Swift River iron will

OOC: Ice & Marsh will need to reply first, and then myself, in order for this thread to make sense, then Finn can reply. Corinna explains it below, but essentially the reason Corinna wants Finn out is because she didn't show at the pack rally (which was mandatory), nor has been seen around the pack lands for quite some time.

<i>Mostly Cloudy/Fog — Current Temperature: 32° F/0° C; Morning</i>

Gone Tomorrow

The morning fog hung about the woods, creating shadows were none were to exist and causing the sunlight to splinter in a thousand different directions. Corinna Tainn did not have exceptional eyesight, but today her average eyes were failing her quite uselessly. But that was no matter, she knew precisely where she was going. After well over a year of being undisputed leader of the River wolves, she knew her way around, despite the fog. She used that knowledge to her advantage, abandoning the newly constructed pack den and heading towards the borders.

As she did so, she howled, her voice low and urgent. Summoning Marsh and Ice, her loyal guardians, Corinna came to a stop, about a mile from the border. She didn't give a reason for the summons, but she knew both males would come running as soon as she called. That was the kind of loyalty she expected from River wolves, and it was unfortunate that such displays of loyalty were going to be used to oust one not so skilled in that department. The subordinate, Finn, had not been seen by the leader in quite some time. Fine, considering Corinna was preferring to keep to herself more and more these days, given her irritable moods. But the girl had not been present at the pack rally, and to the expecting mother, that was a cardinal sin. Harsh, perhaps, but she was done letting her pack and territory be walked over by the ungrateful. Marsh and Ice would see to it that her will would be done, as she was too far along in her pregnancy to enforce it herself.

Settling down onto her haunches to wait, Corinna closed her eyes against the fog. They wouldn't be long.

<blockquote>The pair of high-ranking males had been wandering the borders side by side, which was not an unusual sight. Though he never felt vulnerable patrolling by himself, Marsh enjoyed the company, as well as the power which the two strong wolves represented by leaving their mark together. It was not a scent which any sane trespasser would easily ignore, and they had intimidated their fair share of troublesome loners from the borders.

Ice's voice was ever-smooth in his head, somehow a comforting sound, though as soon as Corinna's howl rang out over the territory, the Second's attention was caught. Instantly he hesitated, head high and ears perked, his eyes fixed on Ice's. A summons for them, specifically? Well, that was not something he would ever ignore. Curious as to her purpose, but always obedient, Marsh turned on his heels, nipping at Ice's cheeks in an affectionate 'let's go'. Dutifully they ran, the fog barely impacting their ability to maneouver the lands they knew so well, seeking the source of the call. With the swiftness of their response, it did not take long for Corinna's shape to appear through the haze, though it was her dominant scent which truly told Marsh that they had arrived.

He whined lowly in greeting, slowing to a walk as he approached Corinna, as ever placing a respectful lick on her chin. Then he would take a pace back, to stand beside Ice, waiting for the reason that the pair had been called.</blockquote>

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. Ice patrolled as often with Triell as with Marsh, and the atmosphere couldn't have been more different depending on his partner. Often with Triell there was a sort of youthful air to it, playful nips spaced in with more schooling-style sessions, or just heavy, thoughtful silence. Ice didn't mind, but it was different. With Marsh, they were always moving along, somehow so deadly serious in what they did, despite the easy air and his own incessant ramble. He'd learned to read responses in Marsh, and it had become so easy to mix his own more intricate spoken language with the body language of his partner. Sometimes, Ice swore they had flowing conversations, and yet the copper male never spoke a single word. "- and it was a double rainbow, with -" Corinna's howl cut his nonsense short, silver head snapping up as he squinted through the fog. Of course, she was nowhere near, but still. It was a personal summons, and curious, he met Marsh's steadfast gaze, giving a small shrug in response to the unspoken question. Well, time to go anyway, and as the Second nipped at his cheek to hurry him on, he gave a playful gruff-sound and trailed after him. Despite the seriousness of the situation and that he knew the territory, Ice's surefootedness wasn't foolproof in heavy fog. And so, he let the older male run first, and miraculously avoided mishaps. By scent alone he knew they were close, but as they came upon her shape as well he swept up to her after Marsh, head ducked and ears flat as he gave her chin a lick before stepping back. Shoulder to shoulder with Marsh he stood like a larger, silent shadow, pale hairs brushing slightly against his russet ones. Curious, that both of them had gray eyes, or so he thought as he waited for their orders. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

Gone Tomorrow

The two loyal beasts were quick to answer her summons. They might not have been terribly far, but even so, she was quick to see their figures emerge out of the fog. Her tail began to wag, and for a moment, Corinna was free to forget why she had asked them to come here in the first place. A nuzzle of the cheek was given to each male, and she left a comfortable silence fall between them as they stepped back. What a pair they were; and looking at the two of them, she knew for fact that this was what family was meant to be. It was unfortunate that she was about to ask them to help her remove a wolf from the family. She wasn't entirely sure how they would feel about it, but with her pregnancy in its prime, she did not want to be responsible for one more wolf who wouldn't pull their own weight.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to break the silence. "Thank you for coming," Cori spoke up, her gaze jumping back and forth between the two guardians, her voice slow and clear for the benefit of the more silent of the two. "Unfortunately, I have to ask you to help me in a rather...unpleasant task. Finn, one of the subordinates, has been noticeably absence from River lands. She wasn't at the construction of the den with the rest of the pack." Her voice was firm, but here she faded off. "After what happened, I can't tolerate wolves like that in our pack anymore. So I would like your help in making sure she leaves before she decided to disappear in the night." It was a lot to take in, but hopefully it would be made clear. Stepping closer, to the duo, she waited for their reactions. She respected their opinions, if they didn't want Finn to leave, then she would reconsider her position.

<blockquote>With his own actions so tied to the object of his devotion, Marsh's 'true' morality had never really had to come to light. It was probably for the best that Corinna was an amiable wolf - most of the time, at least. In less pleasant ownership, Marsh's capacity for darker actions would have been more apparent.

Ears perked as he strained to understand every word, though, it being Corinna, more words made it through than normal. He appreciated her efforts to speak as clearly as possible, and it worked.

Finn. He had come to her help when a stranger had called for it, and he had stood guard as another stranger patched her up. She was a Swift River wolf, and he was her Second; it was expected. But she had not shown at the building of the new den, and her presence around the territory was not exemplary.

Marsh had come to Finn's aid without a second thought, and he would help drive her out in the same way.

His lip lifted momentarily, a reflection of the hostility which was being felt for Finn - coupled with the eager rumble in his chest, and the obvious compliance in his eyes, it was clear that he had no qualms with the task. Gently he nudged his shoulder into Ice, eager to get going. They would have to find the elusive female, unless Corinna knew where she was - not that he disliked the idea of tracking her down and chasing her out in one fell swoop.</blockquote>

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. The same sense of perfection - wholeness - that usually accompanied him when in the company of Corinna came seeping back as she greeted them. For a moment, he wished time would stop and let him bask in this moment forever. Marsh was by his side, strong and silent, the warmth radiating off his body lapping against Ice's dewy side. He took a deep breath, the scents of his pack mates tickling his nose in a pleasant way. But, of course, such moments of peace would never last. As Corinna's voice, much slower and clearer than usual, slipped into the air his ears perked up, listening attentively. Unpleasant task? Finn. He hadn't met her many times, but remembered her from the first meeting - silent, ordinary. She had to leave. Alright. He could do that, and a brief glance at Marsh told him his companion was more than eager to get started. Ice gave the older Second a faint and bemused smile before returning his attention to Corinna. "Of course," he said smoothly, dipping his head a little when she stepped closer. Beside him, Marsh was nudging him to get them going. Affectionately the pale Guardian gave his cheek a nip, trying to tell him to settle for a few more seconds. The man was determined, to say the least, and sometimes a little too impatient, perhaps. Not that he minded - without one of them always putting one paw in front of the other, chances were they'd not get anywhere at all! "Know where she is? If not, we'll just track her down..." By his stance and his eyes, it was clear that he didn't expect much more than an answer and a sign that they were free to go. After all, if Cori wanted Finn gone, it just wouldn't do to sit around and have a chat before getting to it, now, would it? .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

Okay, I think at this point, Finn is free to post as simply being on River territory and Marsh and Ice can go find her.

Gone Tomorrow

It seemed that her request to see Finn gone wasn't a difficult one, and neither Ice nor Marsh objected to the decision. That was enough to put her mind at ease about the decision. She had never removed a pack member once they were accepted, though it felt like she was constantly turning away hopefuls along the borders. But the brood in her stomach was growing heavier every day, and there were more than enough mouths to feed without an additional one that wasn't actively pulling her own weight. "She's around here somewhere. I smelled her earlier." Hopefully that would be enough to send the two on their way, though Corinna would not let them do the work entirely on their own. "I'll be waiting for you at the borders. She needs to know that it was my decision to send her off." With that, and a gentle nudge to each male's cheek, Corinna stood up and began her awkward waddle of a lope to where she would meet them once they had found Finn. Corinna herself was in no condition to physically track the girl down, but she was more than willing to hand down the sentence that she had ordered.

With her recent injures, Finn was up to no task. She lay beneath a large oak, her eyes half closed. The stream before her flowed carelessly, glistening within the rays of the sun. Depression pulled at the small gray woman, and she did her best to maintain a positive attitude. She was sore..there was no doubt about that. With the help of some packmates as well as other mysterious wolves, she was able to walk (err...limp..drag herself?) away from Bramble Falls, where her brother had come and torn her to bits.

Sighing aloud, the woman quivered as a cool breeze blew past, piercing through her silver-gray coat and tickling her flesh. She lay her elegant head upon her paws as the wind resided. "Why me.." It was not a question, but more of an unfinished sentence. She spoke to the wind, to the stream, to the trees. Whoever was listening, basically. Pale chocolate eyes closed now, and she dozed off to the sound of a squirrel chattering in the tree above.

"If a man knows anything, he ought to die with it in him."

<blockquote>Ice's subtle plea for patience was noted, content to allow the interaction to play out until they were dismissed. As usual, Corinna's intentions filtered through her speech moderately well. At least, Marsh understood that she was to see Finn again, and no doubt Ice would see that they did not make any mistakes.

He whined softly as her nose touched his cheek, an affirmation that he would do his duty, and then she was away. His expression grew harder once more as she left, and he glanced at Ice, eager to get on with it. Snapping up at the white wolf's ear, intending only to tug it with playful enthusiasm, he chuckled as he turned, nose to the ground seeking the female's scent. It did not take long for a suitably fresh track to be found, and with a huff to his companion, Marsh trotted after it, ears forward and manner purposeful. Corinna would not be made to suffer layabouts, injuries or no; it had been some time after her attack, and it did nobody any good to sit around feeling sorry for yourself. Marsh had been split open by a boar - had they seen him moping around afterwards?

Of course, Marsh was not exactly the most naturally sympathetic of wolves, and he would have run Finn out on Corinna's command no matter how well she was... or was not.</blockquote>

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. Around here somewhere. Good enough for him, and with a silent nod he acknowledged her instructions - the only downside of being joined at the hip with Marsh was that, even though he was below in rank, he had to deal with all the verbal stuff. It would fall to him to briefly inform Finn of her situation and coax her out to the borders, whereas Marsh would just have to stand there and look scary. Ice didn't enjoy disappointing others, or making them feel let down, and he had a feeling Finn would make him feel something like that even though he agreed with Corinna. At her touch, he closed his eyes and gave a low keen. For a moment after she drew back he watched her disappear, noting her direction, and then he gave his head a small shake. Marsh's teeth brought him back to the present, and with a halfhearted gruff he snapped towards his shoulder, returning the gesture. Well, time to be off, then - time to hunt. Marsh glued his nose to the ground and Ice fanned out beside him so they could cover a wider area - he was always one step behind despite the yards between them, though, and when Marsh caught it he responded with a grunt. Their pace upped, and Ice loped the few yards to his companion's side, falling into a wolf-trot once he was beside him, content to let him track. Ice was busy running words through his head, ways to convince Finn she had to go without upsetting her too much. If she got upset he'd just feel bad and mope about it later, which he wanted to avoid. Steeling himself, he was relieved their trek was relatively short. They found her dozing by one of the gentle little brooks, and ears forward, Ice announced their presence with a bark. He didn't want to startle her too much... Waiting for her to come to fully he strode up, pausing at a moderately respectful distance that allowed Marsh to be half a step ahead. Finn hadn't been disrespectful or rude, so to haul her out by the scruff would be a bit too extreme. "On your feet," he commanded her in a quiet voice. "We're to show you to the borders - Corinna's waiting for you there." Please don't fight back or cry. .ice aesir

We'll be skipping Shadow until we arrive with Finn at the borders :)

let the stars above shine in your soul