Turtleback Lake never look for conflict for the thrill

south end of TL. all welcome.

The days were growing colder; shorter. Soon the lands of Lore would be covered in a thick blanket of snow, making it difficult to both hunt and keep warm. But the Arctic was prepared for it, as always. While some of his subordinates were new to the pack this winter, most of them had endured the winters of northern Lore before. His children would be the most shocked, as this would be their first winter, but with Arctic blood coursing through their veins he did not worry about them.

Fortunately, for Driftwood, their pesky neighbours of the north had remained quiet over the recent weeks. Frankly, Lachesis did not even know if they were still there. Their scent remained but it was not as strong as it once was. He would need to send a scout that way to determine the status of the pack. If they continued to call the northern shores of Turtleback home they were still a threat and would need to be removed. Lachesis knew that, if he needed them, that his brothers friends in Shallows Edge would help him eliminate the Keep wolves from his radar. Not only did they threaten the hunting grounds of Driftwood, but the Shallows too. If the river wolves couldn’t hunt in the north they would retreat to the south, which was where Askan and Reyes hunted alongside their subordinates. The north had always belonged to Lachesis and the river wolves—they had settled for years in the Kingsfall before moving closer to the mountain. They would not be moved again.

He folded his hindquarters against the ground as he took a set near the edge of the lake, his chartreuse gaze fixated on the islands in the distance. It was moments like this he cherished—where he was free of his troubles and could ignore his duties for a few hours before he was needed back in Driftwood.

This is her debut to Relic Lore

The sun was still warm even if the air was getting colder, she hated when the days got colder it reminded her of the cold white time. That was the time that was the hardest. Food had been so hard to find, she was so worried about the time of scarcity that this year she ate only half of what she killed or even found and buried the rest.

Even so the fox coloured female was thin, not a good this time of year, she looked like she had just come from a harsh winter rather then being ready for one. Alone she wasn't going to be likely to see her next spring, but she sure as heck was going to try; her tenacity had seen her through many days. It was this determination that allowed the vastly uneducated female to capture the young thin rabbit she held in her maw as she traveled to her latest cache.

The fox coloured creature trotted along a path only she could see, but she did not know, it was becoming clearer to her that she was further from the place she had denned this summer then she had thought, she was turned around. She paused mid stride as if, if she held still long enough then the world might slow down until it made sense again. Frozen in fear, panic was setting in she clutched the rabbit tighter in her maw, she was lost.

Her panting breaths caressed the rabbits pelt as she slowly, ever so slowly set her raised paw to the ground as if to steady herself. Her wide eyes darted around until they fell upon the back of a large white male, not a yard from her. Her breath caught in her throat and she stopped breathing, He was sitting so still she wondered if he were really real or was he her imagination. She wanted to bolt, she wanted to cry, she wanted to disappear into nothingness.

It wasn't until her vision threatened to swim that she remembered to breathe and she tried to do so very quietly, while planing an escape route if only she knew where she could run too.

thanks for popping in! <3

It never took long for another—strange or not—to disturb his solitude. Unfortunately for Lachesis the lake, his lake, was a popular hub for the wolves (and creatures) of Lore. It was a refuge for weary travellers, especially those coming from the north. But the amount of traffic had decreased as the months grew colder as loners and prey headed south toward the warmth. Lachesis tried not to worry too much, as the river wolves had endured much worse. But their stagnant numbers and the looming presence of the Keep wolves had kept the Stark on his toes and caused him to stretch his legs more. Which meant more trips beyond the Surge borders in hopes of bumping into wolves who were without a pack for the winter. He was not interested in temporarily housing wolves, as he had done so before, but he was always up for the challenge in winning those who preferred to be on their own over.

His ears twitched at the sound of movement behind him. The ghost turned, a soft frown creasing his pale features as he searched through the trees. There was an unfamiliar scent present and that was enough to spike his interest. The stench of his northern neighbours did not cling to the loner’s pelt; a good sign. I am no threat to you, he called out to the trees, his voice soft and level as he adopted a concerned expression. Do you need help?

(This post was last modified: Dec 04, 2018, 05:44 AM by Lachesis.)

stick with those who stick with you

You discover a half-eaten deer carcass. +5 Health

Her breathing hitched as the other noticed her and she heard him croon something, he sounded if not anything else at least non threatening. She whined almost inaudibly into the rabbit then against her every instinct stepped closer by a mere tiny two steps and released the rabbit, then fled backwards four large steps. The red female was fighting hard not to tuck her tail to her belly completely though it was low and curved to her legs.

She dared not turn her back to him, In her meagre experiences, fleeing any further might may him chase her anyway even with the rabbit between them. She decided long ago Wolves only wanted what was hers, or rather not theirs to take, And usually something she fought hard to get like this rabbit thin and unhealthy as it was. The only reason she was able to catch the rabbit was that it had been sick and left behind in it's den and her tiny frame allowed her to tuck under a bush and dig in unnoticed by the distracted sickly rabbit that was likely to die on it's own accord in a day or three. But to a hungry wolf this meal was a blessing.

Finally she looked at the other she had intruded upon quite by accident. As her eyes amber muddy brown eyes absorbed all that was before her, her jaw hung open slightly. She had never seen such a white wolf, he was easily 3 times her size, but his color, oh wow, she has never seen that much white since the time of cold, she desperately wanted to touch him and see if he was cold to the touch like the white that stole the world's warmth last year. She fought the urge to go to him and touch him, she liked living more.

She understood by past experience that if he took the rabbit then she could stay a while in his company and that he'd be content with her presence perhaps until he was hungry again. She looked down at the rabbit then up to the male imploringly, though she was so very hungry she wanted company too and she had not seen another that she thought of as her own kind in a very long time. Her eyes fell on the rabbit and her head bobbed down then she looked up and him and lifted her head a little,

At first neither Lachesis or the stranger moved from their positions. The pale leader remained where he was, his expression soft as he tried to make himself look as non-threatening as possible. He did not want to scare her away—not if she needed help. So he waited, patiently, for her to make the first move, his chartreuse gaze scouring the tree-line for her russet frame. Her scent was accompanied by the smell of a fresh kill—rabbit—which answered the question as to why she was being so cautious. Maybe she believed that he wanted to steal her meal from her. Any other wolf would have, especially another loner, but not Lachesis. He was not interested in plucking the rabbit from her jaws—not when he could visit one of the Driftwood caches for a meal. Plus, the lake had not frozen over completely yet, which meant that he could catch a fish if needed. Stealing was not something he was interested in.

After a moment she appeared, rabbit in tow, but Lachesis did not move. His pear-coloured pools remained fixated on her as she glanced at the rabbit before turning her muddy gaze to him—a silent offer. He shook his head softly, a small smile tugging at his lips. No, thank you, he hummed in response as his tail tucked over his paws. You caught it, you earned it… you look like you need it more than me. She appeared cautious and a little uncertain, but not at all hostile. A good sign. She must be new to the lands of Lore. Are you lost? He tried in an attempt to get her to speak up, his expression still soft as he remained glued to his spot.

stick with those who stick with you

sorry it took so long to respond, My son broke the computer screen smashed it and the other computer the mother board went we are down to one out of three computers in this house and everyone is fighting for computer time, but end of term school projects mean I get the shaft as far as computer time. Hopefully we will get the other two computers back soon.

The other made no move toward her offering, she felt her heart kick up a beat, if he did not want the food then what did he want? She felt her paw pads heat the ground below her and little clumps of earth began to seep up into the short now moist fur between her toes. She drew a shaky breath and leaned back maybe he wanted her to move before he'd take it. He did not move at all though, and that she found, was confounding to her. His body language seemed wrong but yet peaceful, He looked strong yet he did not hold that over her like everything else had thus far in her existence.

The noises she heard from him were soothing and yet confusing, she found herself making a soft hum noise, not a whine but not like the sounds he made either. She didn't quite understand what sounds he was making but something told her she wanted too.

She side stepped away and a bit forward from the rabbit, glancing at it then at him again. There was now space between her catch and her and a smaller amount of space between him and her. She still desired above all else to touch the white fur of his body; she almost needed to know if he was made from the white stuff that consumed everything not that long ago. So to that end she did not leave but she could not make herself go to near to him either. If only she could make sense of him, it did not occur to her that she might be confusing to him as well.

It was beginning to dawn on the pale male that it was possible that the girl couldn’t speak, so there was no use in attempting to coax responses out of her. But her silence only made him more curious, as he wanted to seek more answers from her despite knowing it was useless to question her further. He remained where he was, his expression soft and understanding as he watched her from a distance. She seemed confused by his actions, almost as though she expected him to lurch forward and swipe the meal from her. But he was not interested in stealing from her. Not when he was capable of catching his own food and typically had food readily available due to the pack’s caches. Loners weren’t so lucky. She needed every meal she could get. He would not steal it from her.

Again he shook his head as she stepped to the side from her rabbit, another silent offer to the alabaster male. He pointed at the kill with his nose and motioned back to her with a sharp flick, the corners of his mouth lifting into a small smile as he attempted to get his point across without words. 

stick with those who stick with you

The fox coated femme stopped worrying about what might happen and opened her eyes to what was happening. She held her head to the side and watched him carefully; the male responded to her with actions, and at the very least with some actions she understood, and he stopped making the sounds that had both soothed and concerned her.

She licked her lips tentatively then moved to the rabbit, she made short work of digging a hole with practiced speed and ease, she did not make big clumsy actions like a wolf or dog but held herself more composed and dainty like a fox might ever movement subtle and professional, She buried the thin small meal quickly, marking the area after by scrapping her paws along the ground, she'd pee on a tree later to allow herself a marker of this spot, not that that had helped her before she lost herself in this strange place where she wasn't attacked and driven off her food for the very first time.

The male was now the strangest being she had ever met, in both color and demeanour, did she dare approach? she was still dieing too, However one thing she had learned a long time ago was that curiosity killed. Even with that knowledge she was so torn, she found her paws bringing her closer to him before she even realized what she was doing.

She gasped at her own audacity then decided to just sit beside him copying his posture, she glanced up at him tentatively and then yawned an attempt at calming him should he taking offence to her presence then she looked off into the trees in the direction she had come, wondering if it where not for the food she had hidden would she even want to go back? Food seemed more plentiful here at the very least.

He continued to observe her from a distance, his gaze tight with concern. He did not know what to make of her, but it was obvious he was not going to get much out of her. Either she did not know how to speak, could not, or would not. It did not matter to Lachesis. He did not mind the silence. It was exactly what he had been looking for.

She did not seem intent on leaving—yet. She had buried her meal under a fresh layer of dirt, marking the ground so she would remember where to find it when she returned later. Maybe she was planning on leaving after all… Oh? He blinked as the russet stranger turned to him, her expression still soft with youthful curiosity. Instead of disappearing into the trees the girl approached him, slowly and cautiously. Lachesis remained where he was, statuesque as she padded toward him. He feared that if he made even the smallest movement that she would scamper off like a frightened rabbit.

Instead, the strange girl did something unexpected.

She sat down next to him.

He mimicked her yawn, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as remained where he was. Calm. Unbothered. Intrigued. He wanted to question her but he did not know what kind of answers she would give him, so (for now) he kept his lips pulled tight in anticipation of her making another move.

stick with those who stick with you