as one

let's make friends of packmates, shall we? :3

There was a mixture of smells in the air that grey day, predominantly as always of the Grizzly Hollow wolves and the Cedar trees, growing stronger in scent as spring came closer. There was the annual aroma of thaw, of snow turning to water to ice and back again, the dance that always happened as winter moved on to spring. And then, the sore thumb, sticking out from the variety of earthen scents: fresh blood.

Ava slipped silently through the trees leading toward their home like a dark shadow - a hare hung from her jaws, so fresh she could still smell the adrenaline that had been coursing through its veins just moments prior to her teeth sinking through its hide. She passed the frost-covered knoll in the woods and continued on toward the cache, a sense of fulfillment rising in her chest as she completed what had, at a time, been nothing more than a mundane task. But today she placed the hare among the others, pride burning bright within the amber depths of her eyes.

In contributing to the life of this pack, she was proving she belonged, and it was profound and sappy enough that she wore a dopey grin, bold and big, as her dark form trotted away from the stockpile. There was no mourning in her eyes for the mountain wolves; they were little more than figures of the past. Now she found comfort within the forest, proven by how easy her gait as she stepped upon the trodden paths lining the den area. Quietly she returned to a patch of snow that she had chosen for lounging, lowering herself to her belly and surveying the scene before her. The morning hunt had certainly been proactive - but there was a society as well, that she had to find her place in as well. But Ava was certain that as she could make friends of wolves as hard as stone, she could make friends of Cedar wolves.

art - threads

The day was overcast with a slight chill. A light breeze ruffled Destin's fur bringing promises of spring. Although the male had never been bothered by the chilly weather the new season coming meant no worry of snow and temperatures below zero. Hopefully the warmer climate also meant the coming of more, fatter prey. All of these thoughts whirled through the male's brain as he patrolled the outside of Grizzly Hollow territory. Thinking of food made his belly rumble. Sniffing the air for any kind of food, Destin crouched low to the ground as he caught sight of a rabbit in a clearing up ahead. Its furry back was pointed towards Destin with its nose snuffling around in the brush.

Attempting to make use of the advantage he had now before the wind changed, the male wolf leaped forwards in a sudden burst of speed. The rabbit seemed to have heard his steps almost immediately and bolted right as the subordinate was getting closer. Destin was becoming tired quickly but used the last of his speed to get close enough to perform a jump, landing on the mammal's back while his jaws bent down to end the fight. Sitting down to catch his breath, he took a moment to relax before standing up and grabbing ahold of his prey's neck. Picking it up he made his way towards the den area. This was one of the first places he had encountered when he had originally joined Grizzly Hollow. It held some comfort for him now in these dark times.

Passing through the trees that surrounded the clearing, he trotted towards the tree he normally rested nearby. Relaxing against the bark, he laid down in the dirt and began tucking into his meal with large bites. Destin was so preoccupied with his new food that he didn't even notice the dark form reclined nearby.

An unusual place for the little wolf when in the heart of her home, Sibyl lay crouched in the shadow an old hollowed log. Most of her waking hours as of late were spent gasping and shaking in whatever dark, hidden recess she could find. It wasn't safe, nowhere was safe, not even Grizzly Hollow, as the last few weeks had proven. She didn't dare move farther than the vicinity of the den, and hardly took care of daily needs such as eating or grooming herself. Really, the Plains wolf looked like a complete mess, more reminiscent of her loner days with mud spatters dulling her russet fur. She hadn't told anyone of Follko's death yet, and even when a moment to do so appeared, her jaws felt wired shut and her throat felt sore and scratchy. She expected even mentioning the... cat, would somehow jinx things and bring the creature back again to kill someone else she cared about. Shamefully, she hadn't even gone back to bury the old man, and kept thinking of ravens pecking at his cold body. She suddenly held stock still when she heard paw steps approaching over the slushy snow, the scent of fresh blood sending her on high alert. Bright bronze eyes flicked about, searching and finding an inky black female heading towards the den. Sibyl eased slightly, but not by much. She recognized the female's scent, helped in part by Kade's familiar odor that lingered about her. Perky steps lead the black wolf to a resting place, and Sibyl settled back down silently. She was simply too nervous to greet the woman. The most lively expression Sibyl had worn in days appeared on her face when she noticed Destin sort of wander through the area. He seemed to not notice the new wolf in the vicinity, and sat at a nearby tree to devour a hare he'd been carrying. Quickly, Sibyl stood and scuttled out of her cover, moving at a hurried crouch towards her friend. She didn't say anything, but rather sat down with her neck and shoulders hunched beside the much taller male. She slightly leaned towards him, her eyes sweeping over his paws and the rabbit remains, then towards the new female, all the while never making eye contact.

table by bryony

Ava was more than pleased with her nook in the ground's location, for it proved to be a lovely look out point indeed. Not long after she had made herself comfortable a familiar smell fell upon her dark nose once more. Had it come from a different direction she would've been sure that someone had just nicked the hare she'd laid in the cache, but it arrived on an opposite wind. Laying her dark chin against the ground she peered at the tree-line, tail thumping against the ground at the appearance of wolf and his catch. For a moment she thought he might have been coming her way, but then his body leaned to the side and he approached a tree. Without even a glance about the clearing the male plopped down and had at the rabbit; Ava remained a shadow.

Which was fine, honestly. If she'd been hungry she probably would not have been on the look out for new faces either. Ava had just risen her chest off the ground, about to haul herself to her four and go make a friend when something launched itself from a hollowed log and went flying for the unsuspecting male. Well, flying was too kindly a word for that action - it implied a sort of grace, which the disheveled creature lurching forward lacked. At once she bounded forward one wolf's length, thinking for certain it was an overgrown coyote that had gone rampant with attack, halting just as the other female did. The dark fur of her nape - she hadn't even realized had risen - relaxed slowly, amber eyes saturated with confusion as she tried to make sense of that odd moment that had just occurred.

The she-wolf that had launched from cover was sitting down, but in a manner so uncomfortable she looked as though gravity were attempting to suck her through the forest floor. Next to her was that male who had just been caught in the middle of a relaxing meal and well, it was almost comical... in fact, it was comical. So much so that Ava was unable to stop herself as her mouth spread into a grin and a child-like giggle escaped from between her pale teeth. It escalated, from that giggle to a chuckle to a full out laughter. So instead of rising and introducing herself and perhaps putting the pair at ease, Ava stood there and laughed like a jack ass, still trying to comprehend what a delightful play she'd just seen and what could possibly stand for Act II.

art - threads

Destin was busying himself with his meal so much so that it took him a few moments to realize another wolf had joined him. Looking upwards he caught the golden gaze of Sibyl and looked at her in surprise. He hadn't seen her in a few days since their fox-finding adventure, but certainly he was wondering how she had been. Her hunched form did not tell a very happy tale though. Her eyes, normally filled with light, seemed to have dulled somehow. It didn't seem like she had been taking care of herself recently. What had happened? The female did not utter any form of greeting to Destin and only looked at him, and then somewhere into the distance.

Following her gaze his eyes came upon the form of a dark female with striking golden eyes. He watched as the wolf laughed at the duo. Destin was confused, not quite sure what was funny about the current situation. He had never seen the female before. "Who are you, ma'am?" he asked, looking up at her. The male didn't really think it was very polite to be laughing at a lady and himself when the female seemed to be so out of it. Flicking his ears and turning back to look at Sibyl he asked, "Are you okay? What's happened, Sibyl?" He knew something bad must have occurred- there was no other explanation for why his normally happy-go-lucky friend would act like this. Was there more bad news about the daughter from the Swift River? Had she seen the fox again, or some other kind of beast? He leaned forward and touched his nose to her hunched shoulder in an attempt to reassure her. "Please tell me what's happened, Sibyl."

(This post was last modified: Mar 21, 2013, 10:10 PM by Destin.)

Sibyl flinched at the laugh, not expecting the sudden noise. Perhaps she should have been thankful it was a joyous sound, and not pained screams or ghastly gurgles or anything of a vile sort. However, she could tell well enough when someone was having fun at her own expense and it didn't make her feel much better. Destin asked the question that had crossed Sibyl's mind but she hadn't had the sense to ask, who was this woman? Destin was looking at her and asking what had happened, his cool nose gently prodding at her shoulder. Her shaking subsided the slightest, though she still appeared shaken. She glanced at the ground between them, an unsteady breath taken before she began, <b style="color:#8a90a1">"It's mister Follko... he, he's.... He's dead." Not just dead, killed. In an even smaller voice she continued, <b style="color:#8a90a1">"He was trying to protect the pack. There was a cougar out there, and- and it killed him. I let it kill him." Sibyl scrunched her eyes shut, cinnamon ears tucked flat against her head. Her eyes remained closed for a long moment, before they opened to glance over the snowy forest floor. Sibyl's bronze gaze slid towards the jet black wolf, dreading that she'd find this funny too.

table by bryony