Mountain of Dire Patch holes with things that last

The northern lights are particularly brilliant tonight.
she's got a deadline coming up! *wink* no posting order guys!

They set out at daybreak. It was more spring than winter now, and Iopah was restless by the time enough sunlight had finally spilled over the mountain range to light their way. The mornings were still cold, but spring was coming and she had to get away. Weak, dappled rays played over their backs as they traveled though the tangled base of the mountain. It was not steep there. The wide rocks that lined the base were simple to navigate around, the only downside being the small streams of snow-melt that veered around them. It was an easy walk and every so often she would drift toward one of the two males with a soft noise of reassurance or a playful nudge. They were still a family, there was no reason for anything to change now.

The change in elevation came suddenly. Iopah stopped as the gentle rise morphed in the steep mountain face and she studied the terrain. Of the three wolves she was the only one to have lived on a mountain. After a few moments she started forward, moving into the more protected lee side of a rocky outcropping, then turned around. She encouraged them forward with a soft whuff and waited until they fell into line before turning to continue picking their way upwards. It was slow, patient going. It had been many years since she'd scaled this mountain and her current condition made her cautious.

They finally had to stop when night fell. The light was just strong enough for the valley to be visible, somewhere in it's depths was where they had all lived for the past year. She found a large broad rock exposed to the sun and curled up on the expanse. It was still warm from the day and she stretched out, tilting her head back to watch the dance of light overhead. She looked curiously at @Koda, wondering if he knew what caused the familiar northern lights. This might have been the first time @Silentium had ever seen them.

"Speech."

(This post was last modified: May 10, 2015, 06:54 PM by Iopah.)

Jut wanted to let you know I didn't get the tag for this

Since they had left the woodlands Silentium had been more quiet than usual, if that was even possible. Every time Iopah would nudge him he would offer a swift smile to her before settling his gaze back on the ground in front of his paws. His mother had torn their family apart and he had felt like he had to choose sides, which he had but now he knew he could never go back. Not that there was much to go back to, other than his mother there was nothing left for him there, the only other wolves he cared about were with him now. Iopah was his only real friend growing up and Koda was his only father figure, once Pacem had disappeared and never come home they had become his family.

He had had to choose and he chose the family that wasn't blood related. While Si knew he had made the right choice, this would give him a fresh start and no one would look at him like he was lesser than his brothers it was still hard. The pup was grateful when the ground grew steep, it gave him something physical to concentrate on instead of his thought idly running in circles.

Unfortunately that couldn't last forever and soon they had to stop as darkness surrounded them, it wasn't safe to scale mountains at night especially not in Iopah's condition. When they settled Silentium found his place at the base of the boulder that the woman rested on, close enough to be safe with them but far enough that conversation would be awkward. His emerald eyes were focused on the sky as the lights danced above them, entranced by the way that they moved, he had never seen anything like it. Was this what the real world was like? Away from a place where only heartbreak ensued, where father' disappeared and brothers made him feel inferior. Even the sky in the woodlands seemed depressing compared to the show that was above their heads now.

 

Another night had begun to fall while Lucien lingered on the flanks of the mountain. He wasn't sure what kept him here, to be honest - certainly there would be better hunting down in the valleys, where spring had already begun to show it's early signs. Perhaps it was indecision that made him linger, choosing to descend into neither West nor East. He'd hoped to find some hint or direction from up here - it seemed he could see the whole world, so why couldn't he see where to go next?

Vivid lights danced overhead as the young man moved along the rocky slopes, seeking out shelter for the night. It had probably been a foolish decision to let it get this late without finding shelter - on the mountain, conditions could turn vindictive at a moment's notice - but he had a knack for skating by with such behavior, so why not continue? His mood had been growing increasingly reckless the longer he stayed here.

But, just maybe, being here, now, would prove to be a stroke of luck after all. Lucien caught sight of fresh prints in the snow at the same moment his nose twitched, catching a familiar scent. Iopah? he recalled their meeting in the misty woods far below, and recalled the pack-scent on her fur then, whose borders he'd later given a wide berth. What on earth was she doing all the way up here, then? One thing was for sure - she wasn't alone this time. There were at least two scents accompanying hers on the breeze, both males, though one seemed rather young, the same could not be said for the other. When he'd met Iopah before, she'd been friendly enough, even sharing a hunt with him, but she'd been alone then. Lucien was hardly one to give up without even trying, though, and he found himself rather eager to see any familiar face at all. And so, he set off at a slightly increased pace, lifting his chestnut muzzle up to let loose an inquisitive howl. "Hellllllooooo?"

(This post was last modified: Apr 14, 2015, 01:26 AM by Lucien.)

no posting order lol have at it everybody!

The night sky was a solid black expanse filled with stars that glittered vainly for attention. They were no match for the brilliant display overhead.

Bands of lights stretched and folded, each shift revealing yet another shade. The pale emerald of an unfurling spring leaf, as delicate and hopeful as any color could be. Dusky sage trailed after each bending, twisting arc. The color fading into the night as the lights danced away and on. Each band of green was edged in a heart wrenching shade of lavender, the color both blurring and brightening as the night wore on. Iopah grew sleepy watching them, the heavens above and warming slab of rock underneath.

She was relaxed and sleepy enough that the howl made her head jerk sharply before recognition could temper the surprise. Pinched forward ears fell back nearly as fast as they'd risen. She knew this voice. Her jaws opened in an amused huff as the howl faded away, and head tilted in curiosity. What was Lucien doing now? Silence stretched out and Iopah could image him waiting and listening for her. There was no hesitation as lips pursed to give a low croon in response. "I know him," was the only explanation as she clambered from the wide rock.

They had split their ties and burnt their bridges in one fell swoop. Lucien had nothing to do with Secret Woodlands and did not factor into the allies-turned-to-enemies. No attempt at silence was made this time; he was not a stranger to hide from. Small rocks were cast skittering down the slope and thin branches snapped underfoot. She had an idea of why she wanted to find Lucien now, but couldn't be sure of her allowance or his inclination. And there he was, looking for her in the same manner. An informal bark announced her presence and she stood, head cocked and feeling her tail wave. "Still nothing but a traveler, Lucien?" She inquired, playfully parroting his previous words back at him.

"Speech."

(This post was last modified: Apr 12, 2015, 09:34 PM by Iopah.)

I'm so freaking late! Side note, I love the color of Lucien :D

He fancied bringing up the rear as Silentium walked the middle and Iopah lead the estranged group of lone males. It would probably remain this way, the agouti woman had a way of getting what she wanted out of Koda and he learned fairly early on that a happy wife would mean a happy life for them; he planned on forever with her. Silentium was a different story that he was becoming more and more comfortable with. The young male had always been a inquisitive youth and his desire to please had not gone unnoticed to the pale elder, it pained him that the silent male was even more quiet since leaving the Woodlands but it was appropriate considering the plethora of thoughts that were probably flooding his mind. He vowed to take the male under his wing once they were closer to their future pack destination so that they could solidify the growing bond between father and son, it would be mostly them from here one out, there was no better way to build their relationship then now.

Without notice the ground grew steep and he felt his breath grow heavy, his paws were unaccustomed to the mountain range that laid ahead of them but he continued on without word, occasionally casting his eyes past the line of sight of Iopah in hopes that eventually they would reach even ground. Given a few months he knew that this ridge would be his forever home and he was comfortable with bearing his children here and creating a life where everyone could be free and rules were set by the pack as a whole. He would miss Secret Woodlands and it pained him to know that he had broken yet another promise to the blonde queen but he was prepared to see this battle through so that him and his wife could forever be happy, he also hoped to see Silentium grow into the youth he was destined to be. With time, they would all be great.

When finally the ground had become level he released a final deep breath and watched as the night sky came to greet them, it seemed the time had passed much quicker then he had remembered but he enjoyed the night much more then he did the morning, the shadows were where he was most comfortable. Watching his wife settle upon a rock, he cast his gaze to Silentium before nudging the male's shoulder lightly, hoping to lift his spirits, before speaking, "All this will eventually pay off, and things will start to make more sense to you." he was proud of the blonde male and happy that he had remained at their side the whole time, it only meant that his love for them was larger then he could have fathomed. He would pay the male back for his sacrifice someday.

Accompanying Iopah on the rock, he settled into a comfortable nap only to wake with a start at the sound of a greeting and from what he could tell, this wolf was a young male. He stood immediately to all fours, his body on alert and prepared to protect the bodies accompanying him, it was only when Iopah assured him that she knew this male that he felt his hairs fall down slowly. He was still unsure of this stranger but he trusted his wife's judgement enough to come to her side as she addressed @Lucien , he would realize that Iopah was attached to the males at her side if the male attempted anything funny.

(This post was last modified: Apr 19, 2015, 11:32 PM by Koda. Edit Reason: added tag )

Arla and Emma are the ish and made my pretties!
Koda will most likely always be accompanied by Chiron unless otherwise stated, or requested.

Feel free to skip me at any time :) Si is probably just going to be listening anyways

 

Silentium kept his head settled on his paws, though his emerald eyes were cast upwards to take in the beauty that was the sky. Feeling the nudge at his shoulder the blonde boy turned his cranium until Koda came into view, though he only nodded softly at his words. Once the pup had seen the world as black and white, things were either right or they were wrong, but recently he had been seeing seas of grey, the stark colours nowhere in sight. It made him sorely wish to go back to the naivety that he had had as a baby, when he was at his mum's side everything would be alright, nothing bad would ever happen. Yet it had been his mother that had cast the first blended stroke, it had caused Si to question everything he thought he had known. Koda had been every bit the leader his mother had and he had chosen to have children of his own as was the alpha's rights and yet his mother had declared them traitors. It was unfathomable to the boy how quickly things changed.

The Hervok male had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't heard the call of the stranger. While he had grown accustomed to his disability and without knowing no one would probably  guess he had one he still needed to be on alert to catch every noise. Which he hadn't been, it was Iopah's movements in his peripheral vision that brought Si back to the moment. Frowning slightly at her words unhappy that he had missed the howl the pup fell into step behind the pair. Like a blonde shadow the brute followed silently behind them, taking in the words that his leader offered but offering nothing of his own.

 

I'm terribly sorry for my slowness! D:

He stood listening, with only the faint crackle and hiss of the fiery sky above him and the breeze, softer still, in his ears. Perhaps it was the voice of some spirits, but their words meant nothing to him, and he could not comprehend them - it was for something else entirely that he stood alert, listening. He didn't have to wait long - Iopah's call rang back, shattering the sense of solitude that had enveloped him in the last few days and even after he'd spotted their prints in the snow. It was the first real voice he'd heard in days besides his own, and it seemed to be a welcoming enough note.  An eager grin broke across his face as he dashed along the faint trail of their steps, ascending  the mountain once more.  It took him a few moments to temper his enthusiasm. In reality, he had no idea what to expect from this encounter, so perhaps he shouldn't go into it at full tilt. Slowing his steps a degree, he forged on up the slope at a trot, no less hopeful.

The curtain of light above illuminated the snow with a light that dimmed and swelled, the colors of the whole world seeming to shift as he met them. Maybe it really was a sign? Iopah was not alone, and Lucien stopped a short distance away, not failing to note the foreboding presence of the male at her side, nor the  younger male that shadowed them. The difference in numbers had his instincts humming, and he dropped his tail, letting it wag at a level that was sure not to cause offense in a moment that seemed as charged as the sky above - with what, he wasn't sure yet.

It was Iopah whom he knew, and she who barked and greeted him, and so it was to her that he directed most of his attention. The pale lady's words sounded lighthearted enough, but they dug at him a little all the same; his recent days of loneliness of indecision almost made them seem like a taunt. ...still nothing but a traveler...  He shrugged lightly and confirmed her words with a nod, as if they didn't bother him anymore than when he'd spoken them himself, with all the pride in the world.  "That's me true enough," he grinned, glancing again at the others that seemed to be following her lead. "Fancy running into you here, though."  he added with a tilt of his head. There was probably not point in hiding his curiosity, he had never been very good at that.

@Iopah @Silentium @Lucien

He stood watching, anticipating any wrong movement. On occasion his tail would flick slowly behind him from the tension that had built since the male's appearance, even despite the fact that Iopah had assured him that this male was no threat--he couldn't trust anyone, not even a loner. He was focused while Lucien talked, wondering where the male had come from and mulled over the words that Iopah had said, this young male was still without a home, as were they, but he knew that eventually together his small band would find their home. It was just a matter of time, and with each days pass they were closer to the mountain. The more wolves they met  on the way the merrier, it would do them well to build a stronger pack if they were expecting to thrive and this young male looked strong and healthy even despite being a loner.


When Lucien spoke he felt his heart lurch in his chest and he could sense the hesitation in his voice, and the fact that being a loner gave a freedom that many wolves would give back in favor of enjoying the pleasure of others to socialize with--this wolf was probably feeling the effects. It happened fast, especially on the mountain where so few wolves would dare to travel but he would allow Iopah the opportunity to offer this male the chance of following them, this was her friend and he would not intervene in their relationship. While silence quickly followed he found his eyes wandering to the swollen sides of his wife and realized that he would benefit them by finding them food before hunger truly set it--it had been days since his last meal. Nipping lightly at his wife shoulder, to gain her attention, he looked next to Lucien before speaking finally, "we are in search of food, are you familiar with this land?" and he grew silent once more, the words he spoke short and to the point.

(This post was last modified: May 16, 2015, 03:50 PM by Koda.)

Arla and Emma are the ish and made my pretties!
Koda will most likely always be accompanied by Chiron unless otherwise stated, or requested.

@Lucien @Koda @Silentium

Despite how much they could pretend otherwise, this meeting was decidedly unlike their first. This was not a dead forest they stood in and it was not a simple meal that Iopah searched for. She watched his eyes drift to Koda and Silentium in turn. Lucien may not have changed, but everything else had.

"Fancy running into you here...." Lucien was just as perceptive as she remembered; already he was working to figure it out. She could hear the question in his head tilt. Once Iopah would have been hesitant to answer. Hadn't she hedged at giving away the Woodland location and nearly turned down his offer to hunt? But Iopah had changed, and the things she protected now were much simpler now.

There was a brief nose wrinkle to mirror Lucien's shrug. "No coincidence. We are all travelers now." Scent would have been enough to fill in the blanks she didn't speak: she was a pregnant lone wolf. Ears flicked back in momentary concern at the fact and she was quick to welcome Koda's distraction. She was not truly alone, not like Lucien was. She felt Koda's breath as he spoke and watched the solitary male. There was a slight flush of embarrassment, Silentium and Koda were constantly checking that she ate enough. Her sides had grown only the slightest amount and Iopah still argued her ability to hunt normally. Food was not her main concern. "...and a home." was added quickly.

"You could come with us, Lucien." She offered softly, eyes lifting to search for Lucien's. He was an eager hunter and honest when he didn't need to be. She wished she knew more about him, what held him back from pack life and alone. The chance for asking had passed with their previous encounter. Now she could only offer and lay their cards on the table."We can't promise much, but we'll be together. That must count for something?"

Sorry again for taking so long !

Lucien's ears flicked toward the dark silvery male, then back to Iopah, blinking once at what they'd said. We are all travelers now. His gaze skimmed over the little group again – they might be only three wolves, in search of food and home, but three was better than one, as he knew well enough. Then again, it couldn't be easy, even for them....

Iopah's last quiet offer took a moment to sink in, and he found himself glancing away quickly from her quickly and searching for solace in the scenery. Maybe they weren't exactly asking him to formally swear his loyalty, but there was something here that resonated with the deep instinctual tradition tones as old as wolves themselves. They're asking me to join them? It wasn't that he wanted to say no – he didn't really know what he wanted yet, but it wasn't the way he had been living lately. He sorely missed the days of roaming with his friends, but he couldn't commit himself to join them just to replace that... Could he? There was so little he knew about them.

As for where exactly to find food and shelter, he wasn't sure what could be done tonight, but either side of the range must be better than stuck on it's pinnacle. He found himself glancing toward the night-filled depths before taking a breath and returning his gaze to Iopah and her companions. His tail swayed again behind him, intrepidly. ”Thank you.... I'm not certain but, I do know this mountain is a hard place. I've been wandering up here for the last several days. I'd be happy to travel with you, at least until you get where you're going... I'd humbly suggest downhill.” he concluded with a smile, hoping this was enough. There were still questions in his mind. Why had Iopah left behind the established pack she'd been a part of? Had these three all been members of it together? It was hard not to wonder what had brought them here, but he didn't pry further. He'd just try to get to know them by tagging along for a bit, if he could.

(This post was last modified: May 31, 2015, 10:43 PM by Lucien.)