Red Fern Forest blue neighbourhood

anyone welcome! <3

The air was getting colder with each passing day, chilling the slender youth to the core. When he questioned his mother about the disappearance of summer, she had explained to him that it was pending arrival of winter.

Winter was everything summer was not – there was little sun, the ground was covered in a thin frosty layer every morning, and his breath came out in little clouds before him. The blue-eyed boy wasn’t quite sure what his take on the whole ‘winter’ situation was just yet; it was different, but whether that was good or bad, he hadn’t decided. As his fur grew in thicker, giving him a rounder, fluffier appearance, the cold bothered him less and less, but it was still bothersome. He had grown so accustom to the warmth of the sun on his back that this sudden change (along with the falling water—gross!) was like a slap across the face. Luckily, although the air was still crisp and made his wet nose numb, the sun had made an appearance today, accompanied by a few clouds dotting the sky. To put it simply, it was the perfect day to venture away from the dens and explore more of the territories bordering Broken Timber.

Without further delay, the youth bounded forward, his soft body weaving effortlessly between the trees. His paws were still quite large and awkward, as he was still figuring out how to grow into them, but he was becoming more coordinated with them as the days passed. However, being awkward was part of his charm and occasionally worked to his advantage. As much as he enjoyed the company of his packmates—especially his unrelated littermates—Arion was curious what the outside world had to offer. Obviously there was something of interest out there or else his father wouldn’t have abandoned them.

The thought sent a shiver down his spine and a lump to form in his throat. R tried his best to not think of his father, but it was proving difficult as of late. It was apparent that his mother missed him and was just as confused as to why the tall shadow had left them behind, without so much as an explanation. It wasn’t fair—why did he have to grow up without a father figure? Of course, the boy doted on his mother, but it was not the same as having a father to roughhouse with, or y’now… have male conversations with. He knew that he also needed to be there for his mother and do whatever necessary to keep her mind off of his absence. His father did not deserve to be thought about—he abandoned them; Arion would not feel pity for him, nor allow his thoughts to linger on him. It didn’t matter that it upset him—he couldn’t, wouldn’t dwell on something he was incapable of changing. He had left and there was nothing he could do about it. So it was better if he forgot about his father, even if he did miss him. It wasn’t worth it.

The trees became more abundant as he moved forward, reddish ferns littering the ground as he continued on his quest for… something. The air was still—almost too quiet—but it was welcoming. It was a change of pace from the hustle and bustle back at the dens; perhaps some solitude was what he needed (for now).

Tagging @Cernan @Bracken and @Ember!

"C'mon Ernie, lets go! It'll be fun!" Those were her words as the Cove Princess persuaded her brother to leave the familiarity of their home. She truly felt that her shyer brother should get out and explore some more. And who better than her, his best friend? Sure, she had gone off on mini adventures on her own, but to share an even bigger one with her brother would be all the more fun. They were old enough to be away for extended periods of time, but unlike the earlier days, when she left without a word, Neha had grown somewhat more responsible. She had consulted with her Mom and Dad first, assuring them that she would be safe, and return home soon. And as for Aleister? Well, she would have invited him too, but she couldn't find him. Which was not uncommon. She frankly did not know what was up with her quieter, rarely seen brother. He almost seemed to be becoming a bit of a...recluse. Oh well, if he didn't want to share in her and Ernie's fun, then that was his loss.

She had never been down the mountain before, or into any of the lands beyond. So with her never ending curious nature, Neha was eager to see what they would find. She took the shorter of the two routes, heading East instead of West. The cold air didn't bother her...she was starting to get used to it. She didn't have a choice, with her home surrounded so tightly by mountains and all. Her winter coat was growing in for the first time, thick and healthy. It provided a fine barrier against the cold, yet made her slender, growing frame look more awkward than it actually was. They had to stop and rest more than once, and even find a secure place to rest for at least one night. But she was enjoying herself, and when Cernan complained that they should turn back, she insisted that they press on just a little more.

As she pressed on, she noticed that the forest they were approaching was strangely colored. Or was. An assortment of red, orange and yellow leaves laid beneath a fine layer of snow, giving her the impression that this forest would have looked to have been on fire, if the leaves were still on the trees. "Cool huh? I've never seen any place like this closer to home!" She exclaimed, bounding forward again to explore deeper, but still keeping within earshot of Cernan. The place didn't seem inhabited, not at first. A flicker of movement, from a figure not far off made the young girl stop. It looked like an inky shadow was moving through the trees! Peering closer, Neha soon could distinguish the wolf like physique. Torn between further investigation, or going in the opposite direction, she backed up a few steps, only to bump into the shoulder of her brother accidentally. She swallowed. Neha didn't want to get in any trouble, not if they were un-friendly.

Neha can often be found close to Aleister's side and therefore may appear in any of his threads.

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

Of course he wasn't horribly keen on the idea of this. The problem was that he wasn't about to let his sister wander off for days into unknown territory without a guard; even if she was allowed to. His grudging agreement had more than pleased the girl, and he supposed that it could maybe be some sort of fun to go back down the mountain like the one time he had with Pa. At least he sort of knew the land below the mountain; on this side anyway. While a day's wandering was something formidable in itself; having to spend an entire night without the protection of his pack and his parents nearby was something akin to horror. He hadn't been very quick to fall asleep even in the sheltered; hidden area the pups had retreated to. Why, his uncle Anthem had perished much closer to home than they were now. Surely it only became more dangerous the farther they wandered; right?

Maybe if Anthem hadn't been all alone then he wouldn't have died. Maybe if he was with Neha then she wouldn't die either. These thoughts had kept the tawny fluff on edge when the darkness came. He imagined bears and hogs stalking up; geese and swans secretly preparing their assaults once the stupid wolves fell asleep. The noises were the worst. The strange territory came with unknown sounds; and the unknown was scary. While his silver sister had slept, Cernan laid awake with his ears perfectly upright; gold eyes straining to see well in the blackness all around them. Eventually though the chubby child had drifted off; though he fought each drooping of his eyelids. They had awoken in one piece, and with no monsters around. Problem was; monsters lurked in the daytime too, so the prince never really relaxed; and Neha never had any interest in turning back no matter how many times he asked.

While she pawed at the snow; uncovering pretty leaves, his head was on a swivel. Her exclamation finally broke the sentinel's focus and he relented; gazing down at the plants as Neha had wanted. A faint smile cracked across his lips. She'd never seen this kind of place before. "The trees down here looked really cool back when Papa took me hunting," he declared; wiggling his tail once with a hint of pride. But, the princess was off again; bounding through the trees and forcing her huskier brother to keep up. A soft chuff of realization spiraled out from his nostrils and he lowered his head; trotting along behind her once more. She was so very excited about everything. The scent of a carcass nearby distracted the prince for only a moment; and he was about to mention it to his sister when she froze; and his eyes immediately shot off toward whatever she was looking at.

He had already moved protectively to her side by the time his sibling moved back. His eyes broke from the sight of the stranger to glance at her briefly. It didn't look like an adult; and he remembered sort of what other pups looked like from his run in with Nineva. Deciding that this is probably what the stranger was; Cernan felt a bit less frightened. They could run away of course, but Nineva hadn't been mean, and so this one probably wasn't mean either. Hesitantly, the boy let out a faint woof and pinned his eyes to the black form. If it was dangerous, they still had plenty of room to run. And oh, they would.  

(This post was last modified: Dec 15, 2015, 11:06 AM by Cernan.)

so sorry for the hold up on this guys! @Bracken, you're up (:

She thundered through the forest, tossing up wet clods of snow in her enthusiastic wake. Occasionally her buttercup eyes would toss back toward the shadow that was her sister, her most favorite adventuring partner in the whole world, and she would bark an encouraging, "c'mon, Bracken!"

Ember was hot on @Arion 's trail, determined to not allow the boy to get too far ahead of them on whatever feat he was undertaking. If there was going to be intrigue, she wanted to be there, and she was young enough still for anything outside of the safety of Broken Timber Pines to be of great and exciting interest. She displayed great probity in regards to such desires, seeing no shame in jumping into the boy's wagon and forcing him to scoot over. While she of course was aware of the situation with his father, and often felt bad that the boy couldn't have a figure as strong and reliable as @Koda to look up to and be there for him, she was unable to empathise on any level, and certainly was unable to infer that he might appreciate his solitude. The more the merry, right? That was always true for her, so of course it must be for her littermates as well. Even @Nalda, the girl was convinced, wanted company deep down underneath all of that shyness and brusqueness.

As they drew closer to Arion's privacy, it was discovered that someone else had beaten them to the punch. Two someone elses, her twitching nose told her. The fire of her excitement flared higher as her rapid steps brought them into view, sliver by sliver between the trees. It was becoming more and more difficult to discern their age group apart from the adults each and every day as they grew by leaps and bounds, but it was still noticeable that those on the other side of Arion were children as well, easing away any and all caution that would have been taught to her by her parents.

"R!" she hollered out, sprinting the final length of distance between them all. "Wha'djya find?!"

@Bracken feel free to jump in still! Just wanted to get this thread rolling :) <3

As per usual, little R wasn’t sure what he was looking for. An escape, more or less—aka as far away from Broken Timber as possible (without getting in trouble). He figured one of the girls—if not both of them—would be hot on his tail. It was nearly impossible for them to go on any adventures alone. As a result of them growing up together they were practically inseparable. It didn’t bother him. It was much better being around the sisters than it was being around adults all the time—boring!

This forest was much different than the one that birthed him. The ferns that littered the floor lunged at his slender body, entangling with his obsidian fur as his pace slowed. Now that he had created distance between himself and his home, it was time to truly appreciate his new discovery. It was that moment that another discovery reached him. The scent of not one, but two strangers overloaded his senses, causing his steps to fumble as he surveyed his surroundings. Their scents were similar in the way that Ember and Bracken’s were—siblings. He blinked curiously at the discovery as he changed his course to where their scents originated from.

“R!” Ember’s voice rang out through the trees, causing his head to spin. A smile broke across his face as she approached, a question staining the air between them. “‘Em!” He greeted with a slow wag of his tail before glancing in the direction of the strangers. “Who are you?!” He called out bravely with narrowed brows, his expression growing serious. “We are friends, not food!” Okay, maybe not-so serious. He winked at his inky companion as he absently wondered where Bracken was. Her scent was fresh on Ember, which meant she was not too far behind. 

Not sure if this thread is still on, but posting anyway!

Kept in place by a mixture of caution and curiosity, Neha narrowed her earthy eyes in a squint. No sooner had she caught a glimpse of the dark fur of Arion, did the voice of yet another wolf around her own age, call out. Breathing in through her nose, the strong, unmistakable scent of a pack was abundant on her fur. The second wolf, clearly a female, sounded just as curious as the lake Princess had been moments ago. When the boy called out, in a rather brave, if not brash tone, she was taken aback.

Eyes widening, wolfish brows lifting, she eased back, forgetting about her brother for the moment. Then, gathering her courage, she pushed on through the foliage of reds and oranges slowly, to reveal herself. "We're not hunting anyone! Just exploring!" She exclaimed with the intent on assuring the dark boy that she nor Cernan meant either of them no harm. Her fluffed tail beat into a tentative wag as she got her first good look at the pair of them. Arion was dark, with blue eyes that stood out against his coat, while Ember was a softer, lighter color. "I'm Neha...and this..." She gestured with her muzzle towards her brother who was hanging back. "...is Cernan." A slow smile came to her maw as her eyes darted in between the two, hopeful that her attempt towards friendliness would be returned. "Do you guys live here? Or are you out exploring too?" She pressed, curious what would bring another pair of pack wolves out so far.

(This post was last modified: Feb 13, 2016, 01:44 AM by Neha.)

Neha can often be found close to Aleister's side and therefore may appear in any of his threads.

OOC: Ditto!

One way or another, the dark boy had finally noticed them. Before the stranger's eyes could fall upon the Lake children though, yet another voice burst from the trees and set Cernan's ears skyward. There was nothing malicious in the call itself, but the fact that the number of other wolves was increasing still made the pup anxious. The light-pelted one practically crashed in, and Cernan nearly flinched. The darker pup turned from them to greet the newcomer, and their familiarity was immediately obvious. Were they siblings as well? He couldn't begin to guess from his position, but it was an interesting thought. Weird though, were their names. Em and R? The prince wondered to himself. Usually people had longer names than that. Even his own nickname was longer! These idle notions were quickly dismissed though as the other kids abruptly turned to address the Cove wolves.

His ears fell backward reflexively at the tone, but his body remained frozen. ”We are friends, not food!” Friends? He felt his muscles ease if just a little. Wait, did he really think he and Neha wanted to eat them? The concept was absurd – wolves didn't eat other wolves! Cernan's vexed attention was torn from this “R” and his odd words the second the princess moved. His head practically snapped her way as the smaller wolf strode ahead; and in doing so forced his own feet into action with a nervous flick of his tail. He wasn't so sure he wanted to walk right up to them just yet, but his sister couldn't be left to greet the others alone. The tubby youngster still had trouble positioning himself any further forward (and by consequence closer to the strangers) than his littermate's shoulders as they approached.

Neha had already taken the lead in asserting that no, they were not going to try and eat them, and Cernan was glad for not having to speak up yet.  At last the group was staring each other in the face; taking in their varied appearances and scents. The Lake prince was still a bit tense; not quite comfortable enough to wag as Neha had. He met his sibling's eyes as she introduced him; expressing all of the anxiety she already knew he had built up within – before turning them upward to glance unassuredly at “R” and “Em.” He did manage a soft bow of his head however, as he had seen the Alphas do with strangers. Thankfully Neha piped up again almost immediately, and he found himself eager to hear whatever sort of answer these two would have.

(This post was last modified: Feb 14, 2016, 07:21 AM by Cernan.)

Still on. <3

Arion answered her question by passing it long, calling out to the others that she sensed. Bounding to his side, roiling laughter escaped her as he joked. Her body wriggled uncontrollably as she forced herself to stand in place beside him. Her excitement to truly meet those approaching them was evident to anyone. New faces, other children! She was so happy she had decided to chase after R!

It thrilled her even more when Neha spoke, just as friendly as she could hope for. Her nose twitched as she took in the scents between them, barely considerate of the personal space belonging to these strangers. Neha and Cernan? Those were cool names, pretty and regal. Ember decided she liked these two. Even if the boy wasn't saying anything at all... and looked quite nervous...

"Lil' bit of both, our pack isn't too far from here. We're from Broken Timber Pines!" she announced, lifting her chin and puffing out her chest briefly as the fact was declared. Then she slapped down her forelimbs and hiked her rump into the air, jumping short little hops from side to side with a goofy grin on her face.

"M'names Ember, and this is R, and my sister Bracken is a slowpoke so she's a bit behind..." her voice trailed as she paused her high-energy fidgeting to look over her shoulder. "... I might need to go make sure she didn't fall into a hole or somethin'."

Bah! She would be fine! Right? Melting back into her energetic swaying, she reached a paw out to bat Cernan's foreleg.

"Gosh yer quiet. Whatsa matter, squirrel got yer tongue? Hey, where're you guys from?"

YAAAAAY <3 @Neha @Cernan @Ember

It did not take long for the pale stranger to expose herself — and wow-e, was she pretty! Accompanying her was a sandy pup, who trailed behind her almost reluctantly. Immediately the agouti boy reminded him of Nalda but he kept that to himself — perhaps he would share the realization with Ember later and they would get a good laugh out of it. The pretty dove’s voice pipped up, explaining that they weren’t predators but explorers, like Ember and himself. !!!!!!!! his mind screamed; perhaps these two would become frequent companions? One could only hope. Her brother remained quiet, the anxiety that bubbled up inside of him evident in his timid expression. Arion did not mind — some where not as outgoing as he and Ember were, and that was okay. A little boring, but still okay.

“We’re expert explorers,” he added with a soft nod and a gentle nudge to Ember’s shoulder, his lips curled up into a welcoming smile. “Or Arion, whatever works,” he chimed in after Em introduced the two of them and her absent sister, who was somewhere in the trees. The pale Pines princess mentioned going back to retrieve her sister, but she remained where she was, instead fixated on the silent brother.

“Sorry Cernan, she’s a lil … nosey. You don’t have to answer her,” he chuckled after his packmate prodded the sandy pup, her curiosity overwhelming her better judgement. “But where are yah’ll from? You two from aroun’ here?” The little smudge was curious about the neighbouring packs due to the little interaction he had with them. Hopefully this one would turn out positively and they would encounter the two siblings — especially the pretty little dove — more than once.