Swift River into the sun

OOC: Since the adopter of Rissa fell through, I'll be playing her for the time being. I've mentioned this several times in the SR Common Room, but this thread has <b>no</b> posting order. So please don't forget about it!

Rissa Tainn did not want to leave the den. Not even a little bit. The warmth of her siblings was far too comforting, and with a tiny yawn, she nudged closer to her mother. But then a shifting of movement forced Rissa away from her source of warmth, and her puppy growl expressed her displeasure. But her ears perked at the sound of her mother's voice, and her eyes opened up to look in the direction of the noise. What was going on? Meet who? Letting her head fall down onto her paws, she stared on in silence, as first mother left the den, followed by Torrel. She couldn't help but giggle as she watched him fall clumsily as his fat paws tried to climb the slope. Where the light was. But light did not mean warmth, at least not yet, so she wasn't interested. Despite being abandoned by both of her siblings, she curled up into a tighter ball, black nose curling into her tail.

She was beginning to dose again, when the very air around her began to shake. She was hearing Indru's howl, but the sound, so powerful and loud shook all thoughts of sleep from her. With a jolt, she awoke, rising instinctively to her feet. With a panic, she realized that she was alone, that her mother and her siblings had all gone out into the light. Whining frantically, the cub began to look anxiously around, trying to spot a familiar face. Seeing none, she took a hesitant step towards the light - that's where they had gone. Surely they hadn't left her here? Filled with fear, the tawny cub took off, awkward paws sending her tumbling onto the slope of the den entrance. It was only the voice of her mother that eased her confusion and fear. Though her weak eyes could not see beyond the light, she could see the vague outline of her mother. Stumbling towards it, the youngest Tainn managed to crawl out of the den and meet the rest of the world.

And oh, what a world it was!

Her blue eyes immediately went to mother, and she awkwardly ran towards her - the pure quantity of newness around her utterly frightening. Crawling under her mother's legs, she crawled next to Aiyana, pushing her side tightly against her sister's. Only then, knowing that she was safe next to her family, did the young cub begin her inspection of the world around her. Peering out, she took in all of the colors, so much different than what their den looked like. She couldn't see any walls, either, and what were all the tall brown things with green on top? Up until now, dad had been the biggest thing she had ever seen, but he seemed tiny in comparison to these giants.

While the scenery certainly held her attention, she could hardly focus on anything else when more...creatures began to appear. Unlike the rest of the world, they were moving, and looked a lot like her parents. And all of them seemed to be staring at her. One after the other they came, from all directions. The sheer number of them was insane, and she wondered if they would ever stop coming. Shifting herself so she was closer to her mother's leg, she leaned against it, trying to find the much sought after warmth that would bring her comfort.

Ears perking as she heard her name, blue eyes rolled upwards to see her mother's nose descend on them. This was their pack, she said. Oh, well that cleared everything up. Rissa had no idea what a pack was, but it seemed to be a good thing? Her parents wouldn't let her near anything bad, and they had certainly allowed these wolves to come pretty close. Her siblings weren't worried. Torrel ran flying towards two tawny wolves who looked a lot like Dad. Blue eyes looked at her father as he explained to Torrel who they were. Hael and Fen. Brothers. Well, Torrel was her brother. So if they were Torrel's brothers, that meant they were her's too, right? She nodded to herself, accepting this simple logic at its face value, too distracted to ponder why it was these brothers seemed different than the loud one she shared a den with.

Deciding that it was safe enough for her to venture out, the little cub took a hesitant step forward. One step became two, and then she was bumbling along towards the big gray male and the black one. They were a little farther than she had expected, and she felt nervous as she approached. Casting a look over her shoulder, she met her mother's approving nod, and then turned around to face her "pack". Trying to jump up, as she had seen Torrel do, her pink tongue tried to reach their chins, though it fell far short. With a woof, she peered up at them, blue eyes trailing from face to face. "Hi," she woofed, offering a wag of her tail as security that she was safe.

test italics

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. Something about Triell seemed slightly off today, but what it was, he couldn't tell - he just.. wasn't his usual self? Then again, the scuffle with Rhysis so many months ago seemed to have taken the last of childhood from the black male, and left a bitter taste in his mouth. When he smiled, Ice could still see his "young" friend, but sometimes he just looked like he had a burr stuck in his throat and couldn't get rid of it. It was like he was always thinking about something, something heavy, but so far he hadn't shared what it was with Ice. Concerned, but not wanting to pry, he'd stayed out of it, ignoring it most of the time. After all, Triell was actually himself most of the time. It was just at odd times that he wasn't, and now seemed to be one of those... Except he seemed to just shrug it off and "get normal" again. Ice's stare lingered a moment longer on that familiar black face before he looked aside again. This was neither the time nor the place, and nothing was wrong right now. Still, seeing Triell's smile made his heart ache; he didn't find any of the shadows playing around it, but he wondered if his black brother would drift off tonight to brood. If he did, perhaps Ice would follow him. He laughed, a soft sound, and gave Triell's ear a lick. "I bet we'll be willingly wrapped, but look who's coming our way! Quick Tri, look innocent!" But he just couldn't resist giving that black scruff a teasing pull with his teeth, and grinning like a beast for a moment before composing himself. Rissa had taken her sweet time coming out of the den, and then had huddled beneath her mother for a moment, but now she seemed to have found her bearings in this vast glade. Ice had no real recollection of his first venture outside, but by his estimation it would've been in late winter or early spring, depending on how cold it had been and how quick the warmth came. These children were children of summer; snow had covered his old lands for his first months outside. He'd known bitter winds and biting cold, but this generation of Tainns had soft grass, warm sunshine and butterflies. He smiled, to himself mostly, and peered at the blue-eyed tawny bundle making its way across to them. Too large paws brought her up close, where she mirrored Torrel's stance, trying to rise up against them. Over by Marsh, Aiyana was still sitting and just staring up into that auburn face; content, Ice allowed Rissa to take his attention. She piped up a greeting at them and his own tail was wagging solemnly behind him. "Hello there," he purred, lowering his head to give her ears an affectionate lick. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

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 glanced to the side as Jessie appeared, having answered the summons of the only other pack wolf that she knew besides herself. Jess greeted Indru and darted to her side, looking more nervous than she had ever seen her. It wasn't surprising. Cali was nervous herself and she'd been her months already. It seemed as is every wolf in the forest belonged to Swift River and was showing up for this momentous occasion one by one. She gave her younger sister and gentle nudge of encouragement and a loving smile before she turned back to the quickly growing pack gathering.

She saw some older wolves around her age and a bit older that showed a strong resemblence to Indru. Apparently the Tainn blood was strong, for even the black yearling looked distinctly Tainn. The young prince that had earlier been redirected approached the yearlings and Ice who joined them. He was a firecracker and was greeting them quite enthusiastically. The little black female was enraptured with Marsh and she had to smile again at the curious expression on the little princess' face. Perhaps this little one could break through the warrior's shell of stoicism!

Then Corinna gently coaxed out the last reluctant little tawny girl. Rissa timidly hid beneath her mother's legs, while she assessed the big wide world that she'd emerged into. Cali's heart went out to the shy little princess and she wanted to offer her own comfort to her. Even as this thought occured to her, the little one seemed to make a decision and boldly went over to Torrel's side and greeted her older brothers along with her litter mate. Good for you little one! she thought to herself, pride in her tiny pack mate filling her heart.

Knowing that there were many wolves to meet and most of them blood family, Cali moved towards Corinna when Indru indicated that it was all right to greet the young royalty. She would give them time first and not crowd the little ones. There would be more than enough time to get to know them better now that they were permitted outside of the den. When she reached their proud mother, she dipped her head low and tucked her tail as she greeted the leadess with a lick to the chin and ears flattened to her snowy head.

"Corinna," she greeted in a respectful voice and a brief friendly glance before her emerald eyes fastened once more on the lifeblood of the pack. "They are absolutely beautiful!" She meant every word, but the tug of loss still ate at her. Most of the time it was in the far recesses of her mind, but these little angels had suddenly brought her heartahe to the surface and this beautiful moment was slightly bittersweet. Despite her dredged up emotions, she was thrilled for Corinna and Indru and their perfect family.

Never Underestimate a Heart of Fire...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/bluepups/JessieTable.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 290px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">It seemed that she was the only one who didn’t seem to know anyone within the pack except for a few. Swift River was much larger than she had imagined, which gave her the impression that the two alpha’s were highly successful. Her emerald eyes trailed around, her head still down, with her ears and tail tucked. And when Cali moved forward, her head turned towards the mother, whom she assumed to be the alpha and watched as some of the members made their way forwards. She then crouched, the utmost sign of respect and submission she could muster for the alpha. She then followed slowly behind Cali, making herself as small as possible. And when she approached the large female, her head bowed downwards and she spoke her name softly, but loud enough for the leader to hear, in a respectable, cautious voice, “Jessie Swiftpaw.”

She did not lift her head, but kept it in the same position as she waited for the alpha’s response. The position was highly uncomfortable, but she wanted to make her presence and respect known to the lady. She was not one who would bow her head in shame and be invisible, but respectable. That was her sister’s way of doing some things, but Cali and Jessie were alike in many ways, along with different in many ways. She didn’t want to be invisible to her new family. She had already met a few of the others, though she didn’t know Indru or Marsh that well for the time being. She didn’t believe she would ever be going to be close to Marsh, as others had mentioned, he didn’t talk much. The gray female would try though, but if her presence was not wanted, then she would automatically walk away. That was how simple her short life had been. She was hoping that this time, it would be different.

<blockquote>The deep honour of Corinna's acceptance was far from lost on Marsh. He knew that even Indru, in the earliest days of their offspring's' lives, had been shunned from the den, and that she welcomed Marsh's presence prompted a pleasant warmth to spread through his chest. He had known it before, but today he felt it keenly; <i>this was family.</i> If he had held his name with more importance, he may have asked to change it to Tainn. In all but blood, he was as good as one - and even then, he had shed a fair share for the sake of that name, both his own and of their foes.

Any such wandering thoughts evaporated as Aiyana moved, black as Triell, stealing his attention from her brother. It was no surprise; bold and unwavering - if a little wobbly on her feet - she crossed the short distance directly to him, the captivation clear in her eyes. He blinked once, a little taken aback by her obvious fixation, but certainly did not reject it. With a quick glance to Corinna, seeking her consent and approval, he lowered his head to Aiyana's and moved to gently touch their noses.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ice move his head away, and wondered if he had been watching. As Aiyana had chosen him, so Torrel and Rissa - who appeared not moments later - chose their subjects of curiosity. From the protests of Fenru, Marsh could guess who Torrel had barrelled towards, and the smooth, jesting tone of Ice told him of Rissa's intentions.

But they did not matter, not at this moment. Steel eyes fixed squarely on the baby blue of his chosen, he waited to see if her curiosity would develop or her decision change. Rarely had he seen such open fascination in another's eyes, and her childish innocence sucked him in wholeheartedly.</blockquote>

If I go crazy then will you stillcall me superman?

Everything would fall into place. Or so he tried to convince himself. He was distracted as Rissa came out of the den, being met by the bright day. She looked a cross between Corinna and Indru, maybe the difference would be what colors her eyes would take. Gold or green to make the difference. She hung close to her family, Triell could not blame her so. He couldn't remember quite what he had done, but guessed he had been more like Torrel. Worried about Fenru he once more glanced his way, wondering how the brothers were doing. A clear smile by amusement he looked forward to watching them all grow up, wondering how they would fall into the different pack dynamics, if they could live together, if they would stay in Relic Lore or follow their wanderlust.

A curious look lifted to Ice, and he laughed too when his ear became wet. He seemed to agree about Aiyana, but was pointing out they had company. He made himself very slowly turn his head to see that Rissa had decided they needed checking out. Ice urged him to look innocent, the Tainn was caught by surprise when his icy friend grabbed his the nape of his neck. He laughed, but did not dare do more then that as much as he wanted to. Instead Triell watched, trying not to directly stare at his niece as she tip toed this way. Broad smile, and his own tail hitting against Ice she raised up to plant kisses to their chins, but could not yet reach. A soft chuckle slipped from his throat, and he lowered his head to the girl. "Good morning, Rissa." He replied, only after Ice.

are you with me through it all?

OOC: Because how long this thread has dragged on (busy Shadow is busy), I'm going to try and wrap it up with this last round. Since Tara is no longer here, there won't be a response from Indru, and it feels a bit awkward dragging this out. I will post again on <b>September 15th</b> and officially close the thread, so you have until then to get a post up if you would like to. If you're having an interaction that is a part of this thread that you want to continue, feel free to make a new thread and backdate it and NPC everybody else, I just don't want to keep this thread open forever. =)

Also, apologies if I miss anybody in Cori's response, there's just a lot going on that I'm not sure I kept track of it all. :x

Gone Tomorrow

There was so much activity going on that Corinna's nerves were beginning to spike. She felt uncomfortable, and her anxiety was threatening to reveal itself. She knew Swift River was a large pack, probably the largest in all of Relic Lore, but having them here now, surrounding her precious cubs and eagerly leaning forward, she wished there were less of them. There was no doubt in her mind that this would all be too much for the three cubs who had only realized that their world was larger than the den less than an hour ago. But the three of them took off, soon after their introduction, and Corinna had to remind herself that they knew no fear - not yet. So she would have to fear for them, and her instinctive step forward to bring them back under her protection was a clear indication of that. But the three were long gone, off to visit the wolves who had kept them fed and protected them since the day of their conception.

Torrel went running off towards Rihael and Fenru, and with small amusement, Corinna allowed her manifold anxiety to ease a bit. It was peculiar to her that Torr would instantly pick out among the very large group gathered who were his brothers by blood. A year separated them, but Corinna could still remember very clearly the day that Rihael, Fenru, and Kisla had come out into the sun. They had received no such gathering of loved ones, which was perhaps part of the reason their mother was so uneasy. But despite the awkward, and hasty introduction, all seemed to be well with the three youngest Tainn boys, which could only warm their mother's heart.

Just as bold as Torrel, Aiyana had crept out from under her mother's legs and headed towards Marsh. Standing next to her Second, Corinna leaned into side to reassure him that it was okay. Though a ferocious guardian of the pack, Marsh was soft at heart. Out of instinct, she kept her eyes close, but there was no fear nor distrust reflected in those green pools. She trusted Marsh wholeheartedly, and would have very little issue allowing him to stand guard over her young ones. Lowering her own head down, she nudged Aiyana's rump very carefuly, edging her towards Marsh. "It'll be alright little one," she whispered. "This is Marsh. He will be your friend and your protector." And that was no doubt what the russet colored male was and would become.

Cori's attention was pulled away as her name was said, and she lifted her head up to look at who had spoken to her. It was Cali. Nodding her head, Corinna uttered a soft "thank you" before looking to see where Rissa had gone. She had tumbled towards Ice and Triell, but before Corinna could call out to her, the unknown female crept closer, peaking out behind Cali. She was hunched down low, in a form of submission, and Corinna made a note of her name. "Corinna Tainn," she responded, her tone a bit harsher than necessary. She was not opposed to new pack members, but this was not the time for her to be meeting them, nor the time for Indru to be accepting them. Her tawny mate gave her a reassuring look, but the mother's tension did not ease. Lowering her head, she moved to take Jessie's muzzle in her jaws, shaking it firmly back and forth to cement the leader's dominance over the newly accepted subordinate. Letting her go, she nodded her head, but her stonewall demeanor made it clear that Jessie was to retreat to the edges once more. Perhaps at a later time, they would speak more, but for now, there were far more important things on her mind than meeting the newest River wolf.

I'm not going to make a last post with Ice, since he's fairly wrapped up with Rissa and Triell anyway. :)

Aiyana Tainn

I walk upon the river

A nose against her hip and her hindquarters swung out, scrabbling to keep her balance, small muscles around her joints working to keep her on all four. Behind her, her unruly tail tried to aid her, and it worked. She remained standing, drinking in Mother's soothing voice. Her mind spun to analyze the words and pick them apart, separate them and look at them, figure out what they all were - this was Marsh, friend and protector. The meaning sunk into her young mind, and as she perched in front of him, staring into his silver eyes, she felt no need to repeat his name as a greeting.

The male was large - perhaps not as large as Father, but something about him just seemed... broad, powerful. It made her feel safe. And she liked his eyes. Marsh leaned down and for a moment she wondered what it must be like to have him do that if he was angry, but fortunately for her, he wasn't. He just bumped his cold, leathery nose against her significantly smaller one, earning a few happy thumps from her ratty tail. Mouth open in an expression of slight concentration, she allowed her gaze to wander across his body again, before she rose to all four and slowly began to circle him, drinking in everything she saw.

like it's easier than land

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

<blockquote>The trust from Corinna warmed him, even more than the affectionate, curious eyes that stared up at him. He heard his name introduced, and the words <i>friend. protector</i>. Yes, that was about it. He snorted lightly, accepting the position gladly. Perhaps this year would be a little different to the last. Though he had been just as dedicated to Rihael, Fenru and Kisla, he had not been closer to them than the usual loyal packmember.

Something in the way the little black pup watched him, though, made him want to be more. She was his family, so why could he not be more than just her guardian? He stood still as she made to move around him, content to be observed and scrutinised, content to be whatever she needed. He followed her with his steel eyes, patient, turning his head to find her again when she passed behind him. With a huff of amusement, he swept his tail down to bump her lightly on her rump as she walked.</blockquote>

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/bluepups/JessieTable.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 290px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">When her alpha’s jaws closed around her muzzle, she obediently let herself be shaken. When she was released she nodded her head in respect and backed away from the whole pack. She remained in the corner, her emerald eyes shining in delight as she watched her new family in happiness. She didn’t mind that she was strictly not suppose to meet the puppies yet. She would. . .in time. Nor did she mind the harshness of Corinna’s voice, for she too had heard the same tone of voice when other wolves had come to see her when she was born. Her mother had been highly protective of her, as well as Cali had, and she had not been surprised to hear the tone escape the mother of the pups. Her stance would remain low though, even in her corner as her kind eyes searched the area. Things would improve in time, but for the moment, all that mattered was that she kept her distance.

She watched everyone carefully a small smile on her face. The pups seemed to be fitting in perfectly with the pack and she couldn’t help the small sigh of content that escaped her muzzle. She honestly couldn’t be happier right now. She was never happier than right now. She felt some sort of completeness watching the pack. . .before quickly realizing there were not many females hanging around. Her head tilted slightly, as if confused on how everything was turning out. . .but she soon pushed the thought away and just sat. . .watching her new family with a new light to her.