Fireweed Rise The maps don't mention lost coastlines

Note: this occurs at the most southern part of Fireweed Rise, literally on the very edge of the map.

The ground was spinning. Even with closed eyes, he could feel it dip and weave underneath. This wasn't right, something was wrong. But what? He remembered yesterday -there had been a storm and the shore had been littered with debris. He even remembered the injured seal they had found. Gamey, but no more than anything else they caught. But what then? What happened after that?

Kelp squinted closed eyes in concentration and pain exploded across his temple. It took his breath away, making it squeeze out in a strangled whine. For a moment he could do nothing besides breath, hoping the pain left with each exhale. It did so gradually, and bit by bit he was able to register the tickle of grass against his nose. Curious... he hadn't remember a deep bed of grass from yesterday. All he could drudge up was a vague scramble of wolf bodies, a pelt that might have been his own and then a deep darkness like the collapsing of star-less night. It took several minutes before the pain faded and the spinning reduced to a gentle swaying. He thought he could manage it now.

Slowly, warily,  his eyes opened. A meadow stretched out around him, much more lush than any he remembered, much more lush than could grow along the coast. A deep whiff confirmed it. This was not home, this was wrong. He was somewhere he shouldn't be, and even more worrisome, somewhere he couldn't possibly be. The male kicked his feet out, weak as a fawn, and tried to haul to his feet.

(This post was last modified: Oct 08, 2015, 08:22 AM by Kelp.)

I will be a little rusty at first, until I get a better feel for this character!

BLITZ Everything had been fine. Perfectly normal and un-eventful. It was a day just like any other day, when suddenly, his world was turned upside down. Blitz had been enjoying an early auttumn afternoon with his family, his pack. The young male was oblivious to the change, the danger that was closing in on them. But, what could you expect from an ignorant youngster? While he was totally un-concerned, the adults, including his parents, always seemed to be on edge. For them, living on the edge, being ever cautious, was a way of life. Something that the dark male had not yet grasped as a concept. Bright eyed and full of energy, he begged and pleaded with them, to take him and his sister down to the river to for yet another fishing lesson. Sure, deer and moose were thrilling, and tasty, when they caught one. But the salmon presented an entirely different challenge. Their lighter, yet filling meat had a unique taste that Blitz fancied over that of the more common red meat. With reluctance, the adults gave in, taking him and the other yearlings down to their river, while warily glancing over their shoulders more than Blitz thought was necessary. He did not remember what had happened next, for it was all a blur, those images in his mind. All he remembered, was the panic. Everyone scattering in all directions, wide eyed with confusion and terror. Blitz thought he would be safe if he made it to the coastline, but then, when he was almost there, his world went black. The sleep was a dreamless one, without a sense of time nor motion. He didn't even remember the seemingly never ending stretch of darkness that had engulfed him, for god knows how long. With a groan, the young man tried to lift his head, consciousness slowly seeping back from the corners of his mind. A sharp stab of pain forced him to stop, from opening his eyes. Laying his head back down on the soft grass, he waited for the pain to subside. Wait! Grass?! He never remembered feeling grass before...not where he was from! With a jolt, he forced his upper body upright, lemon lime eyes opened as wide as dish plates. He squinted, trying to focus his vision, which was still blurred. The world tilted oddly, seeming to rock from one side to another. He shook his head, trying to force this sensation away. Then a familiar whine caught his attention. Timidly prying open his eyes, he looked to his left to spot the rust and tawny figure. That scent...the fur...it was familiar somehow, but he couldn't recall exactly where. He had encountered it several times before, though. As his vision began to clear at last, his surroundings made themselves known. All around them, streched a vast meadow. The likes of which he had never seen in his life. A look down to his paws confirmed that he was indeed, resting in a thick bed of grass. But wait...where were the rivers? The rocky shores and rugged coastlines? The great conifer trees sitting in the distance? None of them were here! "Shit..." He muttered under his breath, a new surge of emotion steadily building within him. Anger slowly began to take over, and that other wolf's blasted whining wasn't helping any. It was making his already unbearable migrane headache even worse. Dark lips quivering, then peeling back, Blitz recklessly turned to face the other wolf. "Would ya stop yer whining damnit?! Ya ain't helping, Kelp!" He snapped, un-mindful of the consequences of his outburst. The name that flew from his tongue seemed to come all too naturally, even though his memory of this particular wolf was fuzzy at best. His abrupt movments and sudden explosion of emotion only made his head ache more, his temples throbbing. But he didn't care...he was too frustrated to care, right now. And his sister...where was she? Why wasn't she with him too? This was not good.

(This post was last modified: Oct 13, 2015, 06:23 PM by Blitz.)

Who knows how long he would have stood and puzzled at the Rise. Everywhere was something he didn't recognize and the longer he was conscious the more aware Kelp was of the scents. The mountain peak was a useless landmark when he didn't even know it's name or what lay on the other side and while this field might seem empty and benign, he could smell other wolves. This was not untraveled land, not by any means.

The first muttered word caught his wandering attention. He turned slow -so to keep the world under his paws- and looked at the youth who had spoken. He knew them -could even recall their rebellious nature- but remembering their name required a clearer mind than he had right now. Kelp looked away, listening to animals in the distance and hoped that no other wolves would stumble upon the disoriented pair like this. They were vulnerable and far from safe here, where ever "here" was.

"Blitz,"-obviously some part of him remembered the youth's name- "We have to be careful. I don't know how far away we are and there are other wolves in this land." He hoped Blitz could be reasoned with. It was all he could do, because he certainly was not going to leave the boy behind. Kelp was not the lanky, unhelpful he had once been, and this yearling was his connection to home. "Are you hurt? Can you travel?"

"We should go..." - he floundered, looking each direction in turn- "somewhere else. Somewhere more sheltered."

BLITZ As the sharp pain in his temple began to dull, fading ever so slightly, the dark male sat upright a little taller. His ears swiveled almost constantly, his damp nose testing the foreign air and the scents filled within. His thoughts immediately went to his sister...Niq'x. She wasn't here. In fact, there was no trace of her scent at all! Inside, he began to panic. He worried for her safety. He had remembered being right by her side, back home until the chaos erupted. So was she in the area, lost somewhere? Or was she back home? His exterior remained cold, albeit a bit irritated. He doubted Kelp would have any answers to the mystery of his tawny siblings whereabouts. Shooting his older companion an annoyed glance with a huff, he rose to his paws. He was a little shaky, but otherwise unharmed. "Of course I'm alright, dolt." He stated, wondering why he had to point out what was already obvious. Kelp's observation of the fact that other wolves roamed these plains did not fall on deaf ears. For a moment, he stared ahead out into the fiery expanse of the meadow, silently contemplating. "If there are in fact other wolves nearby, then we should seek them out. Not avoid them." He said pointedly. "They will know the lay of the land better than we would. And then, maybe if they are nice enough, they can point us in the direction of home." Obviously, his idea regarding what plan of action should be taken, was different than Kelp's. They had already gotten plenty of rest. What they needed to do now was get their bearings. Blitz was not so ignorant as to just go waltzing up to the borders of the first pack he might stumble across. Instead he would slowly, cautiously test the waters. Not all wolves were hospitable...some were downright territorial. But if he could at least find a face of some local inhabitant....anyone, then they would be better off. Yet Kelp did have a point. They should get out of the open. Naturally drawn to the sight of the trees in the distance, the inky youth began setting off in the direction of the treeline. "This is a start...might as well see where it leads..."

(This post was last modified: Oct 28, 2015, 08:51 PM by Blitz.)

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

@Blitz ah! so sorry about the wait, please pester me if I ever take too long!!

The tone was not unexpected and Kelp's reaction to it was well-practiced and automatic. He spared a brief glance to the youth, only acknowledging what he cared to. Blitz being uninjured and capable of travel was all that mattered - fixing the youths attitude was not on his plate right now.

Kelp gave a nod to the other and began to follow the younger male through the Rise, almost unmindful of the flowers as he scanned the distant forest. It was impossible to tell what direction home or other wolves lay in. He adopted the direction on a whim and continued north, making for the closest forest. He forced down the feeling of vertigo as he looked sideways at his companion while they walked. "We will, but not like this." They should wait or, rather, Kelp wanted to wait; his head still felt fuzzy and his steps were not quite as coordinated as normal. It was dangerous to let a stranger see this weakness, some would take any perceived weakness for all it was worth...

"We need to study the land and find a safe, protected place first." Kelp's skin crawled as he thought how vulnerable they were right now. "If they are dangerous and try to attack, we will have somewhere to go." He couldn't let anything happen to either of them, he wouldn't let history repeat itself.

"We will look for the others." Kelp said earnestly, even as his feet hurried to leave the Fireweed Rise. "We find @Niq'x and everyone else." They simply couldn't start right now.

BLITZ Had it not been for Kelp's seemingly infinite patience with the disgruntled young male, then Blitz would surely be in a world of trouble. His smart ass attitude, paired with snide remarks and a foul temper, would not sit well with most other wolves. His memories were still fuzzy, but the truth was that these two unlikely companions had known one another for a while now. Giving the older tawny wolf the advantage and experience in dealing with the dark boy's sudden change in demeanor. Only time would tell if this personality change was temporary, or permanent. If only...if only he was back home! If only his sister, Niq'x was by his side. She had a way of easing his nerves, as annoying as she was at times. Then maybe he wouldn't be worrying so much, so on edge. But at least with Kelp by his side, he didn't have to go it alone. They would work together, figure out where the hell they are, find the coast, and his sister, and go home. Back to normal. Then he could put this nightmare behind him as if it never happened. With a heavy swallow, Blitz forced down the lump in his throat, accompanied by the acidic taste of bile. He grunted, acknowledging what Kelp said. He was right. Who knew if the locals were hostile or not. Best not to take any chances in letting other wolves, or worse yet, other predators, seeing them so woozy. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get into some decent cover." He mumbled, while slowly edging closer to the forest, that hopefully promised safety. It was clear that the dark lad just wanted to get out of the open. But the tantalizing whiff of rabbit nearby made him pause, one long foreleg suspended above the ground. He debated about investigating the nest site. They both could use a meal, however small, but the question was, could they afford to expend their energy on something with no guarantees? At a loss for once, Blitz sent a look back to his elder. It was his call.

(This post was last modified: Dec 07, 2015, 07:15 PM by Blitz.)

It didn't matter that Blitz was angry. Whatever was causing the youth's surly attitude was irrelevant.

Feet clumsy and head foggy, Kelp could think of nothing to but to get away. He had to get them away, he had to get them somewhere safe. Kelp squinted on the nearing tree line. He was a refugee, once again a victim of events beyond his control. Events that he could only guess at. There was no way to know what had happened to Niq'x, no way to know what had become of the rest of their family. Kelp had never told the yearlings of his past and he was glad for that now. Would Blitz willingly leave if he knew? Would Blitz be able to leave Niq'x behind the same Kelp had left Spieden behind? The Coho male didn't want to know the answer.

He grit his teeth, pushing their pace faster at the boy's sullen agreement.

It took him a moment to realize that Blitz had fallen behind. His rusty ears swiveled then pitched forward impatiently. What now? He stared for a minute, feeling his own patience beginning to stretch and showing no ounce of enthusiasm. Finally the scent reached his own nostrils and he spared a glance into the field around them. "No. There will be other rabbits, we need to get our bearings first." Kelp started off, thoroughly expecting his dominance would still be accepted in this unfamiliar place.

By now Kelp was under the cover of the forest and he called back over his shoulders. "Any streams should lead to the coast. We can hunt while we follow the streams. If Blitz wanted to burn energy he might as well make it useful.

 

Let's wrap this up, shall we?
<3

BLITZ He heaved a sigh, mixed of both disappointment and relief at Kelp's no go at the rabbits. While his stomach begged to be filled, with warm, tasty meat, finding a safe place to re-cooperate was more important. "...I guess you do have a point." He admitted grudgingly, moving forward again to follow suit with his elder. By the time the wayward pair had reached the welcoming depths of the forest, Blitz was right at Kelp's heels. While it certainly was nowhere near as comfortable as his beloved home, it was better than nothing. "Right...I'll keep a sharp eye out for streams. After we rest." He stated with a touch of firmness in his voice. Blitz was young, and like any rowdy teenage wolf, it was only natural for them to test the authority of their elders. He was no different. Veering off to the right, he stalked deeper amongst the trees, in search of anything close to a suitable shelter. Several moments of exploration, paired with curious but cautious sniffs, led him to a lone rocky formation. The lower edge formed a protruding lip, under which was a space deep enough for at least two wolves, maybe three, to crawl and take shelter. There was no scent other than that of stale earth and damp moss, which was a relief. With a cautious glance around, ears upright but turned back, Blitz checked to ensure they were well enough into the forest. A direct look at Kelp confirmed their agreement on what was to be their base camp. A raise of his leg marked the site, and a shuffle of his body under the rock had him tucked away, but far from settled. It would have to do.