Sacred Grove Getting to Know Swift River...

Cali's fears were nearly realized when Corinna's angry growl erupted. If only Ice had not shown up just then. If only she had kept her mouth shut. Snapping like that really wasn't like her, but you couldn't take first impressions back. The only redeeming point of the encounter had been that she hadn't been shown the door, merely ordered out of Corinna's presence.

Her ears and body slunk even lower at the leader's ire. <b>"Yes, Corinna,"</b> she whispered, before hurrying out of the irate female's presence. If Marsh or Ice felt compelled to accompany her, she would suffer their presence in her humiliation, but there was no way that she could bring herself to ask either of them to help her right now. She would make do on her own. All her sense were intact and she could stay within the borders easily as she explored her new home. Her only wish was that the leadess didn't despise her already. She hadn't done anything unforgivable, merely raised her voice slightly. It seemed that the deck was stacked against her, just by presenting herself to the powerful female.

As she left the den site, she didn't even look at the two males. Her nose was nearly touching the ground and her green eyes were filled with misery. After a while, she smelled that she was nearing the border of the territory. She paused and lifted her head, considering her next move. For a moment the thought crossed her mind to step over the line and just keep walking. Where would that leave her though? Back to being a wanderer. A failure at joining a pack. That certainly wasn't what she wanted for herself. No. It was time to take the harder road and stick it out here. Indru had accepted her. While Corinna hadn't quite 'accepted' her, she hadn't rejected her altogether either. That meant that there was still hope for her to become a welcomed member of the pack. She would just have to work extra hard to overcome her first meeting with Corinna.

Nodding to herself as she made her decision, Cali stepped to the left and began to walk the borders of the Swift River pack, taking note of landmarks and occasionally strengthening the line with her own scent. With each mingling of her scent with the scents of the other wolves' her resolve strengthened and she knew that she'd made the right decision to join and stay in her new pack.

(This post was last modified: May 10, 2012, 04:20 PM by Cali.)

Never Underestimate a Heart of Fire...

<blockquote>Though far from feeling threatened, it was always a comfort when a trusted ally showed. Marsh glanced at Ice as he approached, his russet ears pricking forwards in attentiveness. He accepted the respectful greeting and replied with a nudge to the cheek, almost without thinking, as Ice curled about, brushing their coats together briefly before coming to grab the new girl's muzzle himself.

Marsh's lip lifted momentarily in satisfaction at that, but then it turned into a rather more agitated expression - very much like his master's - as Cali showed some of her unnecessary fire. He did not bother to follow what they were arguing about, for the reason was obvious. Well, she would very well get used to it, or get out. Corinna's tone and posture said it all, and Marsh had to suppress an instinctive growl to enforce it. His leader was more than fearsome enough on her own, full of offspring or not.

The command she gave was easily understood, and Marsh watched the while girl flee, satisfied that her tail remained tucked between her legs. Irritation flashed through his expression at her mixed behaviour before he snorted, and cleared himself of it. She was gone now, hopefully to be productive; he would seek her out and sort her out again before long. Taking a few steps forward to break the subtle tension that had fallen over the area, he turned about and looked to Corinna, hoping that his summoning her had not been terribly inconvenient or bothersome. Such meetings were necessary, and Cali certainly had a better idea of her place, though he had to wonder how many more newcomers the leader would have to endure in her state.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: May 11, 2012, 11:22 AM by Marsh.)

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. She submitted, and then had the audacity to challenge him, with her blazing green eyes? Amazed, confused, and vaguely upset, Ice mimicked Corinna's growl, but since the insubordination had been aimed at him directly, he lunged forward half a step and snapped his teeth together with a sharp click. It was warning enough, and with a sibilant exhale he retreated to behind his leader, sharp silver eyes glaring at the white female. He was very glad Cori's words were a suggestion and not an order - he wasn't certain he would've been able to keep himself in check around the white female right now. He'd merely wanted to provoke her a little, prod her and see if she had some fire and a backbone - he hadn't wanted to stick his nose into a bonfire. There hadn't been a need to get so angry with him, hadn't it? She should've been concerned as well if she didn't have enough willpower to want to explore her new home, and if she knew she had a will and wanted to - well, by the stars, why not say so from the start? Grumpily, he blamed it all on the retreating wolf. At least she fled with the dignity of a subordinate, and neither of the two Guardians seemed inclined to follow her right now. If she'd gone with her head and tail high, maybe, but now..? She could sort herself out for a bit, and hopefully she was less prone to have a rage the next time he said something stupid around her. Ice gave a low whine, apologizing a little for being the cause of this particular outburst. Without speaking words he leaned in, giving Corinna's chin a couple of licks. Likely this minor confrontation had been inevitable, but he could only hope it got better from now one. Few wolves were hopeless, but damn, some of them had a hard time settling. Ears back, he glanced at Marsh, as if to ask the older wolf if he was leaving - if they were breaking up this little meeting now that Cali, the thing which had brought them together, had left. Unless Corinna wanted them to stay with her, maybe he'd tag along for a patrol along the border... if that was where Marsh was going. But honestly, when was either of them not at the borders? He gave the russet wolf a quick smile, before angling his head to the side and waiting for someone to tell him where to go, and what to do. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

Gone Tomorrow

The girl, Cali, was quickly to apologize and leave the scene once she was chastised. Without much emotion, Corinna watched her leave, mentally dismissing her by the lack of attachment. The leader had been harsh, perhaps, but that was what new wolves were dealing with when they decided to join the River pack. Indru was by far the more trusting of the two leaders, and while Corinna rarely disagreed with her mate's decision, she was not won over purely by his opinion on a new subordinate either. It seemed that rang true for the two guardians as well, who watched Cali leave with very little familiarity on their faces. A snort was given by the elder of the trio, and Corinna nudged his cheek to calm his tension. Better for their meeting to occur now than later; as irritable as she was now, Corinna would be far more so as her pregnancy lengthened.

Attention drawn away by Ice's whine, Cori wagged her tail and returned a lick to his forehead as he licked her chin. "It's alright. She's learned now." Perhaps their second meeting would go better; Cori certainly hoped so. Stifling a sigh, the female slipped down onto her haunches, her weariness clear on her face. It would be time to seek a nap soon, that was for sure. Here wasn't a bad spot actually. An amiable smile was given to the two; they were free to go if they wished, though she wouldn't mind their company if they stayed. Slipping onto her belly, the round leader let her head settle on her paws. Exhaling deeply, she let her eyes close, though it would be some time before she was able to find the relaxation of sleep.

<blockquote>Corinna's soft touch was more than enough to soothe him, her silent reassurance always utterly effective. It had been a meeting which would happen sooner rather than later, and he was pleased that it had not gone terribly. He did not exactly have high hopes for the female, though - too many in her position had failed for him to really expect much.

His leader settled down, and Marsh stepped closer to her for a moment, leaning his head down to offer a light lick to the side of her muzzle, wanting to be as much of a comfort to her as she was to him. That would never be possible, though. Silently he moved away, leaving her to her rest, for she deserved it. He would continue doing his duty as he always did.

With a glance to Ice, Marsh nodded slightly, an invitation - if the white wolf was interested. Should he choose to rest with Corinna or not was his own choice. With a low woof, Marsh said his farewells and turned towards the borders once more.</blockquote>

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. And so it was done, over, settled - Corinna's gentle tongue to his forehead banished any lingering doubt or worry. It was true what she said; it had had to happened, and better sooner than later. His tail gave a twitch of acknowledgment before he moved back a little to give her space to lie down. Had this little ordeal tired her, or had it been time for a nap anyway? Realizing that he was nearly slinking into the role of a mother hen worrying about its chick, Ice clamped his jaws shut and gave a low huff. She had been pregnant before. She could take care of herself. If something was amiss, she'd let them know - at least, he hoped so. That she trusted them enough. A movement caught in the corner of his eye caught his attention, and Ice's head snapped around to catch Marsh's inviting nod. Torn between his two friends he looked back to Corinna, at her resting form, green eyes closed. She looked peaceful. It looked peaceful here. But this meeting had left a restless energy in him, and he wasn't sure he could doze by her side right now without tossing and turning and disturbing her. Better to go with Marsh, then, who was already padding away. That beast never wasted time on sitting around. Still, Ice was quite fond of him. With a low yip of sorts he bent down to give Corinna's ears a quick, teasing lick of reassurance before he bounced off after his russet partner. Either the monotony of patrolling would let his mind process the meeting that had taken place and thus lay it to rest, or make him, more or less, forget about it. Either would be pleasant. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul