur to look after would give him something to do.

“How are you settling into your leadership?” He asked, curious to hear how the new ruling pair was handling the role that had been so suddenly thrust upon them.  They seemed to be doing well, which showed promise.  How they answered would also be telling, and give the adviser a better look into their character.

"Speech"  Thought

Wraith rumbled an amused chuckle into the cold air as his sentiments were shared on all sides. "It does," he agreed. "We all just happen to be the hardiest in the land." But Spring would bring with it so much promise. As his mate was, the black male was more than ready to greet it with all of the uncertainty it entailed.

But as the conversation was turned suddenly by the new advisor, shutters fell over Wraith's normally open amber eyes. He spared a half glance towards @Piety as if hoping she may answer first to allow him the opportunity to form his thoughts. His leadership still felt like a pup's game if he were honest with himself; like he was only playing the role while the true Alpha was away on business. Despite all that he and Piety had already done together, he could not quite get into his thick skull that what he feared doing so much, he was already doing. He did not see that the smooth transition of his leadership had allowed for stability among the pack. He did not see the recruitment of their fellow wolves had allowed the tenuous pack bonds on the cusp of stretching to the point of breaking were strengthened once more. He saw only his past replaying, reiterating how unfit he was for the role.

A shuddering breath passed his teeth. If @Roosemooth were to be their advisor, he owed the man honesty. "For my own part, I am uncertain," he admitted quietly so that any of their other subordinates may not hear the muted conversation. Thankfully, the harsh wind swallowed most of his volume anyway, though it would make it a strain for the old man to hear. "My previous experiences as leader did not end well. I only hope I do not fall into the same foolish patterns of my youth." And that he would admit it out loud even, Wraith was forced to recognize as progress. At the very least, he could learn.

sorry for the hold up @Roosemooth @Wraith

Casual chatter about the weather and landscape. It didn't exactly seem like the kind of thing to talk about in the evening. She'd strike both men as having more interesting and better things to talk about. But she didn't speak out much, simply nodding her head to side with Wraith when she was slowly pecking at the hare.

It was then that something more of interest stirred from the peppered male. Her eyes looked at him and then her mate. Piety was not kept in the dark about Wraith's feelings even if others were. To give him time to compose his words she spoke first. Her tone calm and collective. "Better than I thought. It is quite the change but what is life, let alone life on the monadnock, without change?" She smiled softly, her tail beating against the ground below her.

The pale Kael's eyes looked up at Wraith from her laying position on the ground. A soft lick was given across his leg as a sign of reassurance. She quickly shot Roosemooth a look. If he wanted to be an advisor here was a spot to begin proving himself to the new leading pair. Not to mention she was proud Wraith was willing to open up a window to the past for them to see it better but perhaps the elder would wish to speak on the matter first.

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