Foundations

And finally, here comes Bastet, again! I'm playing Bastet as if she stayed behind with the rest of the group...

Days passed and the dark woman found herself looking every so often over her shoulder as she estimated the miles traveled and the amount of days they had left to travel before they could finally reach their haven. It did not surprise her that Maksim and Kisla had taken the lead, as they had the final say to where the pack would settle, and the dark woman was content in remaining near the middle where Lachesis and Anastasia (she was uncertain of how to feel of her return) were in her line of vision and behind her the slower wolves brought up the rear. During this travel she was quiet, voicing her feelings were not needed, but she was sure that if they did not seek refuge soon, the others would grow too weary to continue on in search of their new home but she kept her confidence in the Baranski couple that they knew what was best.

Before long, while the stars loomed above them and the darkness concealed her night colored pelt perfectly, she heard the thunderous footfalls of Maksim breaking far ahead of the rest of the group and her ears cupped to catch what was happening. Before long Lachesis and Naia followed suit behind the waddling run of Kisla and she understand that something had caught her leader's attention--just what, she could not tell. Instinct kept her at her spot, not wanting to break away from the others for fear of someone being separated and yet curiosity made her wonder what they had discovered some mile or two ahead. She could not yet heard the trickling water that like the others, would remind her of home, instead she lingered behind in hopes that eventually the others would appear, hopefully without harm, to catch them up to what was going on.

Avatars by Becca! Thank you!

I'm leaving the part with @Kjors vague since his Join thread is still in progress. Ace, poke me if you want me to edit the PP in the post, since I'm not sure how you plan to play out Kjors' travel threads.

Travel had not suited the smallest Baranski child well. Before leaving the Cedarwoods she knew she would ache for her memories left behind at Cut Rock River, but the princess hadn’t realized just how dependent she was on the River as a food source. For many moons she had preferentially chosen fish over other protein when visiting the caches, but it wasn’t until the pack’s exodus that it occurred to Karina just how long she had been on a pescetarian diet. While the rest of her family tore voraciously into any fresh kill that a packmate dragged home, Karina could only pretend to eat enthusiastically alongside the rest of the River wolves. In actuality every bite of flesh stuck in her throat and made her stomach churn—how could anyone be expected to eat with the carcass right there, still smelling of the poor creature’s fear pheromones?  Karina imagined she could hear its’ echoing screams of pain as it died, not to mention the cries of the animal’s family, who would no doubt be missing it. The child did not wish to worry her family by rejecting the kills entirely—a behavior so curious that it would surely attract attention—so she continued to feign her eating and bury her disgust.

Karina’s days were long and growing longer as her body weakened from travel and hunger. At the beginning of the migration she would spend long hours searching out  roots, legumes, and berries for consumption, but once Kjors joined the expedition Karina had been unable to devote as much time to foraging for herself.  Her one-eyed companion disliked the company of ranked pack wolves wolves—a constant reminder of his current position—and preferred to travel so far from the crowd that he would be sure to never cross paths with anyone unintentionally. Karina had to devote long hours to sniffing out the swarthy man’s position, and once they found each other their conversations would not tire until nightfall. Though every evening Karina was beyond grateful to quit walking and collapse into slumber, the pup’s empty stomach prevented her from attaining deep, restful sleep. She tossed and turned at night and when the sun’s peak dragged her from her coma in the morning she never felt as if she had slept at all.

This fitful sleep was Karina’s current state; on some level she was aware of her family members stirring about their campsite but it felt dreamlike to her, and she was unable and unwilling to pull herself out of her doze to question what was going on. Soon Orren and Naia would burst energetically into their encampment to rouse her and deliver the good news, and Karina would do her best to feign excitement. Truly she had been ready to settle down half a moon ago, and it baffled her as to what exactly it was her parents were seeking in their new homeland. The Timber Forest had seemed just fine to her as well as the Palisade, and she was on the verge of begging her father to cease their journey as they traveled upon the shores of that giant, picturesque lake.  The primary emotion Karina felt was relief, and she would go about her duties with Lachesis and Amisun in an almost trancelike state, waiting for the sun to rise so the packwolves could stake their claim. True enthusiasm would set in once she arrived at the new densite and discovered the river, a sight and smell that was reminiscent of home but most importantly promised fish.

(This post was last modified: May 12, 2015, 07:12 PM by Karina.)

   

    
 

Late, sorry!

Still waters run deep

The journey had been long and tiring, hard on even her well traveled paws. But it was ultimately worth it, to put distance between them and their enemies to the south. They had turned north, wandering through great stretches of land that neither eyes nor paw had ever seen before. With Maksim and his mate expecting their second litter any day now, the top priority was to find somewhere safe. Somewhere the entire pack could call home, where Kisla could give birth and raise her children without worry. Jynx had spent much of her time catching up. But not physically that is. Instead she used this time of union to get to know some of her individual pack members better, on a more personal level. There was Orren, the brash youth that had yelled at her during the pack meeting. And Lachesis, the slender healer who had officially accepted her into what was once Cut Rock River. And Karpos? He, she avoided. Some time ago, during the peak of breeding season, she noticed he had been gone for a few days. And when his scent finally did reappear, she had caught a faint whiff of something she did not like one bit. The time to confront him could come later. The tension surrounding Cut Rock River from all sides was far more pressing. But for now, she said nothing about her suspicions, focused only on helping where she could.

After what had seemed like weeks of searching, the tightly knit band of wolves had settled down to sleep. The russet female was grateful for the chance to rest, as was everyone else. Settling down with her pack mates, she remained close. Yet she slept lightly, deeply ingrained instincts as survivalist ready to jolt her awake at moments notice, at the slightest disturbance. All it took was the familiar scent of Maksim and Kisla to fade that stirred her from her rest. With a flicker, she opened her eyes, their vivid yellow coloration a stark contrast against the dark of night. With a soft yawn, she looked around, confirming that indeed, her Leaders were not there. Naia was gone too, as well as Lachesis and Orren. There was no reason for alarm however. With the crisp sharpness of the night air, Jynx could easily scent them. They weren't far. But why had they gone up ahead? Had one of them discovered something. With a low chuff to grab anyone's attention who might be alert enough, yet so as not to disturb those still asleep, she moved to the outer edge of the group, peering expectantly into the night.

quick exit post for lach. :) <3

Relief flood the slender ghost as he finally reached the river that Naia had scouted out. As he placed his bundle of herbs on the ground, a wide smile had formed on his maw as his tongue lolled from the side. Although his paws ached and his muscles burned, Lachesis knew there were still things that needed to be done. The river wolves needed to make sure that this place was right for them. Despite the similarities the territory had to their previous home, it might not offer the same qualities that Cedarwood had. The slender healer glanced around excitedly as more wolves arrived, their eyes wide with excitement as they took in their new surroundings. Their travels had be long and hard on the wolves, but it seemed as though it was finally going to pay off.

As the wolves pooled in, XIX turned to Maksim to wait for a command. It did not take long – Maksim quickly instructed Lachesis to gather Amisun and Karina and explore the area for plants. He responded with a quick nod, his pear eyes searching the area for his two healing partners. Excitement continued to bubble inside of him, driving him forward as he sought out the two females. He could not wait to explore the new area and restock their new infirmary. While he was worried he would not be able to find one as big as their previous one, which had also acted as his den, XIX was determined to make something work. With Kisla being almost due, the slender healer needed to find something that would return her strength to her for the birth. He knew that the bundles they had brought included some herbs that would increase her milk supply, as well as soothe the pain that came along with giving birth, but there might be something else useful in this area. XIX also could not wait to explore the surrounding territories and see what they had to offer…

But first, this area needed to be scoured for plants. Once he had found his partner and apprentice, Lachesis explained to them what Maksim wanted them to do and they quickly set out. Lachesis exit.

stick with those who stick with you

"I wanna find something I’ve wanted all along" ORREN BARANSKI Excitement was crackling in the air as the small group set to work. @Naia, as always, was quick to answer to her leader's command, an her suggestion was quite alluring, but Orren still hesitated. Even when she mentioned making caches, with perked ears and orange eyes shimmering eagerly, the boy still stood her ground, gazing up at his mother questioningly. Only when she gave her permission, and her son was assured by the warm strength in her voice, did he move, stretching up to give her a small kiss of his nose before setting after the scout, tail waving enthusiastically. Building caches was a hunter's premier task, and Orren was both honored and anxious to be the one digging their new pack's first. The wind brought the scent of a nearby carcass to him and he was surprised at their luck; It's like a SIGN! He snorted lowly at the thought, grinning from ear to ear as he trotted beside Naia. If there was one thing the middle Baranski wasn't, it was superstitious, brash and meandering as he was, his mind was surprisingly grounded, and the thought that an easy meal could be anything other than a simple stroke of luck was nothing but a joke to him. The agouti scout's commend brought him back to the present, and he barked a laugh down at her, lengthening his steps as they swiftly made their way back towards the group, to give them the news. It was true that he was pretty smug that he was the only one among the three siblings who had been with their parents when the final decision was made. Once he had informed the other two, and maybe bragged a bit in front of his brother, he would return to his given task, eager to help where he could. At first, he would turn towards the carcass he had smelled earlier, not one to pass up the chance of grabbing some of the easy meat, but then he'd catch scent of the rushing water and think of the prey that lived in it. Thinking of @Karina, the young hunter would change his mind, and instead head towards a quiet bend of the river to exercise his, now well practiced, skills in fishing. EXIT Word count: 377 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

PLOT WITH ME!

Ending this with a fade.

They began to disperse – everyone stealing away to a different angle. Maksim was at her side, and casting a fatigued but loving glance to her mate, the pregnant she-wolf made her way along the riverbed, looking for the perfect place to bear the pack’s future – hopefully, not while remaining nomadic.

Tall redwoods filtered the sun above them, and she cast a proud glance to them. They were large in comparison to the cedars they had recently left, and she felt a pull of attachment already, even as her paws only first traversed and imprinted upon the soft ground.

But it was the tallest tree that captivated her, and with a nudge to her mate’s cheek, the honeyed she-wolf made to investigate further, pleased that it remained close to the river’s edge, and yet far and high enough that flooding would not affect them. One paw would swipe at the dirt at the tree’s base, and with a small smile, the mother would glance to her mate, offering him a nod. If this were to be their new home, this would be the spot they would make as their den.

The pack members could be heard every so often as the regal pair continued, weaving their way through the grand trees. A report back from all would only further their intrigue for the place they would soon come to call home, and by the next day, when their thoughts and hearts were further solidified on the matter, Kisla and Maksim would begin to dig their den.

The den that would birth the first pups of Hearthwood River, and the second to the Baranski line.

sparking up my heart