Like a river, lead you home

The call of the River pack's leader filled the silence, and was followed by a flurry of snaps and rustling.

Aleksei had been trying to successfully hunt once more. Since his time with Kjors, the lad had found his confidence when it came to catching critters to bring to his parents (with a proud twinkle in his eye and a wag of his tail). He was close to snatching up a snowshoe when his father summoned their family, putting the hare on edge. Things slowed for a moment, the lepordiae lifting its head, brown eyes wide. Its nose quivered and Aleksei could see each little whisker on its cheeks twitch. It turned to bound away, leaving the River prince stumbling clumsily from the undergrowth, snapping at its rear in an attempt to find something between his teeth. It all happened in a fraction of a second, but it felt like an age.

The snowshoe was off and the first born Baranski-Tainn furrowed his brow. Almost furiously, he stomped his paws for a moment as if marching on the spot. He almost had it! He was so close! Squeezing his eyes shut and wrinkling his muzzle, Alek lifted his head and pursed his lips into a thin line. He swallowed and then dropped his head with a sigh. There would always be a next time ... for now, though, he needed to see what his father wanted--it certainly seemed urgent.

Galloping through the forest, a miniature version of his father, Aleksei couldn't help but feel worried. There had been whispers as of recent, between his entire family. Everyone was on edge and no-one was telling him why. He was a man now! At least, he believed he was. He hadn't yet had the talk with his father, where it would all be confirmed ... but he was sure he had done everything right. He had patrolled with his father now and then, watched over his sister and even hunted! What else was there left to do to?

Arriving at the gathering site, the boy blinked in surprise. It seemed the majority of the pack had arrived--each one looked as uneasy as the next. Frowning, the lad turned his attention to his parents. "Mum? Dad? What's going on?" For so long he had felt in the dark. His father looked upon him with concern, and for the first time Aleksei saw a sadness in his role model's eyes. It shook him to the very core. "What's wrong?"

Let the roots & soil drink of me
Whispering leaves & pointing branches will tell them where I'm lying

Expecting replies only from @Bastet and @Anastasia now.
Thank you all for getting to this so quickly; let's try to keep up the pace.

Were he to be honest with himself, the Baranski lord would know he was scared. Scared for his children, that he would not gain their approval or understanding. Scared that his followers may turn on him--he was supposed to be fearless, a leader that all those beneath him could look up to ... who could follow a man who was so quick to leave his home? His love soothed his worries with her words. Our family our are pack mates. His heart tightened in his chest. Not where we live. When his call died out, Maksim was swift to embrace Kisla. "Thank the heavens I have you," he breathed.

One by one, the wolves trickled in. Jynx was the first to arrive at the small forest clearing. The copper-coated yearling was proving to be a wonderful (and loyal) addition to the pack, and the Mackenzie titan held a great deal of respect for her ... despite the fact he had not yet taken the time to speak with her personally. He would rectify that, but only when he was certain they they were all safe. Karpos followed her, offering a wordless question to his superiors as he took a seat beside the Dirol girl, who Maksim could only presume was his friend. The agouti leader simply bowed his head. "In time," he grumbled softly.

His middle child, his wonderful and excitable prince, came shortly after the younger members of the pack. Orren. His life was a never ending adventure and, as the lad's father, the Baranski male could not be happier that he was enjoying his childhood to the fullest. Things would change though, and soon--for the better, he hoped. Offering his son a brief nuzzle behind his ear, the father simply smiled in response to his question. In time ... his heart strained.

The two healers of the pack arrived next--though, one without the title to identify her as such. Amisun and Lachesis. The faithful ghost took his place by the Baranski king's side, making it well known who stood below the leaders within the hierarchy of the River wolves. Oh, the agouti male owed so much to his deer-legged follower! A king was nothing, after all, without his faithful second. Much like Naia, he was a Pitch Pine Trail refugee. Now that he had time to reflect on it, even if only briefly, he had many of what were once the Trail's members in his ranks. What a force it would have been, had their king not been slain.

Maksim's heart lurched in his chest before it dropped to his stomach when Karina arrived. His darling daughter, who he adored and cherished like she was forever his baby girl. She wriggled between her parents, the lord chuckling ever so slightly under his breath as she squeezed into the gap that had once existed. That space was now full of his blood and his legacy to Relic Lore, and wherever else their paws may take them. He swiped his tongue across her crown as she leaned into him, resting his chin atop her head for a moment. "My little lamb," he crooned softly.

So wrapped up in reassuring and comforting his daughter, the lord almost missed the entrance of perhaps one of the River's most brilliant wolves (though, in his opinion, each wolf of this territory was skilled beyond all praise and worthy of utmost respect); Naia Aegina. The woman below Kisla was a hard-working and diligent scout, with unshakable loyalty even through disagreements in diplomacy. She, after all, had been the one to figuratively slap the River king and convince him into possibly taking peace talks into account with Hollowheart Keep ... but, even she would not be able to charm the family out of this predicament.

When Aleksei arrived, it was almost as if his heart melted in his chest. Seeing them stood before him, no longer mewling cubs but maturing, wonderful wolves ... he closed his eyes. This territory had served both he and his family well. That was certain. His first-born's voice felt like a buzz in his as emotions swelled within his breast. His expression betrayed his attempts to be the rock--he was sad to leave this place. Bastet, nor Anastasia, had turned up. He could ill-afford to wait any longer. Instead, Maksim could only pray they would arrive as he spoke.

Slowly standing, lifting his chin to take on that honourable and proud stance so well-known by the River wolves, the king spoke up. His voice boomed, commanding grand authority ... and yet there was pain that betrayed him. "As you all know, Cut Rock River has always put pride in its ability to stand its ground. We are a family, and we stand together as a great force that would shake the very bones of those who dare to intend to bring us harm. And yet now we are faced with a grand dilemma that we cannot brace ourselves for." His verdant gaze drifted across his followers, across his family. He drew strength from their presence and pressed on. "Whisper Caverns ever remain a threat ... and now, there comes the addition of yet more. Rook Lyall has betrayed us all, threatened our very lives in leaving us in such a foolish manner. Stealing away to Willow Ridge, openly stealing away their members and carrying our scent on his pelt. Not only that, but he has claimed a territory not far from our own, within this very forest. Grizzly Hollow has been reborn, a pack once cast to its end by the very same family that now revives it."

"I need not explain how damaging this will be to our lives," he explained, his voice rough. "As such, Kisla and I have spoken for days now--perhaps even weeks ... and we have come to a conclusion that we both wish we did not have to arrive at. We are to leave Cedarwood Forest, for our safety and our dignity." He took a breath. "We are to leave Cut Rock River."

we are shining in the rising sun, as we are floating in the blue

the pain never dies away. it stays forever.

Maksim would slowly greet everyone as they arrived and Karpos would simply hold the curious gaze on his leader. He had no idea what any of this was about as he had been scouting when Rook came bearing news of his leave. For that matter, Karpos had never met Mr. Rook Lyall. As soon as Maksim started the meeting, Karpos knew something bad was about to happen. He started with a line that made Karpos shiver with an inward sense of horror. Cut Rock River has always put pride in its ability to stand its ground. We are a family, and we stand together as a great force that would shake the very bones of those who dare to intend to bring us harm. Karpos did not need to know the rest of the speech. He recalled words of his father, one brisk night when he had trouble sleeping his father had talked to him and the young boy had asked about packs. His father had given him a piece of advice that he had clung to. If you ever give pack bad news, give them a reason to smile first.

Karpos did not need to hear the rest of the speech because he had worked it out. Cut Rock River had always put pride in its ability to stand its ground but no longer would they be able to stand it. The orphan was being uprooted from his home once more and forced into strange lands. Each time had been different and more painful all the same. First, it was Pitch Pine Trail. The pain of his father’s death had just faded away until he was forced away from his homelands. He had gone and sought refuge in the mountains until they were forced from them and expelled into the forest below. Then, he had been kicked out of his home and he found Cut Rock River. Now, his home would move once more.

Karpos fought the urge to run. Pain and old memories awakening as he was informed the pack would be moving as a group. Sure, he still had his family, but he had his family the first time. He felt a numbness of his heart as he looked at his paws, his muscles tensing slightly as he bit his tongue and the inside of his lip. His eyes closed tightly, gripping each eyelid together with the flesh below his eyes like they did not exist. For the first time in forever, Karpos Slayer was silent. There was so much that he wanted to say, but he knew the consequences if he were to let his thoughts out.

He had added a name to the list of wolves he was to kill. Rook Lyall would die for making them move. Elettra Archer would die for killing his father. Someone would die for killing Mapplethorpe. His mother would die, should she ever return, for abandoning him twice. Silver would die for saying that his father deserved to die.

(This post was last modified: Apr 27, 2015, 04:55 PM by Karpos.)

~ was on absence and had no idea what was going on Late, always late; never on time, never. Anastasia had tried her best to hurry towards the call but one thing after another and she managed to find herself lost. Only putting more pressure and stress on herself by beating herself up and telling herself that she knew this place out and in and yet she still felt like a stranger. Lachesis she was sure was waiting on her – or so she hoped – and that alone was her only reason to hurry it up. Being so far away and not knowing the quickest path there was troubling but somehow she managed to find to find the gathering though she was quite confused as to what was even going on. Attempting to saddle herself right up next to Lachesis ( offering him a rather confused and worried, perhaps even stressed out expression ) her eyes turn to Maksim and she offers him the same look. Karpos was there too, for which she was super thankful, but it didn’t particularly answer any specific questions for her.  Ana arrived in time surprisingly as Mak told them what was going on. That apparently the River wasn’t safe because of Whisper Caverns ( what was that about ? ) and that there was someone who had betrayed them  ( us she thought wildly ) .  Not only that but they were relocating the pack to elsewhere and immediately she felt stunned into extreme silence. A silent wish passing by that she felt sick, as if she wanted to pass out or faint. Without realizing it the blue-eyed nymph had put some of her weight appropriately upon Lachesis’ side and attempted to associate her dizziness to comfort. Moving, she thought haphazardly, I’ve already done so much of it. But she couldn’t ignore, she couldn’t start an outburst because whatever Maksim said had to be true – it had to be safer elsewhere.

Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

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looking for friends, potential love interests and role-inspired threads!

Still waters run deep

Anxiously, nervously, she waited. It wasn't long before others arrived, one by one. Not surprisingly, Karpos popped in next, taking a seat beside her. Normally, she would have greeted the dark youth with her warm enthusiasm. But today was not a day of celebration, and other recent circumstances had made Jynx more distant than usual. Blackened tail tip twitching restlessly, she watched with dulled yellow eyes as more of her family appeared. There was Orren, followed by a new female she didn't recognized, and her much respected second, Lachesis. Karina was next, followed by the diligent Naia, and then Aleskei. They were still missing a few wolves, but the importance of this meeting could not wait any longer, as the Baranski male had decided.

As he began to speak, her eyes turned towards him, a feeling of great pride beginning to bloom in her chest. This had been her first true home she had ever known, and she was so appreciative to have been taken in by such a solid, tightly knit pack. But then a wrenching pain began to seep into her heart as Maksim further went into details concerning the situation the River wolves now faced. The late arrival of a white adult with blue eyes she barely noticed. Her ears fell back partway, her eyes narrowing, the skin of her muzzle crinkling. Whisper Caverns. Willow Ridge. Rook Lyall. He did this, the traitor! He was the one who had sent Cut Rock River crumbling to it's knees! What ignorance the youth had, daring to settle right on their front door while risking the safety of the pack by bringing with him the hostility of the Ridge. What was the boy thinking?! Seething anger, bubbling just below the surface, settled onto her face. Like a volcano, Jynx could explode if she wanted to. She was infamous for her temper. But she kept it under control, and settled for a more logical option instead. "If I ever see that treacherous whelp again, I will personally make sure to skin him alive..." She growled out through clenched teeth, her voice dark. Having said her piece, her anger released, she drew back again to listen further to her venerable leaders words. There was but only one option left for them. They had to leave.

The words stung....they hurt. As if she had been given a slap to the face, she pulled her head away to look down and to the side. A visible shudder ran up her red and pepper spine. She had grown to love this place, and now she was being forced from it? So soon? It wasn't fair. The uncomfortable silence radiating off of Karpos grabbed her. She looked up, over to the silent boys face. Although she knew little to nothing of how many times he had moved in his short life, she did know one thing. She said it not just to him, but to every other wolf here today, whose struggles were as just as great as his own. "Home is not where we lay our heads at night...the soil beneath our paws makes no difference." She sat up a little straighter, more regally. "Home is with our family." She affirmed strongly, hoping to inspire faith and confidence in her fellow pack members. They would leave together, hurt together, and rebuild together. It was what a family did. For a young wolf who had barely known what it meant to have had a real family, Jynx Dirol was sure catching on quick, with wisdom beyond her years. With one last look around, she addressed Kisla and Maksim. "Shall I recover our remaining resources from the caches? It would go to much better use with us, than to Rook Lyall's band..." She offered quietly. 

"I'm the type of boy who is always on the roam " ORREN BARANSKI The fierce king was silent, offering only a smile in response to his sons question; a grimace that didn't quite reach his eyes. Orren felt the anxiety stir in his chest, the anticipation bubbling uncomfortably in his stomach. The rest of the pack arrived one by one, Amisun, the herbalist still mostly a stranger to the middle Baranski pup, then Lachesis whom he knew a little better, though no where nearly as closely as his sister did. Karina was the next to show, clearly affected by the heavy air of the meeting. Orren offered his sister a small smile and light wave of the tail in a half-hearted attempt at assuring her, though his own uneasiness made it rather unconvincing. The girl took refuge between her parents, like so often before, and her brother turned his eyes back to the surroundings as another familiar wolf made her entrance. Naia walked into the gathering in an uncharacteristically somber manner, offering submissive greetings to the leaders before lifting herself to show her own status to the rest of the pack. As per usual, the black saddled youth could not keep his gaze away from the nimble scout, a small light shimmering in his warm orange eyes despite the grave mood. Naia was to him what Lachesis was to Karina, and their father to Aleksei; a role model and teacher, and someone he respected deeply and heartfelt. Thinking of Alek... He wondered, where was his brother? It was very unlike the dutiful oldest prince to be late when the pack was called... Orren was pulled out of his thoughts when the lithe, but strong, shoulder of his tutor bumped against his, and he turned his head lightly to look at the agouti female, who had taken a seat by his side. Warmth spread across the young man's cheeks, and he couldn't help but grin at the honey eyed woman when she munched down on his ear; shaking his head to free himself of her grip, heart beat slightly elevated after her touch. His brother's voice brought the darker coated lad's attention back to the meeting, eyes once again turning serious as he followed the bigger boy's pale green gaze to their sire. The words echoed in his own heart; Yes, WHAT'S WRONG! And finally, the king of the river prepared to speak, standing in all of his regal glory to address his pack. His opening words about Cut Rock's greatness had little effect on his middle son, clearly something was wrong, and no amount of grandiose speeches would change that. And sure enough, Maksim finally got to the point, mentioning the many dangers that threatened them and dropping the shell that was the meaning of their gathering. Orren's jaw dropped, his eyes widening; LEAVE?! But, this was their home! Silence fell as the rive wolves took in the news, each seemingly doing their own speculations on what had been said. The first one to finally speak was Jynx, the russet yearling standing tall before them all and preaching of the meaning of home; What does SHE know?! The prince thought to himself, eyes narrowing in anger. How long had she been here, half a year? He was born here, this was his home; We can't just leave!  "But this is Cut Rock River!" He snarled, shooting the young woman an angry glance before turning to his parents; "We can't just tuck tail and run! This is our land, are we just gonna let them steal it?!" He'd never known Rook closely, but his betrayal still made the boy seethe with anger, and the fact that he dared to lay claim to land so close to Cut Rock River; He'll pay for that! Word count: 619 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

PLOT WITH ME!

Karina tucked her head under her father’s chin, wishing they could stay like this for the rest of the night without moving on to discussing frightening and unpleasant topics. When did her family ever gather simply to enjoy one another’s presence? Karina’s heart caught in her throat as her father began to address the River, leading into his speech with phrases like stand ground and great force. He couldn’t really be thinking of thinking and fighting, could he? Gods above, she and Lachesis were good, but they weren’t that good. They would sustain heavy losses in a war of this caliber. Karina had yet to see the light leave a wolf’s eyes as he or she transitioned to the Heavens, and it was an experience she never wished to have as long as she could help it.

Karina sighed with relief as Maksim finished his speech; she hadn’t even noticed she’d forgotten to breathe. Jynx piped up very quickly as her father finished, saying many things Karina agreed with. She started to make plans for the departure, all the while the rest of the wolves were still looking at each other as if in a stupor. They didn’t even know where they were going yet, or when for that matter… Orren cut in then, and Karina’s ears flew to attention in shock at his insubordination. He might be a prince, but he couldn’t yell at their father that way in front of the whole pack!

“You’re crazy!” Karina was on her feet, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them. “It’s three packs against one! Do you want everyone dead?”  The princess’s eyes bored into her middle brother, possibly the only wolf who could ever get her so worked up. “Me! Dead! Mom! Dead! Our baby brothers and sisters, dead! Before they’re even alive!” Karina was breathing hard, beginning to feel hysterical. “You don’t even like it here anyway! You’re always gone!”  She finished, so upset that she couldn't get any more words out.  She buried her face into her mother’s side, too angry and embarrassed to face the rest of the pack.

(This post was last modified: May 01, 2015, 07:15 PM by Karina.)

   

    
 

The slender ghost listened patiently to Maksim as he began his speech to the pack, his voice heavy with authority as it hung over the wolves. His limbs stiffened at the mention of a threat while his lips drew tight over his teeth, brows narrowed in fury as the agouti leader continued speaking. While XIX had only known Rook briefly, the news of his treachery came as a shock – which was immediately replaced by rage. As much as he wanted to remain and defend their land like Orren, who had passionately shouted his argument, the healer knew it was impossible. Three packs against one, who had fresh yearlings in the midst as well as newborns… they would not survive. Regardless of the amount of healers in Cut Rock, Lachesis unknowingly shared Karina’s thoughts; they were good, but not that good. XIX refused to lose any more wolves – after not being able to save Shade, he could not go through that pain again.

A low growl hummed in his throat after Maksim finished his and Kisla’s decision to leave Cut Rock behind. It seemed that the slender healer would always be doomed to travel, but it did not bother him as much as it bothered Orren. After becoming acquainted with the ‘feral’ lifestyle, Lachesis had grown accustom to life as a loner, and as satisfied as he was being a loyal member of Maksim’s pack, he still longed for the days of travel. “Your father is right,” Lachesis started, his voice low and fueled with the anger that burned inside of him. “We are not cowards for leaving – we have too much to lose if there is war. Despite our strength, our numbers are few compared to the other packs, and we have newborns to consider. Cut Rock River is our home, but we must do what is best and find a new one away from these enemies. Staying would be suicide.” As he spoke, Nineteen leaned against the blue-eyed Ana (who had joined the group prior to Maksim’s speech) for comfort. Worry bubbled inside of him as he noted Bastet’s absence, but he figured the raven was filling her duties as scout. However, Anastasia’s comfort was always what he sought – she understood him better than any wolf, and knew exactly what to say and do to soothe both his mind and heart.

“Where are we going?” He asked, curious as to whether the green-eyed male had already found a place for the River wolves to relocate. Nineteen knew that they would have to leave soon – with Kisla being pregnant they would not be able to travel as swiftly as they would like to. “Karina, Amisun – we will need to gather herbs for traveling and try to carry as much from the infirmary as we can,” he added with a short nod to his fellow healers. They would need to be prepared for potential injuries and for the new location; wherever they were going would not have the same plants that the local territories carried. For a moment, a flicker of excitement burned in his chest – their future travels would also give them a chance to collect different plants to add to the new infirmary. 

stick with those who stick with you

Her eyes had trailed from her mate to view her pack mates -- how each one would take the news when it was offered. Maksim, as always, was eloquent with his words, but remained steady and to the point. There was only the smallest of pauses from their pack mates then, as each seemingly took the news in, and her eyes strayed to an ivory she-wolf she had not become acquainted with who had slipped in only a few moments late -- likely having been further from the gathering area.

 Pushing herself to her paws, where her daughter had wedged herself between her and her father only moments before, Kisla gave a gratified nod to Jynx, though it was Karpos she closed the distance to. The youth had grown silent -- his eyes shut, and whatever dilemma flickered in his mind regarding the news, she was not privy to. But they were pack. With this, she would brush her muzzle to his cheek, reassuring him quietly that all would be well.

 It was then that Orren erupted, and blinking, the honeyed Leader cast  her eyes upon her outspoken son. He was at an age where adulthood was but a few weeks away -- and he would need t learn the hierarchy, just as everyone else.. no matter who his parents were. Karina was quick to engage with him -- a domino effect of turmoil now shifting through the group. The girl buried her face in her father's fur at the end of her own speech, and Kisla gave a flick of her tail, still speaking nothing. Finally, Lachesis spoke, stirring a nod from the regal lady. "The odds are not in our favor, darling," she finally offered then, her bright green eyes drifting to the face of her mate before moving back to Orren. "A litter is on the way. Our numbers do not add up to our opponents -- and it is not worth the lives of our loved ones to fight over a piece of land. Our home is where our loved ones are."

sparking up my heart

His father was quick to begin his explanation. A grand speech, no doubt, that would rally the core of all the River wolves. Exciting! The young prince wagged his tail slightly. Perhaps this was what was needed to dispel the nagging doubts that his family was, at current, plagued by. And yet ... of everything the adolescent expected, he could not have placed a paw on what came. Whisper Caverns. Willow Ridge. Rook Lyall. Grizzly Hollow. Enemies. War. Leaving Cut Rock River.

At his father's words, Aleksei's world came crashing down around him. His ears tilted back, his tail tucked between his legs. He couldn't find his words, his mouth feeling dry. He faded out momentarily, sucked into his thoughts as a young woman stepped forward to give her own speech. Yellow-green eyes narrowed as the River prince's mind whirled and reeled. And yet, he was snapped from his inward spiral from his younger brother's reckless outburst, snarling and shooting dirty glances at those ranked higher than him. Stars above, even their own father was on the receiving end of the middle child's little tantrum--acting a moppet as per usual. "Orren! Show some respect," he barked, his muzzle crinkling with distaste. He was not above pounding some sense into the emotionally driven youth, brother or not; he had established his dominance over the litter long ago, after all. "You can't just say the first thing that comes to your head like that-" Aleksei would have continued chastising the copper Baranski, yet something--rather, someone--interrupted.

"You're crazy!"

The tawny adolescent whirled around, eyes widening as his jaw fell slack. Karina? She stood, defiant in the face of the pack, and for a moment Alek saw their mother's fire in those periwinkle eyes. His mouth flapped for a moment. It was then that, Lachesis spoke up, and even Kisla. They all seemed to be trying to point out the truth to Orren, to ground the eruption that had exploded into the scene. And Aleksei? He simply cast a glance over his shoulder, frowning at his younger brother. "You need to think for once," he uttered before slowly creeping over to his sister, their baby sister, and sitting beside her. He nudged her shoulder, offering her an embrace of his own. "It's okay, Rina," he whined softly, leaving the adults to talk. He licked the base of her ear lovingly. "It'll be okay."

He looked to his father with an imploring gaze. It would be okay ... wouldn't it?

Let the roots & soil drink of me
Whispering leaves & pointing branches will tell them where I'm lying