cut away the rot

keep my eyes to serve

ATANEQ TARTOK

my hands to learn

The more he stood there with them, still seeing the scrutiny in their eyes (perhaps imagining it now) he wasn’t quite sure what to do. He had put what he had to offer on the table yet they didn’t seem like very good contributions after he said them. They even sounded like a child had mentioned them, something he had hoped to avoid since he was still just barely over a year. “Same to you,” he answered respectfully even through still battling with his inner demons as to why he had even come here to offer suggestions that weren’t as useful as he thought.

True, he thought to himself finding that Ava had a point. Children were very curious, though he had no experience in this. His mother had been strict and took no bullshit, if he or his brothers touched anything dangerous then she would likely shake her head and say something along the lines of ‘you deserve it’. Perhaps not that cruelly but the boys had learned by their own standards.

While Ava’s idea was very well-thought out and certainly deserved a try, he couldn’t quite understand why someone would put their life in danger before trying to think of a safer resolve. While his gaze looked out to the Rapids, a place he had never stepped foot towards, he simply took what they had to say in stride. “We could dig them out with our paws and use bark off of the trees to carry them so she isn't in danger?” He remembered doing this when he was little, exploring out some ways and figuring out that the bark off of the local trees were a good use for when something needed to be transported. If not that, then he had nothing more to add.

by Sarah

i'm currently looking for any kind of short or long-term plots, so message me if you've got an idea!
i.e. (friend/enemy/spar partner/pack recruiter, etc)

She'll be back in my next post

Admittedly Ava was somewhat surprised when her idea was met with such apprehension. Maksim's expression was especially concerned, and it seemed their young neighbor had found the idea similarly distasteful. She furrowed her brow and gave an eventual shrug. They could be light with their jaws, sure, and the problem only arouse if they broke the plants while they moved them... which could definitely happen. "I've been known to be reckless," she admitted with a sheepish grin. "Perhaps too much so." She never really thought herself to be one at fault with optimism, yet here she was in the wrong. It was never too late to learn something new about yourself, apparently.

Understanding that her plan was out she was still reluctant to return to square one, until Ataneq proposed his modification. She smiled instantly, both impressed with his quickness and pleased with the compromise. There was certainly tree bark to spare around these parts and with all the nearby moisture they would find the bark on the easy side to strip. Passing her amber gaze between the two males she responded, "Let's go with that, then. Paws only. No teeth." Ava kept her authoritative command to a minimum as Maksim and Ataneq were here because they had chosen to be, and she'd not let her ego bloat so far to forget to be grateful for help.

"I'll scout a location to bury them, and when I come back we can all drag these lethal plants well away from anyone we care about." Certain that Maksim and Ataneq would not find trouble with each other, Ava turned away from the towering stalks and set down the bankside, following the rapids as they moved away from pack territory.

♥ Allie

art - threads

Just letting @Ataneq know: you have my permission to PP Maksim assisting in stripping bark and returning to the Cowsbane. I think it'd be easier that way.

Ava seemed a little startled by Maksim’s protest and he glanced down briefly. She seemed to admit to maybe not thinking things through enough and he was relieved she had not taken his words offensively. Tree bark, however, was suggested and the grey shifted his gaze from Ava to Ataneq. Yes. The large wolf was certainly glad that a solution that did not involve putting toxic plants into mouths had been found, one that Ava agreed with. The Baranski had to hand it to the youngster: tree bark was an excellent idea. Again, though, he opted for silence rather than vocalising his approval; talking openly around suspicious strangers was not a strong point of his and whilst it had been confirmed that this Ataneq fellow meant no harm it was simply difficult for him.

As Ava departed to scout out an area suitable to bury the deadly plants, the Darkwater subordinate turned to Ataneq. “I suppose we’d better find a suitable tree to strip bark from.” It would need to be thick and strong but not so much so that it would be difficult to remove. Maksim also would rather not get a mouthful of sap, too. He gestured with a nod of his head towards the treeline before turning, expecting Ataneq to follow. Glancing from tree to tree, the Baranski had no idea what kind of tree they’d need. “You seem to have experience with this sort of stuff, Ataneq,” he mused, “what sort of tree do you think we should be looking for? Oak? Birch? Or something else?”

The subordinate was more than a little miffed that he knew as little as he did about flora. That life choice had been placed upon Anzhela but, whilst Maksim was glad he’d been given suitable training in using his bulkier body to his advantage, he couldn’t help but feel he should know more. He wanted to know more.

we are shining in the rising sun, as we are floating in the blue

keep my eyes to serve

ATANEQ TARTOK

my hands to learn

It was simply too much of a hazard to put anyone at risk, regardless of how well one knew another. Ataneq was on the outskirts it seemed between the other two, and he felt it was only necessary to keep them all safe. Usually he would have kept his nifty tricks to himself to avoid others judging him but at this point, he knew it was their best bet. So much so that he was taken aback by Ava’s approval of his idea. Had he really just come up with a solution that she had approved of? Ataneq was shocked, really. Perhaps he was good at something after all rather than appearing out of nowhere to help strangers.

Eventually the boy smiled and nodded, glad that they had come to a decision on what to do. It was then Ava announced that she would go scout a safe place to stow these vicious plants, he looked to Maksim who also was on board with the idea. This, too, pleased him greatly but he would not gloat in front of them but he would simply save his pride for another moment. “An Oak tree would do best; what kinds are in the area?” He wasn’t too familiar the trees of the territory (yet, realizing he’d have to figure this out if he was going to be participating in random acts of kindness) but perhaps Maksim had an idea as to what they could possibly use to transport the deadly menace-like flowers.

by Sarah

i'm currently looking for any kind of short or long-term plots, so message me if you've got an idea!
i.e. (friend/enemy/spar partner/pack recruiter, etc)

Ava let no obstacle go untouched by her vibrant gaze, looking specifically for a hard surface in a convenient place. Though the walked the riverside she had turned her head further inland, not particularly wanting to provide any water to the lethal plants she was trying to kill. Several minutes passed as she scrutinized possible sites, refusing to settle.

She found a small cluster of rocks several meters away from the water huddled against the roots of a tree and pondered if it was worth to effort to start digging. On the one hand should the ground here ever erode the rocks would prevent the plants from going anywhere, on the other who knew if there weren't more rocks hidden beneath the surface? She was hardly apt to blunt a claw or stub a toe when this so direly needed to be accomplished, but Ava, lacking in x-ray vision or any similar super power, had no choice but to give it a go. The location was prime, the requirement was necessary, and she would do no one any good by wasting time.

With her hind paws planted in the ground for better grip the dark she-wolf began to dig, scraping away grass roots and mounds of dirt and little pebbles with a small amount of caution. When the dirt gave way and she found little surface resistance hidden below, she approached the task with more fervor. The hole did not have to be wide so much as it had to be deep, so she performed her task diligently. Her forelegs slipped further and further into the cool ground, collecting the displaced terrain in order to re-cover the area later. When she was finished she was practically elbow-deep, noting they might have to push the plants further in and risk breaking the stalks. As long as they didn't lick their toes and washed up in the river afterward, they'd all be fine.

The work had been a little tedious, but she knew relaxation was a luxury not yet available. Still they had to carry the plants here, using utmost care, and dispose of them as best at they could. Optimistic yet Ava returned, dirt-knuckled and more enthusiastic, to see how the men had fared in her absence.

♥ Allie

art - threads

Sooo short. Sorry!

An oak tree was the bark of choice, it seemed. Nodding his head, the Baranski scanned the trees either side of him. “I’m certain we’ll find some White Oak nearby.” White oak, white oak … huffing, Maksim shook his head. He’d never been good at spotting precise plants—hadn’t the patience for it, really—but he knew he had to in this case. Ava was depending on him and this dark furred youth. He wouldn’t let her down, wouldn’t let his pack down. As so, he continued onwards. He made sure to glance over his shoulder occasionally, check what Ataneq was doing. Usually, though, he spent his time looking for a strong oak tree. Hopefully it wouldn’t take too long and they wouldn’t keep Ava waiting.

Caught up in his thoughts, Maksim suddenly stopped walking to pause, squinting between the trees. Familiar branches reached desperately through the canopy. White oak? He had to get closer. Briefly nodding to the black male, the Baranski approached the thick trunked tree, expecting the black boy to follow after him. Glancing it over, the male smiled. Yes, seemed he’d found the tree of choice for their little mission. He turned back to face Ataneq with a nod. “Seems like a good enough tree,” he began as he watched the male with an almost steely green gaze. “How do we go about this?” He rolled his shoulders as he took a step forward. “You show me how it’s done. I haven’t the slightest clue as to how to go about stripping a tree.”

we are shining in the rising sun, as we are floating in the blue

keep my eyes to serve

ATANEQ TARTOK

my hands to learn

A White Oak? Ataneq had never heard of one, he had never been taught of plant life either since that wasn’t really his specialty. He was made for heavier duties than gardening and the natural knowledge of the plants and tree life. It was a good thing that this guy knew it better otherwise they probably wouldn’t have gotten anything done by the time Ava showed back up. Nodding, he too began to look around for the obvious—an Oak tree that possibly was white. Something in him told him it probably wasn’t even white and that the name was a trick, but if Maksim could find it before he could it wouldn’t even matter.

The brown-splattered wolf moved off in what Ataneq expected was the trail he had found to get to the White Oak. Promptly the dark boy followed after him and looked at the tree that he’d picked out. Yes, that seemed good. “Here,” he said as he moved towards the bark-filled tree and began to claw at the edges of the bark in order to scrape it off. It would be very beneficial if they could both get bigger chunks taken off. “Just scrape off the bark on the other side and we’ll both hopefully get a big piece of bark that’ll be able to carry the plant without causing harm,” and maybe if they were lucky they could achieve finding one for Ava as well so that all three of them could get even more work done.

by Sarah

i'm currently looking for any kind of short or long-term plots, so message me if you've got an idea!
i.e. (friend/enemy/spar partner/pack recruiter, etc)

Refusing to allow herself any leisure Ava continued swiftly along the riverbank, emerging in to the clearing where she'd left Maksim and Ataneq faster than she had left it. Wearing socks of dirt the she-wolf happened upon an empty scene. The scents of the two males were still thick in the air so she put away any silly theory about them running off or being kidnapped or some other strange misfortune happening to them. Hopefully they had been able to find a suitable tree for stripping bark. It sounded simple, but Ava had never attempted it... she hadn't stuck them with a horrible job, had she? They were only helping her, after all, and she didn't want an uneven load. She'd practically turned a rather nice day into study-hour at the lyceum with all of this work.

Strangely guilty all of a sudden, Ava eyed the purple-lined stalks they were attempting to remove. Well, she was already dirty as it were - might as well continue the job. Gingerly she approached her charge, amber eyes holding on to the plants warily. There were six in total, now that she was up close to them. Five were in tact, small white flowers reaching high over her head. The one that had been chewed on by the raccoon had begun to dry, though she found it didn't help the smell much. Ava would get rid of that one first. So she scooped away the dirt that held the cowbane in place, much more gentle with her paws than she had been in digging the hole. Scraping the roots with her blunt claws wouldn't magically transfer the toxins in to her mouth but she felt anxious anyway.

Ava did not have to dig down far to uncover the plant's roots. They were rather thin and fleshy, easy to underestimate. But she would not, taking great care to ease the roots out from the ground with her paw, manipulating the whole cluster and preventing any breakages. With a few short, gentle strokes she had uncovered and removed the roots from the ground, allowing the stem to fall over on to the ground. Quickly she pushed it away from the others, not wanting to clutter the workspace, and huffed a satisfied noise when it was far enough away. Her dark tail set to an easy wag, reveling in the small victory.

♥ Allie

art - threads

Short, but I wanted to get it up.

Maksim nodded as he watched Ataneq before moving around the tree. Rising to his full height, like some sort of small bear, by standing on his hind legs, the Baranski eyed the bark. Resting his paws on the tree he began to scratch at it. His claws raked against the cracked skin, almost clicking as they went over each bump and crook. The tree’s skin chipped in some places but the brute was certain he would get the job done. Ava would probably be waiting for them; they’d have to move fast.

He wasn’t sure how long it took until sufficiently sized parts almost peeled away. In order to speed up the procedure, the Darkwater male had begun to bite at the edges of the bark and tug as if he were trying to pull tough flesh. With his teeth gripping the bark (though not too strongly) and his paws working at clawing and scraping, Maksim pulled his head back. A slight crack jerked him from his focus and he dropped the fragment of bark. He almost let out an odd chuff at the piece. It seemed to be a good enough piece …

Picking up his tree piece, he manoeuvred around the tree to check on Ataneq’s progress before gesturing with a shrug of his thick shoulders. Time to head back, they couldn’t keep Ava waiting. Maksim turned quickly, heading back to where the cowbane waited almost sinisterly. Picking up the speed into a jog, expecting Ataneq to be following, the grey male expected to see Ava appear through the trees soon enough.

we are shining in the rising sun, as we are floating in the blue

Their time spent here would be well-worn and they would most definitely be ready to participate healthily in Ava’s plans. At least this way they could all go about their day without worrying about being poisoned by the plants that they were going to bury. It was a learning experience for all of them; one that Ataneq certainly would be grateful for and he would remember Ava and Maksim as companions, if not friends. By this alone he could tell that he was at least a good stranger now and not one that shouldn’t be trusted. That would be enough for him.

Finding that he and his bark-skinning buddy were doing pretty well, he continued to pick at a rather hefty piece of bark. It would certainly be big enough to get the flower and not worry about it getting in his mouth, but it seemed that it might be more trouble than it was worth. Deciding to use teeth instead of his blunt claws, he picked at the corner and finally it snapped off and landed into the debris of the other pieces of bark he had managed to scrape off.

With an exasperated sigh he picked it up and eyed Maksim as they began a steady trot back to Ava. They would need to get down to business if they were to finish all of this by sundown. For all they knew, the fiery eyed woman had probably already stripped whatever she could from the ground. Ataneq wouldn’t be surprised.

by Sarah

i'm currently looking for any kind of short or long-term plots, so message me if you've got an idea!
i.e. (friend/enemy/spar partner/pack recruiter, etc)