Spectral Woods something fishy

OTB Salmon Spawn!
(Setting photo - Eastern side of OTB towards Sierra Hills - Morning, Sunny 49 ° F, 10 ° C

Attendance optional! Just a laid back sort of thing. Wolves are free to fish or just derp around doing whatever. @Drestig @Triell @Jessie @Serach @Anneliese @Veed @Naira @Fenru @Darrah @Drift @Sahalie

Spieden had felt like she was waiting... waiting for... something, but she wasn't sure what. An anticipation, a memory that sat forgotten like a word stuck on the tip of her tongue. She looked forward to the fall rains, the cool weather, but that surely wasn't it. It was bothering her that she couldn't quite remember, but decided that maybe it would come to her by the time she finished her morning patrol.

Spieden made it towards the eastern border, thankfully finding neither bears nor rampaging moose along the way. She deeply inhaled, filling her lungs with air lightly perfumed by the scents of fallen leaves and damp earth. Her attention shifted, nostrils flaring as she continued to sniff, head turning as she caught a faint wisp of something aquatic... Oceanic... Fishy. That was it! She set off at a trot, nose trailing along the ground as her tail swished behind her with the beginnings of excitement.

Trickling water met her ears and she moved faster, finally intercepting a winding creek. She followed along its bank, her amber eyes intently searching through the sparkling water. Eventually the river broadened, its rushing current slowing to a leisurely drag. It was a creek she was familiar with, and while it had been quite shallow during summer, even the returning rains added little to it's depths. At its deepest an adult might find it difficult to reach the bottom, but its shallows were unlikely to go further than her chest.

She slowed her pace, stopping at a short overhang to watch the water. There they were! She couldn't help the happy loll of her tongue or the enthusiastic flailing of her tail as she spied the olive and red smudges of coho salmon shimmying along the creek's bottom. Dozens of the fish filled the creek, seemingly oblivious to the wolf licking her chops overhead.While her first instinct was to dive in, she held back. With how many fish there were, even the worst fisher might find their luck. And if not that, surely some spent carcasses might be found downstream. The cubs could benefit from the experience, either way. Spieden tipped her head back, releasing an exuberant howl into the sky for the wolves of Oak Tree Bend.

The pack seemed to be getting called together quite often now. It made Jessie uncomfortable, probably due to the fact that it was right and it was something that the Scout wasn’t use to. She had the idea that the pack did most of their activities together when she was on a mission, which was complete fine with her, but now that she felt homebound, Jessie didn’t know what to make of all these interactions. She felt it was her duty to attend but he desire to stay away from the others also proved strong. She also highly detested Spieden but Jessie did have a small amount of respect for the woman. Aside from the fact that she was an awful speaker in big groups and didn’t seem to flourish very well socially, she had done her best since Nayeli’s disappearance, Triell’s disappearance, and most recently, Triell’s return. The process was, altogether, still quite confusing to the gray Scout and she felt it was her duty to answer to her alpha’s call.

Jessie’s legs carried her swiftly towards the sound of Spieden’s call, slightly put off by the fact that it lead outside the territory. The widowed Tainn hesitated then but convinced herself that she was doing this out of duty. As she stepped over what left like a borderline, Jessie felt her heart lurch forward, displeased with Jessie’s decision. She sighed in disappointment, continuing on towards where the call had sounded.

She had scented the fishy odor before she had stepped towards where Spieden was. Jessie was slightly surprised that she had called the pack here, but was, never the less, pleased with the circumstance. Besides, before Jessie had even considered being a Scout her dream commitment had been to hunting. However, her trip with Ice and Fenru had changed her and she felt like it was time for her to consider something different. She nodded to Spieden in acknowledgement, not daring to anything more. The Scout hoped that she made the leader uncomfortable sometimes, just so that she could keep her on her toes. Jessie’s emerald eyes swept towards the fishy water and could feel her muscles tense with anticipation. She was ready, but she would wait for the others.

Back from home!! :D I can post now!

Vidarr lay sprawled out against the ground crumpling a number of bushes underneath his body. The white wolf wiggled around on his back itching a particular spot that he had not been able to itch with his leg or teeth. It was a place just above his shoulders, where those sharp canines beneath his ebony nose could not reach. The bushes did their job though, and as a minute passed by the white wolf found himself relieved. His wiggling ceased before the wolf rocked himself to his side then stood back up. A content growl filtered form his maw before the sound of a howl yanked his attention away form his rather boring task of checking borders. The wolf recognized this howl, it was the voice of the woman who had accepted him into the pack. An eager wag of his tail betrayed the happiness Veed felt, for he very much wanted to be useful in some way. Perhaps by helping miss Spieden out I might be able to meet some of the other pack wolves as well? It was this thought that sent him racing towards the call.

He wasn't exactly thinking right that moment about slowing down and watching his step. Luckily the young male was able to make his way to the river without much trouble from his ankles. It was as he caught sight of the black fur of Spieden's dark coat when the ivory canine slid sideways down the muddy bank and fell right into the river. He had fallen downstream of the two she wolves about fifteen or so feet away from them. Then the youth broke the surface sputtering and slipping on slimy smooth river rocks. Eventually he found his balance and stood fully over the water. His white coat was drenched as Vidarr attempted to shake his head, mane, and back dry. That previously eager wagging tail was now still hanging beneath him being washed away by the water as he looked towards the two she wolves totally embarrassed.

At least he had been far enough away not to scare off the fish near the two women.

"Hi girls." He tried to wag his heavy wet tail again while giving them a shy smile. His eyes trailed along the trees and mossy stones that rose up along the banks of the river. After that little fall he didn't have the nerve to even glance towards Spieden and the other gray wolf.

.

(This post was last modified: Oct 14, 2015, 04:02 AM by Veed.)

For once in a very long time Darrah hadn't been doing anything in particular when he heard his elder's call. In fact if anything, the raven-esque Tainn had been spectacularly bored all day. He wanted to muster up some sort of thanks for the interruption, but an alpha howl at the bend normally brought news of death, or some other form of misfortune. 'Whelp, let's just hope for the best today...' he sighed, removing himself from the comfy stone he'd been lazing around on all afternoon.

Trekking further, the scent of fish became overwhelmingly apparent in the air, though wasn't he out of the Bend now? Peculiar that the event wouldn't be held on actual pack territory, though Darrah wasn't really one to complain about useless inconveniences. Not anymore, at least. Clearing through the last remaining tree's, the former prince examined the faces that had arrived before him. "Ha, guess I'm not too late!" he smirked, closing the space between himself and his piers "Wow, this place looks great!" The yearlings tail began wagging in awe of the sight before him. 'No wonder she called us all out here!' And without any horrendous news? What an amazing experience!

"We finally get to fish together, huh?" He shot a warm smile toward Spieden, hoping she remembered the conversation he had referred to. "I think we've all been needing something like this."

I curse the blue skies.

Darrah Tainn

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.

There is a rabbit\'s nest nearby. +1 Health

The silver tipped alpha was trotting along the borders, doing his usual morning patrol while enjoying the calm that would inevitably be broken soon enough, as the rest of the pack came to life. While he was happy with his post and the duties that came with it, there was a small part of his heart that longed for the old adventures; Freedom... And in these few, quiet hours, he could almost pretend he had it back, before the tasks of the day began piling up. Though it seemed today they were starting early, as the familiar voice rang through the crisp morning air. Drestig stopped in his tracks, lifting his head to listen, ears twitching curiously; Odd... There was no alarm in the call, no emergency, and the only hint of urgency seemed to come from excitement. Spieden was asking for the pack wolves to come, if they had the time; An informal gathering... How unusual, especially for Spieden! He couldn't help but grin to himself as he curiously followed the howl, towards the north of the territory and across the border, brows furrowing slightly, as he wondered exactly what she was up to. His steps took him along the winding creek, which continued into Oak Tee Bend territory behind him to provide water for the pack. And after rounding another turn, he finally caught glimpse of the gathered wolves, standing by a spot where the waterway widened out. Tail raised high behind him, wagging slightly, he approached the small group, smiling first at his partner in leadership, nodding a simple greeting. Then he turned to the grey woman by her side, eyes resting a little longer on her, almost instinctively taking note of her features. She was looking better, her fur nice and clean and her ribs no longer visible underneath it; Good. His smile was warm, no hint of its usual cheekiness and the voice similar as he spoke: "Good morning ladies, what are we up to?" As he asked, his gaze moved beyond them, to the pale wolf standing in the shallow water. The leaders head tilted, a questioning look in his embers. He knew Spieden had recently accepted the lad into the pack, but had yet to really interact with him; Veed is it..? His smile returned, wide and joyous, as he caught the last comments of a familiar voice, and he turned to see Darrah joining the group. The young man was confident and enthusiastic, and Drestig wagged his tail and ears at him silently agreeing with his last statement. Though it was the first one that truly caught his attention; Fishing? Finally the silver tipped man's eyes turned to the water, and they widened at the sight. Bellow the reflective surface, wiggling only slightly despite the stream, stood numerous, large fish, their deep red scales almost glowing in the morning sun. Utterly stunned, Drestig stared as one of the heavy creatures decided to move, swimming surprisingly nimble up against the stream for about a meter, before nearing the opposite bank, where it again stopped, seeming to float effortlessly in the water. Having grown up in the mountains, far from any larger water sources and surrounded by wolves who preferred the thrill of a bull deer, Drestig had no real experience with fishing, having only tasted the aquatic meat a few times, and he had certainly never seen anything like the run in the water before him. Tongue slipping out in nervous excitement, he glanced back at Spieden, who's expression was similar, though more assured; I'll have to refer to her on this one... But he was eager to learn.   Word count: 606 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

Even when everything in nature seemed to be dying, by some miracle, somehow, life seemed to be returning to the wolves that resided in Spectral Woods. Triell was back, Fenru was "back," and now Spieden's tone, too, seemed to take on the same shivers of excitement that Serach's had. Her heartbeat quickened. These changes were so strange but they felt so good.

Without a second thought she was on her way.

Regrettably, she was not the first to arrive. Jessie, Darrah, Vidarr, and Drestig were already there. Her eyes lingered on Jessie the longest, trying to discern the changes in her if there were any. In some sense, she had changed a lot since the day that Sahalie had discovered her sleeping in the middle of the day. But in other ways she still made Sahalie's heart hurt. Hoping to glean more information, the dark girl chose Jessie as the pack mate to approach first. "Mornin' Jessie!" Her face was all teeth, all smile.

"What's goin' on?" Everyone's gaze seemed to flick back and forth between Spieden and the river. That they would look at Spieden made sense — she had called them here after all. But the river? 

Two and two seemed to come together quite suddenly.

Sahalie was probably the only one not excited, suddenly. In fact, tears begin to spring to her eyes and her breath began to quicken. They weren't looking for salmon, were they? Spieden's "story" was just too fresh in her mind. The nightmare had reoccured at least a few times since then, in which Spieden neglected to return the bones to the river and turned into a fish herself.

"You guys promise me you'll be careful?" She wined.

As if her participation wouldn't be expected by Spieden or the rest of the pack.

(This post was last modified: Oct 25, 2015, 08:53 PM by Sahalie.)

The season wasn't the only thing changing. He could tell there was a difference among the pack. Maybe, he was the only one slow in the adjustment, but he still felt it could not solely be him. Everyone seemed in better spirits. When Spieden's voice called in invitation, Triell did not wish to pass it up. Why, he was not sure what the leader had in mind, he had every intention of finding out.

A lightness to his gait, he worked his way to her voice. Realizing it was at the creek. A place he loved, even with his conflicting memories. Thoughts of Nayeli would not deter him. Water was the best medicine, and it seemed Spieden thought so as well. Though as the red rock of the hills rose up, he neared the bank. The strong smell of fish seemed to be the real reasoning behind it. Food, and lots of it. It had been ages since he had eaten fish. Had played in the water. That was about to change, and he found himself grinning. A wave to his tail.

The dark man picked his way from the brush, to the rocky shores. It was a quick realization that landed on him when seeing the current leaders. He felt odd keeping his stance lower. Now was not the time to talk to Drestig, this wasn't about Triell. This was about the pack. It was only with a slight pause did he hang back, giving himself one moment to collect himself before joining the others. With his wry grin evident on his muzzle, there was no doubting how happy he was to see all those gathered. Especially Jessie.

 "Good day for fishing," he murmured. When orange-yellow eyes found there way to Sahalie, he could tell she didn't seem on board with the idea, and he was a little stunned. It didn't seem like her. "We'll be careful," he assured her.

are you with me through it all?

Quick post just to get her in here, sorry. I'll be more reactive to other posts next round!

Anneliese responded promptly to her leader's call, lucky to be found within the territory on this day. Pack activities never seemed to turn out well, but she was unwilling to disobey a direct summons simply to avoid her own inner discomfort, and anyways, the woman had been trying to handle her life as a Bend subordinate differently. Unwilling to remove herself from her allegiance and break her promise, she recognized that her own self-imposed seclusion would not only hinder any progress that could be made, but was possibly hurting her position amongst her comrades. It was time to be positive, proactive, determined against all of their odd ways. To assimilate, without sacrificing her own values. It was a possible balance, wasn't it? She wanted to believe so.

When she arrived, coming to the water's edge amongst those gathered, she threw a smile to Sahalie and nudged her ruff affectionately, then bumped shoulders with Darrah before turning her gaze toward the salmon infested river. Upon this sight she was able to gather why Spieden had called them all together, and her ears lowered ever so slightly. Fishing was a skill that the blonde woman had very little experience with, and she found that she probably wouldn't be so useful. Hopefully she could learn, however, and perhaps pick up quickly. Moreover, she prayed that she would be of help, even if just a small amount, rather than a hindrance.

PLOT WITH ME!

@Anneliese @Triell @Darrah @Jessie @Drestig @Veed @Sahalie 

At first Spieden wasn't sure that anyone would show. Her call had lacked the urgency given to raging bulls or the importance of a meeting, and being towards the edge of the territory it was entirely possible with the wrong winds no one would hear her. So it came as a bit of a jolt when the first wolf arrived, Spieden's hungry eyes flicking from the trickling waters towards the trees where the grey-coated scout emerged. Jessie was steely as always, though Spieden received the silent and curt nod she received with as much grace as she could muster. She was having too much of a good day to let the ever-present power plays between the two woman get in the way, instead maintaining the loose corners of her mouth and swaying tail.

The next wolf's entrance was much less silent and solemn, and Spieden watched with apprehension as their newest member suddenly tumbled down the bank into the water. She leaned forward on her toes, not sure if she'd have to haul the young male out in an impromptu rescue but easing back as he managed to right himself and keep his cheery demeanor all throughout. She chuffed at being referred to as a girl, she was damn near old enough to be his mother!

Darrah soon followed, his warm smile returned with one of her own as she realized they'd both held to their end of their "rain check". Drestig arrived after and she watched with amusement as Drestig seemed answered his own question, seeing the cogs working as he finally focused on the water. Triell had made his way in, and Spieden realized it was the first time she had seen the two together since the shifting of the ranks.

Spieden thought that Sahalie would have liked the chance to try something new. So she had no idea what the tears were about and hadn't entirely made the connection to her "bedtime stories", and could only assume the Tainn girl was afraid they might drown. Spieden nodded along with Triell, they'd be careful, and already Spieden had taken care to choose a spot that was both bountiful and not so challenging to wolves who hadn't grown up with their paws wet. Though with Veed's apparent clumsiness perhaps that wouldn't make a difference either way.

"Alright everyone," Spieden spoke up, feeling odd about placing herself in the center of attention. "As you've probably figured out by now, the salmon are here. And it looks like there are plenty of 'em, so hopefully we can haul up a few good ones between the bunch of us." Spieden said, eyes flicking from each wolf, then finally towards the water. Obviously no one but her seemed to really know what to do with the river, and so a little direction would be needed. A plan unfolded, trying to remember just how her mother had arranged things with an entire pack rather than just herself.

"Anneliese, Triell, and Darrah, you guys will wade in with me towards the center of the river, downstream, facing the shore up here. The 'chasers'. Just deep enough that you can still stand. We'll move together in a wall get the fish moving upstream and push them in towards the shallows. They're a lot like deer, they like to stick together." Spieden said, eyes flicking between the three to make sure they'd understood. Darrah, Anneliese, and Triell, along with herself were the largest of the bunch, and would do better in the center of the creek were the water was deep and the current the strongest.

"Jessie, Drestig, Veed, and Sahalie will stand on the bank here," Spieden said, nose pointing down from her vantage point towards the pebbly shore, a space where the shallows continued out a few meters into the creek, no more than ankle deep. " You'll be the 'catchers'. Once the fish end up in shallows, that's where you'll try and snatch 'em up. They'll be slowed down in the shallow water with their bellies scraping the bottom, and if we're lucky some of them might beach themselves on land, but they're still quick and slippery so be fast and alert. You don't have to all chase after one like its a moose, just grab whatever you can." Jessie, Drestig and Veed were smaller, a little more agile, and would do better along the bank where quick reactions would be needed. Plus she wouldn't have to worry about Veed tripping and drowning. Sahalie would be safest on the shore; not only that but to be honest it was probably the "funner" place to be since that's where most of the action would be taking place.

Spieden waited for any questions, before she would trot downstream and begin wading into the water to get into position.