Swift River take what is yours and i'll take mine

<blockquote>At their response she smiled, though she hadn't doubted they'd say yes. After all, it was just the pair of them leaving, right? Didn't they need all the help they could get? This question was, conveniently, the very next thing Ruiko addressed. Kinis admitted that he hadn't had success in recruiting, and as he looked toward her, she shrugged, revealing the same. Was she supposed to have been recruiting potential members for this new pack? She did agree that three wolves would have a hard time trying to sustain themselves for the winter, when they needed as much help as they could get to find food. Hunting with just the trio would be difficult at best.

As Kinis voiced his question, the static-colored yearling nodded in blatant agreement. <b>"There has to be someone else we can find,"</b> she contributed, a hopeful tone in her voice. <b>"Some lone wolf, maybe? Or maybe someone we know?"</b> By 'we' she had actually meant 'you guys'— surely Ruiko and Kinis would have some allies around Relic Lore, maybe in Swift River, who could lend their help? After all, the three of them had come to Indru and Corinna's aid in a time of need, so... didn't they owe them for it? But Volkan wasn't sure how that worked, necessarily, between Ruiko and his brother, and wasn't about to ask. Sighing, she added, <b>"I mean, it might be easier to get a loner to join us, since winter's coming... but if we wanted someone we knew we could <i>trust...</i>"</b> Well, that would be a little harder.

She ignored the obvious name that popped into her head; she knew Triell was nothing if not loyal to Swift River.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Nov 25, 2011, 08:19 PM by Volkan.)

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It was good to know that Kinis and Volkan agreed with him that three was not a desirable number – it revealed to him that logic certainly played a role over their emotions and for that he was not only glad but proud. They were not the wayward yearlings that believed they were invincible until it was too late. It seemed only Borlla had gained such a thought process, but had also grown out of it. If anything, his little sister had become far more introverted than he would have ever believed possible.

At Kinis’ words, Ruiko gave a light nod. “It’s hard to scout for potential members and encourage them back to our temporary pack,” he murmured, his tone somewhat bemused by their situation. Volkan’s own suggestion only stirred a shrug from the stoical male, his eyes shifting to hers, curious if she had a specific wolf in mind. Ruiko doubted very much Indru would appreciate them taking his members from him.. but then again, it was what Indru had done to him months before. “I’m not sure anyone here would switch their loyalties.” He also wasn’t sure what he truly thought of the situation, either. “It’s likely our best bet is to perhaps settle somewhere and find others along the way.”

<blockquote>Just like that, they were coming together as a proper team, and Kinis felt guilty for harbouring any negative feelings towards Volkan at all, however brief they had been. Already it was clear that she was taking this as seriously as Ruiko and himself, and that was more than enough. Despite the reservations that they were all voicing, Kinis felt quietly confident that they would be able to keep each other alive.

Volkan spoke of trust, and Kinis found himself nodding, smiling to himself at the irony, understanding that problem all too well.

<i>It's like our best bet is to perhaps settle somewhere and find others along the way...</i>

Kinis perked up at that. Was Ruiko suggesting what he thought he was?

<b>"It is strange to sell a pack which doesn't exist yet,"</b> he agreed, suppressing his excitement. <b>"If we... if we can find somewhere suitable, somewhere which has everything we need for when it gets colder, then we could manage. We don't have much luxury of choice, so it'll have to be a purely practical decision... but we can manage. We did, Ruiko."</b> No water, no packmates, abandoned and alone - and Kinis had been little more than a child. They had survived, and look at them now.

And they weren't alone any more. A pack with only three capable adults had never looked so appealing.</blockquote>

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<i>at least... that's where I'm supposed to be...</i></center>

<blockquote>Noticing the subtle look Ruiko gave her, Volkan averted her gaze as inconspicuously as she could, giving another casual shrug to the Tainn duo. Nope. Definitely nobody specific. Of course not. Luckily Kinis agreed aloud with what his brother had said, and she nodded as well, ignoring her nagging feeling that Swift River <i>did</i> owe them some assistance, at least for a bit.

At Kinis' words, she narrowed her eyes, wondering if a specific location would pop into her head. Unfortunately she was still somewhat new to Relic Lore, even if she had been here since the spring. She hadn't travelled much, but she did know the rough location of the other pack, Grizzly Hollow. They'd want to stay away from both of the other packs so there wouldn't be any resource competition, right? Swift River's wolves seemed <span class='word'>altruistic</span> enough, but when push came to shove, they would fight for what was theirs, and personally, Volkan didn't want things to have to come to that. So yeah— that made sense. She nodded again in agreement, lifting a forepaw for emphasis.

<b>"Water,"</b> she began, <b>"And food. Not too far from where the large herds travel, but also somewhere with a lot of small prey, like a forest or something. And not too close to the other packs, right? You guys know the area better than I do, but I do know there aren't packs far to the north or south of Swift River,"</b> she added. <b>"Is there any place that comes to mind?</b>"

She hoped she didn't sound dumb with her contributions; as a wolf less well-versed in Relic Lore things, she only had so much to contribute other than her common sense. But hey, she was here to help, and that was what she would try to do.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Dec 02, 2011, 05:03 AM by Volkan.)

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Ruiko cast a smirk to Kinis, noting the eagerness his brother held. This had been their dream they had shared since they had left Swift River the first time, it was no wonder the youthful male was anxious to see it through. Ruiko whole-heartedly agreed with the sentiment, and gave a nod to Kinis. No, they could not stay here and simply hope a non-existing pack would grow larger. Volkan fell quiet about recruitment, despite the tawny wolf’s curious stare, and instead she maneuvered the topic to a land they should claim.

“What about the Thicket?” The words fell from his lips without much thought – it seemed to be the one area he had sought after time after time. “Or, even the Spring?” Either to him seemed like good opportunities – the land was far enough from the other packs to not tread over hunting borders yet they remained within the lands of Relic Lore.

<blockquote>To his delight, they took and built upon his suggestion eagerly. It had been a question at the back of his mind for many weeks now - months, even - as it was no doubt at Ruiko's, but it was just another step forward to have them all actually discussing it. Having found nowhere totally suitable himself - at least, nowhere which satisfied the needs of a small group in the hardest season - Kinis listened as Volkan further explained the virtues that such a location would need, and then Ruiko, ever the saviour, suggested two solid candidates.

<b>"The Secluded Spring? It's a nice place, but the fishing would be hard. Does it ice over? I've never been there in winter. I've never seen much activity around it... we might have to travel a bit to hunt, but that means it would be safe and quiet. Little competition. And it's far away,"</b> he finished, giving a nod to Volkan's comment that they would have to keep distance between them and Swift River... and whoever else was out there. <b>"I know there's a pack in Cedarwood somewhere, but I've never come across them. But that's all I'm aware of."</b> He hadn't made a trip that far north for quite some time, but if Ruiko had suggested it, he presumed that implied that it was still fresh for the taking. And what crazy group would set out alone at this time of year? So, really, they had no land-claiming rivals.</blockquote>

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<i>at least... that's where I'm supposed to be...</i></center>

<blockquote>Instead of telling her that her suggestions were stupid and useless— not that she'd even really expected it, but the nagging insecurity at the back of her mind had honestly considered it as a possibility— Ruiko listed off two places, neither of which Volkan had heard before. The Thicket? The Spring? Both of those sounded fine, she guessed, although there was no way to tell without having actually visited those places before. Were they to the north?

She shifted slightly as Kinis contributed some clarifying information about one of the places: the Secluded Spring. <i>Sounds cool,</i> she thought, but at the same time, the name and its implied isolation had a strange sort of... loneliness to it. Yeah, they wanted to be away from the other packs so there wouldn't be much competition, as her fellow yearling was discussing now, but a small part of Volkan didn't want their new pack to be completely alone, either. Or, was she just being selfish, wanting to be within a decent travelling distance of Swift River?

The word <i>Cedarwood</i> caught her attention, and the peppered female glanced toward Kinis, then to Ruiko. Wait, she actually knew something about this! She'd been there, one time! ...With Triell. And on a separate occasion she'd even met a wolf from the pack that resided there. <b>"...Grizzly Hollow,"</b> she said, finalizing the information with a quick nod. <b>"I hunted with a wolf from that pack, Aleetra or something. They seem okay, but I don't know how far their borders reach,"</b> she admitted at last, ending her words with a little sigh. If only she wasn't such a newcomer to this place, huh? Quizzically she lifted her brows at the brothers, figuring their information would be more complete than hers.</blockquote>

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Kinis seemed to enjoy the thought of the Spring – a contagious excitement that Ruiko could even wonder about. The Spring was named fittingly; they would be secluded from others, and yet the lands there could still offer nearby hunting. Perhaps it was one of the first places they would scout. “Grizzly Hollow,” he confirmed for the two, casting a small grin at Volkan who mentioned an ‘Aleetra.’ Ah, yes. The dark she-wolf was a hard one to forget. “The pack is small, but is faring well in the land they chose. Jaysyek currently leads them.”

There was a small pause before Ruiko gave another shrug, his muzzle pointing in the direction of his younger brother once more. “I’m unsure if the water freezes over fully – we’ll want to find a steady water source before laying claim to anything.” There was a small pause, and the tawny wolf soon placed his muzzle to one outstretched forepaw. “I’d get some rest, you two. We’ll be leaving in the next few weeks.”

Will need another thread with Ruiko RE: Aisling, and possibly Ranger too, unless you and Ashley had any plans regarding how they're going to find out about each other again?

<blockquote>Grizzly Hollow. He took the name and stored it. The name Jaysyek didn't ring any bells either, but it was all useful information, so he made sure to remember it - who knew when it could come in handy? It was always good to know your neighbours and rivals, anyway, though from the sounds of it they were likely to be on easy terms with this pack, and for that Kinis was grateful. The small group really didn't need more hardships alongside the weather and the basic struggle for survival; adding pack conflict wasn't going to help anybody.

He nodded along, the thrill in his chest resurfacing briefly when Ruiko dared to offer a time frame. Vague as it was, a 'few weeks' was still offering a deadline - and finally Kinis had something semi-concrete to cling to. A few weeks, and everything would change. Oh, he could not wait. It was going to be so difficult, and so very rewarding.

<b>"Sure,"</b> he grinned, glancing between Ruiko and Volkan, now his closest allies. Volkan may have been a relative stranger in most ways, but this tie felt powerful. <b>"I'll keep talking to loners, but I'll hold you to that deadline, Ruiko,"</b> he said with a sweep of his tail, before moving to stand and pick up the bird he had brought along. Leaning forwards automatically to offer his brother a nose touch, he hesitated only a moment before doing the same to Volkan. Strangers but comrades. There was no point in being awkward around her. Dipping his head in fond farewell, the boy headed off in the direction of the den, a fresh spring in his step.</blockquote>

<center>
<i>at least... that's where I'm supposed to be...</i></center>

<blockquote><i>"I’d get some rest, you two. We’ll be leaving in the next few weeks."</i>

Absolutely music to Volkan's ears. Not too soon, not too far away. At Ruiko's suggestion, she grinned at the both of them, tail practically digging its own hole in the ground behind her. Kinis' nose met with hers before he made his exit, and she rose to follow suit, watching him leave with a wide smile. Even if they were basically strangers to one another, they were about to be much more, and already she felt the closeness, the burning sense of loyalty and excitement that existed here in this meeting. It was intoxicating. It was unlike nothing she had felt before, being a part of something like this.

<b>"Can't sit still anymore,"</b> she admitted to Ruiko as soon as they were alone. It was certainly not a lie. Without abandon, she crossed to him, shamelessly giving him a small lick beneath the chin before her large paws carried her unkempt frame quickly through the brush.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Dec 17, 2011, 05:01 AM by Volkan.)

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