Dragonfly Fen Shiny Fiddle Made of Gold

Extremely sorry for the long wait! Just got my internet back so I’ll be on more often! ;)
Also, I gave myself permission to PP Adsila ;P
And long posts are long….

As days went by more scents littered the territory of Pitch Pine Trail, befuddling the Pitch Pine Guardian. He had no idea if they were strangers, or new additions to the pack. But if a familiar scent was entwined with the other scents, it was most likely the latter.

Padding at an even trot along the border of Pitch Pine Trail like he did early every morning and late every night, Ace inhaled the fresh scents of the forest. It always amazed him that each and every time he patrolled the border there were new scents; mice, birds, even wolves!A rustle and a soft giggle sounded from behind the Pitch Pine Guardian and he whipped around, only to come upon the princess of the pack. A grin formed on his face as he chuckled. “Princess, what are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be with Karpos or Anastasia?” He loved to humor the pups, and hoped someday to have his own. His thoughts ran to Silver, a wolf that he had run into previously. It had seemed like love at first sight.

Staring down at the pup with light grey eyes, he cocked his head to the left. “You’ve come to help me do a border patrol. Am I right?” He might as well take her with him to make sure that she didn’t get into any trouble. Poking her dark furred side with his creamy white muzzle, the Pitch Pine Guardian turned around and moved forward at a slow trot so Adsila could follow him without having to run.

After what seemed like a quarter of an hour, Ace noticed that Adsila had slowed down a bit, and shifted his gait to a walk. He didn’t want to tire out the princess while they were so far from the den site, otherwise he’d have to carry her. But just then, a howl rang out, calling for the members of Pitch Pine Trail to join in a pack hunt. It was Shade, his leader. Turning to Adsila, the Pitch Pine Guardian smiled. “Looks like you’re going to watch us adults take down a deer.”

Lifting up his creamy white muzzle, the Pitch Pine Guardian gave a low howl, telling the others that he and Adsila were on their way. Setting off at a brisk trot, Ace made sure every now and then to check if the princess was keeping up. He knew that she didn’t want to voice that she was tired, and would rather be left behind than show it. But sometimes, doing that was a bad thing.

Another howl pierced the air, this one telling any late comers to meet them close to the borders near Clandestine Brook. A small smile formed on the Pitch Pine Guardian’s face. That was the place that he had met Silver, the love of his life. But right now, she had gone over the mountains to meet with the alphas of another pack, on the other side of Relic Lore. This worried him, as he feared for her safety. There was no guarantee that she could return safely, and he often snuck out at night, waiting at the borders for her return.

Turning his creamy head to look at the princess, he grinned. “Think you can manage to run all the way to Clandestine Brook?” Breaking into a slow canter, the two wolves slowly made their way to the rest of the group, although periodically slowing down to allow Adsila to rest for a bit.

When they came upon the rest of the group, Ace scanned the entire area, searching for Shade. He saw Spectre, Lachesis, a tawny female that he had not met yet, Karpos, Anastasia, an unknown creamy male, and finally Shade. He padded up to his leader with the young princess racing ahead, and lowered his head and tail respectfully.

Looking up at Shade’s face, although not directly in his eyes, the Pitch Pine Guardian smiled. “I am very sorry for my lateness but, uhh….Your daughter surprised me by showing up on the borders while I was patrolling. I let her join me and showed her a few things so she wouldn’t get into trouble.” He paused and looked at Adsila, who he could see was grinning, before continuing. “We took a long time to get here as Adsila couldn’t run the whole way here. But I assure you, your daughter is completely fine, although she is a bit tired from the run here.”

746 Words

If I could have you in my heart, I
would protect you forever

I don't judge people; it blurs out the center

Adsila Slayer

of my attention, my focus, myself

The young princess yawned, curling her salmon pink tongue in an arc as her jaws opened wide. Blinking the sleep out of her denim blue eyes, Adsila looked around the dark den. She could see Karp sleeping a few wolf-lengths away, and Anastasia further back in the den. They were both fast asleep.

Grinning to herself, she slipped out of the den like a shadow and stood in the den site, her head up and eyes staring at the sky. It was early morning, with streaks of pink and orange overhead, shadowing the light blue that was taking over the midnight black as day dawned. The stars had almost completely disappeared; save one. But it would only be a few minutes before it too vanished.

Adsila knew that some of the pack would still be sleeping, while others were already awake and exploring; like her. Racing into the forest, the young princess kept quiet until she was a fair distance away from the dens. She didn’t want to wake anyone up, as it would probably result in a tongue lashing about how she should respect others’ sleep. But she couldn’t help it, she always got up early.

Wide-eyed, the young princess explored the forest. She could scent a few mice and voles and her ears picked up the squawks of birds up in the branches. Multiple times, she came upon a mouse but failed to pounce on it and catch it. But that didn’t stop her from having fun, she would just try again.

While romping around in the forest, Adsila came upon a large, white and grey furry wolf. This was the wolf that had saved her and Karp from being eaten alive by the bad wolf in the other woods. Giggling, she jumped out of the bushes and landed a few wolf-lengths away from him. She could see him turn around very quickly, with a grin on his face as he spoke.

Wrinkling her nose slightly, the young princess looked up into Ace’s face. “They ahre still sleeping. So I whent into the forest to have some fun.” Her speech was greatly improving, although it would still be some time until it was perfect. When he spoke again, Adsila yipped in excitement. “I will make sure doughs strangers stay away from our territry.”

She followed him at a fast-paced trot, as every step he took she had to take three. Every now and then, they would stop and mark the borders before continuing on. Ace told her about why they marked the edge of their territory and what it did. But even though she was listening attentively, most of what he was saying was forgotten.

When a howl rang out, asking the members of Pitch pine Trail to join together in a pack hunt Adsila squeaked and bounded around in excitement. They were going to go on a hunt, although she and Karp would most likely watch from the sidelines. The young princess had never seen something bigger than a mouse or vole, except for dead deer and other prey that was brought to the den site. But never in her entire life had she seen a real pack hunt with her own two eyes.

She could barely hide her emotions when Ace told her that she would watch the adults take down a deer. New energy seemed to course throughout her body as they padded towards the location of the howl. Periodically she saw him look back at her, as if making sure that she was keeping up, but he didn’t need to. There was no way that she’d miss this.

Another howl rang out, but it told any wolves that were late to go to Clandestine Brook, wherever that was. But Ace seemed to know where the place was, and when he spoke she nodded enthusiastically. She felt as if she could run all the way to the other side of Relic Lore and back without getting tired.

Every so often they slowed down to let her rest, and she was grateful. Ace didn’t seem to be tired, but she certainly was. Her salmon pink tongue was hanging out of her mouth as she panted. The young princess wasn’t used to all of this physical exercise, as whenever she started to get tired she always went back into the den for a nap. But this time she’d keep going, she wanted to watch the hunt unfold before her eyes.

After what seemed like an age they finally came upon a large group of wolves. Her denim blue eyes searched for her brother and father. She saw Spectre, Lachesis with Karp next to him, Anastasia, a tawny female and a creamy male that she didn’t know, and then her gaze landed on Shade. Her dark furred, fluffy tail frantically whipped around at the sight of her father and she yipped in excitement before running up to him.

“Father!” She stood on her hind legs and placed her front paws on his chest as she reached up with her muzzle to lick the underside of his chin. Hopping down onto all fours she stood back as Ace conversed with Shade. She just couldn’t wait for the hunt to start.

871 Words

It felt odd to be hunting with a pack again – it had been many months since the last time he had hunted alongside other wolves (except for Ana, of course). Hunting – especially fishing – was the one thing the awkward teenager was good at, other than using medicinal plants. While he would have preferred to be hunting on his own (or fishing at his favourite spot at the Brook) Lachesis knew this was good for him – and the pack. While the majority of the members were already close it would help the newer members feel more welcome. The ghost was intrigued as to how the hunt was going to come together – who would be leading the parties and what positions would each wolf be given? Excitement bubbled up inside of him, spreading a warmth from the tip of his ears down to the bottom of his paws. His excitement dramatically increased – if that was even possible – when he saw a familiar face in the crowd. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:12px;">“Naia!” he exclaimed in response to the female’s greeting and applied a few licks of his own to her pale cheeks. Some time had passed since their previous encounter and the yearling had often found himself wondering what had happened to his playmate. He was ecstatic to discover that she had found Pitch Pine Trail and was now calling it home – now he had all three of his closest friends within paw’s reach. With a dumb grin perched across his muzzle he turned to his blue-eyed companion as Shade announced that they would be heading out. Matching his pace with hers, the yearling could not stop his tail from waving frantically behind him.

stick with those who stick with you

She nodded to shades command of the hunt, her ears perking forwards as she listened to Shades instructions. She was excited.. And began to pace the rest of the pack, her head lowered, straight in alignment with her spine. Like the others, she was ready to hunt, happy to get going, but unlike the rest of the pack, she did not have many friends. Actually, the only 'real' friend she had was silver, who was out on a scouting mission for Shade and Anastasia. The pale female remained silent as the rest greeted one another, happily enjoying the walk. In a way, she was annoyed by their chatter.. Their voices would scare the creatuers they were hunting away.. But technically, they were not hunting just yet. Only moving to a meeting point.

Her legs moved in rythym, the ground eating lope that all wolves were bred into. She knew they could travel for miles without tiring at this pace, and it excited her. The female loved to run, to feel the wind in her fur. This time, she would be able to chase a larger prey animal down, with the pack to help back it up. It was bound to be an exciting and lucrative day for them all. She just hoped that the pups would not be harmed while the adults chose their target. She was not sure how she would feel if either Adsilla or Karpos got injured. Sad.. Responsible maybe. Though she harbored feelings towards Shade, she dared not to say anything. He was with Anastasia, right?

[Had to get this up. THIS NEEDS TO BE WRAPPED UP BY THE 15th! Will be the chase/attack round]

The thrill of the hunt would be upon them all soon. Shade, as his parents had raised him, preferred the hunt to see the last of the light fade from the victim's eyes. But then again his family had been a cruel one, and now he was a pack leader. His son came up next to him, practically bouncing down towards the mule deer and he asked what it was they were going to hunt. With a soft reply, Shade told his son. "There is a herd of mule deer up ahead, we need to be super quiet though, don't want them to know that we are hunting them." He said with a smile, he gave a quick lick behind his son's ear. When he reached the area he wanted them to stage from he froze and ducked down a bit, in case the mule deer were paying attention, which he highly doubted, but all the same he was never too cautious.

"Alright then Pitch Pine Trail members, we are hunting Mule Deer, Spectre since you had shown interest in being a hunter, and have expressed interest in the field, you will lead the chaser group and therefore pick which deer we will go for. I will lead the attack group. We need someone to stay with the pups to make sure they don't get too close, we don't want them to be in risk of getting hurt. I was thinking that there could be @Naia as a chaser, @Lachesis as an attacker, @Silver as a chaser, @Ace as an attacker and @Anastasia as a chaser. @Beelzebub hasn't arrived here quite yet, so if he shows up he can either stay with the pups or be an attacker or chaser. I don't really know him so I am unaware of his skills." He told them all in a hushed voice. He had to be careful, he then spoke again. "Attackers come with me, chasers follow Spectre's lead, Karpos and Adsila come with me and then you will stay back, away from where the actual take down happens, but close enough to see the take down actually happen." He instructed, heading off towards the left had side from the chasers. He was determined.

<b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:12px; color:#2AA6E0;"> Anastasia barely noticed the voices that were littering the field as they all gathered, one by one, to seat themselves for the upcoming show. They were all going to be puppets within the game of the deer, likely a show that would be welcomed as a success. It took very little time for each wolf to be filled in on the upcoming show, their roles and what they went be intended to finish. Hopefully this would go off well and everything would be settled soon enough as long as everyone played their part. It came as no surprise that she was elected as a chaser, as speed was typically her best bet at success. Anastasia began her journey behind Spectre, as Shade had suggested that she was mainly interested in the hunt and therefore going to lead it. Ana didn’t mind, as it certainly allowed her to take a moment to get her head in the game and prepared to focus in on their prey. Lachesis would not be with her for this part of the game, but she could only hope that he would be safe throughout the chase and attack. She hoped everyone would be, but he was always going to be her primary focus regardless.

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looking for friends, potential love interests and role-inspired threads!

While he was awkward when it came to pretty much everything, hunting (both on land and in the water) was one of Lachesis’ specialities. His former pack had not been like the packs he had encountered in Relic Lore – looking back at his memories of life on the Reserve, the pack resembled a herd of docile deer. Aware of their surroundings, but completely unaware at the same time – there had been no rules; no hierarchy; no challenges. They blindly followed each other, only organizing themselves when it was time to hunt. If it had not been for his brother forcing him to leave in the dead of night, Nineteen would still be one of the mindless drones back on the Reserve. Although he often missed his family, he had Anastasia and the rest of Pitch Pine Trail now. Pulling himself away from his thoughts the boy turned his attention to the coffee-coloured Alpha has he spoke, explaining how the hunt was to start and dividing up the pack into two teams. He was disappointed he would not be hunting alongside Anastasia, as she had chosen to be a chaser, but he was glad that his ‘nephew’ would be joining him. Before Ana could depart behind Spectre, XIX applied a quick lick to her cheek before he turned to follow Spade. Keeping his long legs in time with the much shorter ones of Karpos, the yearling remained at the pup’s side as they traveled toward the herd.

stick with those who stick with you

Sorry, Sorry! I planned on him staying at the den with the pups but err....I guess he will do the same here.

He had every intention not to come here. He didn't care. Pack activities were for those who cared for their pack, who worked as a team and thrived to pack the pack thrive. Of course, his display as a pack member merely led to a simple need for survival in order to draw out the commands which he had been given upon his new 'birth'. Beelzebub came only by poke and prod, finally joining up with the group as he made his lazy lope as last man. His intentions were to stay upon the side lines and watch the children. After all, already one of the pack members did not have a trust for him and he had means to redeem this as he faked a smile upon his lips, crooked and awkward upon his mug as it was forced, his attention drawing to the two children as he made way to them and then, to stand with them. No words were uttered, his attention befalling the group of what was now his 'brethren' as the began their hunt. He would play the delicate and dedicated 'pup guardian' for now and if only he would help in their trust now that he was amongst their youth.

OOC|| My apologies on missing the second round of posting. I don't have internet where I live now, so it’s tough to get to a computer regularly. I’ll do 500 words to make up for it. ||

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Naia’s honey eyes lit up with delight as the next wolf toddled in, this one a puppy. Shade had once spoken of his children to her, but she had been looking forward to meeting them for some time. She cocked her head as the youngster made his way toward her, but soon it was clear he was looking to speak with Nineteen. She smiled at the boy’s childspeak as he asked Ninteen to identify her and the snowy female. They were always so curious at that age—although to be honest the child’s question had sparked her own curiosity. He may have been but a pup, but certainly the child of Shade would have met both alphas. Since the strange wolf who held herself like a leader was unknown to the little prince, Naia assumed she must be fairly new to the pack and had gained power quickly. This of course deserved respect, but peaceloving Naia also recognized this as a precarious position for the female with the icy eyes. When one wolf rose through the ranks too suddenly, it often sparked dissent in the rest of the pack. Maybe that was why she looked apprehensive, Naia mused.

Pulling herself back to the present, she bent her head down to whisper to the youngster. “I’m Naia, sir. You must be the prince Karpos.” She gave him a conspiratory smile before lifting her head back up as the next wolf arrived. Another arctic, Naia noticed, and also with startling blue eyes. However, Naia noted that this wolf seemed somehow less severe than the other female, her movements more forgiving and her stare less frozen. Naia liked her immediately. As the new wolf smiled and nodded at her Naia returned the smile, her tail thumping enthusiastically. She slid over as the pearly female approached their little group, giving her some space beside Nineteen. The movement was slight but significant, communicating friendliness as well as deference to a wolf that was probably ranked higher. As she was inspecting the newcomer out of the corner of her eye, a slivery wolf then showed up, making a point to lick the pearly female submissively before retreating to the shadowy outskirts of the gathering. An alpha, then? she wondered silently. She was about to introduce herself when Shade gave the command to move out, so instead Naia quickly fell into step behind Nineteen.

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As the pack arrived at the Clandestine Brook, they were joined by a girl that could only be Karpos’s sister, flanked by a bodyguard that must have been ten times her size. The giant was normally the sort of wolf that might intimidate little Naia, but since he arrived grinning and joking his presence in this otherwise fairly uptight group put her at ease. It occurred to Naia that he may just be a big old softie, especially seeing as he was willing to entertain as well as escort the tiny princess.

Shade wasted no time dividing up the pack and assigning positions. He addressed the snowy female first, revealing her name, Spectre, and her interest in becoming a Hunter for the pack. Noticing how her icy blue stare stayed glued the alpha pair, Naia suspected that Spectre was interested in more than just hunting, but her speculation was cut short as Shade spoke again, assigning Naia to the chaser group. This she was relived with—she was hardly built to take down a mule deer, as the attackers would be expected to do to conclude the hunt. Shade then addressed Nineteen, assigning him to the opposite group. This was slightly disappointing to Naia, but mostly she was curious about the name that Shade had used with him: Lachesis. When she had first met Nineteen, she remembered encouraging him to find a new name for himself, one that wasn’t a number.. Maybe he had taken her advice. She made a mental note to ask him about it later, choosing in this moment to listen carefully to the rest of the assignments. As Shade addressed each wolf she learned the names of her family members. Ace the Giant, and Anastasia the Alpha, she thought to herself, and Beelzebub will be the Latecomer.

Speak of the devil, Naia noticed right as he was mentioned a strange, shadowy wolf slipped into the clearing by the brook. Oddly, he made no contact with anyone—not even an alpha. Naia wondered about this for a moment. If he didn’t like associating with other wolves, why was he in a pack? And if he was always this rude, why was he allowed to stay? The tawny girl was happy to move away with the rest of the chasers, unnerved by the shadowy man’s silent presence. As they trailed Spectre, their group leader, Naia turned to the pearly alpha with an amicable smile. ”I’m Naia, Miss.” she introduced herself to Anastasia, remembering to keep her voice under her breath. They really shouldn’t be talking this close to the herd, but Naia thought it would be rude to go any longer without addressing the second alpha. She nodded her head submissively before turning back forward. Spectre would start the chase any minute, and Naia intended to be ready.

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(This post was last modified: Sep 24, 2013, 09:00 PM by Naia.)

Ace listened to Shade with rapt attention as the dark male spoke. This would be Pitch pine Trail’s first hunt as a pack, and he was full of excitement. Mule Deer. That’s what they were hunting. The Pitch Pine Guardian had never seen one up close, as they only had Sitka Deer in Alaska. But it should be the same hunting techniques as he was used to.

Spectre would be leading the chaser group, as she was the hunter in the pack. While Shade would lead the attacking group. All of the members of Pitch Pine Trail were selected into one of the two groups, depending on where their skills lay. He grinned when Shade placed him in the attacking group. That was the only part of a hunt that he could successfully achieve. Chasing was too tiring for him, as he had a large bulk to carry. He was also just too slow as well.

When Pitch Pine Trail’s Leader spoke if Beelzebub either going the chaser or attacker group, or look after the two pups Ace looked around. The male hadn’t appeared yet, but from what the Pitch Pine Guardian knew he was very interesting. Soon, he would meet up with Beelzebub and they’d chat, see what they had in common, and then work out the type of relationship he wanted with the male.

Nudging Adsila’s shoulder softly with his creamy muzzle, Ace pushed her softly towards Shade –who was beginning to move away- and looked around once more for Beelzebub before following. He didn’t want the male to be left behind, but at the same time they had to hunt now or the Mule Deer would be too far away from Pitch Pine Trail territory to hunt.

It was only as they neared the herd that a new scent reached the Pitch Pine Guardian. He looked around to spot a wolf that had a silvery and black patched coat. He was smaller than him, yet still looked formidable. Beelzebub. The male made his way to the pups and stood by them. It was apparent that he would look after them as the rest of the pack hunted. Eyeing the male warily, he continued to follow Shade. Something about the way the male held himself made him look as if he was dangerous. But if he was accepted into the pack, then he was probably harmless in that department. Mentally shrugging, Ace tore his eyes off of the male and back to Shade where the attackers would wait for the chasers to herd to Mule Deer towards them for the take-down.

433 Words

If I could have you in my heart, I
would protect you forever