Oak Tree Bend If not one, then two

Backdated to 5/26/13. Ice and Cori for the first couple of rounds, and then OTB pack members can post if they'd like.

Late afternoon, mid 50s'

Gone Tomorrow

The pack had not been there for long when Corinna's stomach had begun expanding at a rapid rate. The swell was distinctly noticeable now, and her walk was definitely closer to a waddle. The first order of business upon arrival had been to send the pack wolves out to secure the borders, marking it with their strong scents to indicate that there was a pack here and that they would not be going anywhere. The second had been to devote their efforts to establishing a den. They had done so, not too far from the oak tree from which the pack had taken their new name.

The den was rather shallow, but the jagged rocks overhead provided enough protection that Corinna was satisfied with it. They had dug deep enough into the ground that strangers would have to slink into a short passageway before they could reach the newborn cubs - provided they could get past their mother. Corinna had spent the past few days obsessively rummaging around the den area, clearing dirt with her paws that did not necessarily need to be cleared and flopping around to determine the most comfortable position for when the time came.

And so she had plenty of time to get to her den when the all too familiar spark of pain hit her, followed by a puddle of water at her hind feet, alerting her that it was time for the den to be used for real. Making the short waddle to the den's entrance, she paused only for a moment, to tilt her head back and call for Ice. She didn't have to explain why, surely he would know by the urgency in her voice. Satisfied that her companion was aware of the situation, Corinna turned tail and crawled into the den, nestling herself against the dirt and rock back wall.

Experience told her to not expect a short and easy delivery. Neither of her two previous litters had been difficult, but she had labored for several hours before each of her cubs had been delivered. This pregnancy went a very similar way. The light in the entrance way had begun to fade as night took over when the first cub came into the world, mewing and clamoring for her stomach to nurse. The pale fur brought a smile to Corinna's face as she nuzzled her son closer to her. Ice, not Indru would be waiting for her this time, and this boy, so clearly colored like his father was evidence of it.

His brother would not come for some time later, but when he did, Corinna repeated the process - cleaning him and nuzzling him close to her for food and warmth. Another boy, also pale in coloration, just like the first. So different from Rihael and Fenru, but certainly no less precious. Leaning her head back against the floor, her tail thumped a few times against the ground in satisfaction. Eyes half closed, she peered into the darkness of the entrance. "@Ice? You have two sons."

(This post was last modified: Jun 06, 2013, 10:02 AM by Ice.)

So sorry. Shoot me. <3

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. A lot of things had been going on lately - leaving Sacred Grove, losing Aiyana, finding their oak tree, building the den, socializing with the pack, waiting for the cubs.. waiting for Triell, and waiting for Marsh. As the days stretched and neither the black nor copper wolf returned worry settled like a constant, gnawing ache in his gut; it woke him in the nights and disturbed him during the day. He had a hard time keeping his mind on anything, whether it be hunting or talking to someone. He'd been expecting to see Marsh within a few days of their transfer, yet he hadn't seen a single, red hair and his scent had since faded from this corner of the world. Sometimes he felt almost ashamed, that he worried more about Marsh than he did over the pups that were coming, but he told himself that it was fine. Marsh was lost somewhere in this world, and the pups were still in Corinna's belly, so he had nothing to worry about there. Right? Her call cut through the trees, distorted in the familiar way by trunks and branches yet so different, as the world here sounded different. Ice had been lapping in the nearby creek when her urgent howl had his ears pricking, and for a single, blessed moment he was freed from all gnawing thoughts of his lost wolf. A low cry was sent in answer to hers, his heartbeat picking up, and the moment faded. Marsh would not be here for their birth. Would he be here when they came out of the den in a few weeks? He could only hope so. Trying to shove the copper wolf out of his mind, Ice doubled back, towards the den they had dug in the rocky thickets. The creek was just a stone's throw away, and the shallow banks and firm ground told him that this creek did not flood. They were safe, or rather, as safe as they could ever be in the wild. Knowing not to burst into the den, Ice plunked down outside of it, a white sentinel who glared daggers at anyone who happened to come close. No matter how much he liked them, it was in these moments he was reminded of the fact that these cubs were his, and the pack was not to know them yet. He didn't know why, just knew that it was this way, and that was good enough for him, troubled and brooding as he was. The world was growing darker when Corinna's voice startled him out of his grumpy reverie, and his mood shifted entirely. Pups were the reason he'd followed Indru home in the first place, and his mind gave him the image of furballs on little spindly legs. With an excited yip Ice bounded up and spun around in an almost comical fashion, forcing his blunt nose and massive shoulders into the den and crawling a little ways in before stopping. Did she want him in here? Or would she snarl at him until he backed out? He wasn't out in the open, not close enough to touch, just wedged in the tunnel with his tail waving madly behind him. Flattening his ears he keened, asking for her permission to come closer. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

never <3 Small pp here, I can adjust if needed. =)

Gone Tomorrow

Corinna lay in wait, not quite sure that her trachle was over. The two cubs nursed quietly at her breast, their quiet mews filling her ears. The fire in her loins had not subsided, and would not for some time, but there was no more urgency in her stomach. It would seem that the two small, ghostly pale creatures that lay beside her were her lot for this year. Having given birth to litters of three the two previous years, Corinna had expected additional cubs to join the first two - perhaps a sister to keep Kisla and Fenru company. Lowering her head to the newborns, her pink tongue washed the tops of their heads, cleaning their deaf ears. These would be her last, of that Corinna was certain.

At the sound of her voice, the scent of Ice filled the tiny confines of the den. Craning her neck, she titled her head, green eyes watching the entrance. Darkness was beginning to fall, but all virtually all light was extinguished as her companion pushed his shoulders into the den. His whine filled her ears, the sound smothering those of the nursing boys beside her. He was met with narrowed eyes and bared teeth, but she did not growl him off, not yet anyway. The she-wolf's fondness for Ice could not be mistaken, obviously so since she had birthed his cubs, but motherhood was an integral part of Corinna's definition, and her previous experiences made her naturally wary.

Her warning growl cut his movement short, when the new mother had decided he was close enough to their offspring. In the darkness they were hard to see, tucked away as they were, but their smells filled the small space and their mewing was high pitched and audible, despite being muffled against their mother's fur. "They seem healthy," she looked at Ice once more, her voice seeking his approval. "They look like you." They were deaf, blind, and incredibly feeble, but the paleness of their coat was unmistakably a trait of their father's.

That's fine, and pretty much what Ice wanted too. <3

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. If he wasn't a wolf, her behavior would probably have wounded him; but as it was, he was a wolf, and despite his generally clumsy ways and empty-headed ways, instinct had always been firm in him. Even when his mind was reeling, tongue tripping over words, his body had always known what to do. Her bared teeth and narrowed eyes only showed him that she was, indeed, mistress in this den, and ready to defend her cubs even against him, if he proved to be a threat. Whining apologetically, ears still back, he crawled closer ever so slowly, tail sweeping the dirt and eyes aside - but still, he kept peering at her out of the corner of his eye, trying to read every sign she sent him. And there it was, the telltale rumble of a growl, and immediately he ceased his slow crawl, even rocking back a little. Cramped in the den he laid his head on his outstretched front legs, tipped over a little to the side to rest against the earth-and-rock side, silver eyes bright as he stared at the two bundles barely visible in the darkness. He could hear their little sounds of life, cheeping and mewing, smell the scent of afterbirth and milk and pup - his children, gods, who could ever have thought it? Him, a father. "I bet they'll look like you, too," he said with a wolf's grin, tongue lolling out for a moment; Ice was a very pale wolf, with a faint scatter of frosty iron shades across his shoulders and back, but Corinna was a tad darker and he was sure those creamy bundles would have darker saddles than he had. Maybe they would even have green eyes? "Two boys..." he mused silently, thinking of her last litter; two girls and one boy in that one, and all three lost, one forever. Maybe Aiyana would come back one day, maybe Torrel would, but Rissa never could, even if she wanted. He remembered his excitement about children when Indru had brought him home, and as his eyes fell on his own sons again, they warmed, melting all the snow and cold of his name; his tail kept wagging behind him, his body radiating pleasure. "Our boys," he said after a moment, seeking her eyes and giving her a shy smile. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

400th post!

Gone Tomorrow

Both parents could only look on at the two new bundles of life that lay at their mother's belly, eagerly nursing and crowding next to one another for warmth. Ice had stopped his crawl forward at her growl, which had satisfied Corinna's need for space - and made her thankful that she had chosen a mate that was more than willing to listen to her instructions. They were, as Ice had said, theirs. Even now, the concept seemed strange, and yet, looking down on the two pale cubs nursing, nothing could have felt more right. These two would have different lives than that of their siblings - four of whom it was unlikely, if not impossible, that they would meet. The high pitched cries brought back the memories of her two previous litters, and while the knowledge that her second litter had virtually failed hurt her, it also gave her even more of a reason to try harder for these two.

They were going to need names. Green eyes shifted from the pups to her companion, a grin preempting her words. "Have you thought at all about names? Or shall we continue the Aesir naming tradition?" They certainly were not going to continue the Tainn naming tradition - several of her cubs had been named after Indru's ancestors; but these two were not Tainns, they were Aesirs. "I like Ser....Serach. Serach Aesir. It has a nice sound to it." Corinna mused quietly, almost to herself, but her tone of voice had risen at the end, asking an unstated question. What did their father think? And that was only one name, what to name the other? There was no one who Corinna wished to name her youngest sons after - her family had no naming tradition for her to invoke. Settling her head down onto her paws, the mother closed her eyes to rest while she waited for an answer.

Grats :D

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. Vividly he remembered Torrel, Aiyana and Rissa tumbling out of the den by the river, into the sunlight - the first time he'd laid eyes upon them, and how small they had been. When Ice had come to Swift River, Kisla, Fenru and Rihael had been over half a year old, and while still very much children, they had looked more like yearlings already. But these two pale boys, unnamed yet, lay against the warm fur of Corinna's side, blind and small and so utterly helpless. Had he, Ice, ever been that small? And how could something that small grow into such a large wolf? He was mesmerized by his sons, staring at them with a thoughtful expression, suddenly understanding how important the pack was - how these two, small beings would not survive without its parents and siblings, and Tali, Cali and Jessie. A pack was more than simply wolves strung together; they were keepers, guardians, of life. Corinna's voice brought him back, head snapping up to let him look at her instead - for a moment he feared she was serious, and his mind said stupid things like Tree and Thicket, but then he caught her grin and groaned playfully. "Please, no." But she was already talking again, saying Ser, and he waited with bated breath; Serach was the result, Serach Aesir, and he realized that this was the first time in stars know how long he'd heard his last name said aloud. He'd probably dropped it at some point to Indru and Corinna when first coming to their pack, but not quite since; he seldom used it, but here it was, and her gaze was questioning and her silence prompting. "Serach," he said, musing, and let his eyes fall to the boys again. Ser. It reminded him of another name, starting much the same way, but the wolf who had borne it was not particularly nice - not like his mother, Viemina, a name he had suggested to Corinna and Indru last spring. "Sceral," he said, quietly, thinking of that cruel man who had fathered the winter-pup, Ice. Perhaps he deserved this chance - perhaps this was not only a new start for the wolves of the Grove, but for someone who was miles away, up in the roof of the world. "Sceral was my father. He was.. harsh." Ice's voice remained quiet, heavy even, and he thought of all the things Sceral had done, the rather hard life they had led - was it so strange, what he had argued to do? Was it so strange to try and find justification to lessen the number of mouths to feed? Ice's ears fell back in the darkness; he knew that he would rather starve than leave one of his pups for dead, but Sceral had had the future to think of, and more sons than one (or two). "But if we are starting over, why not he, too?" .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

If other OTB wolves want to post, they can, but I think one post with Ice and we can archive it? No points, but Cori is tired xD

Gone Tomorrow

It seemed a strange thing, to not have discussed the names of their young ones before this moment had come. She and Indru had, once upon a time. But they had also conceived out of love. There was love here too, between the giant gray beast who blocked the sun's rays from her den and herself, but it was different. As different as the two boys nursing at her breast and their previous six siblings. At least in appearance - all newborns were more or less the same in personality her experience had taught her.

His groans caught her ears and she smiled a wolfish grin at him, but the playfulness seemed to evaporate from the atmosphere as he contemplated the true name that Corinna had put forth. It seemed fitting to the she-wolf that the two take the name of their father; at the very least, they would not take the Tainn name. That particular family name was no longer her's and the only aspect of Indru that would touch these two's lives was their older siblings. Craning her neck, she leaned down and nuzzled the pale head of one boy and then the other. Whatever they were, they were not Tainns.

Twisting her head back at the sound of his quiet voice, Corinna peered at him. She had missed what he said in response - a single name, though she was not sure if he had merely repeated Serach or something else. She was saved the embarrassment of asking when Ice spoke again. Sceral, Ice's father. Indru had insisted his first-born be named after his own father, and willingly Corinna had allowed her first cub to don the name of Rihael. There was no reason to deny the same privilege to Ice. "Serach and Sceral. Sceral and Serach." Corinna murmured back, the similar names rolling of her tongue with ease. Her grin grew, and her tail wagged against the ground, sending up small puffs of dust. Her approval was evident.

Jaws parting, her cheeks pulled back as Corinna audibly yawned and with little grace she let her head fall to the floor atop of her paws. It had only been two instead of three this time around, but labor was no less tiring. Weariness had gripped the she-wolf, and before too long the high-pitched cries of the newly named Serach and Sceral had faded away, replaced by the sounds of their mother's deep breathing as she slept.

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. He felt a bit sheepish, actually, at suggesting his own father's name, but she didn't seem to mind at all. Just repeated them back at him, and his tail stirred the soft earth behind him as he nodded. "Strong names," he said quietly, one ear flicking back momentarily; then he gave a gentle laugh as she yawned, before looking down again. Two pale bundles of fur. A few hours ago they had been inside of her, and now they were outside of her - surely not an easy thing, if the time it had taken was anything to go by, and the size of her yawn. Still, as she laid down, he did not move immediately. Trapped in the tunnel he kept his head where it was, peering through the darkness at the sleeping mother and her sleeping sons. Ours. He felt warm thinking about it, and his lips pulled into a smile. She deserve the rest, bringing two such fine boys into the world. As quietly as he could, Ice wriggled out of the den. He wasn't sure he'd ever crawled backwards before, and it was hard at first, claws scrabbling uselessly against the dirt, but once he got the hang of it it was easier. The world opened up behind him, and then the sunlight hit the back of his head, too, and he rose up, stretching out his cramped muscles. He would let her rest easy, and shuffled around where he stood, before folding down in front of the den's entrance. For a moment he snuffled at the ground and rearranged his limbs, but then he laid still, head propped on his forepaws. He could doze, if he dozed but lightly.. anything wanting his sons would have to step on him, and that, would surely wake him up. Content with the knowledge that nothing hostile could slip past without waking him, Ice, too, closed his eyes, and fell into a light slumber. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul