Swift River we stand tall

Kisla had been sunning herself on a rock – fatigue had plagued her since her spill in the cold grips of the River, and the pale girl found herself leaving quite a distance between herself and the water since the accident. While she would never admit openly to anyone that a fear tingled along her spine at just the sight of it, it was hard to even deny herself that the idea of being near the River caused the breath in her lungs to hitch and her limbs to tense with worry.

Lifting her muzzle, the near-yearling made to groom her limb when her father’s cry eched across the pack lands. For a moment, Kisla remained where she was, grooming herself as if the summon had not occurred. Why couldn’t she be left alone this day? Just this once? Yet a silence stirred on in the aftermath of Indru’s call, and worry for her negligence tickled at her imploringly.

With a grunt, the youthful she-wolf slid from her perch, her limbs stretching leisurely as she began to weave her way to whatever was being conspired. Taking a longer route to avoid the river as best she could, decent time had passed before she emerged from the foliage, her bright green eyes falling upon the gathered wolves. Dipping her figure lower in submission – for she was no longer a pup – the female nodded to her pack mates, though did not speak.

sparking up my heart

"Oh no.... Oh no!"

Bounding across the territory the chocolate giant ran, well... loped. He'd heard the call for him, his first call to attention and he had managed to get himself lost. At first the voice had been so easy to follow as it left a mark upon the air, but the deeper in to the grove he went the more he got lost. Trees looked the same, the borders kept meeting his nose so he had to turn back again. Honestly, he'd only been here a few days but he sound have a basic grasp of the area by now; in fact- other then Indru he hadn't even bumped into anyone! He had begun to wander if Indru had been lying... but he really didn't seem the sort to do that, he was really nice and he had offered Bear a place to call home, something no one had done until now. He wasn't going to start doubting him now.

With a small whine, he stopped and lifted his head again; testing the air for the other wolves... and this time, he hit the jackpot. It wasn't overly fresh, but it was recent enough and with his head lowered and nose now plastered to the ground, he followed the trail as fast as his huge body would allow him until at last, the scents and chatter of a variety of wolves tickled his sily lobes. "Ah ha!" he exclaimed as his torso carshed through the thickets and into the mix with all of the strange faces. Inrdu he instantly recognised, and he lowered himself into submission at the sight of him, before he then allowed his eyes to roam. Wolves of all scents, shades and voice were around him, each holding their own purpose here... well, except him.
His warm, friendly eyes roamed to Corrina then and he noted her regal stance, she held herself like a true lady and he dipped his head and shoulders into a bow. He hadn't met her yet, but her scent had been vividly present upon Inrdu's body before, he could only assume that they were very much in love.

With his greetings over, he suddenly felt very shy. He was a big wolf... huge in fact, larger then Inrdu himself and suddenly he felt very out of place. They were a tight knit group, the very air around them buzzed with familiarity and love and he just stepped right into it... With a gulp, he offered a humble and rather cheesy smile. "Erm... Hello."

POSTING ROUND ENDS: 5th May

Thanks everyone for the replies. :) This is a quick round, but if anyone has a huge problem with the end date just send me a PM and I can see what I can do. Just eager to get this rounded up before the birth, haha.

As Indru had expected, it didn't take the pack long to slowly begin to gather. Loyal Ice was the first to arrive and as he broke into the clearing where the leading pair waited Indru's chin rose proudly—as his tail—while he waited for their rightful fealty. The pack's Guardian nuzzled against them and Indru dropped the weight of his muzzle onto the top of Ice's briefly before the white male retreated in acceptance of his submission. Next, Indru was pleased to note, Elsa came and he and Cori both mimicked the other as they gripped her muzzle between their own, though Indru with perhaps less force, she was on trial and their harsher dominance of her rank would show that. Next his first-born came and roughness of his son's shove was not lost on him and with a quick smirk Indru nipped at his ears with a similar mischief and though he smiled about Hael's informality soon that would have to change when he joined the adult ranks. Distracted by the arrival of Marsh, Indru turned his pensive gaze onto the Second as he greeted each of them with a lick to the chin in turn and, like with Ice, Indru rested the weight of his muzzle against the top of Marsh's.The youngest male Tainn came and Indru noted his more formal greeting (at least at first) with a pleased smile, nipping at Fen's cheek as he passed. Corinna questioned their children and while Indru was not yet concerned at his daughter's absence he awaited the answer with curiosity and when Triell approached to give them his fealty Indru repeated the manoeuvres that he had with the others. Not long after the question was asked the young female in question arrived and as she lowered herself he inclined with his head to encourage her towards he and Cori, to sit with her brothers. Bear arrived and while the newest male lowered himself in submission Indru was unimpressed by his lack of approach to he and Cori both and his hackles rose slightly in a sign as he waited for the large male to correct himself.

After everyone had settled Indru cast his eyes across the gathered pack warmly, his eyes resting last on Cori before he turned them back to address the pack. As you no doubt know, Cori is pregnant again this year—Swift River expects more cubs. A smile broke Indru's muzzle as he spoke, the pride and excitement clear in his voice, and he turned to Cori and nipped her cheek affectionately while he waited briefly to see if she wanted to add anything. We require a new den, this time a bigger one, and we have selected this spot here to begin, turning slightly Indru used his paw to hint towards the shallow hole that would form the start of the den, it needed to be widened considerably of course, but it was where they would start. The tall, still-standing tree beside it offered shelter from the elements and the broken tree beside it would help to cover it and break the wind, it was ideal if it was only larger. A pack worked together, especially when it came to cubs, and with a curious eye Indru turned to watch his cub's reactions to the news as he let Corinna explain what she wanted from the den.

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. So here came the new female Second... Not even the memory of Indru's muzzle weighing atop his own could make the faithful Guardian simply accept it. While male and female ranks did not truly cross over enough to demand dominance and submission, it irked him enough that he stiffened when she padded over to him. He had no wish to make an enemy or an outcast of her, but he wasn't going to just sit by and let some new upstart waltz into a position that angered him just to think of. Naira's betrayal had cut so deep - Indru hadn't even been there, and yet he dared promote a stranger into the position. The female Second was to be Corinna's perhaps closest female ally.. and Ice did not trust strangers. So when the girl placed herself next to him, a warning rumbled in his chest as he pulled his head up, tail stiffening where it lay across the ground. She tried to greet him, and he nearly pitied her - for he would've loved to greet her back, but this had to be settled first... Without doing much of a noise, for he didn't want to disturb the meeting overly much, his head came around and he aimed a quick snap in the direction of her muzzle. He'd been here a long time now, earning his place, and he wasn't going to roll over to some unknown slip of a girl just because Indru said so. If she wanted to demand submission from him, she'd better damn well earn it, and if she couldn't, she'd just have to accept that he was above her in rank. He nearly wished he could fill her spot, but... it'd be a tad awkward to have a male as female Second, wouldn't it? The rest of the pack trickled in as he awaited her reaction, Marsh seated on the other side of her, presumably to test her and keep her in line. Ice's pale eyes briefly left Elsa when Indru announced the news, but quickly returned to hammer at her. He wouldn't rest easy until this little thing was settled, and he wanted a clear mind for when the den digging began. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

Minor PP stuff to account for the double posts in the first round. Please let me know if I need to change it.

Gone Tomorrow

Corinna's green eyes reflected worry as Rihael expressed that he did not know where his sister was. Ever since the flood, Corinna had been trying to keep an eye on her daughter, who had very obviously been shaken by the experience. So when Marsh stood up, the unasked question was quick to receive an affirmation from the worried mother. Marsh would find her, no doubt. Nodding her head, she waited for Marsh to disappear to retrieve the third Tainn cub. It was fortunate that Kisla was not far off, and soon enough both were present. Giving the Second a smile in thanks, she nudged Kisla's between the ears as the girl came forward to submit.

Her attention was drawn away though as a rather large wolf came lumbering into the vicinity. Instantly he had Corinna on edge, if only because she had no idea who he was. He dipped into a bow though, and gave a rather awkward greeting. It seemed that the wolf's lack of proper submission was noted by Indru, and her own hackles rose slightly in response to her mate's aggression.

Glancing around the group, Corinna took a mental note of who all had responded to their leaders' request. Almost everyone, though there was one exception. Finn, the subordinate who Corinna had barely heard from or seen since their last pack gathering, was notably absence. That didn't sit right with her, and as Indru began to speak, Corinna promised herself she would not let the offense go unpunished.

A nip was given to her cheek after the announcement was made that she was in fact pregnant. That much should have been clear from her scent, nevermind the small bulge of her stomach. It was not as pronounced as it would become, but there was no disillusionment regarding how much her stomach would swell in the coming weeks. Choosing to remain silent for the time being, she let Indru go on to indicate what it was they were doing here. However, as he fell silent, she spoke up, drawing the pack's attention. "We would like your help with clearing the den out to help make it suitable. Due to the floods, we had to abandon the old den. I think this one will prove more durable during the spring." Rising up from her haunches, she padded over towards the hole. "Our strongest pack mates would be best at clearing the inside of the den with extra dirt. Others can help with the entrance; unfortunately I won't be this size for much longer." Cori laughed, and her tail wagged. Her gaze went to the three youngest Tainns. "As for you three, I could use your help clearing away the dirt that the others kick up. What do you say?" Stepping forward, the female began to kick at the dirt with her forepaws, a smile pile of dirt beginning to accumulate behind her as she attacked the entrance of the den, trying to widen it along the base.

<blockquote>Affirmation given, Marsh had gone in search of Kisla, who, as expected, did not take long to appear. Rather than make it obvious that he had been looking for her, instead he simply fell in line behind the child and made as if to arrive at the meeting together. Once returned, he took his place beside Elsa once more, silently accepting the nod of thanks from his leadess. It was his duty and nothing more, nothing less.

A strange, large wolf arrived then, the sight of which put Marsh on edge just the same as Elsa's presence had. (Ice's reaction to that very female was of note, as well.) Was it really necessary to have so many strangers?! Where did they all come from, anyway? Did they come crawling out of the woodwork after Indru? A quiet growl escaped him as the newcomer failed to address his leaders properly, though Marsh held himself back from any larger display of displeasure for the sake of a pleasant meeting. If the awkward-acting male did not sort himself out, though...

Indru's cool voice snapped him to attention, and he let most of the words wash past his ears, only needing to pick up the most important ones. Corinna's pregnancy was plainly obvious to anyone with eyes or a nose, but he supposed that such formal announcements were needed for wolves who prized spoken language so much. It was times like this that he was quite sure that his way was the most sensible. Respectfully he listened, though, particularly when Corinna began. As far as he could tell, it condensed into being all about rebuilding the den. That wasn't too complicated. Glancing at Ice, as if to make sure that he hadn't missed anything (though the white giant would no doubt put him right if Corinna did not) Marsh stood once more, ever compliant, and awaited instruction - or just being pointed at the right patch of earth.</blockquote>

As the wolves gathered from all ways, he sat quietly towards the back; feeling somewhat shy and out of place as usual. He hadn't missed the look Indru had given him when he had failed to walk right up to them in greeting like the others had. He put his nervous down to lack of social skills, having been alone for some time, it would take a while for his instincts to kick back in. Watching the others walk up to the pair and pay their respects, be it a nudge or a lick, he felt a little more at ease that the way of the wolf had not changed.

Finally the pair spoke up, addressing the reason why they were here and what they expected. His duty was simple enough, clear the den area ready for the new pups. Couldn't be too hard, right? As silence fell, he finally rose to his paws and padded cautiously, lowered to the ground towards the lead pair. Making himself small, as small as he could muster, he offered a nudge to the females shoulder as he approached.

"Corinna? An honour to meet you. My name is Bear. Indru was kind enough to offer me a home here with you and your family and I'm more then humble to offer my services to you and the young you carry in making you a new home today." he said, keeping his voice small and quiet, a shy expression still plastered to his face. Stepping backwards, he hoped he hadn't made too much of a cock up with the introduction. He wanted, no, needed these wolves to accept him in a way he had wanted to be accepted for so long. With an anxious expression and a held breath, he waited for a response and the work to begin.

(This post was last modified: May 02, 2012, 09:44 PM by Bear.)

<blockquote>For some time Fenru was fixated on how Hael was keeping his grip but Corinna's question pulled him from his musing. He simply shook his head, unable to provide an answer. If anything, he figured Mum needn't had worried; he had somewhat noted that Kisla usually stayed well away from the Swift River. As his sister showed up, Fen glanced up to his brother before watching as Kisla settled in. For a third time, his gaze was torn from his target and he peeked up over the tree's roots to stare at a large and rather daunting stranger. His brow furrowed and he instantly cast a glance over to his parents as they bristled and eyed the chocolate-pelted male. As Indru began to speak, Fen attentively took in his words.

It was a wonder how the boy couldn't have figured out why Mum's scent had changed, but hearing straight out that the family was anticipating the arrival of more <i>cubs</i> Fenru had to consider what had been said. Cubs... as in more playmates? Just about his age? Or...? His head had tilted slightly to one side. Though when Corinna commented about <i>her size</i> then assigned the task of moving the dirt away from the new den site, he merely nodded, not wanting to question it further. He had subtly tried to ask Finn about where puppies or cubs came from but had ultimately ended up frustrated. Perhaps Hael or Kisla would ask... after <i>Bear</i>, here, was properly initiated into the pack.</blockquote>

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

just to clear this up maybe if it's needed, since it seems to be becoming a landmark near the den, this tree is what I had pictured Hael exploring, and he's just hopping around on the roots - sorry if my first post was vague about that! Although I'm totally cool with it being a fallen/uprooted tree too, as that kinda seems cooler than just a normal tree :] what do you guys think?
<blockquote>Before he could answer his mother's question, he was distracted by a nip from none other than Uncle Triell, who'd arrived silently behind him. Hael wasn't startled, but he gave a little playful growl as he hopped off the roots of the tree, watching his dark uncle, and moving to Fenru's side. He wasn't sure <i>where</i> Kisla was, actually— but just as he began to wonder at her whereabouts with a hint of worry crossing his dark-masked face, his worries were abated as the pale female entered the clearing. He grinned at her, watching with mild interest as she paid some rather adult respects to Mom and Dad. Soon it wouldn't be long until Hael had to do the same; he would only need to be shown his place once for the lesson to stick, but for now, his childish arrogance prevailed. Though he was technically the oldest of his siblings, it could probably stand to be said that his maturity level didn't yet match his age.

Soon things seemed to get started, and Hael plunked to the ground obediently. But... <i>wait, what?</i>

...Pregnant? What was <i>pregnant</i>? How did that relate to them having more cubs? Was that why Mom smelled so weird - was she sick or something? His orange eyes narrowed, Hael gave his brother a sideways glance, but it seemed to him that Fenru appeared as perplexed as he was. More cubs? Hael... wasn't sure if he was okay with more cubs. From where? Why were they going to let some weird stranger cubs into their pack...? Dad seemed to think that everyone would've known about this already, but Rihael certainly hadn't, and he wrinkled his nose in mild annoyance that he'd been left out of the loop. He'd have to ask Dad about these <i>cubs</i> later, or maybe Uncle Triell, or someone. Or maybe Marsh, he was old, so probably knew what was going on, right?

Pushing this matter aside, though his curiosity had riled him up, Hael listened with bubbling curiosity to the rest of his parents' plans. Rebuilding the den did make sense to him at least. For a moment, his vision clouded over at his memories of the old den... <i>their</i> den. Yet he knew there was nothing they could do about what had happened, and that no amount of sad or nostalgic thoughts would bring his birthplace back. Luckily, it was easy enough for him to get excited about new things, and the idea of building a new den with the entire pack's help promised to be fun. He nodded excitedly at being asked to help move dirt, and beamed at his two siblings, eager to start helping. As the strange, new male spoke up, his gaze flickered between him and his father, wondering what would become of this. The River pack was no stranger to, well, strangers, but... between this new guy, the new Second, and these mysterious <i>cubs</i>, their pack sure was going to be large, wasn't it?</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: May 04, 2012, 06:16 PM by Rihael.)

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

<blockquote>The beige brute at the back of the group continued to listen as the footfalls of others drew near, slowed, then came to a stop. An unfamiliar scent wafted past him and his eyes flickered up from his tail to stare into the back of Bear's head. He had missed the exchange of gestures between the man and the two River leaders but attentively watched as the meeting eventually commenced. He had noticed the shifting of the leader's scent and it was no surprise as the pregnancy was announced. A smile smile lifted the sides of his muzzle, a small token of congratulations, as he noted that his stay within Swift River would probably be extended by a matter of months. He would have to speak to Indru sometime then, to work out the dilemma at hand. Once Corinna and the cubs, maybe even the yearlings, were taken care of, he intended to meet with his betrothed... The distance and separation were already enough, aside from the constant hunting and caching, to cause him distress.

The instruction to help construct a new home and denning space for the new additions drew Angier's thoughts away from the parts of Relic Lore he had yet to travel. His eyes consciously fell upon the tree in question. He tensed the muscles in his forelimbs then relaxed them and pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth. When his gaze finally found its way back to Indru and Corinna he attentively watched them, even as Corinna began to form the entrance of the new burrow. Wherever they needed him, he would go and whatever was asked of him, he would dutifully do... digging, clearing away debris, or simply minding the youngest members as they, too, helped out.</blockquote>

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