Hollowheart Keep Hollowheart Keep Pack Thread

Nova heard @Sagacity's call, and while her stomach begged her to run full throttle towards the opportunity for something to eat, she was hesitant. She knew how close Sagacity and Mercy were, and the woman would know better than anyone else if Mercy had been seen. As much as Mapplethorpe seemed to know about everything, even he didn't have an answer for the boy's whereabouts. But still, Nova wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer, and had almost been avoiding seeing Sagacity. The look alone on the other female's face was usually enough of an answer.

Still, her aching belly won out, and Nova found herself excavating the small, still warm prize. Fortunately, Sage was hidden within the overhang of the den, and Nova could at least momentarily postpone her worries. It truly was a short moment, and with just a few quick bites the hare was gone, skin, bones and all. With her hunger sated, Nova finally glanced up, seeing the monochrome wolf resting inside the den. He must still be missing, she thought to herself. Nova sighed and let her shoulders slump. Without saying anything, she slipped into the den, turning about and lying down snug at Sagacity's side. Like a mirror, Nova likewise set her head down upon her paws.

(This post was last modified: Mar 11, 2014, 05:37 AM by Nova.)

Sage had just begun to doze off, eyes blinking slowly and eyelids coming to a rest together when she heard the soft step of a small wolf's paws not far off. She opened her amber eyes just long enough to see the thin figure of Nova approach, nose around and within moments, find the spot she'd buried the rabbit. She allowed her eyes to rest closed once more, ears lazily flicked forward as she listened to Nova dig and then rapidly consume the rabbit. She opened her mouth and yawned, tiredly, pink tongue lolling out and curling at the end before she snapped her mouth shut again. She expected that Nova would eat and then wander off, but she was surprised when she felt something warm and fuzzy lay down by her side.

She opened her eyes a crack to see that the girl- who was nearly a yearling now- had taken a place just beside her and had assumed the same position as she. With a soft sigh, Sagacity raised her head and nuzzled the soft spot between Nova's ears, her muzzle hovering there for a moment before she smoothed some of the girl's guard hairs down with her tongue, caressing her ears in a motherly fashion. She hadn't been able to get close to Mercy since he'd been very young, before his rebellious stage- boys didn't want to have a fuss made over them, but the girls- well, mainly Nova, given that Aponi had become a firebrand- were easier to connect to. She quietly set her head atop Nova's shoulders and sighed. "I know you miss him too."

The deer she had chanced upon on her trip to the Spring with @Mapplethorpe was hardly a boon to be passed up. Knowing her daughter was as frail as a new born lamb she was quick to snatch up what she could and drag it back to the Keep to be cached away. It wasn't only @Nova that had her concerned however, @Aponi and @Mercy were still missing.

After stashing a sizeable chunk she drew back to kick snow over the hole, knowing her daughter would know where to find it. She could not wait for this winter to be over.

Alongside a few others from the pack, Sagacity dragged back an entire hind leg from the elk they'd killed alongside Iopah and a few wolves from her pack. Her belly sagged happily, and though it felt somewhat sore from having taken in so much meat in such a short period of time, she knew that with one good nap she'd be digesting in no time and regaining her strength. Her neck became sore after a while, but there was no other way around bringing back such a sizeable chunk of meat, and she wouldn't complain. After all, a neck sore from dragging meat was much better than a belly aching for food!

Sagacity made a beeline straight for the communal den, knowing that it would be the best place to stash food accessible to the whole pack and far enough from the borders that any lone wolves- or pack wolves, much less- would try and steal from them. She didn't particularly want to bury the leg, as it was quite large, and still not frozen, and to be quite honest, she wasn't sure she could be arsed to do so simply because she'd eaten and was now quite sleepy. In the end, she dug for the leg a shallow grave, knowing- and hoping- someone would feast on it before long and be happy that she'd brought home a decent meal. She emitted a happy and satisfied howl to alert the other pack members to the meal before she went into the den, durled up and promptly fell into a very happy food-coma.

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

mid-morning; Overcast — Current Temperature: 55° F/13° C

It had been a normal enough morning. Chulyin had risen early from the dens, did his morning rounds, marking the borders as was needed, and then returned to the clearing where the Keep wolves slept. It always pleased him when he made his way around the borders of Hollowheart Keep and found no trace of strangers. As instinctual as it might have been, the Knight always found himself exhausted after being angry. With a plump rabbit in tow, he settled down beside a gnarled tree by the dens, and set it down between it paws, nosing its stuffed belly. With watering jaws, he appraised it. Once the snows had gone, the foolish thing had probably started gorging itself. And now, he would gorge himself on it. Tearing away the white fur, he dug in, tearing flesh from muscle, muscle from bone.

As he ate, he felt rather pleased with the direction the day was headed. Though there was no smile upon his face, he thought these things quite clearly. There had been no traces of strangers around the borders, so no need to exhaust himself with anger. The pack had seemingly settled back into normalcy, and Chulyin had reclaimed his previous attitude, the true nature of a knight, a guardian. No smile would be evident upon his face. He saved those for his blood only. No eager wags of his tail. No, the man was a robot again. And it did not bother him one bit.

Lurking until the end of July - Please PM/tag me to get my attention

Later on from here...

After her most recent encounter with a wolf from Willow Ridge Quick had wasted no time in gathering her gifts (a large hunk of deer and an assorted bundle of goldenrod and hellebore) for her Leaders at Hollowheart Keep. She'd made a swift return from the Wildwood, fleet on her feet from the residual fear that Lunas might pop out at her from behind a tree, kick her in the shin and take back what she'd stolen from him. That hadn't happened, and now she was well beyond their ferociously-marked borders. Though there was no further threat the white wolf could not relax her gait. The mouthful she was carrying had become rather uncomfortable in the last leg home. Upon approaching their communal den Quick lowered her head, but stopped herself. No, this had to go directly to them. Cautiously she approached the haunt of Naira and Mapplethorpe. Not knowing whether or not they were around, the female got as close as she dared and only then did she allow the meat and herbs to drop from her jaws. It was clear enough from the proximity that these items were not a free-for-all. Perhaps someone might take them any way, but to Quick, she had done her part. Half-smirking, she turned away and headed off to continue being useful.

May 23rd; Late morning; Overcast; 52° F/11° C

The morning for the most part had been quiet, which, according to the graying Leader was a godsend. While he now often left the duty of patrolling the borders to @Sagacity and @Chulyin and the two other subordinates under Naira's reign, he was not particularly content to sit - or lay - idly by. With his arthritis advancing by the day, it soon became harder to continue his daily routine. He now hobbled about when he walked; despite all four of his limbs seeming completely functional, his elbows and knees were starting to painfully remind him of his age and the travels he had taken over the past seven years. The bit of gray sky he could spy through the thick canopy above made him wonder if he ought to get up. If the rain was to come in at any time during the day, he figured he would soon find himself immobile if the chill got to him from the bottoms of his paw pads; and, the only way to avoid such a thing was... to move.

He slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, craning his neck upward so that his head sat properly level above his shoulders and panting as he dreaded shifting the rest of his body (though it wasn't as if the man had gained any weight... in fact, the opposite was true). He hissed through his teeth once he had mustered enough grit and strength to stand, his back somewhat arched as he lowered his head. The sensation of warmth and prodding thorns plagued his knees and the hollow feeling in his abdomen prodded him forward. He would only have to endure this for a little while, granted that the cache that he had filled only yesterday with a morsel of a 3-day-old pronghorn leg had been left untouched. Staggering along he headed off at what seemed like a random direction through the gnarled trees, eager to fetch something to eat for Naira before he went to see her and the children for the day at the birthing den...

(exigo.)

July 24th; Mid-Afternoon; Partly Cloudy; 64° F/18° C

Mapplethorpe had just finished a quick round about the battlement-like stones that encircled the central den within Hollowheart Keep. His ears twitched and nose twitched erratically and his the whites of his eyes showed each time he glanced around. He might have felt the presence of a shadow following all throughout the day yesterday, but today, after not feeling the shade's presence, he had every reason to feel absolutely frightened. His worn paws brought him to the entrance of the pack den. Immediately, he lowered his head and neck, scenting the area for his children, just to ensure that their scent trails were still as pungent as fresh as they had been the day before.

He sat down on quivering knees and shakily reclined forward onto his stomach, warily resting his chin on his knobby wrist. For a while he waited, his goldenrod eyes wide as he glanced around. The wraith would return, he told himself in his head. He would come back. He will come back. For a few seconds, he held his breath. I'm not afraid... This is natural... His tail draped itself over his left haunch and his gaze lifted to the thick canopy above him. Somewhere a crow scolded out to something in the distance. The Leader nearly jumped out of his skin, but recovered as he swallowed hard, taking deep breaths to regulate the pounding rhythm of his startled heart.

This was bound to happen soon enough, he reasoned with himself as he flattened his ears. Just... Please... Not now.