Swift River we stand tall

POSTING ROUND ENDS: 2nd May

Continued directly from this thread, so it might be worth a skim read. This is a mandatory pack rally, so please attend unless you have a valid reason why you can't (e.g. a absence). It'll be a fun activity as we will be building the new pack den for the oncoming cubs! Please keep posts quick and short so we can finish this thread before it begins to draaag. No posting order for each round so knock yourselves out. :P

At Corinna's words Indru nodded in agreement and without hesitation lifted his head skywards, his mouth opening just slightly as he begun the wavering notes of his howl, only to widen as the deep call started to reach crescendo along with a volume that was guaranteed to carry for a long distance to beckon his pack. "Come", it called to them all as Corinna's own lighter and more delicate howl had started to twist and curl around the deeper sound of his own, creating a complimentary melody. The leaders beckoned and Indru knew it was an instinct of the pack to respond to the command.

After Indru had felt sure that all who had needed to hear it would have and that it had travelled out along the nearby lands like a ripple, the leader slowly let his howl waver before it faded completely and he lowered his head. They will come, he told Cori confidently, turning his head to nip lovingly at her cheek as they waited, the Tainn's body pressed against her side in a protective stance as they awaited the arrival of their pack.

(This post was last modified: Apr 26, 2012, 11:53 PM by Indru.)

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. Deep, resounding, beckoning. Ice's mind registered the implications of the howl, dragging the Guardian from his fitful doze and into a world of sunlight. Scrunching up his face, he gave a large yawn before rolling over on his belly and rising. A shake of his thick fur and a cat-like stretch, and then he was off, more asleep than awake. Still, the call had him in thrall, and with an easy sort of grace he never seemed to possess when truly awake he moved through the forest, stepping over roots and leaping little streams that glittered in the light. As the wind blew through his fur and into his half-lidded eyes he began to gradually waken up, tail twitching merrily behind him. It was a glorious day, and surely Indru and Corinna had a glorious adventure in mind for them! Or, something. Giving happy little yips the large male bounded across another stream, and broke into a lope, working the sleep's heaviness from both body and mind. It was in such a fashion he came upon the leader pair, bouncing across a mossy stone and nearly tumbling down the other side of it. There they stood, pressed against each other, radiant as the morning sun, and Ice gave a woof of pleasure as he tried to stop himself from falling over. When, finally, the deer-on-ice act was over he continued to slink forward, nuzzling the cheeks of both of them before withdrawing a little. No point in asking now why they were called here, they'd tell when the entire pack was assembled, and it might be a couple of minutes more. Tail wagging, Ice sank to his haunches, curiosity in his pale eyes as they rested on Corinna, mostly. It was too bothersome to make them dart back and forth between the pair, so they remained on her, and he gave a rather sheepish smile as he waited. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

The howl drew her awake. She had spent the past couple of hours deep in sleep. The trials of having lived on her own for so long could still be felt in her mildly underweight body and aches caused by stress she no longer felt. Though there was always the chance that she would be confronted and challenged over her position in this pack, she was comfortable here. She gathered her energy and took her time. Elsa hadn't been there long enough to know the territory very well, as it had been only a handful of days since Indru had found her, and she hadn't met all of the pack. But she had patience that went well with her goals. It would take time to build up a good reputation and in her own opinion, she had all the time in the world.

But the instinct to instantly seek out her leaders drew her quickly out of a stretch and into a easy-going trot. A few times she felt turned around but she wove through the ancient trees and found her way to them easily enough. Her lips pulled back in an open smile as she spotted them standing with one another, but then her gaze was drawn as the bright color of white appeared at the corner of her eyes. A large wolf was stumbling happily towards them and she felt her smile grow as she chuckled inwardly. From his ruffled fur, it was apparent that he had been catching some sleep himself. Though she felt herself still a stranger she refused to allow herself to behave shyly. Her paws drew her closer to her leaders as she drew down her ears in a pleased, happy expression as she joined the white wolf in nuzzling the pair in greetings.

She retreated a space with Ice and sat beside him, not wanting to exclude herself. As Indru had said, she was now a part of the family and she was glad to behave as a sister to this white wolf. She gave him his own friendly greeting by nosing his cheek and then his ear, rather playfully. Her tail whacked the ground as she lifted her head, curiously eying the leaders but then momentarily distracted as a dozen blackbirds exploded out of a nearby tree cawing and disappearing into the sky. Elsa half-sneezed at them, amused. She settled and enjoyed the company, feeling no need to interrupt their wait with idle conversation.

edited because I suck :P

<blockquote>Of course Hael hadn't been hanging out near the den lately; there wasn't much of a den to hang out at, after all. The thought annoyed the kid more than saddening him, but nevertheless, he tried to avoid it as best he could, lounging somewhere else with his siblings most of the time. But today Dad's howl called him to a different location. Hael simply climbed to his feet after a short nap and trotted the short distance through the woods. Soon fe found them, nodding simply to his parents as they came into view.

Silently triumphant that he'd been the first pup present, he circled nearer to the gathering of his family and pack mates, brushing deliberately roughly against Dad as he passed him, and licking his mother's cheek affectionately, asking the question on his mind: "What're we doing?" as he passed by them. Moving to the big roots of a tree nearby, he surveyed the new female Second briefly, though the abandonment of Naira was still a tender spot in him, and he only briefly smiled to her before reaching it. It was here he'd entertain himself by climbing the big, twisting roots before the gathering officially began.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Apr 24, 2012, 05:15 PM by Rihael.)

<div style="margin: 0 auto; width: 100px;"><img src="http://moral-lock.com/rl/sr1.png"></div>

<blockquote>Marsh had not been sleeping; it was far too late in the day for that. The borders had been well-checked, and the day's productivity looked to only be improving; instantly Marsh stood alert at the sound of the summons, Indru's familiar voice matched with Corinna's irresistible one. He did not hesitate to follow.

The eruption of blackbirds heralded his arrival - not his fault, but perfectly timed - and he eyed the black flock momentarily before regarding the scene before him. His gaze fell upon Corinna first, of course, and he huffed in pleased greeting as he approached her, her tongue lapping out onto her chin before he turned to Indru to pay him the same respect. The reason for a meeting in this place was yet unclear - would it be to announce Corinna's pregnancy? why not the pack den? - but he was patient. Retreating, he glanced to Ice, and only then did he register the presence of a stranger.

It was only due to the unknown female's proximity to Corinna and her children, Rihael and unborns all, that Marsh's instincts were of defensiveness; he froze, fur bristling slightly, until common sense caught up with him. Curiosity rapidly overtaking hostility, he approached the female boldly, inhaling her, noting her authority with interest (she had been quite forward with Ice, after all). Another female Second? She had better prove she deserved it.

Sitting right beside the new member, so that she was securely placed between himself and the trustworthy Ice, Marsh gazed serenely at his leaders, all agitation gone from him.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Apr 24, 2012, 05:14 PM by Marsh.)

<blockquote>Grinning as widely as he could, Fenru raced through the woods. The cold air pressing against his face urged him to run faster, to slick back his ears along with his whiskers and the short tufts of his newly preened spring coat. Somewhere along the way he had stashed away his frayed scrap of boar hide in a hollow log, thinking to come back for it sometime later; his success in learning how to adopt a lighter, virtually silent 'walk' had his head swimming with pride. Bounding through the grove he came to a stop somewhere near the old pack den. His feet had brought him there out of habit after promptly heeding his father's call.

The boy took a moment to reorient himself then took off running again, sprinting until he began to trail after Rihael's scent trail. The sight of the small gathering set his tail into motion and, without hesitation, he respectfully greeted his parents then stepped to where his brother was engaged with the roots of a large tree. He watched him quietly before setting his paws on one of the gnarly 'stepping stones.' He raised one of his hind limbs to try and scale it but could not gain his footing. His forehead wrinkled thoughtfully, the <span class='word'>barnburner</span> that was his brother's amusement became a source of frustration for him; with a still, curved tail and lofty ears, he waited for the meeting to begin with the sound of Indru or Corinna's salutations and announcements.</blockquote>

Taekwondo (M, W, F) | Rapid-Response Day (Tu) | WoW Nights (F, Sat, Sun)

<blockquote>Following after Fenru by a few minutes, Angier Lyall approached the scene. Tentatively he stepped forward to graze his tongue to both Indru and Corinna's chins. For one reason or another he hadn't actually noticed the large, upended tree and it took him a second to react. To give a nod to his other superiors and take a seat at the back of the group. He respectfully kept his eyes trained on the forest floor, simply listening to the sound of nails scratching and shuffling against tree bark.

He smiled to himself as he relaxed his ears, waiting a while before he lifted his eyes to watch the young Tainns clamber (or attempt to clamber) over the tree's roots. His head tilted and he counted the heads of those present. Indru was now here... Perhaps he should have brought something - a squirrel or a ground hog or a piece of unearthed venison - just like he had during the last meeting. At a loss as to what to do while he waited he diverted his gaze to his left flank and his bottlebrush tail that he had curled around it.</blockquote>

Are you watching closely?
Taekwondo (M, W, F) | Rapid-Response Day (Tu) | WoW Nights (F, Sat, Sun)

Gone Tomorrow

Resting firmly on her haunches, Corinna's head tilted back and she howled with Indru, calling for the pack to join them at their chosen location. Her excitement for the pack to join them was building in her chest, and she wagged her tail as she howled, though it refused to fall still even when her voice fell quiet. Indru's assurance that the wolves of the River would arrive after the summons was met with a nod of her head - she knew they would. The ones that mattered, anyway, would never let her down and allow a call to go unanswered.

It was no surprise that Ice arrived first - and in his customary style. The enthusiasm in his step brought a smile to her face, and Corinna woofed right back at him, returning his submissive gesture with a nudge to his cheek. His various wounds were healing nicely, and she was hopeful that he would soon return to his normal self. They would need him, when the time came. Quick to follow was Elsa, the self-appointed Second. Corinna was not as thrilled to see her, though it was more to do with lack of knowledge of her than anything else. She accepted the nudge to her chin quietly, reaching out to grab the female by the muzzle, biting down firmly. An assertion of dominance, nothing more. Next to come were Corinna's two sons and Marsh. A loving lick to the cheek was given to each of them, and her tail had begun to wag again. Though not one for words, Marsh's presence was always appreciated and helped to solidify the meeting. He was the silent guard, the one who watched after them all.

Green eyes followed Fenru as he attempted to climb on the roots, following Rihael's lead. Her oldest had asked the question, but the distraction of the big roots had pulled him away. Shaking her head, she held her answer as her attention was grabbed by Angier and his arrival. She hadn't seen him around much, but she was glad he had made it now. Her eyes glancing around, she looked off into the distance, peering into the woods. There were others, like Finn, who had not arrived. Nor had Kisla, the sole daughter of the leading pair. "Fen, Hael, where's Kisla?" She would answer their question when they answered her's.

If I go crazy then will you stillcall me superman?

A lot brewed on the young man's mind. His thoughts were a mixture of Volkan,Kinis, Naira, and Rhysis and the fact his birthday was so close. This one marking him capable of doing more than the last, not that he had mind to change his life. Or...maybe. He was caught again wanting to keep Volkan with him, thinking to keep his promise to her he might have to become a creek wolf. Indru had only returned easing his mind, and yet unsettling what if something else happened? He never wanted Cori and those pups to face the world alone. He was aware there would be more to come. If it were not for Ice, he probably would have broke down somewhere or attempted to march up to Rhysis, rip out is throat here and now. The Tainn knew he'd have to be more tactful than that. A really strong part of him did not want to face Naira, and her fatherless whelps in any situation. So how to fix this mess? Kinins' disappearance was only fueling the fire of taking action before something else fell upon his loved ones. He felt so down hearted, how did he protect everyone?

His eyelids close, and he welcomes the darkness in his hollow log. If he could sleep he would do so. It would be a restless sleep, he hardly got to a thought when a howl of his leader's breaks him from his black thoughts. There voices sounded happy, and was probably a better thing. Maybe it could suck him out of this. He crawled out as quickly as he could without bumping his head. He felt disoriented in the bright light, and looked at the grove through half closed eyes. There call continued ringing for the River wolves attention.

First his pace was slow until he adjusted to the light, and figured out where they were. He had no idea what surprise they had, but pictured good things that might bring a smile to his face again. When he arrived on seen he noticed Fenru, and Rihael in the tree first. He was coming from the opposite direction of the rest. It was to them he gave attention to, playfully nipping their dark ears. Emitting a chuckle, his dark tail wagged, and his nostrils twitched soon noticing a new female member tucked between Ice and Marsh. He found this odd. It bothered him, and probably for no good reason. His hesitation was clear when his golden eyes shifted to the three older wolves. He soon found Angier was here too, and moved over to greet Indru and Corinna with respectful nudges to their chin. He'd then take a sit by the tree, but away from the roots staring at the boy's who might answer Cori. He had an inkling this would the place the new litter would grow. He did not exactly like this spot, it reminded him too much of Hidden Tree. It was not his decision, he was here to do what was needed of him like always.

are you with me through it all?

<blockquote>Patiently he sat, watching as Angier and Triell filtered through the trees to the group. He offered a twitch of his muzzle to the latter, ever fond as he was of the boy, but otherwise waited for Corinna and Indru to get to business. Kisla's tardiness had not gone unnoticed by him, but it seemed her mother was more concerned by it.

Marsh's ears pricked forwards at his leadess' words, the simple question easy for him to follow. The grey eyes turned to Rihael, who could not seem to answer satisfactorily. Chuffing softly to gain his master's attention, Marsh rose to his feet once more and half-turned back towards the woods, eyes trained on Corinna. Did she want him to search for her daughter? He did not think that it would take long; the child was likely on her way.</blockquote>