Cedarwood Forest lostmyhead - Printable Version

Oula Whitebark
cover me with salt now, show me how

Oula's frustrations were fully unchained as she descended upon the intruder, guttural sounds of rage tearing from her throat as she roughly shoved into the male with her shoulder, still scabbed from her fight in the marsh. He was trying to run, but she couldn't let him off so easily. He needed to learn his lesson, that her pack, her borders were not to be trifled with.

Teeth gnashing Oula was ready to launch herself again at the male before something else came swooping in between them, squeaking and shrieking something awful. Her green eyes rolled towards the small ruddy figure, Oula's pale paws dancing backwards as she skid to a stop, flared nostrils registering the scent of a packmate.

Before Oula could even register what had happened, the dark male had completely engulfed the little mute wolf. His body shrank down, placating submission written across his entire body. The Whitebark woman stood with her tail arched over her back like a sickle, her eyes fixed on him and her body shaking with excess adrenaline as her sides heaved with each breath. The tawny stranger who had remained back had come forward, Oula's attention quickly shifting onto the female and catching just the tail end of her words. Not thinking clearly... Clearly not! Oula's creamy snout remained wrinkled, her annoyance and irritation evident on her face, holding herself back to hear the explanation.

Had you been there tonight, you might know how it feels to be struck to the bone!

No sooner had Hocus arrived than did Oula, all the world like a nightmarish beast come plummeting out of the forest thick. The male barely had time to think how unlike this was the stoic guardian before she was charging at the strange male with a threat promised in her eyes. He hadn’t sought violence when he raised up his call, not immediately; the seed of worry in his chest for the woman’s welfare also sprouted to life, thorny tendrils clutching his heart as he took a step forward. “Lyonesse!” he bellowed, hoping to call her off, but the cry fell on deaf ears.

Moments later, a ruddy blur appeared from a different direction, hurling itself between the pair of wolves ready for a fight. Pale eyes widened as he sucked in a sharp breath, suddenly dislodged from the earth’s stony grip. “Squeak--” She was still healing! The yearling was no match for Oula, especially with the Queen of the Hollow in such a fit.

Veho was moving before he realized it, seeking to settling this squabble once and for all. Thankfully, the trespasser began to cower, though he did take it upon himself to cover Squeak with his body. For one long moment, he feared he was taking the yearling as a hostage – but the tiny sounds and gentle kisses indicated something else entirely. Sister, he heard, and he glanced towards the group of strays. Drawing up to Oula’s side, he bumped her muzzle once in solidarity before holding his crown aloft and scanning the gathered crowd. Thick plumage waved over his thickset haunches.

“You have much explaining to do,” he replied brusquely, ears still folded back as he glanced from Blitz to Niq’x, and eventually finding Tyne. Excitement was no excuse for trespassing, especially come this time of year. He spared Squeak – or Pip, he supposed – a glance. “You are alright?” he confirmed, pausing for a shake or bob of the head before glancing at the small heard of yearlings gathered.

“Speak,” he grunted. “I would like to know why you find it your right to enter my lands without invitation.”

Niq’x wanted to disappear. Tyne had shown up as well, only adding more fuel to the fire. Great, now they’re going to think we’re trying to steal her back… she thought angrily to herself, even though that’s precisely what they were wanting to do. Well, initially they just wanted to locate their sister — then deciding what to do would come next. Not this whole messy business that had unfolded before them.

The sea princess remained where she was, hovering on the edge of the border as she waited for the tension subside. She would not make the same mistake her brother had; she would wait until her sister came to her, or she was given permission to reunite with her youngest littermate. Squeak they called her — how awful! “Her name is Pip, not Squeak!” She called out, correcting the male that had spoken. Despite knowing that the older male was the male leader of the pack they had stumbled upon, Niq’x needed to correct him. She couldn’t allow them to call her by the wrong name.

She glanced at her brother, her brows narrowed so sharply they would have cut him if she was close enough. She was grateful that their cousin had not arrived as well — it would have only angered the pack wolves even more. They needed to keep the situation calm and controlled; she was a fisher not a fighter. And she would not fight over family — Pip was theirs, not some property of this land-dwelling pack. “We were merely looking for Pip, sir,” she started, her head dipped low out of respect for the older male. “We do not come from these lands; we are wolves of the ocean. We awoke here a few weeks ago with no memory of what happened to us and have been attempting to find our missing pack mates since.” She hated sharing so much information with strangers but it was necessary, especially if they wanted to leave with their tails still attached. “We knew Pip had arrived as well, and we’ve been looking for her since we first caught her scent.” It was up to Blitz to explain his actions to he sparrow-coloured leader; she could not justify why he had crossed their borders.

His desperate tactic had worked. At least for now. But god, it was so humiliating, groveling like a mutt at the paws of wolves he didn't even know! Blitz kept reminding himself though, that he did this for her sake. For Pip. The whole point had been to come find her, and now here she was. Speaking of whom... His voiceless sisters movements beneath his large frame caught his attention, if only for a moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her shift her leg. By gods...she was injured! His blood boiled, paranoia flooding through his veins. How had that happened? Had these wolves done this to her?! As angered and curious as he was, intent on knowing the truth, he was in no place to express his real feelings. He was in enough trouble already.

Shifting his body, he carefully, delicately maneuvered himself off of Pip, wishing not to cause her any more discomfort than she was already in. But he didn't dare rise from his lowered position on the earth. Not when one, but now both wolves, who were clearly the Alphas, came to tower above him. Dark audits plastered against the thick fur of his neck, he kept his eyes averted. He parted his lips to speak, but no sound came out. Which was just as well, for when he had almost found his voice, his sister Niq'x, chimed in. Briefly but effectively explaining their situation, and reason for congregating on this forest. That they were indeed, siblings to Pip. If her words weren't proof enough, then the distinct tang of slightly faded sea salt and sand in their fur was. But Blitz still had to explain for his actions.

Wetting his lips with his tongue, he swallowed thickly before speaking. "What my sister says is true, sir." He took extra care to address Veho properly, minding his tone of voice. "We recently got word that Pip was in the area...we came to search for her. To make sure she was safe." His bright green eyes then hardened some, flicking his stare up, but only to their chest level. "You have my sincere apologies for my trespassing." He set his jaw then, not in defiance, but in resignation. "I was only concerned about the well being of my sister! Surely you have siblings who you too love, you want to protect? That you would do anything for." The note in his voice almost expected that they would understand. He swung his dark head to the side. "I took an oath...that if anything were to ever happen to my family, that if we ever found ourselves in a pinch, I would do all in my power to protect them." His voice was steely, full of passion and emotion. Blitz was fiercely protective...and even possessive over his siblings. Especially his sisters. "I...got over excited, that's all. I wasn't thinking straight...all I could think of was reaching her." He nodded with a tip of his head towards Pip. "I am sorry for disrespecting your land..." There. He had said his piece, and all he could do now was either to wait to be driven off, or let off the hook.

Oula Whitebark
cover me with salt now, show me how

The soft touch from Veho was an anchor in the stormy seas of her current temperament. Albeit an anchor that was perhaps dragging haplessly over the seafloor as she tried to keep herself steady for long enough to hear what the hell the trespassers wanted with her pack, with Squeak. Veho commanded them to explain themselves, giving Oula some time to collect herself somewhat, lips finally smoothed and tail stiff but not as aggressively lofty as it had been.

They'd been looking for Pip? Oula glanced towards the little cowering she-wolf, it wasnt too much different than what was serving as her current epithet, Squeak. She had heard of the ocean, third hand from scouts who'd met wolves who'd seen the thing themselves. It was not too much of a stretch of the imagination to wonder if the poisoned waters had poisoned their heads, obviously the male lacked some sense of propriety.

"It seems, with your pack's memory has gone their manners as well." Oula said sharply to odd eyed female. Her gaze shifted towards the coal coated male. "But the dedication to your family is commendable," Oula conceded, "I can assure you that your sister has been safe with us." She told them. At the minimum, the whole of Grizzly Hollow didn't have collective amnesia.

Had you been there tonight, you might know how it feels to be struck to the bone!

Veho allowed himself a private breath of relief once the woman at his side settled by a few fractions, no longer fearing a possible scuffle breaking out. While the alpha was more than capable of holding her own, there were as many of them as there were Grizzly Hollow wolves, and the male did not want to face the possibility of a turf war, much less with one of their packmates caught in the middle. (That he was concerned for Oula’s general state of being went without saying, but the male was wise enough to hold his tongue on that matter, especially whilst in the presence of strangers.)

Turning towards Pip’s – not Squeak’s, he noted with a grimace, wondering how long the girl had to suffer that name – family, he listened in silence. Whilst he could understand losing a sister, not being able to find her, he could not understand breaking pack law. Why hadn’t they simply called at the border’s edge? Considering how quickly the yearling had appeared, he doubted Blitz’s patience would have slowed her any.

“Whilst I do recognize your concern for your sister, your disregard for pack law does you no credit,” the male groused, ears still pointed backwards. He was no longer the thunder rolling across the plains, but Veho was still fairly aggravated by the trespass. “You are aware what time of year it is, yes? I would advise you to keep in mind there are budding families that might not be as – patient.” Their wicked neighbors in the Willows came to mind. If they would scuffle with Oula in the dead of winter for no reason at all, imagine what they would do to wandering younglings who paid no respect to the oldest of a wolf’s rules. “But Lyonesse is correct – we have been taking care of Pip as well as we would any other.” She had, in some ways, become an adopted sibling of Veho’s own, having found himself quite fond of the quiet, younger wolf. “And I would advise she do not go anywhere until her leg has healed.”

Quite frankly – he’d really rather not see the girl go anywhere at all.

A pause. He tipped his head towards his – partner? Mate? He and Oula would have to have that discussion later. “Provided you can follow rules and can carry your own weight – there is room within these borders for you as well, should you chose to stay with your sister.”