Cut Rock River beckon the morning

@Maksim, @Karina, @Aleksei, @Orren, @Naia, @Adsila, @Karpos, @Bastet, @Lachesis, @Datura, @Capella

Pack can officially meet the puppies?! I desperately need to catch up on threads, but I really wanted the pack to have a thread like this. :)

The morning still clung to Relic Lore – the birds chirped in the trees and only a few white clouds skimmed the blue sky above. The day was more than beautiful – it was significant. Ever protective, the tawny she-wolf had barely left the side of her young pups and even when she had awoken only moments earlier, she found it hard to believe how big they had gotten in such little time. Kisla had found love with Maksim, it was true – but even that paled in comparison to the absolute, unquestioning devotion she held to the three tumbling pups that currently slept at her side.

Stretching slightly, the regal lady bent her muzzle down to clean each one – yes, this would be the day she would finally gather the pack to welcome their future. Maksim was not in sight, but he too had rarely been from sight, and she knew it was likely he had either gone to quench his thirst, or to find a decent meal for her – and in turn, their babies.

Standing now, cringing as the warmth once by her side was invaded by a slight summer breeze, she nudged each in turn, hoping to lure them to wakefulness. “Come,” she crooned, edging her way to the den entrance. It would not be the first time they had seen the outside world, but each time they went to the den opening, they always seemed intrigued by what the world could offer them.

As the morning sun glinted off her pale golden fur, the female gave a brisk shake of her pelt, her muzzle tilting as she took in the scents. All was well within the River lands, and without waiting for her little trio to emerge, she allowed a song to escape across the air, beckoning the pack forward – it was time to gather and to celebrate.

sparking up my heart

When the song reached his ears he had been wandering back to get some rest after a patrol. He had still not returned to sleeping in the pack den, taking the time for before he slept to vent his anger in privacy as Maksim had suggested. He had been letting it out but was careful to make sure that other wolves were not around when he did so. He was so very curious about the call which caused him to gracefully sprint to the location of the tawny queen. A small smile was glued to his muzzle when he was the first to arrive. He dipped his head and the black yearling just stood there, a few wolf lengths away from the mother who had called. His tail had lowered submissively upon arrival and his eyes were averted from hers. He began to wonder how he was the first to get there? Normally he was last or second to last but... no, just he had to stop thinking about weird things like that. "Milady." He greeted her softly as he looked at the den. He had seen the pups around but never actually talked to them. Was that what they would all be doing today? Were they all going to be meeting the puppies? He hoped so because he had heard about Aleksei and Orren and Karina and he had been anxious to meet them. He wondered how grown they were already. If his estimations were right then they would be about 9 weeks old.

Ever since he and his siblings had gone outside for the first time, Orren had been captivated by that world. In his dreams he was already tall and strong like his mother and father, and his long legs carried him with confidence as he raced across endless expanses of grass, beneath a wide blue sky. In his waking hours, though, the young prince was still usually to be found in or near the den, neither able nor allowed to venture very far on his own. True freedom lay within his dreams, for now - a disgruntled mumbling sound escaped him as his mother stood, stirring him from his sleep. He would just as soon have sunk back into that warm, black void, if it were not for the word Kisla uttered next. "Come."

Come outside? With her? This had him fully awake in an instant, practically tripping over his paws as he scurried after his mother's retreating form toward the sunlight. Aleksei and Karina could sleep in if they wanted, for all he cared. He was not going to miss out on... whatever this was.

As he scrambled out of the den, though, the sight of another form brought him up short. Another fully grown wolf, one he didn't know, who was saying something to his mother. Nervousness overruled Orren's excitement for a moment, and his overlarge ears pinned back, tail finding it's way between his legs. "Oh..." the word left him of it's own accord as he looked desperately to his mother. Then he was dashing toward her, taking cover beneath her solid, reassuring form. "Ma??" the wide-eyed pup asked, hoping for reassurance as he stared out from between him mother's legs at Karpos.

OOC|| FYI everyone, pups are 8 weeks old in this thread, about 5 human years.

Rachel—it says in our development guide that starting around 8 weeks the pups are moved from the birthing den to the rendezvous site/pack den. That could be a fun kinda ceremonial event for this thread. ||

The moment Karina felt her mother’s warmth leave her, she was confused. It took her a few moments to arrive at full consciousness and realize what was so strange about the situation. It was the first time she could recall that @Kisla had walked away from the litter without delivering them directly into another’s care—usually their father’s. “I’ll be home soon,” she would say to Karina—or something similar to that—as she gave her a kiss farewell. Kisla had done none of those things this time, and Karina whined for some kind of explanation of what was going on.

”Come,” her mother beckoned, and realization flooded Karina. How unusual.. they were going somewhere as a family. It was more common for the little ones to venture restlessly from the cave and the adults to concede to follow behind. Karina could not remember being summoned to the entrance before, and as with many new experiences the situation paralyzed her with fear. Karina whined again, a little more desperately this time, as her mother edged toward the opening of the den. The sun lit up Kisla’s pelt in a glorious flash of gold before the alpha disappeared through the opening, and Orren was quick to follow suit. The littlest Baranski began to quake with fear, and she turned to her remaining brother with wide eyes.

”Leki..” she whispered the nickname, her wavering voice begging for his comfort. Although Orren would dash off without her in a heartbeat, Aleksei was always so patient. He never ran off without her. Aleksei’s serene gaze alone was enough to sooth her terrors. ”We go?” she asked after a moment. With her oldest brother at her side, she was prepared to face whatever waited for them outside the den. She waited for him to take the lead, and she would follow her brother as he moved into the morning light. She would follow her Protector wherever he went.

(This post was last modified: Jul 12, 2014, 04:31 PM by Karina.)

   

    
 

The Young Slayer Girl broke stride and paused as the song from the female leader of her pack resonated throughout the territory, her ears pricking curiously. Within moments, her lithe body had twisted around and was padding at a quick pace to the source of the howl, calling members to join her… for what? A pack meeting, a hunt, she did not know, but what she did know was not to be late, as it sounded important. She wanted to make a good impression on her pack mates so that they could see she was responsible and trustworthy.

Panting lightly as she arrived, her sensitive nose picked up the scent of Karpos, the leading female and much more indistinct traces of others, which she had never smelled before on her treks inside Cut Rock River territory. Slinking over to her brother to crouch beside him, practically lying on her stomach, she gasped when a small bundle of fur scrambled out of the den before hiding between the legs of the tawny she-wolf before them. The squeaks of further pups were heard from inside the den, and she could barely contain her excitement. The pack would be seeing the pups for the first time!

Flattening herself on the ground like a pancake, Adsila stared adoringly at the pup with the mixed brown and grey pelt that stared out from between the pair of legs at her and Karpos. Her eyes glanced momentarily at the whispering going in in the den, and could barely make out two small shapes within the darkness. “They’re beautiful ma’am,” she breathed softly, not wanting to scare the pup closest to her even further than it already was.

281 Words

The howl from Kisla excited her and she ran with a speed nearly forgotten since her injury, the wound had completely healed over from winter and was nonexistent in her step and her stride was one more fluid and long as speed once more became her friend. She enjoyed this side of herself, it made her feel like a useful member of the pack to be able to participate without handicaps and she was taking full advantage of her health, keeping sure to avoid angry badgers that happened to come her way from fear of re-injury. That she could not afford. As she ran, with the gift of a two day old preserved bird she'd found while in Cederwood Forest and held until this very special event, her heart swelled at the possibility of finally getting to know her female lead and the new brood she'd birthed.

Her absence during their birth had been intentional, it was ultimately her choice to remain busy on the land while others stood cooing over the newborns to welcome them in the world. She rather waited until they were old enough to walk, see, smell and hear before she introduced herself to them; it was less awkward that way. The dark woman couldn't recall the last birth she'd attended, she'd left her own home just before the birth of her parent's sixth litter with no interest in getting to know the newest Akhenaten brood--the ceremony felt less of a celebration then a curse.

When she entered the scene two others were present, a male and female of darker pelts and she smiled at the realization that she were not the only dark coat wolf in attendance before dipping her head toward Kisla, to pay her respect, and dropped the bird softly to the ground. It was a small meal but the meat was excellent, she knew this only because she had eaten the second one she'd found a day prior, "For you, it isn't much but it's quite the prize." she nudged it finally before withdrawing her eyes to look over the romping brood--two boys and one girl, quite the litter. A smile covered her features when she settled into a sit and watched in silence as the puppies grew accustomed to their surroundings and new found skills, momentarily searching to see if anyone else would make their appearance.

(This post was last modified: Jul 17, 2014, 11:32 AM by Bastet.)

Avatars by Becca! Thank you!

Very slight PP of @Karina--hope you don't mind! I can change it if you'd like.

Aleksei slept peacefully, his dreams gentle as the fur that he wriggled into every night. He dreamt of outside, his mother and father dancing around like he and his siblings had once before done. Karina and Orren were there, too, beckoning for him to come outside, to join them. As his dreamself lifted its paws and effortlessly strode forward, just about breaching the mouth of the den, the cub was nudged awake by his mother. The pale boy lifted his head groggily. It was only now that he was realising she was not at his side. “Come,” she whispered, and Aleksei found himself fully awake. Come … come where? Outside? Karina's whine caused him to struggle upright, shaking his head and stumbling slightly, catching himself at the last second.

“Leki? We go?”

Aleksei's puppy blue gaze fell on his little sister and he stepped towards her, nudging her cheek lovingly. “Yeah,” he responded, grinning wolfishly. “We go, Rina.” With a sibling at their sides—Orren had, apparently, dashed off ahead—the eldest and youngest made their way to the mouth of the den, Aleksei taking the first step outside, light washing over him. And his jaw fell, his tail curling between his legs as he stood beneath the legs of his mother like they were sturdy columns. Excitement was replaced by fear and the eldest cub gave a whine. Figures stood all around, wolves he had never seen before. Cautiously, he edged further forward until his rump was finally free from the inky shadows of their den. “Ma?” He echoed his sibling, his voice wavering ever so slightly as he tried to understand what all of this meant and who, exactly, these other figures were.

OOC|| Eh, not a pp at all! I wrote the end of Karina’s post to indicate that she would follow him out. :)||

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Naia was at the outskirts of the Cut Rock River territory when she heard Kisla’s summons. A celebration? Naia’s heart leapt with excitement at her leader’s words. The River had much to celebrate—a thriving pack, a good alliance, food aplenty, and of course their three healthy, beautiful pups. Naia had stolen glances of the children playing outside, but she had yet to formally introduce herself to the trio. Her swift paws carried her into the heart of the territory, though she did not arrive right away at Kisla’s den. She had one more stop to make. Slowing as she neared an ancient, towering cedar, she ducked under its lowest branches to access its moss-covered trunk. At the base of the tree, she found what she was looking for—a hole by the roots, just big enough to fit her muzzle. Reaching carefully into the hole, she drew out a rabbit skin, folded and bunched to create a little pouch. Pouch-in-mouth and with a joyful spring in her step, the scout closed the rest of the distance to Kisla’s den.

Kisla was a beautiful sight to see, standing with a mother’s pride over her children. Ubasti had just dropped a small meal at her feet, and a pang of guilt shot through Naia as she realized she hadn’t brought anything for the new mother. Then she remembered the rabbit skin she carried between her teeth. There had once been a rabbit in this skin after all—a fat hare Naia had caught weeks ago and delivered to Kisla’s den. Likely this rabbit had been one of the pups’ earliest solid meals, delivered from their mother’s belly after she consumed it. Naia had retrieved the limp pelt from outside Kisla’s den—probably one of the pups had been using it as a plaything. Although she had no offering for her leader now, Naia had done her part in feeding the mother and cubs. What I carry in my jaws will last longer than any meal, Naia reminded herself. She nudged Karpos lovingly as she drifted past the Slayer children, coming to a halt before her leader. Normally she would have moved forward to lick Kisla’s chin, but in an effort not to frighten the children Naia kept a wolf’s length’s distance and assumed a respectful stance from afar. She dropped to her belly before her queen—not only to convey her submission but also to be eyelevel with the children. She laid the pouch on the ground with an air of reverence, and she began slowly unfolding the pelt in hopes to trigger the pups’ curiosity and entice them from beneath their mother’s belly.

When the pouch was completely unfolded, three objects laid exposed atop the pelt. The small treasures glittered in the sunlight—surely the children would be unable to resist a peek now. Naia began to speak in a low voice, further enticing the children to come closer in order to hear her word. ”I’m Naia,” she told the little ones, ”And I’m so happy the three of you have blessed our pack. The night you were born, I had such a vivid dream…” she drifted off, just to make sure she had the pup’s attention. ”I was walking through the cedars wondering who you were, and what sort of wolves you would become. I spied a raven in the trees.” she looked down at the bird Ubasti had set before Kisla. ”Ravens are like this bird, but bigger—with feathers dark as the night sky..” she explained to the children. ”..Though not this particular raven. It had pale feathers.. like moonlight.. Like Lachesis’ fur!”Naia knew for them to understand the story, it was important to draw parallels to concepts they already knew and understood. They had so much still to discover.

”I followed the raven through the forest until it disappeared into a nest between the roots of one of our oldest cedars. The moment I stuck my head into the burrow, I woke up.” Wasn’t that always the way with dreams? Right at the climax, when you’re about to sate some burning curiosity.. that’s when you wake. ”But you know what? I found that tree the next day, just like it was in the dream. I found the nest too. And when I looked inside, I found the bones of a raven long dead, and these treasures nestled with him.” Naia nudged the first object forward, her honey gaze capturing the eyes of the young princess.

”Karina, this is yours,” she told the pup. The object was a “U” shaped bone or “wishbone” as she heard some call it. Naia had laid it in the sun to bleach, so the bone was now white as the moon. ”As your mother’s only daughter, you are both fully Tainn and fully Baranski, a symbol of your parents’ loving union.. just as both halves of this bone are joined together.” Someday, Karina would wed and unite the Baranski name with another still.. Naia felt sure it was her destiny to bring wolves together. ”It’s also much tougher than it looks,” Naia told the girl with a wink.

Moving onto the second object, Naia spoke the young male’s name, ”Orren,” and nudged forward a small stone, yellow-orange in color and very slightly sticky. ”Look closely,” she told the boy, ”See the little ant trapped inside? That’s you, always stuck in the middle!” Such was the life of the middle child.”Remember to look closely when you encounter something new,” she told the boy, who even at his early age seemed to charge through life with reckless abandon. She had noticed as much simply watching his playful antics. ”Often there are secrets overlooked at first glance.” She offered a small smile to the youngster along with the amber stone. Despite his wild nature he was quickly becoming her favorite. He was so like her when she was a pup.

”Aleksei, this is your treasure..” she said, moving on to the last object. The stone was a dark, glittering green, absolutely breathtaking in the sunlight. Naia had never seen anything like it before. ”Green and bright.. like the eyes of your father and mother.” Her voice was almost a whisper as she beheld the stone’s glory. ”You will be your father’s heir, and your mother’s shining joy. Someday you will rule with all the strength and wisdom of your parents.” Though it was still early to tell, Naia knew in her heart that Aleksei had inherited the eyes of his parents as well as their finest qualities. Her speech over, Naia stood to move back a few paces in order to give the children room to take their birthday gifts. Though she hoped they would, she knew it was incredibly unlikely they would remember this day. Hopefully Kisla would help them keep the gifts safe and remind them of the story and advice attached to each of the objects.

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OOC|| Aleksei’s stone is called prasiolite, or green quartz, and it naturally occurs in eastern Canada around the Thunder Bay area. Orren’s stone is copal, which is simply hardened tree resin (an early, un-fossilized stage of amber). The wishbone is a raven’s furcular bone, bleached white in the sun. ||

The siblings made their way slowly, using their legs to bring them safely through the entrance of the den mouth and into the brightness of the morning sun. She felt dim rays along her back, warming the curve of her spine and the guard hairs of her nape as she exchanged her eyes between the three puppies, their mother and those who had come to attendance--surprisingly, there were few. She did not mind, less mingling faces meant that the puppies could appropriately be introduced without the overwhelming fear of meeting so many wolves at one time. Though she could not remember being a puppy, or the introduction she received to her birth pack, she could imagine the amount of stress it put on the puppies and she gave them their space by remaining in her spot without moving, only a smile could be seen from her jaws.

No sooner did the last two puppies emerge, one a male the other a female, did their scout Naia enter the scene to speak with the brood and produce gifts of her own shortly after. She appreciated the scout, she was a loyal and trustworthy woman that showed her heart on her sleeve--her gift to the puppies were the most thoughtful she'd seen in a long while. "You're so thoughtful Naia, I'm sure they'll love it as they grow older to understand their meaning." she spoke while inspecting the gifts from a considerable distance. Though she had given her own gift to Kisla, she kicked herself for not thinking of the pups personally and made it a point to bring them something in her next encounter, it would probably not be as thoughtful as Naia, as she was not as giving, but she would find something to please the newest generation.

Orren was the first to accept her invitation – his tiny form pressing beneath her and stirring her muzzle to cant as she cast a look down to him, a small smile playing upon her features. Karina and Aleksei did not follow right away, yet within moments, the pack began to assemble.

Karpos and Adsila were first – two yearlings that the tawny she-wolf had once been hesitant in allowing to join their ranks, given the boy’s initial loyalty to Hollowheart Keep. Now, here they stood, their words nothing but polite and stirring a glancing smirk from the Leader before her son’s voice echoed from the den mouth. There her final two were – staring in awe at the wolves as they trailed in, both trembling. Bastet’s words were not missed, and shifting her eyes to the lithe beauty, she leaned forward to give the girl a nudge in gratitude. “Thank you, Bastet,” she murmured softly.

Naia arrived within moments as well, and Kisla’s amusement sparked through her visage as the scout addressed the cubs. Allowing her tail to give an idle flick, her own green eyes mused over the prized possessions, curious as to whether the golden female’s words were true or if she was simply stringing a tale together for the children. It would be a surprise to the regal if Naia did not mother her own litter one day – her gentle nature accompanied a fierce protection that would prove well at the head of a pack.

Bending down, she nudged Orren further from her before planting a kiss to the crown of his head – Aleksei and Karina both from her reach. “Come,” she crooned again, her eyes sweeping over the gathering. “Meet your pack. They are family.” With that said, the mother stretched her figure closer to the ground, allowing the cool grass to brush her face as she watched to see how the puppies would interact with the others.

sparking up my heart