Sacred Grove we won't wander alone

<span style='font-size:7pt;line-height:100%'>Clear — Current Temperature: 76° F/24° C</span>

The sun had risen, and the two had set off again. Before it was at its height, they would reach Sacred Grove. The scent that she'd been away from so long slid into her nose, and she shuddered, ears twisting back. Part of her was so excited to be home. But the rest of her was terrified. Would this still be home when the sun went down? This wasn't just about her anymore. It was about Bardou, too. If they didn't like him, then...That was that. Goodbye, Sacred Grove.

Letting out an exhale, she brushed up against one of the trees, and finally stopped, letting out a sigh, shoulders rolling easily beneath her sagging pelt. Thankfully she didn't look too bad. The lack of food had gotten to her obviously, but she didn't look debilitated or ragged. Thankfully. <b style="color:#32527a">"This is it." She breathed, looking towards him, pupils expanded. The fur along her shoulders had risen, and she let out another breath. And then another. And another. Her breathing increased in speed until she could no longer bear it. Tossing her head back, she called into the skies. The howl was short, and her head dropped, shoulders shaking. Her eyes searched for him again, mouth a thin line. <b style="color:#32527a">"speech."

okay. idk who wants to hop in here, but i know Indru and Corinna should.
So, Borlla, Bardou, Indru/Corrinna, then whoever else
minor PP, pardon u_u

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<blockquote>He had hauled himself upwards with the sun and limped after his pale tawny companion, making sure to stick close to her side. It became apparent the closer they grew, the more her nerves began to get to her and occasionally he would butt against her side, encouraging her to continue on. He knew it was hard for her. He had no family to return to anymore. All that was left was his brothers, one had stabbed him in the back and the other well, he was indifferent. He didn’t care to think of the rest of his siblings or parents right now. The last thing she needed was his bad mood dragging her further down.

As they continued the trees began to envelope the pair, and the earth began to hum beneath his paws. The atmosphere was unnerving, but it was also welcoming, energising at the same time. It truly was a strange sensation. He acknowledged the young wolf with a nod when she told him this was the place. Settling to his haunches he would wait until someone approached to rise. His leg may not be overly painful but it did become uncomfortable on occasion.

Her howl was short, but he supposed when returning home there was very little to convey in a howl. His ears were swiveling, listening for the approach of wolves through the trees. Raising himself back to a standing position on instinct his ears folded and tail low, he kept his head lowered as well, to appear smaller than he was but also to protect his throat unless those that were approaching did so with teeth bared.</blockquote>

hope it's okay that Ice does his duty and shows up. <3 I don't *think* Ice and Borlla were active in SR at the same time, so I'll just pretend that he doesn't know her. Chances are that even if they had run into each other he's forgotten her... xD

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. Swift River had been in turmoil as of late. The anger and pain that had followed Naira's betrayal, the agonizing sting of Indru's absence, had faded, to be replaced by tentative hope upon the Tainn male's return - then Ruiko had come, bearing news of Kinis' disappearance, and everything had tilted and crashed again. An oppressive blanket of sorrow and despair had enclosed them, and Ice didn't dare stray too far from home in case he was needed. At times, his position as a comforter had him feeling detached and heartless, always ready with a gentle smile and some whimsical words about hope - words that tasted vile, like lies, and yet he never claimed they would be able to find Kinis. He only spoke of remembering, of fondness, of perhaps, another day, another time... He gave his head a shake. Even though he hadn't known Kinis himself, the pack's heavy spirits weighed him down. He knew that it would pass, that eventually the sharp pain would be... dulled. He didn't speak aloud of that, though. They needed time. And so, on a bright spring day when the air was much too warm for comfort, an unfamiliar howl cut through the air and Ice's large head snapped up, peering in the direction of it. While he didn't know the howlee himself, she nearly sounded as if she was familiar with the Grove, with Cori and Indru. Still... he had to check it out. Grateful for the distraction, the sturdy male set out on the beaten paths at a casual lope, eating up the ground beneath him. In silence he approached, accompanied only by the sound of his rapid breathing. It really was damnably warm, and his tongue lolled outside his jaws in a rather not-so-fearsome fashion. Within not too long, the wolf - or rather, wolves - came into view. One was a female, pale and tawny with bright eyes. She seemed agitated. The other was a male, bright eyes too, but dark gray. Ice's gaze kept drifting between the pair as he settled himself defensively between them and his home, his vulnerable pack. "What do you want?" he queried of them, but despite the choice of words his voice wasn't hostile, nor accusing. It was an honest question, and in light of the recent events, a surprisingly open one. While he did want to shout and run them off, he strangled the urge - he had to know who they were, and what they wanted first. He couldn't judge others simply because his pack was in a bit of an emotional disarray. And, strangely enough, he wasn't in too terrible a mood today. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

i apologize in advance for borlla's behavior.

As they waiting, she eyed him nervously. It wasn't just about her anymore, she reminded herself. Swallowing, she faced forward again, trying to put on a brave face. Nerves. What nerves? She was the child that had been the bravest, and the most foolish at the same time. She would have the most to be afraid of, but also the strongest facade they'd ever see. Perhaps this would be damnable later on, but that was the last of her worries right now. Before such a face had a chance to appear, an unfamiliar wolf appeared. Her hackles rose, and she scowled. She'd expected to be greeted by her brother. Or at least, Corinna. So who was this guy?

She could almost sense that he wanted nothing more than to run them off. Pfft. He'd like that, wouldn't he? She forced herself to sit, and fold her ears back, look at least slightly subordinate, though it frustrated her to no end. One ear twitched in its lying position, and she stared at the stranger. Wait, she was the stranger, wasn't she? That thought only seemed to make her angrier. <b style="color:#32527a">"We came here to speak with Indru and Corinna. Not you." She snorted at him, eyes dropping to watch him carefully, rather than head on. <b style="color:#32527a">"speech."

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<blockquote> All it took was the tone of her voice to set the silver male on edge. Sure packs changed, but from what he had heard most of her pack had been family, had some change taken place in her absence? Scooting closer to the pale lady defensively positioning himself slightly in front of her, no doubt drawing unwanted attention to his limp and scarred leg, he knew he would need to attempt to diffuse the situation lest the other man take offense. <b>”Peace Borlla.”</b> he pleaded gently from the corner of his mouth before turning his attentions back to the man with the pale eyes. <b>”We have been traveling quite a while, she is merely anxious to see her brother...”</b>

He realised he had placed himself in a precarious position between the two wolves but knew that if a fight broke out now, it would be the end of any small chance the sweet girl had to make amends. That was why he had bought her hear after all. He wasn’t about to let her throw it away before she even had the chance to lay eyes on a familiar face. He hoped someone else showed up soon.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Apr 21, 2012, 01:49 PM by Bardou.)

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. Honestly - what was the matter with every loner that came to Swift River's borders? The moment the female opened her mouth, Ice wished he could slam her jaws shut and shove her into a pond. With a single sentence she ruined his entire day, fouling his somewhat cheerful mood and making him even less inclined to let them sit around until Corinna or Indru showed up. They knew their names, though, but that didn't do them any good. Frustrated, he ground his teeth together, the alien and dry noise reverberating through his skull. "You're out of luck," he muttered at her, fighting to keep a rein on his temper. He hadn't become a Guardian to snap at strangers and engage them in word spars, nor to let his childish mind take the upper hand. Suddenly he wondered if he hadn't made a bad deal when asking for this position. It required more tact and thought he'd guessed, and he didn't want to stop and think. He just wanted them to be gone, to watch the backside of that tawny female and then never see her face again. The male didn't make it better either, stepping in between them as if the girl needed a babysitter. It irked him, bringing back flashes of Sabretache and Rainuh, and Corinna's polite rejection of them. Well, that pair had been somewhat polite too... Ice's pale eyes narrowed, his tail stiff behind him. He was not amused. "Who's her brother?" he queried of the male, deciding that if she had to be kept by this guy, he might as well talk to him and ignore her. He hadn't particularly enjoyed the tone of her voice, nor the words that had been more akin to lashes, so talking to this man who seemed at least somewhat inclined to keep the peace suited him far better. The fact that he was limping in one leg didn't bother the Guardian, for if he was stupid enough to get caught in the crossfire, it was his problem. For probably the ten thousandth time, Ice wished that loners could be polite when coming to his home, but it seemed that for each time he wished it, they just got worse... .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

Borlla.. Haha. :P Makes it so difficult for Indy hehe. Wants to greet... Can't tolerate rudeness, aaah.

It was a howl the River leader knew that he would always recognise—like the call of any of his family—and while it caused him to reel in shock at first, relief was the quick, secondary emotion that rolled through him. Borlla, he breathed to no one in particular and on instinct he turned swiftly from his patrol around the borders further east of where he sister sounded to be and loped quickly towards her.

As Indru neared her his brow frowned as while he recognised her scent and, he was pleased to note, Ice's there was a stranger with her and he could already tell by the way it intermingled with Borlla's that this wasn't a separate meeting that had happened by chance. Indru stepped from the trees into the small gatherings presence just as Ice asked his question and with a quick smile he felt inclined to answer it himself, me, Ice. He began and the fondness for her was clear in his voice, he walked over to stand beside the pack's guardian, his posture naturally taking on a dominant status as per his rank. She's my youngest sister, he explained and presumed that he could put two and two together to work out she was Triell and, the now missing, Kinis's littermate.

It wasn't hard to pick up on the tension on the air, nor did this male's posture—poised slightly in front of his sister—escape Indru's attention and he watched the silvery male with a slightly suspicious eye. Borlla, I'm so glad you're safe. Indru stepped forward, ignoring the male, to push his nose against his sister's cheek and lick her muzzle affectionately before he drew back, his tail raising and his fur bristling ever so slightly to show his annoyance. Ice is pack now, family, he is defending our borders—your family's borders—your nieces and nephews... And mine and Cori's unborn cubs. While Indru's relief and joy at her return had been clear in the first words he had addressed her with his tone quickly turned stricter, she was an adult now and he wouldn't tolerate her roguish behaviour as much as he had when she was younger, especially not to a member of his pack who was defending his mate and cubs.

Who's your friend? Slowly he let his eyes fall from Borlla, unable to resist flashing her a quick smile first, and onto to the unfamiliar stranger as he waited for his sister to explain his presence.

(This post was last modified: Apr 21, 2012, 07:21 PM by Indru.)

Gone Tomorrow

Despite whatever Indru's objections might have been, Corinna had not allowed her pregnant state to keep her from her duties. She was not a powerless creature, and she would be damned if her pregnancy interfered with her leadership abilities. So she was already on the borders when the howl sounded, immediately catching her attention. It took Cori a moment or two, but when she placed the sound of the voice, she instinctively bristled. Her brow crinkled, and she growled to nobody. It was funny how history repeated itself with the Tainn family, a trend that the gray and creme she-wolf would never be able to get over.

Abandoning her current post along the borders, Corinna stalked towards the source of the call, not even quite sure what she would say when she had gotten there. Borlla had never liked her, and Cori certainly had no lost love for Indru's youngest sister. They had always clashed, and this was not the first time that Borlla had run amiss. And given how the situation was, Corinna couldn't help but feel that she was deeply mistaken if she believed a home would be given to her. Perhaps it was unfair for her to take out her rage on the youngest Tainn sibling, but Borlla was not family, not in the same sense that Triell or Ruiko was.

Drawing herself up to her full height, Corinna swept into the gathering, green eyes staring daggers at the adult version of Borlla. She had not become ragged in her journey, but the sight of her on the borders infuriated the lead female, and she was not shy about letting that be known. Audibly growling, Corinna stopped beside Ice - not going towards the deserter like Indru had. He might have a soft spot for his sister, but she did not, and she would not pretend like she did. "What the hell do you want, Borlla?" Her voice was acidic, but she hardly cared. No doubt a fight between herself and Indru would ensue, but anger and hormonal changes only fueled Corinna's fire, she would hold her ground on this matter.

<blockquote>While he didn't appreciate the tone the other male was taking with him he knew that he was only protecting his home. His posture still spoke of submission while ensuring his friends safety, however when the other wolfs question was answered by another male voice he relaxed some, moving out of the way to allow the massive wolf to greet his sister. Still keeping wary eyes on the other male without making eye contact he shrunk under the fiery gaze of the tawny man. Everything about him screamed dominance, and so the grey wolf responded equally with submission. He wasn't going to ruin this for her.

He didn't want to intrude on their conversation, but when the large male asked his name he could not refuse answering or risk appearing impertinent. <b>"Bardou."</b> he responded respectfully. He was the outsider here, they could chose to run just him off and let Borlla stay, and he would be fine with that, provided no harm came to her. He had worked too hard to get her this far.

Unexpectedly, another wolf soon arrived on the scene. Her scent screamed of pups to come and he could only assume this was Corinna. Keeping his back arched with his body and tail low to the ground and his ears flat, he chanced a glance at her paws. Her tone was cutting, and his heart sunk with their chances. <i>Both</i> would need to be happy with their presence for either of them to be allowed to join... or at least that was how he saw it. Sure there were other packs, but he doubted she would be happy anywhere else, and her happiness was all that mattered to him.</blockquote>

When Bardou stepped forward, it gave Borlla a moment to...Compose herself. Hadn't she come here to fix things? And then, of course, what was the first thing she'd done? Yeah. Managed to turn everything straight to shit. Her jowls twitched slightly for second, and she let out a sigh, rolling her shoulders. She'd just been so on edge and worked up. It had gotten the best of her. Sidestepping around Bardou, she sat beside him, eyeing Ice for a moment, an apology working up in her throat, but she hardly had the chance to say it before Indru arrived.

She couldn't help but smile, her tail wagging across the grass. A conscious decision was made to bow her head, being respectful. She'd fix this one way or another. It wouldn't send her into a horrible spiral of depression as it had last time. Things would be corrected from the get go. Her own muzzle lifted slightly to receive his kind gesture, and she withheld a laugh, which ended up being cut off anyway. Her tail quit its movement, instead wrapping around her haunch, falling still. <b style="color:#32527a">"I apologize, Ice. This past month..." Her eyes drifted towards Ice, before wandering back to Indru. <b style="color:#32527a">"It's been tough." Her mouth was a hard line and she shrugged, her fur brushing against Bardou's quite purposefully.

<b style="color:#32527a">"Indru, this is Bardou." She introduced him, simply, but with an energy that implied that she wasn't about to just toss him to the side, almost defensively. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Corinna. Instantly, her demeanor changed. The tawny girl seemed to get smaller, and her ears even fell back as the leader came along beside the guardian. <b style="color:#32527a">"I, I, um..." Her tongue flicked out, running over her teeth as the words floundered around in her head. It had been this one moment, this past month, all she'd been working for. How could she even ask this obviously angry wolf what she wanted, when the answer was already no? <b style="color:#32527a">"speech."

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