Oak Tree Bend Ohana

@Triell, @Jessie, @Ruiko, @Drestig, @Hotei, @Sceral, @Serach, @Zera, @Darrah ... hoping those tags work :3
It's time to introduce the puppies to the pack! I want to wrap up the first round by the 11th, so post, pretty please? <3

Nayeli could hardly say she had been prepared for this, but here she was. She had survived giving birth, and since that day the Stormwright woman had been overcome with amazement at her offspring nearly every time she looked at them. Before their birth she had already felt she was going stir-crazy, irritated at the way exhaustion won out so quickly on even the shortest of jaunts. After they'd been born, though, she had found herself quite content to remain close by, her quick trips to the stream to drink or to the caches for food shadowed with worry. Her paws would speed her along as she returned to them each time, relief only coming when she laid eyes upon them again, safe and sound. She tried to assure herself that it was perfectly fine to take a walk, to get some air, that the den was well guarded by the other members of the pack. Motherhood had awoken new fears in her, fears that were difficult to quiet except when she was curled next to the forms of her children. They were so tiny, so helpless!

And yet every day they grew more, moved more, demanded to eat more... it was this last facet of motherhood that had lost it's luster the quickest. Gods, did her two children eat a lot! Her own recovery was sped along by the help of the pack – without them to fill the caches, she and the newest members of the pack might not have fared so well.

There was still so much she was unsure of, though – without knowledge to guide her, she relied upon her instinct alone. She knew that soon, the children ought to be introduced to the rest of their pack -their family. She didn't know when exactly the right time would come, but once the cubs had begun to open their eyes, to totter about the den shakily, she knew the moment had arrived.

It was still early in the morning when she rose, stepping carefully over the two little black balls of fur, and walked outside of the den. Glancing about, Nayeli found the immediate area to be empty – promptly she flopped onto the grass, rolling on her back for a self-indulgent moment, savoring it's rough caress on her pelt, the warmth of the sun. Then she rolled into a more dignified, sphinx-like position and let out a soft, beckoning whuff. Zera, Darah, it's beautiful out here this morning - come and see! she murmured, looking back into the shadows of the den. Though she doubted her words made much sense, the tone of her voice carried reassurance and invitation. Then she lifted her maw toward the cloud-dappled sky and let out a louder cry, calling out to the rest of the Bend. Time to meet the next generation of our pack!

       Zera Tainn

Zera's heart was special, no doubt. Perhaps it beats differently, a fraction out of synch with the rest of the Tainns, a pulse prone to crescendo, a fervent streak of spirit in her arteries maybe. No matter, it spawned in tune to her time. Something was undeniably different about this child. At birth an unnoticeable inheritance happened when the second dark coated child passed away from the womb. It was wild -- untamed, uncivil as it entered little Zera's soul from a place as valid as metaphysics. It could have been simply her, the cycle of growth and emergence. But the oddity (or beauty) of life worked in this mysterious way, breathing the individuality into this second born pup escorting the strength of survival.

~

She stirred with the crinkle of her moist, inky nose as the song-like croon of language curled around developing ears. It was a familiar voice, the first and only voice she'd heard. The occasional squeak from Darrah, of course, but nothing like this. Her mother's voice was always so soothing and majestic, warm like sweet milk. Zera's attention kindled, this voice drawing her from the depths of dreaming. Her eyelids weakly fluttered, an impatient whine groused from drooling lips. She blinked milky blue, eyes fixing on the yellow smear of sunlight. The only light she'd known came in periods. Sometimes dim and blue, others brilliantly orange -- but this glow came with a green texture, spots of cloudy sky. Zera saw more now each day and could even notice the gigantic sized paw prints that trailed from where her mother spot in the den was. She perked up her bitty form, placing a trifled paw print into the crater of her mother's before she strode into the ray's angle, first steps into life.

With slant eyes and cautious gait, Zera emerged from the den. The tree-filtered sunlight swallowed her, warmed her. The intensity of sunshine stung those black pupils but her sky-like irises gleamed against her dark fluff. The world was so huge! She could hardly find her mother in it, and wailed from behind Nayeli's slender, tower-like legs. Zera lifted the fluff on her back instinctively, puffing up against a tendril of wind. She shied, scrambling between her mother's safe legs, hiding eyes in the coarse adult hair. She cried for her den. The clicks of birds and the hissing trees chased the blood from her limbs. Fright stunned the child's eager heart leaving her to thud, tremble scared nearly beyond the fix of her bold curiosity.

But as it often does, the blue eyes peeked out from behind her mother's leg. In the hazy blur she began to see the bright green blob break into individual facets. The dirt grew upward into brown spiraling trunks that split suddenly into veering branches, blooming green became the abundance of tiny leaves, making up the microcosm of detail. Zera's chin dangled in amazement. Tension drained from her body, and the little girl slumped to nature's lulling hypnosis. "Ahhh," her questioning babble wavered. The colors that were once so traumatic soon metamorphosed into something extraordinary. Somehow this was all a blessing.

She could just burst into blossom.

OAK TREE BEND

TEMPLATE © NDA OF RCR & RPG-D

(This post was last modified: Jun 09, 2014, 05:08 PM by Zera.)

Sight was no longer scary to this young pup, in fact, it was so very exciting. Just barely able to see his surrounding was definitely a thrill. Of course he still had to rely mostly on his sense of smell and even hearing, but the fact that he could see what he was smelling, see what he was hearing.. Even just a little bit.. Was just far to grand for him. Though the sense of confusion still lingered within him, being to young to comprehend why he see's now in the first place. He was slowly but surely learning how to use the sense to his advantage. He could tell his mom's blur from his sisters now, helping him find food faster than he once would. He could see if there was something in his way, and he knew how to maneuver around it without getting hurt too bad. If he could think in a more complex way, he'd probably be sure he was a genius for these accomplishments.

Darrah heard his mothers voice calling from the outskirts of his comfort zone, followed by the sight of his sister hobbling towards said area of discomfort. This dis-pleased the shadowy tuff of fur, and he was sure to let out a rather pathetic grunt to show it. Though in the long run he was not the kind of pup who could stand to be away from his mommy for even an instant, he hobbled slowly behind the female pup.

Wherever he was now was a lot brighter than what he was used to, another displeasure. Another grunt.. But at least he was by his mother again, he made sure to keep extra close. He took every bit of sunlight into his midnight fur and squinted ahead, what was he doing here? Who was his mother calling for?

Serach stood transfixed, his pale green eyes fixated on the smooth, silver scales of the fish. Ankle deep in water, Serach loomed over the silver fish that swam in the shallow waters of the creek. At his back was the large oak tree from which the pack took it's name. Ever since Nayeli had disappeared into the pack's den, his curiosity had kept him nearby. This was all so strange for him, and more than once he found himself questioning how his brother Fenru must have felt, waiting for Serach and Sceral to be brought into this world. That was different though, at least, that's what Serach felt in his heart every time he looked at the den entrance, hidden amidst the rocks. Fenru had known he was going to get siblings. I....I don't know what I'm getting, he thought with a pulse of anxiety in his heart.

Despite his internal turmoil over the whole affair, Serach could not keep himself away. He wanted to be there, if he was needed. In his mind, he had effectively been replaced by Nayeli's new children, but he did not want to become redundant to the pack. If I can be useful to them, maybe it won't be so bad, was his daily mantra of self-assurance. So he helped provide food to the new mother, delivering his catches to Triell. Despite his jealousy at losing his den, he knew better than to try and approach it now. So he lurked from afar, watching and waiting.

Nayeli's howl broke Serach's concentration, and with a start, he scattered the school of fish swimming around his paws. Despite his wet muzzle and legs, he had nothing to show for his attempts at fishing, and it seemed that he was out of time to try. Walking backwards out of the water, the youth shook himself before padding off towards the den. His nervousness grew with every step, but he forced himself to keep walking, closer and closer to where Nayeli waited.

His proximity meant he was the first to arrive, but he made no movements to crowd the family. Instead, he hung back, giving Nayeli and the two black pups at her feet plenty of room. Pale ears flattened against his head and his feet shuffled anxiously as he looked on. Had he and @Sceral been that small when Corinna had brought them out of the den? His own first meeting with the pack was a blur in his memory, save for the clashing of white on black, so he would wait until somebody told him what to do and how to properly behave at these sorts of things.

The Swiftpaw was no where near the birthing den, she never was one to like children and felt that she would do a better job protecting her alpha and her children by the borders. After all, she was sure that Triell would have wanted to stay close to his mate and Jessie honestly had not talked to many other subordinates about her choice, or their choice, for that matter. It didn't matter though, with Jessie on the borders, it made things easier for the pack to handle should something come up, or if by rare chance, there happened to be an intruder, which had definitely happened to Jessie more than once. In Swift River, and since she had moved to Oak Tree Bend. So far, she had been doing well at isolating herself from the other subordinates, not that there were many to socialize with in general, but every once in while, she would find herself seeking the company of Hotei or Nayeli, but it was never often. It was why when the call for the pack was issued, Jess was hesitant on whether or not she should go or not.

Around this time last year, it had been found out that Marsh had perished, at which time Triell had returned, and a few weeks later Ice had left. It was hard for her to cope for the lose of her close friends, especially since the reason he had left was because of her absentee sister. Either way, she knew that Nayeli would appreciate her presence there, and in the end set out for where she had called from. It would be important for the Second to get to know the new generation of Tainns, and she knew that it would only be a matter of time before she would also have to go the extra limb to help out with them. Jess was quick on her paws and arrived in the clearing in no time, her emerald eyes immediately moving to the large form of Serach. Immediately, the Swiftpaw moved towards him and gave him a small nudge on the shoulder in greeting before turning her jade eyes towards Nayeli and her new children, an encouraging, friendly smile on her face.

Dawnthieves.de, somestock @ DA & candyhorse @ DA - Table by PuppyThief

Ooc: *Narrowly makes it before the 11th* yahi! ^^;

He heard it, he hesitated; The pups are out... For a moment he glanced towards the horizon, feeling a strong urge to sprint towards it as quickly as he could, far, far away from The Bend and Nayeli, and her children. Then he shook his head, and the shudder spread through his entire body, shaking out his fur and throwing off his fears like water after a swim; You can't do that to her, to THEM! So he took a deep breath and turned around, trotting swiftly through the trees, towards the den site. Even on legs stiff with anxiety, it did not take the ebony lad long to reach the clearing where the large oak tree loomed. He wavered for a second at the tree line, but then stepped out into the light, a brisk walk carrying him across the grass to where the pack was gathering. So far, only two of the packs, admittedly few, numbers had answered their alpha's call. Drestig smiled at the familiar frame of Serach, dutifully arrived to greet his new 'siblings' and he offered a small nod to Jessie before his full attention turned to Nayeli. The moment he saw her, his heart felt lighter, her happiness clear even through the tiredness in her eyes; how could he envy her this joy? And when his eyes fell on the two tiny figures, pressed up against her legs, all worries vanished. A broad, warm smile spread across his face as he came to a hold do distance away from them, and his fiery eyes twinkled. He lowered himself down slowly, laying on the grass with his head on outstretched paws. Eyes never straying from the black girl, half hidden behind her mother's leg, Drestig's smile thinned, to hide the bright, sharp teeth, and in a low voice, more gentle than anyone had ever heard from him, he greeted her: "Hello princess." Word count: 317 My mind is my own ”I'll say whatever I want to!”

(This post was last modified: Jun 11, 2014, 12:19 AM by Drestig.)

Hotei Tainn

Unlike his mate, he actually liked children. Sure, they were annoying little brats most of the time. But at least they were adorable annoying little brats. Until the adorableness faded and they grew up to be hormonal asshats. Maybe that's why he never had children. And lets not forget to mention his ever complicated relationship with his mate prevented him from doing so. Though, it seemed they were finally on the same page, so he couldn't complain. So, as the beckoning howl of Nayeli rang through the territory he didn't bother to seem surprised. His nephew and niece were bound to be showed to the pack sometime, and what better time than the present? Keeping his features stoic, the aspiring Gaurdian made his way to where a small gathering of wolves were present. All he knew by name. It would've been dissapointing if by this time he still didn't know there names. Standing between Jessie and Drestig, he gave a small smile to to the lady beside him and a friendly nod to both Serach and Drestig. He silently bowed his head in respect as he laid eyes on his queen and the children.

His yellow orbs flashed with slight amusement as he witnessed Drestig try to interact with the young princess. The burnt man's yellow orbs landed on his queen, and the barest hint of a soft grin traced his muzzle as they lowered to the children huddled between her legs. "What are their names?," he questioned. After all this was his blood he was talking about.

Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

(This post was last modified: Jun 12, 2014, 03:14 AM by Hotei.)

<3 sorry for the wait

Look at the stars, look how they shine for you

The new father had a set post outside the den where he kept watch over his children, and mate without interference. Even he could not remain there every hour. His joints would begin to ache from his lack of moment, save his eyes, nose and ears. The wolf would need to stretch, be assured things were fine else where. So it was with straining ears assured they were asleep, before the sun yet thought of shining he drifted to the creek. A rapid drink to ease his dry throat, the dark leader was off, following the red hills with a questioning nose. Like the many other strolls he did not detect any hungry bears, nor lingering strangers to chase away. Onward his long, thick limbs would continue trotting along, marking the lands he claimed as home. It was routine now, but a great part in keeping in sane.

Triell was not quite half way through his route when pricked ears picked up the open invitation of Nayeli's.

Today was the day, he mused to himself. It wasn't with question. He trusted their mother's judgement. She vigilantly took care of them, seeming to know exactly what they needed when he still hung back, looking to her for cues. When they had gotten a little bigger it was rather hard to convince her to leave them for even a few minutes. He wasn't worried, but he did realize as he made his way back, seeing the group gathered in the familiar clearing he felt very protective over the dark lady, and the little ones close to her legs. Even if it was only the pack around them.

It was with a stiff walk, a proud held head and tail he drifted through the grass, coming to a stop on the open side of Nayeli. He kept some distance, not wanting to scare his own children. The Tainn couldn't help but eye Hotei and Drestig who happened to be the closest. The leader of the Bend suddenly relaxed his features, eying Jessie and the young Serach. Remembering all to well what had happened last time, he reclined to his haunches more neutrally. The whole point was for the pack to meet the ones they had been helping take care of. "Darrah, and Zera," he warmly answered, managing to smile while he looked over to them. Then proudly to the star crowned lady.

There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

Apologies for the delay, and thank you all for posting! <3
Feel free to enter, exit, or hang about :3

Laying in the dapples of sunlight the trees cast upon the ground, Nayeli waited in patient expectation. Sure enough, first her daughter and then her son emerged from the den into the waiting world. Nayeli whined in more wordless encouragement, licking the muzzles of each of the pups as they reached her side. Pushing herself to her feet, she looked upon their reactions to all this new stimuli. Darrah, for his part, seemed almost unphased by it all, dutifully following along after Zera. Her daughter's reaction was far more volatile, but after a moment, Zera seemed to overcome her fear, and Nayeli gazed back at them both proudly. They were really not that far at all from the protective mouth of the den, but to them it must seem like quite the unprecedented exploration....

She stood over them, offering reassurance and protection, her eyes drawn to their surroundings. Serach's familiar form was the first to appear, and she gave the young male a warm grin. Jessie, the Swiftpaw, was next to arrive, her sleek form materializing at Serach's side a moment later. Nayeli turned to Jessie with another smile, feeling a bit reassured at their presence, despite her senses demanding to be on high alert. Drestig was the next to appear, and she was glad to see the dark male. He was another member of the pack that she had also begun to consider a trustworthy friend. And yet, among the two males who had arrived, she sensed a degree of anxiety. Serach seemed disquieted, hanging a there like a pale spectre. Then Drestig moved and broke the spell of silence, lowering his pose to offer a greeting to her daughter, and Nayeli tried to force herself to relax a bit as well. After all, this was family.

The next to arrive was Hotei. At his question, Nayeli's gaze fell back to the pups, and her jaws parted to draw a breath, but in the next instant, Triell's form appeared. Her gaze flicked up, features breaking into a smile instead. Nodding as he gave the answer, she gravitated slowly towards her mate's side, gently encouraging the pups across the small distance. As she reached the dark Tainn man, she stole a moment to graze her muzzle against his in with a happy lick, her tail swaying freely now. She wasn't sure what she ought to add, but as she looked back to Zera and Darrah she felt as if she ought to offer some sort of introduction for their children. Her silver gaze rose upwards once more to warmly meet those of the wolves who gathered around the den. Darrah and Zera, meet the rest of your family... the wolves of the Bend.