Swift River into the sun

Today is the day that the cubs are playable and will be officially leaving the den for the first time. At this point, I am going to assume that all of the SR members would be aware of how many, what gender, and the names of the three cubs, but wouldn't have directly seen them yet. Cori would have left the den a few times to stretch and get water, but up until this point, nobody else would have been allowed in. I'd like to have the cubs and Indru reply in the first round. After my second post, the rest of the pack can start gathering to meet them.

<b>First round ends June 30th.</b>

<i>Mid-morning, sunshine, light breeze.</i>

Gone Tomorrow

While the pack had spent a fair bit of time constructing the den to the exact specifications of their leaders, Corinna was growing increasingly claustrophobic in it. Though the largest occupant of the den by far, the three cubs that she had given birth to only a month ago had grown at a rapid rate. Though still small, the cubs sprawling around her were hardly the same size as the ones that had lived in her womb for months. She had been able to take her leave a few times, but her motherly instincts would not allow her to travel far. Cori had left the den, always under Indru's watchful eye, and gone to the River to drink, and come straight back. Her interactions with the rest of the pack had been miniscule, to say the least. And while her mind was focused almost solely on the care and protection of Aiyana, Torrel, and Rissa, her heart yearned to see her other children as well. She was now a mother twice over, but Cori was a stranger to the interactions of cubs of different litters. But all that was about to change.

Having snapped, growled, and pulled them back ever since they started crawling towards the wall of light, Corinna had made it clear to her young ones where their boundaries lay. They had seen her come and go, and seen their father's looming figure peer through. But they knew not what lay outside, the massive expanse of world that was theirs for exploring. Nudging Rissa's hindquarters, Corinna gently pushed her out of the way. Stretching her forelimbs, as much as she could in the space, the mother looked down at her youngest litter. They were beautiful, and her pride was on full display. "Are you ready, loves?" She lowered her head, licking the top of Torell's forehead to rouse him. "It's time to meet the rest of your family." Not only Rihael, Kisla, and Fenru, but Marsh, Ice, Triell, Cali, and everybody else. The pack that had kept them fed and protected the borders so they would be safe at night. Plus, a proper introduction to "Dad", the only other wolf they had come into contact with.

Head still low, the mother nosed each of her three cubs in turn, trying to rouse them awake. Once she was satisfied that they were aware, she stepped over them, preparing to lead them out into the sunlight and into the world. Breaking through and into fresh air, Corinna paused for a moment, just taking a deep breath. Her tail slowly began to wag, and as she emerged fully into the den area, a smile graced her lips. "Indru!" The excitement seeped into her voice, and her green eyes looked in earnest for her mate, knowing that he would not have strayed very far. But her attention was quick to return to the three inside the den, and she turned around, to watch their progress. "It's alright. I'm here." Cori offered comfort for them, encouragement that this time, she would not pull their young bodies away from the rest of the world.

(This post was last modified: Jun 25, 2012, 04:37 PM by Indru.)

If we have all the cubs post, and then I'll post with Indru to bookend the first round of the cubs leaving and Indru and Cori preparing to call the rest of the pack. :)

For days the wall of light had been a subject of study and fascination for Torrel—from it came a bright whiteness that paled the rest of the dark soil that surrounded him and, perhaps more bizarrely, sometimes too that brightness would be lost only to return every so often. It was as fascinating as it was unexplained and even more frustrating was his continuously refuted attempts to explore it. The few times his mother would leave (which grew more frequent and longer as he grew) Tor would make a wild dash for the light with a mischievous glint in his eye only for his father to suddenly appear in the entrance, which would send him tumbling backwards on his weak legs, as he took over Corinna's guard. His parents, it seemed, were unwilling to share the secrets of the portal that allowed them to slip from his and his sister's presence for unknown reasons. However, today it seemed, the mystery was to be solved.

Brown ears twitched gently on the top of his head as his mother's calm voice broke his slumber and a comforted mewl escaped him as he felt the warm tongue wash over the top of his skull and slick back his fur. Her words confused him (wasn't mother, Rissa, Aiyana and father all their family after all?) yet at her gentle nudge his baby-blue eyes flashed open and as she approached the exit, encouraging them to follow, there was no hesitation in his movements. With excited yips and playful growls he bounded up the steep incline of the den and scrabbled against the cool soil determined to be the first to burst out into the unexplained and for the first time he felt the limits of his body which soon turned his excitement into frustration as his weak legs caused him to stagger as he powered on.

The world outside the den was a jumble of unfamiliar yet fascinating and intriguing smells. There were some he recognised—the scent of the pack, the strongest—that had clung most obviously to his father's fur, but there were more, so much more. He could smell the trees and the leaves and the earth and the numerous other scents the wind carried to him and together they banded together to overwhelm and confuse his nose and make him sneeze and his ears quickly slicked back to his skull. For the first time, confusion bubbled within him and where other cubs may have whined or whimpered Torrel bared his teeth and let an imitation of his parent's growl's escape him instead. Yet, quickly, it passed and soon the warm, sweet air beckoned and drew him from his mother's side as he bounded forward eagerly, the rush of freedom making him forget his fears.

Aiyana Tainn

I walk upon the river

The light was the thing which had fascinated Aiyana the most; it was bright and soft yet bit the eyes at times, and after all this time pent up in a dark hole with her squabbling siblings, it was the only thing she didn't know what it was. Soil, root, leaf, old fur, mother, father, Rissa, Torrel - all of these things she knew what they were, scent and sound and touch. But the light? She was constantly denied to tumble out into it, always pushed back, by mother or by father. Eventually she had learned to linger just close enough where her black little nose could twitch to the scents of the incoming wind and her blue eyes gaze longingly at it, and her parents had let her be. It was a good place to sleep, too, for her dreams were always more interesting, but usually she woke to find that someone had pushed her into a heap with her furball siblings anyway. It was quite frustrating, but unlike Torrel, she'd managed to school herself to patience. One day, she would enter the light - or the dark, as it sometimes was - and find out what it was. The dark wasn't a stranger, the dark she knew - but the light...

She'd slumbered again, little Aiyana, near the entrance, but once more she'd somehow ended up deeper in. She woke by a touch, found herself in a cubpile, and protested meekly. She'd been intending to just roll over again when she realized something was different - there was something in the air, excitement of a sorts, change, alert, and little black ears snapped to attention and her sleepy gaze sharpened into focus. She'd missed her mother's words about meeting the family, but Torrel seemed to know something was up. Annoyed, she flopped into a sit and watched him yip and fight the light to get out. Honestly, couldn't he ever be less energetic? Aiyana herself was far from docile, but she preferred to not rush about like an idiot at all times of the day, but rather conserved her bounciness for playtime, minor mischief, and exploration. She'd outgrown exploring this world, though, but was more cautious by nature (it could also have something to do with her parents snapping her back into the darkness each time she had tried to go out; if they wanted to protect her from the light, they surely had a reason) and approached the entrance slowly. The only thing she cared about was getting out before her sister did, and she was taking her good time too.

While Torrel was rushing out and mother hawked at the entrance, Aiyana began to clamber out of the den. Her unruly brother had already disappeared, and her little claws scrabbled for purchase on the dirt. Finally, she came out; into the sun, the light, and blinked her little eyes. It really bit hard, so she lowered her gaze to her dirty paws. The sounds and scents the wind had carried into the den were stronger and clearer out here; she heard the gentle whisper of wind through trees, the scent of her extended family, the scent of.. everything. The scent of the world. Filled with wonder and budding curiosity, still tempered by caution, Aiyana raised her head to take in the view. Without a care for her brother dashing off, she began to slowly venture further from the den's entrance, shivering each time the wind stroked her face with gentle hands. It felt strange, and wonderful all at once - a small, absentminded smile played on her young face as she took slow and careful steps, relishing the sensation of something soft and lush beneath her paw pads. This was so much nicer to walk on than dirt, and that sensation alone was enough to occupy her inquisitive mind. She was determined to savor every moment of it.

like it's easier than land

Love is all, from what I've heard, but my heart's learned to kill

While Steph is on absence we are going to pretend Rissa is a tad reluctant to leave the den for this round. :P The thread is now open to all of Swift River - so I'd recommend attending unless you want to snub the leader's newest offspring. ;)

Today was the day the newest litter of cubs would meet the rest of the pack. It was always a tense moment when his newest younger siblings had been allowed to leave the den; the parents were rightly protective and tense and it was always known to be more submissive and cautious than usual on those days, to watch his parents for permission to approach the newest Tainn's. Now, Indru was learning to experiencing it as a father and it was easy to understand his parent's defensiveness when it was your vulnerable cubs leaving the safety of the den you had guarded for a month only to be surrounded by a pack of wolves, even if they were your own pack.

Without any hesitation Indru moved towards the den when he heard Cori call his name, satisfied with the newest scent marks he had quickly made around the area, making their dominance and control over this situation even clearer. A low whine escaped Indru in his eagerness as he headed towards Corinna and his franticly waving tail (already risen in preparation for the pack's arrival) showed the excitement that was now mixed in with his scent. Today was the day, and pride bristled within him at the pack's success one more.

Soon the first cub bounded from the depths of the den and a yip of pleasure and greeting escaped Indru as he watched them, resisting the urge to go closer and instead keeping his vigil at this end of them, where the pack were most likely to approach from. While Torrel stormed out like a tornado (though Indru couldn't help but smile at his dazzlement of the outside world) the black furred female, Aiyana, exited the den at a much slower pace and already he could see she that her curiosity was a different kind to Tor's, more subtle. Their youngest cub, Rissa, had yet to emerge and Indru shot a inquiring glance at Cori, perhaps she needed some gentle encouragement unlike the other two. The leader was soon distracted as Torrel, now recovered, made a beeline for freedom and more importantly almost exited his and Cori's protective circle. With no effort Indru moved forward to intercept the cub and dropped his muzzle down to topple him onto his back before he rested a large paw gently but firmly ontop of him, holding the boy in place as he let a warning growl rumble from him—stay, the command was clear.

When he felt the lesson had been taught Indru released his youngest son, washing his tongue over the boys ears to soothe the scolding before letting him bound off back into their protective circle. Satisfied the cubs were safe for the time being, Indru, with a quick look to Cori to warn her, rose his head to howl for the pack—Swift River has grown, it called and the pride in his deep tenor was clear, come meet them.

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. The air was electric, and had been for days; something deep in the pack's primal bones had told them that soon, soon the new blood will be out, in the sun. Anticipation had made them all stick close to home, few willing to miss the opportunity - and in missing so, likely earning themselves the leaders' scolding. Ice knew, from his own experience, that you didn't want to be scolded by an angry parent, whether it was yours or someone else's. They had a flair for being scary. And so, he'd done the sensible thing and stuck close to home, drifting around like a ghost in the Grove, manning the borders, watching the Tainns and the few others of a different blood who called Swift River home. Mainly, those were Cali, Angier, and Marsh; Marsh he watched with the greatest interest of all, constantly surprised by how beautiful he was beneath all the gruff and scars, at how mesmerizing it was to watch him when the sun set off the copper highlights in his fur. One of Ice's favorite things these days was to watch him while he slept, stealing glances at him when he did. He looked so much softer. A howl tore him from his amorous musings, and without blinking he leaped onto all four and loped the short distance to the den. Like an excitable train off the tracks he burst from the surroundings, but the moment he was in the clearing he nearly dropped facedown - how a wolf could go from a full sprint to crawling, or more like sliding, on their belly was a mystery, but somehow Ice had managed it. In the grass his tail was twitching madly, ears flat against his skull as he crept past Indru towards the, as he put it, adorable little furballs of fur and fur. One was mottled gray and tan like all Tainns, and was quite energetic. He guessed it was the boy, Torrel; a black shadow was walking across the grass near the entrance, and it was one of the females. Either Aiyana or Rissa. Ice stopped his crawling more or less under Indru's nose and decided to lay there and pretend to be harmless - which he was - and let some curious pup come to him, instead of bound in and be all up in their faces. This felt safer, not only for the pups, but for him too. Besides, being so near Indru meant the father could keep an eye on him... in case he got too excitable. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

You need bullet proof skin to keep you alive.

He had patiently waited for this day. Time flew fast at some points, and other moments it dragged. No doubt it came quicker than he had expected, and he was sure they would change before his eyes as their elder siblings had. He knew Corinna needed her space, and this time Indru was around so he did not have to hover. Sometimes he couldn't help it. He wanted to make sure they had everything they needed, and though he did not hang right at the den he tended to stay close. His ears would flicker a top his head, listening carefully to the daily rhythm of the grove. Also for any sign of something out of place. If he wasn't waiting to be needed, he was off trying to catch a decent meal to keep them strong. He never minded sitting with sleeping babes when Corinna needed a stretch of her legs or drink of water, Indru filled the task. Though this half bothered Triell because he missed out, he was aware how much Indy had missed the first time, and was happy his brother was not missing out. So when at last if all seemed alright he would do his best to fulfill his role of Guardian. Patrolling the borders, and scoping out potential danger for when they would wander farther.

His patrols were pretty mellow, except for a porcupine, and a very strange flock of black birds who thought they were out to eat their children. He interacted little with his pack mates, and would often stare to the North thinking of Volkan. Thinking of Ruiko and his own new pups. He had in mind to travel soon, but was awaiting this particular day before making any decision. Now it had arrived, and there was nothing that would keep Triell from meeting them. He bounded with excited energy from his hollow log to the clearing of the den. His muscles were tense, almost quivering with his anxious, and eager emotions to meet the little ones at last. Upon reaching the place of the roots, and open plain he knew he had to mind himself. There was no doubt about how careful he should be, and how the fears of their parents would put things more difficult than usual. He could understand that. How precious they were, and he could only imagine how he would fill if in their paws. How that little life, tied to your heart, but with mind's of their own could easily fall into danger. A bouncing Uncle would not do.

Stiff walk to slow his body, he flattened his ears, and tucked his black tail. He weaved through the tall grasses, making his way to where he spotted sir Ice resting, Indru laying out the law to who he presumed was the only boy, and a little girl, cloaked in ebony, soaking in the new life. His topaz colored eyes went to her first, some how simply caught off guard by her own darkened coat. What seemed like a few seconds staring, he shifted his eyes to his brother, and let out a light bark of greeting. His tail beat beneath him, and he strode to his leader to give him a respectful and affectionate lick to his chin. He than decided it was time to sit, and wait a little longer. This wait would not kill him.

are you with me through it all?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/bluepups/Calitable.png);background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-top: 250px;padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; text-align:justify;">Cali felt so at home here in the river now. Almost as if she had been born to these lands and not adopted in the fulness of life. She patrolled endlessly, hunted for herself and to occasional larger offering for the pack and the cubs. Thoughts of the cubs brought a bitter-sweet smile to her face, because of her own lost infants. The mother in her pushed those memories to the back of her mind where they were more bearable and focused on the young royalty that were alive and well in a nearby den. She knew that there were three, two little girls and a little prince. The main body of the pack had not met them yet, but there were whispers of affection for them always in the air. Cali had ferreted out that it had been about a month since their grand entrance into the world now and soon they would make their spotlight appearance outside of the den. Everyone was beyond excited, as well as on edge for the big day and the snowy white fae was no exception.

Although she patrolled daily, she found herself drifting closer and closer to the den in the last few days, excitement flowing through her veins. Her nurturing side couldn't wait to meet the babes and she fervently hoped that Corinna had warmed to her and that their first awkward encounter wouldn't stymie her overwhelming desire to help with the little ones. She was actually drifting inwards from a completed round of border patrol when the strong sure voice of Indru rang out clearly, calling them to meet the next generation of Tainns.

As she neared the den, she slowed her pace. The hard won confidence that she now wore slipped off like a ill fitting garment. As she neared Indru, her posture lowered considerably and her ears and tail were carried low down. She slowly slunk up to the leader. They had recently bonded and she was much more comfortable with him under ordinary circumstances, but these were no ordinary circumstances. This meeting involved the lifeblood of the pack and even an imagined transgression would be harshly dealt with. She licked Indru's chin respectfully and wagged her fluffy tail against her back legs, showing utter submission. Then she saw the young one trotting away from Indru after being redirected. The little man's coloring marked him a Tainn, through and through. Closer to the den she spied the shadowy form one of his little sisters, her soft ebony pelt setting her apart. The third tiny sibling was nowhere to be seen.

Cali looked to Indru and then to Corinna by the den's entrance, awaiting permission to get closer to their precious brood. Her survival instinct warned against doing so without the go ahead from both parents. She would do none of them any good, if she got careless in her excitement to meet the pups.

Never Underestimate a Heart of Fire...

<blockquote>The moment Fenru knew learned about his baby sisters and brother, the boy had been distraught and suddenly starved for his mother and father's attention. It had taken some struggle and a little bit of pep talk to get him to the wolf he was <i>today</i> - Aiyana, Torrel, and Rissa's <i>big brother</i>. He had been reflecting on his emotions at the edge of the River when he heard his father announce that it was time to meet the three beings he had tried so hard not to think about these past few weeks. Slowly gathering his feet under his barrel-like frame, he bounded through the Grove.

It was apparent that the yearling had taken his time. As soon as he had showed up, Torrel and the girl he <i>assumed</i> to be Rissa had already appeared, in addition to Ice, Uncle Triell, and a female he had not formally met. His approach was cautious and as he broke through the trees and into the clearing, his auburn ears had pinned back and his tail had curled underneath him. His rich amber eyes flickered to Indru with concern and anxiety written all over his face but he averted them as he seated himself a good distance away from the den and the place where Torrel had nearly dashed off to. He knew for certain that first impressions would last forever, but he figured he would keep to himself unless he was <i>invited</i> further into the circle that was forming around the den. Perhaps it was best if he was introduced as something like an enigma, someone to figure out... For now, though, being thought of as a quiet member of the pack would suffice for the time being while he worked out whether or not he could manage pup-sitting when the adults were away.</blockquote>

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

Hope I am allowed to join this. <3

The breeze in Swift River territory ruffled a black and white female’s fur. The land was nice and large, something Jessie wasn’t used to. Though she wasn’t used to being limited to some lands, she didn’t like the fact that many of the lands here had many packs. She wasn’t used to all of the wolves yet, but she knew soon enough she would get used to it, with the help of her sister, that is. Right now. . .she was going to stick to marking the boundaries though. She smelt strongly enough of Cali, Marsh, Indru, and she supposed she smelt slightly like Ice now too. Nothing could stop her from marking the boundaries today. Or so it seemed, until Indru’s strong howl lifted through the area.

The black and white head swiveled in the direction of the howl. New members? She had heard something about pups, but she had yet to know their names or genders, or even of what they looked like. Excitement pricked at her own skin as her paws automatically started to skim towards the pack den. Cali had shown it to her earlier, but it was also easy to navigate with her alpha’s howl. She had not met everyone yet, she was sure, for she hadn’t yet to meet the lady leader. She hoped she was kind enough, but brash enough to have enough attitude to her.

As she grew nearer, many scents were on her nose. One of which she could pick out as Cali, but all of the other scents seemed to mix together to her. She would have to make sure to memorize the scents more as time went on. As she entered the denning site, her head lowered, her tail tucked, and her ears pinned to her head as she entered. Ice, Cali, and Indru were already in the area, and she mentally cursed herself for not knowing that the other two were here. Her emerald eyes scanned the area and she was terrified to see many more wolves in the area already. This scared her more than when she had first joined the pack, for Indru had not been that intimidating to her. She supposed it was time to meet new pack mates though. So with that thought she sauntered up to Indru, her posture still submissive, licked his chin, and then darted to stand near her sister.

<blockquote>Summoned again while scavenging for something to cache away Angier reluctantly tore his eyes away from the clearing where a rabbit warren had been quiet and still for the past two hours. The scents around it had been fresh, as though the leporids had finally managed to gather their young and escape into their burrows upon the his arrival. The brute emerged from the thicket that served as his hiding spot against a tree then sauntered over towards the pack den. It was a decent walk but he picked up his pace as soon as the familiar scents of the pack reached his nostrils. There were probably quite a number of them there already and he was <i>late</i>... <i>as usual</i>.

Coming into sight of the gnarled tree, the Lyall hung back for a moment to assess the hustle and bustle of the event at hand. Two of the cubs were already out of the den with Indru and Corinna vigilantly looking on, and Ice and Triell had already made themselves comfortable. On the other hand, two females he had yet to properly meet were also there; by the scent of both of them, he could have easily presumed they were sisters but opted not to muse about why or how they had come to join Swift River's ranks. To his left Fenru had settled onto his haunches, with his eyes averted and ears slicked back. Angier had always known himself to be intimidating to the boy, on the occasion of his arrival to the pack lands he had possibly startled him and during a pack meeting Fen had done nothing but ogle at him suspiciously.

He stepped toward the Fenru and smiled as he nudged the boy's mottled gray shoulder gently with his nose. Angier might not have had this particular experience yet, meeting new pups, but he could relate to the feelings the yearling was undoubtedly processing through his head right now. Borden had often tackled new experiences head on as Angier kept a good few steps behind him, being a hair too cautious and too high-strung. The Lyall touched his muzzle to Fenru's ears again in attempt to let the boy know he had his support, then cast his eyes toward Indru, giving him a nod in salutation in exchange for not invading the space where Triell and Ice had taken up around him.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Jul 08, 2012, 02:58 AM by Angier.)

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