Black Thorn Downs Drink with me, to days, gone by

Post prompt - howling

Tokino lay quietly in a patch of sunlight outside of the main den. His gray fur rose and fell effortlessly as the gray man slept. Occasionally a paw, leg, or his tail would twitch giving the onlooker the assumption that the injured king was dreaming.

Deep in the recesses of the Lagina wolf's mind, Tokino fought a shadowed enemy who had slipped into his lands. The other wolf was not exactly a black wolf, but his dusky storm cloud and rust colored pelt could be mistaken for black at a distance. The opponents eyes were like that of the stars, a light bright yellow that only held anger and the lust for blood.

Back and forth the pair of wolves fought until finally the gray lead slipped on his injured leg and fell to his darker adversary.

Jumping into alertness, Tokino snarled in rage. His fur bristled as he jostled around on the floor looking back and forth for his enemy. However no one was there. His icy eyes were met with the absence of his family and pack mates. Smoothing out his muzzle and forcing those bristling hairs down, Tokino tried to calm himself. A few minutes passed with the male looking at the landscape and absorbing the sun that flickered on and off his pelt. It was getting chillier at night, and even during the day when the sun hid behind the clouds. The sullen regal hoped that the pack was caching plenty of food for the colder months ahead.

Checking his back leg momentarily to test how much pain there would be today, the older wolf was pleasantly surprised by its dull ache. Usually on days when it was chilly he felt more pain in the healing limb.

Switching his gaze to the den behind him, Tokino thought about his family. Images of a stubborn Minka graced his head leading the man to sigh in content. Then the pictures of his son and daughter floated into his head. Everything is going so well... It almost seems to good to be true. Tokino thought quietly as he now thought of his father and the family he'd left behind. The older wolf wondered how they were doing.

Suddenly very lonely and missing the family that lived someplace outside of this land, Tokino raised his head to howl for Noble, Kova, and Minka. The howl was one that asked where they were and not necessarily a howl calling them to come to him. The older wolf simply wanted to see where they were to get a clue about what they were doing.

Like a mystery without a clue

Minka & Tokino

There is no me if I cannot have you

Kova Lagina

memoria et lux

Kova had been wandering around near one of the pack's food caches. The silver hued boy had taken much longer than his sibling Noble to garner a taste for meat. Even after being chastised by his mother for drinking milk too much and eating only sweet blackberries from the fields, the child still preferred something other than meat. However he was slowly but surely beginning to like it. Currently his favorite type of meat was the kind called "hare".

A bit of hare was what the child dug for right now. His sharp claws scraped at the loose earth that scented strongly of pack and stale prey. As he disturbed more and more dirt the scent of flesh began strengthening. The pile of sand and grit beside the gray wolf grew as he deepened the hole and found what he was looking for. The off putting smell of food made his nose crinkle a bit, but the hunger in his belly gnawed at the child pushing his jaws forward to grab at the hare carcass. Other scents of random prey species also leaked out of the ground. More food was likely buried under or around his hare, but the others smelled even worse than the lepus creature. He wouldn't touch anything else for right now.

Over the next hour Kova could be found playing with his food or picking at it. He ate the thing slowly not happy with the taste. The child didn't mind when the meat was fresh, but older stuff like this he almost couldn't stand. Only hunger drove him to eat from caches like this one.

His belly satiated, Kova rested a bit forgetting to cover up the cache with the soil he dug out of the hole. When Tokino's howl reached the boys ears he lifted his head to listen. When silence arrived shortly after the call, Kova lifted his own head to answer his father. His call simply said "I'm here!" and nothing more.

Once he was finished Kova looked around wondering what he should do now. Debating on getting up or continuing to rest, the young gray lad yawned then got up and stretched. His eye caught the sight of the dirt pile, and remembering the cache, Kova sauntered over to cover the remains of prey back up with the dirt. He sighed in relief as the scent of rotting food was dampened by the soil once more. Unless you stood directly on the loose soil you couldn't exactly smell it.

Then he decided to turn ad head back to the den to see his father and rest.

minutes ticked by as the pup wandered back to the den. He was greeted by the sight of Tokino sunning himself on the ground outside of the den. Tiredness kept him from getting to excited, but Kova's back end did begin to twitch back and forth as his tail wagged happy to see his father.

Padding up to the grizzled male quickly the wolf cub nosed his way against the larger males chest and cuddled up next to to the older wolf. His blue eyes glanced up to Kino trying to measure the mood the man was in. Father are you okay? he asked innocently not sure why the guy was in such a glum mood.

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

As the older wolf lowered his head ending his call the silver male paused to listen for anyone to reply. The wind shifted as he listened bringing the scent of deer and cat to his nose. Bristling a bit in anger while hunger gnawed at his belly, Tokino shifted into a standing position as Kova's call reached his ears. The boy was close by and well within the borders which made Kino happy. However with the scent of lynx nearby a frown covered his face. Tokino didn't want Kova out by himself while lynx were creeping through their territory.

Hobbling slowly towards the scent of deer, lynx, and Kova, Tokino found the carcass and assessed the danger. The lynx had been here days ago and the carcass was still pretty much intact spare for a large hole in the stomach and chest area. The graying male was surprised that his pack mates hadn't caught the wily creature gorging itself upon their territory.

He ate some of the deer himself allowing the savory flavor to see into his mouth. Tokino wasn't hugely worried about the lynx now that he knew how old the scent was. Besides, Kova probably has one of the yearlings keeping an eye on em. the thought crossed his mind as Tokino paused in eating his meal. Letting the thought sink in, Kino started eating once more and filled his belly. Once he was done the male wolf turned and headed back to the den. He hobbled back to his resting place in the warm sun and dropped his body to the floor. Shifting a few moments to get comfortable then looking out over the territory with a calm clear gaze, Tokino waited for time to go by.

His blue orbs were met with the silhouette of a pup looking at him. Then the child started forward with a wagging tail approaching the older wolf. Grinning warmly at the unexpected appearance of his son, Tokino accepted Kova's nudges and closeness as the child greeted him and lie down huddled between his front legs against his chest.

He's getting so big, an look at that fur! Kino admired the thicker fur that was growing on the somewhat gangly looking boy. Then Kova looked up at him and asked a question that hit home. It's that noticeable huh? Tokino asked in return before sighing. He hadn't been trying to hide his emotions for once. Mostly because he felt most comfortable around Minka and the children.

Just missing our family who aren't here with us. He replied with a tilt of his brow. The man was curious whether Kova would take interest in family he had not met.

Like a mystery without a clue

Minka & Tokino

There is no me if I cannot have you

Kova Lagina

memoria et lux

Warmth from the old mans chest seeped into Kova as he lie there straddled by the older males long forelegs leaning against his light silvery chest. Tipping his head to the side messing up Tokino's fur, the pup looked up at his father while the males eyes danced warmly across his short body. Then the kids ears flickered as his fathers deep voice rumbled his body. An amused smile moved onto the silver cubs face at the sensation before he returned his attention to the males words.

Confusion crossed Kova's face as his father spoke of other family. All the young Lagina knew about family was what lay within their borders. Even those not blood related within the pack he considered family. So when his father spoke of family outside the pack he grew morbidly curious.

What are you talking abut? All of our family is here! Kova yipped happily before licking Tokino's chest fur and chin. The boy didn't catch the arched brow his father gave him as he lay his head back down upon the older wolf's soft chest fur. A yawn overtook the child as his body slows down, his energy depleting. However the typical child fights off sleep to swat at his fathers paws and talk with the larger male. That inborn curiosity kept Kova alert as he waited for his father to answer him.

A chilly wind blew over the pair of wolves laying out in the sun causing the child to shiver. An eagle flies due south beginning its migration to avoid the cold harsh winter months ahead.

Tokino met Kova's gaze for an instant before the young lad looked away. He couldn't believe how alike this little pup was to him. Watching Kova grow up had the old male remembering the strangest things. Memories of the past when he had been a pup; memories that he thought had long been forgotten blind sided him at every turn. They were much more alike than he had imagined. Although Kino did notice that Kova wasn't as strict with following rules as he had been. to each his own I suppose. Tokino thought glad to see that the child wasn't an exact copy of him. A chuckle passed his lips at that thought. I don't think Inali would manage two Tokino's running around. the male hummed happily before turning his icy eyes to the rolling hills around them.

Believe it or not, you have a much larger family outside of this pack. They live in a place far far away. He paused as he realized what he had just said sounded an awful lot like the beginning of many a good story.

I wish you could meet them. I have not seen my sisters, mother, aunts, and uncles in such a long time. He sighed wistfully, reminding himself that his future was here with his mate and children. Not out there roaming around the land like he once had searching for his family. They're probably doing fine anyway... he thought quietly before those thoughts turned to his mothers old face. She had been ancient compared to many of the pack who had lived. Tokino had the honor to know his mother and great uncle before they had died. Although the silver male did not know if his mother had died yet, his heart ached assuming that her great age had taken her while he had been gone from the pack.

Like a mystery without a clue

Minka & Tokino

There is no me if I cannot have you

Tokino's answer almost sounded as if he were about to tell Kova a story. This expectation made the gray childs ears perk up while his but wiggled in anticipation. That little tail bumped against his fathers legs as it wagged. Grinning happily Kova looked up to the older wolf waiting for him to continue. However he never did. Instead the man only mentioned this family and nothing more. "What's their story? What are their names?" He asked his father excitedly trying to get the old man to tell him about these other wolves whom he called family. He thought that their story would be interesting and fun to listen to. Unfortunately the child didn't know that Kino was only educated about half of his family's story. The less interesting half of it. The screech of the eagle high above brought Kova's attention to the bright sky. He blinked back tears after accidentally looking into the sun. Then shook his head clear of the discomfort and looked back to Tokino through a wincing pair of curious blue eyes. Crows gathered in the skies far away. They cawed angrily at the sight of the eagle flying high above them. However the sleek black birds stayed settled on the higher branches of the blackberry bushes. The birds were eating the last remnants of blackberries available form the field. Not totally unaware of the wolf pack that called this place home. The crows still believed it to be a part of their flocks territory despite the canine intruders always running amok through the hills.

SalsolaStock @DA, Eirian-stock & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

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(This post was last modified: Sep 16, 2014, 01:21 AM by Kova.)

He had expected the platinum child at his chest to ask something. The boy was always full of questions, though as of late the questions had become increasingly hard to answer. Luckily for Tokino this particular one was something he could answer and talk about for ages.

Oh you're going to regret getting me started on this topic, Kova. Tokino craned his head upwards in order to crack his neck then shook his silver ruff getting comfortable. I think I'll give you the shorter story though, filled with family from our main branch. Tokino had to think for a moment. If he was going to mention only his line of Lagina wolves then he would have to cut out the wolves that the elder male had left leading Mountain Rose Pack.

Well let's start with family here. You obviously know me, your mother, and sister. He paused debating on telling the child about his cousin who lived in Southern Eden. He deserves to know... the older males thoughts led the male to a long sigh.

You have a cousin called Narimé Lagina and her children Titan and Yuka Thorben who live A few days of travel south of here. He silently hoped Kova wouldn't ask anything more about the wolves who had expelled Minka and him from their previous home on unreasonable charges. So before any questions came from Kova's maw, Tokino quickly continued.

But, back where I grew up in the mountains far away from this place I left my sisters and mother. He let another sigh expel from his muzzle before looking down at Kova. The grand male could almost see his father in that long snout though Kova's eyes reminded him of Darkwind's own deeper colored orbs.

You have many aunts, but no uncles from my side of the family. I had three older sisters. The first named Darkwind, then the twins Keema and Yalua, and lastly Marianna Lagina. I unfortunately was the baby of the bunch. He grinned a sheepish smile that was rarely seen on the older males face. Though a twinge of sadness clouded his gaze as Kino thought of Yalua. She had died as a yearling.

Your grandfather and grandmother, my father and mother, were named Yakova and Flower. You get your big muzzle from having Yakova's blood. Tokino lowered his head over his legs before sliding his icy eyes over to his sons form. He wondered if Kova understood everything he said or if the child faked his understanding. Can you repeat their names for me Kova? Tokino asked knowing that his son was somewhat gifted when it came to his memory. Had he been in Mountain Rose pack he would have been made an apprentice at an early age to learn all kinds of different things. Really whatever held the boys interest would have been what he would have centered his studies on. Things were different here though, and Tokino for one was glad to let Kova choose what he wanted to be instead of forcing that kind of stress on the boy. It was one of the things he hadn't liked about his old family.

Like a mystery without a clue

Minka & Tokino

There is no me if I cannot have you

(This post was last modified: Oct 17, 2014, 12:01 AM by Tokino.)

Kova listened excitedly as Tokino started mentioning names of family. Kova could have told him about Noble and mother himself, but when Kino mentioned other family living south of their home he grew hugely curious. The first thing that popped into his head was I want to see them! however he never got the chance to voice the response. Instead his father began saying things about his own mother and siblings. Two questions came to mind now, apart form his first question which was quickly forgotten. "What are mountains?" Kova was able to squeeze out the first question before he was cut off by the onslaught of names and information. Forgetting to listen for the answer of his own question, Kova began to concentrate on the names and relationships his father spoke about. "So DarkWind, Yalua, Keema, and Marianna are all my aunts." Kova stated simply while musing about how an "aunt" was someone who was female and his fathers siblings. Kova was smart enough to guess that an "uncle" was the opposite of an aunt. That an uncle was a male sibling of his father. When Tokino spoke about grandparents Kova tilted his head a bit. He wondered what kind of wolves Yakova and Flower had been. The young boy imagines them much like his father, knowing almost everything about the world and its mysteries. At Tokino's request, Kova raises his muzzle and repeats the names of his Lagina family members. "Yakova, Flower, Yalua, Keema, Darkwind, and Marianna. But hey, if I got my muzzle from Yakova then where'd our grey coats come from?" Kova questioned while gazing back and forth between his fathers coat and his own. Kova's coat was growing out and becoming a tad bit lighter than his fathers. It had much less black throughout it compared to the regal's own peppered black and gray coat.

SalsolaStock @DA, Eirian-stock & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

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(This post was last modified: Oct 29, 2014, 05:13 PM by Kova.)

Tokino moved his left foreleg and placed it over his right one. His crossed legs then relaxed while his tail flipped to the other side of his body. Then the grand male let his ears twitch towards his sons ever curious voice.

Mountains are really large versions of our hills. Imagine the biggest hill from our fields but taller than the sky! He spoke reverently of the mountains as Tokino had always loved living in and among them. They always gave him something beautiful to look at when he was feeling down. That was just one more thing he missed about his old home. Mountain Rose pack had been situated in between two large mountains of some unknown chain.

Yes they are. He answers Kova quickly after the child mentions Kino's sisters. Then the all important question of coat color splurged out of the youths maw. Tokino only knew the pups version of the story, but he had never been told of the real wolves or events that marked where their coat colors came from.

Our family has been around for many many generations, meaning that there have been many many fathers, grandfathers, and more in our family. We have lasted for more wolf life times than many packs hope to stay together for. He first explained about the time frame to help Kova better understand the story he was about to tell.

I'm not totally sure exactly when or who was the first of us Lagina's. All I know is the story of one of the hero's in our family. How he supported his pack, saved his family, and never let anyone bring him down. Only nature herself brought him to his knees, and death was the only one who brought an end to the great hero. Tokino pauses before smiling warmly towards his silvery child. Kova had always enjoyed his stories, especially the ones that sounded as if they were made up.

When our hero was young he was born different from his siblings. All of his family were colored with vibrant reds, creams, and rusts; with brightly colored eyes that adorned their healthy faces. However our hero was born with ghostly stark gray shades and colorless eyes that reflected the moons cold light. Many thought of him as a spirit walker, a dead wolf brought back to life by some god or goddess. You see gods and goddesses are powerful beings. They can take any form, give or take life, and hold the power of the world in their paws. Sometimes those gods or goddesses will bring back wolves from death, but nobody was sure if this was the case with our ghostly hero. Tokino exaggerated his movements and painted a clear picture with his words for the boy. This story had been one of his favorites as well, and had been passed down from father to child many times in Tokino's family.

Let's call our hero Spirit for now m'kay? Now many wolves, including Spirit's own family were afraid or intimidated by him. So Spirit was picked on a lot; he fought many times with his siblings, father, and with other wolves who could only be called ignorant fools. Nobody looked past his stoic haunting features to see the loving but lonely wolf inside. So they shunned him.

So when he was old enough to leave our hero left without looking back. He didn't lose hope of finding just the right home for him; to find his own paradise. By happenstance our hero finds a she wolf who is untouched by ignorance. Having her own sad back story, the she wolf was able to see past Spirit's sad frame to the vibrant soul held inside his chest. A wolf's soul is what makes them unique, and it shows others when they are living or dying. Sometimes it can be seen through the eyes just as the she wolf saw Spirit's soul in his colorless gaze. Tokino looked deep into his sons orbs noting the shining oceans swimming with intelligence and curiosity. Kova certainly was living and thriving by the look of his soul.

Spirit was not able to find anyone else who would accept him. He never found his paradise. So instead he decided to make it and start his own family with his new mate. They were successful and many children were born. The new pack thrived in their very own paradise. However it did not last. He paused to quickly check their surroundings and see if anybody else was arriving to the den. Then the males eyes went quickly back to Kova's.

A great white monster from the mountains rushed towards the pack. It's great bellows and howls echoed around the land louder than any animal's call. Its calls alerted Spirit and his pack of the danger, but they couldn't outrun it. The white beast was too big and fast. Just the sight of its massive height sent shivers down the whole family's bodies. They stayed together as the great white wall of monster consumed them. Then for a moment they were gone. The creatures bellows died out as it slowed to a stop and began to rest after its meal. Then it was quiet. Tokino gazed up at the sky in wonder knowing that his son was thoroughly entranced by the story. He wondered what Kova was imagining the white beast looked like.

Then, perhaps with the power of the gods, our hero Spirit breaks through the beasts stomach and hauls himself from its body. He's badly hurt, but the ghostly male doesn't stop moving. He scents for his family and one by one pulls them from the white monster. Once his family was safe standing atop the great snowy white beast, Spirit then allows his wounds to take him. Death, that cold darkness, finally takes the defiant hero who becomes one of the most noble and respected of our family. Or maybe the gods or goddesses decide to bring his soul back to them. I'm not so sure... However, his family does live on in each and every one of us who lives today. A little bit of hero lays sleeping in you, your sister @Noble, within me, and in our family who don't live near us. It's up to you whether the hero awakens in you. That is decided by your choices and actions. Tokino finishes his story just before dipping his head to smooth down Kova's ruffled fur. The elder males tail wagged as he breathed in Kova's young must. He hoped either Kova or Noble would be able to become hero's one day.

Like a mystery without a clue

Minka & Tokino

There is no me if I cannot have you

(This post was last modified: Dec 10, 2014, 11:09 PM by Tokino.)