Sacred Grove All things new and old

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. It almost amused him - about a year ago, he had been in Jessie's position, standing next to Corinna, ready to bare his fangs and drive anyone out. He'd wanted to drive everyone out. Something about Indru disappearing, even if it hadn't been intentional that time, had lowered his trust of all wolves except the ones who already were in the pack at the time. And now, it seemed that Jessie was riddled with the same instinctive distrust, her bright eyes focused on the crouching loner, her body tense next to his. While Ice wasn't prancing around vomiting butterflies and rainbows, he certainly was in a different place in his mind - more content, relaxed, willing to take a look at who this was before acting. Unlike the majority of the wolves who came to their borders, she actually showed respect. And then she said Fenru had indirectly brought her, and his eyes sharpened, ears twitching and perking up, if possible, even more. The youngster wasn't stupid, and definitely knew of how wary most River wolves were of others, so.. but, he wasn't here with her. Ice frowned a little. If she was interested in joining, and Fenru had voiced it as a possibility, it meant that he thought she might be good enough, but why hadn't he brought her himself, then? Had she been uncertain? "Well, guess we should just call him over and have a chat," he said with a lopsided wolf-grin, his tail giving a twitch before his pale head tipped back, nose to the sky. A deep howl tore from his throat, summoning @Fenru to him. Ice needed confirmation, needed the youth's assessment, not just the words of a stranger - even if she was a polite one. When his voice died out into silence he looked down at her again. She certainly seemed pleasant, but so had Inrdu, but then he'd run off in the night without a word. "What's your name?" he asked her, figuring he could find out what he could about her while they waited. After all, he had an opportunity to talk to her until Fenru came, and it'd be stupid to waste it and just rely on what the young adult told him. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

there's so many things we're not

but with what we have

i promise you that we're marchin' on

When the familiar call came to him, Fenru Tainn had been restlessly trying to convince himself he was going to finally going to make something of himself, his name, his legacy. All he needed was something to motivate him to face his superiors, namely his mother, and shed light on the plan he had been thinking of since he had come back home. Forcing himself up off the forest floor and stretching his limbs out before heeding Ice's call, he couldn't help but wonder why the new River patriarch had called for him. Pushing back what reasons had formed at the top of his list, he cleared his head with a deep breath then left his resting site all together. At first he simply walked, thinking he was summoned for something as casual as being told to mind Aiyana, but the further he ventured towards the edges of Swift River territory, the more he started to assume something terrible had happened and he was going to be the first to find out.

What he came upon was something from his former presumptions. Brenton, Jessie, and, of course, Ice were there, all looking at something or, rather, his nose twitched then, picking up on a familiar scent, someone. He eyed them sides of their pelts as he peered around the side of a tree, approaching only once the conversation quieted and died down for a second. Traditions and pack morals should have stopped him from lifting his tail, but the yearling walked confidently past Brenton before respectfully nosing both Jessie's and Ice's chins. "'Lo," he quietly addressed the small group. He particularly gazed to Ice, a curious and quizzical brow lifting in reply, "How can I help?" His tail slowly sunk downward and his ears relaxed; his gaze flickered to Tali twice, all the while wondering if she had come and made up her mind to join his family.

FENRU TAINN

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"Tali Callow, sir." She spoke in response to his question as her stomach churned with uncertainty. There was no surety here, and Tali was a wolf who loved to be positive in the outcome. If you were going to jump off of a high cliff, your death was imminent. If a limb fell of a tree onto your head, it would probably hurt. This time, she couldn't see the outcome.

With the knowledge that Fenru would be on his way, the knots in her stomach seemed to untangle. It would be nice to be around a familiar face, even if it was still unknown to her. Tali's tail swished back and fourth as the gathering awaited the yearling's arrival. It wasn't long before his scent infiltrated her nostrils, and at once she felt a touch of confidence in the situation. All she could do was hope that Fenru hadn't changed his mind about her joining the pack.

Tali's eyes shifted from the ground to the wolf walking toward them. It was strange that he walked so confidently toward the leader, but then again every pack was different. It was already apparent to her that this pack certainly didn't work in the same way as her last had, and for that she was thankful. His voice pulled her away from her thoughts, as she awaited the alphas response. After all the decision rested on his shoulders alone. Would she be joining this pack tonight? Or would she be walking away, once again alone, and in silence.

Her eyes remained glued on the loner in front of her, thoughts of Brenton and Ice’s presence together, fading from her mind. She did not judge the woman in front of her but she surely did not trust her either. Remaining still, she focused on the words that were said, her body tensing next to her body guard’s own body once more. If Fenru would have thought that the girl was worthy for the pack, would she have not come back with him, instead of by herself. Lifting her head at this, she cocked an eyebrow, Ice’s words only bringing back the sense of familiarity with the situation. She chuffed quietly to herself, sure that her pack mate behind her could surely hear her as his deep, powerful call rooted the forest as he called for the yearling.

Her white snowball then turned back towards the woman, the awaiting question pleasing her as it was quickly answered. Her name did not strike any memories within her, so she was sure this woman and her family was a complete mystery to the Swiftpaw sibling. It was another relief to her, knowing she would not encounter any other wolves from her past…at least that was what she hoped for. It did not take long for Fenru to arrive, and his presence caused a small smile to grace her features as he approached her. His soft greeting warmed her heart slightly and she gently licked the large man’s cheek in greeting. He was much larger than her now, even though he had been larger than her when they had first met…he was much bigger than her now, surely towering over her, must have been a Tainn gene.

His question did not go unheard by her ears, and she quietly let him know what was going on, "She came to our border claiming you offered her a position in the pack?" Her voice was not accusing but it was final, letting him know the facts of their encounter for the time being. She shifted closer to the Tainn man knowing that she was feeling protective over the yearling still. Ever since they had seen…ever since they had come back on their journey the salt-and-pepper colored woman had been keeping a close eye on her pack mate, knowing that one day, even though he put on his cold front, he would fall and need someone. It was just her silent way of offering her shoulder to him.

(This post was last modified: Apr 14, 2013, 10:53 PM by Jessie.)

[ I fail at life. :B ]

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. A howl always had a way of deadening the ears, and quieting the forest; birds stopped singing and deer stopped moving, all senses alert, wondering if the wolves would come after them now. They always struck up again, though, the avian chatter filling the forest after a second or two. But it had not been a hunting call; the wolves in question did not rally to quietly slip out to stalk their herds. Instead, their speech resumed its normal pattern just as the birds did. He asked her name, and she answered, saying Tali Callow, sir, and he gave her another hint of that grin. So now he was Sir, and not Ice. "I'm Ice," he replied lightly, one ear flicking back to listen. Fenru was coming, and for now, that'd mark the end of their current conversation. Fenru was, by virtue of his age, one who would rank quite low - but by virtue of his size and manner, one who could get away with dominating the elder wolves of the pack. Besides, he was soon a fully grown wolf, and to treat him as a child would be pointless, especially after what he'd witnessed in the Aniwaya attack. Nor was it Ice's duty to keep the pack hierarchy; if Brenton would mind Fenru waltzing in like that, it was his problem. It only became Ice's problem if someone tried to disrespect him, but that was not what Fenru was after. Ice was fond of the younger wolf, and with a low, crooning noise he licked the top of Fenru's nose, before nodding at Jessie's words. It was, essentially, the question; was it true, or false? Ice's eyes slid back to Tali, to her sweeping tail, her attentive eyes. She didn't feel like a liar, or a cheat, or a leaver. "I just wonder why she came alone, if you did invite her," he mused quietly, asking it of no one in particular but expecting either Fenru or Tali to answer him. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

there's so many things we're not

but with what we have

i promise you that we're marchin' on

"She came to our border claiming you offered her a position in the pack?" Jessie proffered. The youth saw and felt her draw near and he had to swallow the lump in his throat. Assumptions that Tali had probably trespassed unknowingly into his part of the forest came to mind along with other things he had overseen when they first encountered one another - words she might have said to belittle or taint his image outside of Swift River borders, misdeeds she might have planted in his absence, the fact that she might have been caught stealing from the caches he and his superiors kept full... Both his brows mirrored one another now, lifting high above his eyes before settling back down as Ice looked Tali over. "I just wonder why she came alone, if you did invite her," the superior seconded.

Oh... A smirk attempted to creep up along his ivory muzzle. It might have been immature of him to think so, but boy, his elders ought to consider this particular situation a little less seriously if Tali had merely taken him up on his offer. Was this how it was going to be? Supposed to be? Fenru Tainn, bringing home a horde of recruits, one by one... at his side? Surely Ice and Jessie knew him enough to know that he would not even divulge their pack's whereabouts if he did not feel like he could trust a potential pack mate.

His full mottled tail waved about slowly behind him. "She came alone because I was just passing through the Willows when we first met," he informed them. "I was..." His frowned momentarily, having forgotten the reason why he had actually ended up that far west of his mother's markers. "I was just exploring," he managed to redeem himself from his hesitant answer. "I thought I'd go looking for a friend of mine and I found Tali instead." Though he couldn't remember what had brought him onto his self-appointed mission in scouting towards Grizzly Hollow, he did recall that she wasn't going anywhere in particular at the time and that he had left her because he didn't want to face any sort of lecture for being well away from home past nightfall. His haphazard simper became a boyish grin as he eyed the ground beneath him and flicked back his ears, "I told her she could come with me but she didn't 'cause I was in a hurry to get home. Didn't want anyone to worry."

FENRU TAINN

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(Long overdue, so sorry this post is really sucky, Brenton muse is completely in the hole)

Brenton was a bit shocked with the way Ice had given him a lick on the nose. The most he had suspected was a growl for him to back off, after their previous encounter Brenton wouldn’t blame him. Jessie had arrived in this time and the female before them gave a name that Brenton had heard very few times. The name was Fenru; he was a bit shocked that she had been invited, when he had found her it seemed like she had just been looking for a wolf in his pack, not necessarily offered a position in the pack. Brenton had noticed that Jessie was silent too, so he assumed it was perfectly fine, even suggested, for him to be silent. Her tail stayed low, as Ice was there.

Brenton occasionally glanced at Jessie, their last encounter hadn’t been so pretty either, she had yelled at him, and he felt he had failed her again. Fenru soon arrived after following Ice’s call, defending the wolf, saying that she was invited and he had to get back to the pack faster and did not have time to guide the wolf. Jessie had spoken her peace, Brenton did not want to make a wrong move, say something wrong so he stayed silent still. The wolf had introduced herself as Tali Callow. The large black male was calmer than most would assumed by his appearance, he always had seemed on edge when he was around loners, just because of a bad experience he had been in with a loner. But he was fine around the wolves here.

To find a friend...

Tali's ears perked slightly as he gave his name. It was quite fitting, as it resembled the color of his fur. One more thing that made sense, and as silly as it sounded, it made her more comfortable. The question of her arrival was posed again and she meant to answer, but Fenru beat her to the punch. Right about now she was wishing she just would have come with him. At least then she wouldn't feel so awkward. Truth be told there were multiple reasons she hesitated. The first was probably because she was nervous, as it was the first conversation she'd had in months. All of a sudden there had been this wolf standing there, offering her everything she ever wanted, but the gears just weren't turning right. She couldn't make such a big decision so quickly. The second and possibly most important reason lies within her former pack. It had been too large to support any loners, let alone it's own members. Wanderers were turned away immediately, and usually forced off of their lands. Anyone that was to bring home a loner, and show them where their pack lived? There was a whole new level of punishment for those wolves. Above all else, she didn't want any harm to come to Fenru. He had been so nice to her, and getting him into trouble with his pack would have been terrible.

Her bright eyes locked on Fenru as he spoke, and she caught his hesitation. Had he been out there doing something he shouldn't have? His quick save may have allowed the pause to go unnoticed to everyone else, but not to her. Accepting the fact that it was probably nothing, she quickly pushed it out of her mind, and moved back to more important matters. She was thankful that he at least knew one of the reasons she didn't go with him, and maybe it would squash their doubts about her intentions.

She calmly remained next to Fenru and Ice, her emerald eyes pinned on the loner, Tali. At the sound of Ice’s confirming voice, one of her ears flickered in slight irritation. Had she not made her point clear enough? Biting her tongue to keep back a sharp retort, she listened as Fenru made his statement, her eyes taking themselves off of the lady she had previously been fixated on. The hesitance in the man’s voice caused her to look over at him, flattening her ears on her head and tilting it at him. Was he…lying to them? She made herself promise that she would check up on the yearling later once they dealt with the wolf in front of them. Clearing her throat she let herself turn back towards the loner on their borders. She was curious as to what kind of decision Ice was going to make with the woman. Jessie personally did not want any other members within their pack, due to the many that had already left them. Would she just end up being another disappointment?

The girl could easily seem innocent and harmless to them all right now, but later on, she could crush them. Just like Hotei did, along with all the others that had tried to bring down the River family. Before she realized it, she could feel the hair rising along the back of her spine. She went back to reminding herself that this female was not them and that she could be different, and that she needed to calm down. It took time, but eventually the rising fur settled down and she pinned her gaze back onto Tali. She then sparred a quick glance at their alpha. What was he thinking and why was he not making a decision?

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. He wasn't blind to the tension in the air, even if he wished he was. By now, he knew Jessie well enough to see it in the play of her ears, her stance, and for a moment he frowned in her direction before Fenru's words stole his attention. So, he'd met her on one of his travels, but had been in a hurry, and Tali hadn't wanted to come along at that pace? It made sense, in a way, and it did answer the question Ice hadn't spoken aloud. Tali could easily have heard Fenru's name somewhere and just made up the story, and that was what he'd wanted to get answered, and now had. "Well then," he said, leaning over to give Fenru's nearest ear a quick lick. Obviously he'd come home fast enough to not worry them. Ice usually didn't start worrying unless someone was gone for longer than a week, or something, which only happened when someone stole away in the night.. which, sadly, happened all too often. He was just about to turn back to Tali, say something nice and let her know her place in the pack, when the shift of hair along Jessie's spine caught his attention. It was bristling. Was something wrong? Or was it just her wariness coming out? For a moment, Ice's jaws worked soundlessly, but then he sighed, catching the glance she sent in his direction. While he had already made up his mind, and had decided that Tali was polite and had an excellent recommendation from Fenru, he knew what it was like, to stand there - distrustful, frustrated.. he remembered how he felt when Marsh accepted Brenton, despite Ice's misgivings. The least he could do was acknowledge it. Sparing a gentle glance for Tali, as if to say I'll be with you in a moment, he reached out to touch his nose to the base of Jessie's skull, just behind the ear. "Something bothers you. What is it?" he simply said. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul