Cedarwood Forest not broken

OOC: @Yvly, @Veho, @Jynx Did someone order the meekest wolf in existence? And sorry for the super long initial post. x3

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The forest seemed to grow darker as they day wore on, but with Crystal padding at her side, Pip didn't feel as nervous about it as she would have been on her own. A chilly mist settled upon the pair, but rather than unsettle her, it made the young female feel more at home. Though the added moisture in the air didn't have the salt she was used to, it was at least similar enough to feel comforting on the short fur of her face.

Pip and Crystal had been walking since mid-morning through the forest and she found her paws were already sore. She wasn't used to the biting snap of ice and snow, nor the sudden sharp stab of hidden sticks beneath, and she didn't think she'd ever walked so far in her life. Back home, everything she needed was close to the den, including the ocean where she hunted most often. However, she didn't chirp to her partner to try and ask for a rest, pushing herself instead to keep up. The last thing she wanted to do was get left behind.

Ahead, Pip could hear the gurgling of a creek and her ears pricked forward with interest. A dull roll of thunder in her belly reminded her she hadn't had a chance to eat today considering her catch had been lost when she was taken from her home.

Perfect!

She'd been hoping for a chance to fish before they reached Crystal's territory, wanting to repay the female for her kindness. Despite her paw-soreness, Pip increased her pace until it was she who was leading. Her tail wagged furiously behind her when she stood at the river's edge. Already, she could see fish swimming upstream.

Without preamble, the young female leaped into the shallow water, snatching up a rather thick-bodied chum salmon. While its coloration was different than the species she would catch back home, Pip figured fish was fish and all of them were delicious. She waddled back to shore with her squirming catch, smiling around it at Crystal. Once she was far enough on the bank, she set the catch down before her friend and nosed it toward her in offer before returning to the water for another.

The second fish took more work as they were onto her presence now. But their memories were short and small minds distracted by the driving need to spawn. She returned with a smaller specimen for herself, wet tail dripping and wagging behind her. Crystal had wanted to know if she had any talents earlier today, and now she knew! Pip inclined her head towards her companion to lead on with that task done.

(This post was last modified: Feb 03, 2016, 10:34 AM by Pip.)

OOC here!

Yvly had kept up a semi-constant chatter as the two wolves made their way through the forest, the afternoon slowly fading to a late afternoon, shadows looming towards them as the sun descended in the sky. Pretty soon the alpenglow would appear on the peak of the mountains in the distance, but they would be at the border before that happened. However, Squeak seemed to have a different idea. She sped forwards, now leading the tawny female, until she paused at the edge of a creek before suddenly leaping into the shallow water. Curious, Yvly stayed on the sidelines, dark amber eyes watching as the smaller female snatched up a fish from the water within seconds of jumping in. A salmon, maybe? She'd only ever seen fish in passing before, but was always open to trying something new.

Brows raising when she was offered the fish, the tawny female barely had time to open her mouth before Squeak was back in the water, eyes trained on the swimming fish. "Thanks," she called out softly as to not startle the fish. Now looking down at the squirming fish at her paws, Yvly nosed it with her muzzle, before deciding to just take a large bite out of it. Much to her surprise, it wasn't that bad. Different from her usual meals, but she could get used to the taste. She didn't notice Squeak had caught another fish until she returned with a slightly smaller fish in her maw, dripping water all around her. "I think I'm going to take a guess that fishing is what you're very good at?" She said teasingly after taking another bite, half the fish still to go, wanting to savour the exotic taste. A thought crossed her mind as Squeak inclined her head to continue on. "Hey, maybe we should bring a fish with us to show the leaders just how good of a fisher you are?"

321 words

Yvly Doramor

imagine we are higher than the arrows,
casually we're breathing with the pharaohs,
tragically we fall just like the arrows.

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

OOC: She comes bearing gifts! Er, gift. <3

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Pip beamed brilliantly, wiggling with equal parts excitement and cold. Back home, fishing was a pretty regular practice and many of her pack mates were adept at it. While the yearling could consistently catch them faster, she was never acknowledged for the affinity for it. Having another notice, however, made the young female's heart swell.

At Crystal's suggestion, Pip nodded happily. She could do that for sure! But since they weren't going to eat on the go after all...

The youngster lay down, a paw capturing her salmon's head while her jaws went to work tearing through scales and bits of cartilage into the fleshy organs and thick sides of the animal. Her first bite was strange; it didn't taste nearly as salty as she was used to. However, after the initial oddness of it, Pip found she liked the taste just as much and polished off the rest of her meal. While she made fast work of the catch, it filled her up easily. A good nap would be welcome, but she had work to do!

Leaving Crystal to her fish, Pip splashed back into the river and settled herself in the center of the shallow water to watch the fish swim by. Though they gave her ample opportunity to catch plenty, Pip's burnt orange eyes were searching for a rather specific size; namely, something worth showing off. Of course, with the end of the spawning season upon them, the likelihood of finding a large and still gravid female was poor as the healthiest fish had already come and passed on per their cycle.

Her patience wasn't rewarded heavily, but Pip finally settled for a medium-sized gravid female that was flopping haphazardly over the smooth rocks closer to shore. It made a strong attempt to escape, sensing its death was close as she approached, but exhaustion from the swim had her slowing down and eventually galling victim to the young wolf.

The fish barely squirmed at all as she lifted her body fully from the water. Not long after returning to shore, the russet-furred wolf felt the salmon fall completely still as her life slipped away. With the fresh catch still in her mouth, Pip used a back paw to kick the remains of her meal back into the water to serve as sustenance for the water life. She hadn't seen any gulls around to steal the leftovers and it seemed such a waste to let them rot there in the snow.

@Jynx You or/and Ace are welcome to post now <3

While Squeak dug voraciously into her meal, polishing off every last bit of meat faster than Yvly could have thought possible, she herself ate at a more sedated pace, letting the new and different flavours of the fish stay in her mouth for longer. By the time she was finished the smaller female had already caught another fish, moderately sized, and more than good enough to present as a gift to Veho and Wacipi. Noticing that Squeak deposited the remains of her fishy meal back into the creek, the tawny female followed suite, knowing that she knew much more about their fishy friends than probably all the wolves nearby. "Let's get going, then," Yvly barked happily, now well-fed and eager to get home, bringing her new friend with her.

Leading the way as the day slowly got darker and darker, the two wolves swiftly came upon the border of Grizzly Hollow, arriving just as the very bottom of the sun kissed the peak of the mountains far away in the distance. Glancing sideways at Squeak, the tawny female gently nudged her shoulder in assurance before throwing her head back and calling out for @Veho as well as Wacipi. It would be good to show off one of Squeak's many possible talents to both leaders, and then at least that way they both knew she was unable to speak as they could, the only verbal sound she could make being a chirp similar to that of a bird's. As her howl tapered off, Yvly reclined back onto her haunches, waiting patiently for either of the leaders to arrive, hoping fervently that they would accept her new friend into the pack.

279 words

Yvly Doramor

imagine we are higher than the arrows,
casually we're breathing with the pharaohs,
tragically we fall just like the arrows.

There would be no rest for the weary, not today.

Never did it cross the alpha’s mind to simply leave the task to Wacipi; instead, he gathered his feet beneath his thick frame and rose from his riverside den, not unlike a phantom appearing from the snow. Flakes were shed from his slivery pelt as he shook himself out before setting into a brisk trot, following the river towards the border of his home. That Crystal had not crossed over into the Hollow lands meant that she had found something, or someone. It was curiosity that gave him renewed strength, fatigue forgotten like his footprints as he trailed towards the borders.

Upon approach, it became evident there was a stranger with his packmate, and his banner was lifted high above his back, swaying as he slowed. His ears pricked forward, head held regally as he studied the pair of females. The small one was even younger than Yvly – no more than a yearling, he would reckon – and he greeted the two wolves with a low chuff.

“Crystal,” he hummed, acknowledging his subordinate with a bob of his head. The alpha halted three lengths away from the younger wolves, allowing himself a long look at the newcomer. “I see you have a companion? What brings you here, friend?”

While the pair waited, Pip set her catch down in the snow and busied herself with sniffing the pack borders curiously, familiarizing herself with the scents. Dark ears pricked forward when she caught the rhythmic falls of pawsteps in snow. Panic gripped the young one and she skittered close to Crystal again, her shoulder pressed against the tawny' wolf's flank for comfort. When the gray male stepped into sight, Pip slowly hunkered down lower to the ground, her tail tucking as firmly beneath her as it had when Crystal had first found her. The little wolf's nostrils flared with her breathing and her eyes fixed firmly on the ground at her paws.

That he didn't address her first made her feel a little better. At least it meant he wasn't going after her straight out. However, the conversation quickly turned to her and Pip carefully took a step back to half hide behind her friend. She hated this part. Hated the anxiety and discomfort that came with not being able to answer. More than once, it had been seen as insubordination and she'd been snapped at for it.

Nervously, Pip risked a momentary glance up to acknowledge he was speaking to her before her gaze flitted away like a frightened bird. As quietly as she could manage the young female opened her mouth to give a soft, shaky chirp in greeting.

Throwing Jynx in here. She needs the experience.

Reach for the stars

When Crystal's voice rang out in a summons for the two temporary Leaders, Jynx had been some distance away. At the far borders, she finished re-marking an old stump of a tree. Russet ears flickered, angular head raising, while dandelion hued eyes glinted with interest. Apparently her hard working subordinate was in need of assistance, in some form or another. And while she was still seated at the top of the hierarchy, she would not let a fellow pack mate down.

While the call did not sound too terribly urgent, the woman also nicknamed Wacipi whirled to the borders at which she knew Crystal would be waiting at a steady trot. Thoughts churned in her head as she made her way closer and closer. Rook was back, but Quil was not. So, what did that mean for her, then? How much longer would she need to hold on to her title? Did she even want to? The job was a busy one at that, yet it gave Jynx a sense of purpose she had not felt before. But without a strong, intimate connection with the rest of the pack, or their respect, she might as well be useless. Pursing her lips to shoo those thoughts away, she turned towards the figures awaiting her in the fading light of the afternoon.

Veho had arrived before her, to which she was grateful. Crystal was there too, of course. And beside her, stood an unfamiliar female. What was most curious though, was the tinge of stale salt and sand lingering upon her fur. "Thank you for arriving so quickly..." She addressed Veho. "I was at the farther end of the forest. Border patrol." She explained briefly, before glancing towards the two females. Automatically, her tail lifted above her spine, chin tipping upwards slightly. Already, the younger female was assuming the appropriate body language fitting in front of a dominant wolf. She said nothing, allowing Veho to speak, but when all the small female managed was a soft squeak in reply, her gaze softened. Brows raising quizzically, she stepped closer gently, her black tipped wagging tail a sign of her friendliness. "There is no need to be nervous, dear." She crooned. "Since you are here with Crystal, there must be something promising she has seen." For further inquiry, Jynx allowed her eyes to land on Crystals face, nodding once, in a gesture for her to explain how the two had met. After all, she knew more than Jynx or Veho did.

 

OOC here!

Yvly watched, an amused expression on her face, as Squeak busied herself with the edge of the border, leaving her with the task of keeping the gift safe from any possible lurking predators. The smaller female skittered to her side, shoulder pressing against her flank as Veho and, soon after, Wacipi arrived. She dipped her head in greeting to the leading pair, dark amber eyes glancing to her companion who, it seemed, pushed closer into her side, merely letting out one of her soft chirps in greeting. Yvly would have to answer for Squeak's sake, but she didn't mind. With a gentle nudge of her muzzle, the tawny female pushed the fish closer to Veho and Wacipi as an offering on her friend's behalf.

"My friend here who I have christened as Squeak is unable to speak, the only sound she is able to make is one close to a birds chirp," She began, smiling sideways at the smaller female in an attempt to bring her forth from her hunkered position on the ground. "But from what I gathered she is a very experienced fisher," Yvly finished, now looking back at the two wolves who would decide Squeak's fate. They weren't unreasonable from what she knew about them which, though not much, helped her have an idea of who they were and what they were like. And it would be nice to have another friend in the pack, build up their numbers a little bit. She was still unsure as to whether they were on bad terms with Willow Ridge or not, but that would be a conversation for another day.

271 words

Yvly Doramor

imagine we are higher than the arrows,
casually we're breathing with the pharaohs,
tragically we fall just like the arrows.

At first, he did not think much of the stranger’s lack of spoken word – well aware was he that most wolves were not as comfortable in their own skin as he was his. So when she offered a little chirp, he offered a tip of his head and bow in response, acknowledging the loner’s presence with a soft hum. “Hello,” he murmured softly, voice remaining low, unwilling to spook the skittish female. He might have continued, had his counterpart not shown up. Important as it was that she was attentive to pack duties, it irritated Veho a bit that everything was done together. His head reared up as silver eyes shifted sideways, ears flattening against his skull in a brief moment of emotion.

But it stayed in his own head and Veho said nothing, ears flicking forward again as Crystal addressed the leading pair. His tail swished above his back, and the silvery king was the picture of regal elegance. A hum rumbled deep in his chest as he tipped his head back in Squeak’s direction, looking with more interest than he did before. “A fisher, hm? We do not have one of those among our ranks just yet,” he murmured, eying the fish near the young wolf. Her kill, then. “So, Squeak – you are looking for a pack to join. Will you want to remain beyond the winter? Will you provide for caches?”