Rogue Outcrop find nothing but faith in nothing

@Vespertio @Namid @Kajika @Pharika
@Athena @Cernan @Aleister @Neha
Dated 12/03 - light snow, mid day.
This thread is the discovery of @Anthem's death, per Hex's character will. Not entirely sure about the logistics of location but let's all say Rogue Outcrop is close enough to Lost Lake for the pack to hear Nathaniel's howl.

For a couple of months now, Nathaniel had essentially been alone. From the night he had let go of Primrose to @Angele choosing to part ways with them, claiming to need time alone in order to 'find herself,' to Anthem's unexpected disappearance, combined with his own self-imposed isolation, he found himself even more miserable than he had been before. More so now than ever the expansive forests beyond the mountain pack he'd been chained to called to him, yet still he was mired and unable to pursue the freedom he longed for. Because certainly, his siblings were coming back, weren't they? They had to. They had both been so dedicated to the Veusain domain, to spending the rest of their lives in service of this pack, and he hadn't known either of them to be so fickle as to up and leave. Not as he had been. Certainly, he'd always been the weakest of them all. If he could stay, surely they had the strength to return.

Yet Anthem had never breathed a word to any of them, and the moment he'd been gone long enough to be classified as missing, and not a single pack mate nor the leaders could recall anything having been said to them about his departure, red flags had been raised within his head. As time passed, and it become more and more likely that something was keeping Anthem from the pack, that something bad had happened to him. There were days when this consumed Nathaniel, the worry churning his stomach and fueling him with adrenaline to expand his patrolling out from the pack's claimed territory and into lesser known regions so that he may search for his brother. Other days, his nerves were too frayed to maintain such a heightened sense of concern, and he elected to deny, attempting to convince himself that Anthem would return to them just fine all on his own, maybe even with Angele in tow.

Today had been a day of action, and it took him beyond the pack's borders and along the mountain ridge's heights. For the first time he ventured far enough to come across a peculiar landmark, a sharp jutting of stone standing tall as though it were a miniature model of the mountain upon which it perched. When his pale eyes laid upon the feature, his imagination immediately wrangled itself free and ran ahead of him, and he could vividly picture Anthem falling from its precipice. He pressed closer, determined to investigate, to prove this notion as untrue, but with each paw step further something sinister began to become noticeable, and stronger, upon the air. When at last he recognized what the scent was, its effect upon him was foudroyant, and he was almost unable to bring himself closer to the base of the outcropping. Desperately his eyes scanned ahead, panning over the ground and searching for what he hoped was not there. Yet there was something gray and sunken in upon the snow-dusted ground, tufts of dark and light fur peeking through a thin layer of ice crystals.

Nathaniel stared at it, feeling as though his throat were constricting closed as realization pressed down upon him, clawing its way into his skull. It took what felt like several minutes for him to be able to unfreeze his joints, taking shaky steps forward, slowly closing the distance between himself and the reality he did not want to face. When at last he was beside it, the remains of his brother, he knew that death had found the man far before this moment, and yet it could not be denied that it was Anthem who lay there, a caved shell of what he'd once been. He stared down upon the carcass, his gaze distant and unseeing. It took time for him to finally raise his muzzle to the sky, and sing out a long, mournful song, expelling his misery for the world to hear.

The morning seemed like it had been a long one for Kajika after being up with the sun and spending most of it patrolling the borders then hunting. The results of which hadn’t been as successful as he would have liked but considering the change in the weather he shouldn’t have really expected it to be extremely successful. Letting out a deep breath he stretched out in a patch of sun for a nap before he went back out that afternoon for another patrol and possibly a more successful hunt, he hoped since it might be a little warmer than it had been that morning. He’d only just closed his eyes when the sound of a wolf’s voice reached his ears. It was a voice he recognized though not the sort of sound you wanted to hear from a pack mate. Kajika rose once more to his feet and headed in the direction the cry had come from which lead him outside of pack lands and towards the mountain. Many thoughts ran through his head as he made his way to Nathaniel’s side wondering what could make him sound so sad. Finally he reached the place where there was an outcropping from the mountain, there is where he found Nathaniel. Kajika stopped in his tracks looking over the scene before him not really sure what to make of it and he did not move closer, unsure if he should. “Nathaniel?” he questioned quietly. Not knowing what he had come across Kajika wasn’t sure what else to say but at least his pack mate would know that he was there if needed.

~Table by Ace

(This post was last modified: Dec 04, 2015, 02:54 PM by Kajika.)

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There was no denying the world seemed to be tossed into an inescapable chaos with each setting of the sun, its yellow tinted rays signaling dawn's first light rewarding the agouti wolf with nothing more than a promise for more troubling times to come. As if the constant peltage of snowflakes above to form thick ivory blankets upon the frozen ground; a sign that winter was home for the long haul, wasn't enough of a problem to worry about. Despite wolves being the top predators during the winter, with the snow came a shortage in hunting opportunities as majority of their prey migrated away, or hibernated the winter months away, a guaranteed depletion in however much the pack had managed to secure.

Food was only one worry that weighed down Vespertio's crown upon the crest of his skull. A watchful, golden eye had not missed the slow drop in their numbers during the passing of moons. Angele, Desideria and Tagg's smiling faces no longer greeting the tawny man during frequent border patrols. Even the mangled Primrose no longer left a detectable scent within the territory. No word uttered, just vanished like the phantom she so closely resembled. As much as Vesper liked his subordinates, it was the sudden and unexpected loss of Anthem whom disappeared without a word or trace that wounded the Great Plains brute the most.

A special bond had undeniably formed between the storm pelted man and himself, a wolf the king of the lake saw more so as a brother rather than the subordinate and guardian of the pack he was by the laws of wolf-kind. It was with this mystery plaguing his mind that not a second was spent second guessing the reasoning behind Nathaniel's mournful cry. Swiftly creamy limbs struck at the earth as muscles rippled beneath his plush, thickening winter coat. Dull onyx nails scratching and clawing their way up the rugged and treacherous mountainside to reach their intended goal. Unaware of just what he was going to find upon that outcrop.

Gold tinted sides heaved from the exertion of the climb, coral tongue swiping at dry leather lips while weary golden optics took in the sight before them. The patriarch was not the first to arrive on the scene, Kajika succeeding by minutes from the way the swarthy wolf's soft spoken question danced around his forward facing audits. Instantly a gloom consumed those gathered, once upright ears swiftly retreating to the back of his skull. "Nathaniel, what.." Vespertio dared not utter another single word as his throat clenched tightly, his nostrils picking up on the strongly pungent aroma of decay and the fading, unique cologne of Anthem for the first time. It was as if the world suddenly shattered violently, veins running ice cold while vocal chords strained to emit so much as a small, weakened whimper. There was no need for the patriarch to catch a glimpse of the body to know what had happened. Today, he too had lost a brother.

Namid had charged to herself the task of going through each of the caches and de-icing them as best as she could. Breaking through the frozen tops and marking them so that it was clear to the pack where they were. Luckily, the cold temperatures would stall the decaying process though the taste would leave something to be desired. With the coming winter, she doubted anyone would really be complaining. Of course, there seemed to be less mouths to feed which would make it a bit easier...thought it wasn't something she was proud of. For what seemed to be the millionth time the Lake Queen thought back to Desideria and Anthem. She wondered how they were doing, especially for that of Anthem. At last Desideria had told them where she had been going, Anthem had simply disappeared like a breeze in the night. It was so uncharacteristic of him...so strange for his love of Fallen Tree Cove rivaled even that of Vespertio and Namid.

A call rang through the air, and instantly the woman's hackles prickled uneasily. Her brows creased at the sorrowful wail, so broken in a way she had never heard Nathaniel sound. Her heart dropped to her gut and the faces of her children and husband flashed across her mind. Instantly she took off toward the call, puffs of white smoke billowed from her opened jaws as it entered and exited her lungs. Her brows creased at the path she was taking, moving further into the mountain. Why were they coming all the way out here?

Namid came upon Nathaniel, Kajika, and Vespertio. The mood felt like a brick wall, paws digging into the ground as she came to a skidding halt. "What has happened," she whispered. She needed only twitch her nose to find out, auds flattening to her skull. Bile rose into her mouth and she took a step back. "No," she croaked. She didn't want to believe it. Images of Anthem's face flashed in her mind, images of him laughing, the soft look he'd gotten when he'd babysit the children, the look of pure joy when she'd named him their uncle. He'd been a constant since she'd joined the pack, one of her rock's as shed struggled to fill her role and find a place. And now...he was gone. 

Her gaze traveled between Vespertio and Nathaniel, completely torn on who to go to to comfort. Anthem was Nathaniel's brother, and Nathaniel was their second and savior to the pups. Vespertio was her world and her mate, her life. But...Nathaniel needed someone. He had no one...but that wasn't true. He had them, he had Namid if he needed her. Moving forward she stopped at Vespertio, a quiet whine escaping her lips and a kiss planting itself on his head. She gave him a worried look before moving to Nathaniel, pressing herself hesitantly against his side. She nudged the broken man's should under gently, wordlessly. She simply stood there, sharing with him her warmth and presence showing him that he was alone. He would never be alone with them.

@Kajika @Vespertio @Namid
Sorry for letting this go, guys. Just need this round & then one more from you all and then we can archive. c:

After what felt to be a stretch of days he heard a voice beside him, gentle and questioning. Nathaniel? The man lifted his pale green eyes away from the decimated remains of his brother to latch onto Kajika's wondering face. He didn't know, Nathaniel swiftly realized, and his throat constricted once more as he realized he might have to say this horrible thing out loud. Yet before he could even contemplate uttering a single word, Vespertio was upon the scene as well. Faster to catch on than his subordinate, the alpha's failing of tongue and strangled whine were only further arrows to pierce the guardian's heart.

He stepped to the side, weakly attempting to place some distance between himself and these other men who, despite the time spent within the same home, felt more as strangers to him now than ever. His tail curled inward and his head sunk lower, eyes returning to the source of their shared pain to unfocus and drift once more. His own hurt was enough, he did not want to face theirs as well; he did not have the capacity for it. When Namid's words and scent accompanied the air he only receded further into himself.

He might've stopped all of this. He might've saved his brother if he had been a better wolf, not so absorbed within himself and his own shallow misery.

The sudden warmth against his side shook him once more from his thoughts, and his gaze was mildly shocked as it fell upon her. Namid. The silent care she premiated him brought him more confusion than anything, and his stomach twisted as he realized that she was choosing to be at his side over Vespertio's. Why? the question was begged, and his eyes slid to the ground once more as his grief-worn mind grappled for control again. Part of him wanted to lean into her, to be thankful for this kindness and to let out his emotions; yet even in a moment such as this, Nathaniel could not bring himself to be so rawfully honest.

With a forced swallow he at last cleared his throat for words.

"He would want to be at the lake."

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

At first Kajika wasn’t sure of what was going on when he arrived to the place that Nathaniel had called him to. Soon enough the faint scent of Anthem and Nathaniel’s demeanor soon told him what he needed to know. Though he hadn’t known Anthem well he had liked the man all the same and he felt that he was an important part of the pack. His loss would be a great one and he sympathized with his pack mate though he was sure that he couldn’t completely understand what the man in front of him was feeling since he had never lost a brother himself.

It wasn’t long after his arrival that Vespertio and Namid came to show their support as well. They both seemed to be as speechless by this sudden revelation as he was but Nathaniel’s words concerning what Anthem would want struck something inside of him. “I offer my condolences Nathaniel. I think that if that is what Anthem would want it’s something we should try to do. He was an important part of our pack and we should try to do what we can for him.” Besides Kajika didn’t really like leaving Anthem here where he was alone and the lake would be a wonderful resting place for their beta.

(This post was last modified: Mar 01, 2016, 04:35 PM by Kajika.)

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He could hear words being uttered around him by the others, had felt the brief presence of warmth and a gentle kiss adorned to his skull by his lover before the coldness captured his body again, but it all seemed to be worlds away playing like inadequate background noise as the situation began to weigh itself down entirely now upon his charcoal dusted shoulders. Each passing moment sending the fact Anthem was dead and never coming back harder and harder into the regal patriarch's mind, the wound upon his heart beginning to fester with pain and sadness. How could this have happened? How could he have let something like this happen?

There were no answers to be found as the world continued to revolve around the lake wolves, his gaze gradually lifting from the beige of his dirtied paws to the emotional faces of his subordinates and mate. A russet tinged ear flicking when Nathaniel mentioned his brother wanting to be at the lake and Kajika seconding the notion. Vespertio's stomach gave a momentary lurch thinking about having to carry the iced over corpse of his prized subordinate down the mountainside, serving as a constant reminder he had failed the stormy pelted man with each inhale of his death infused cologne. He couldn't do it, couldn't face that mental beating, but deep down he knew it would be thee right thing to do. "He deserves to be brought back home." The words were finally forced out after a struggle with the lump that clogged his clenched throat. Anthem deserved to be put to rest where he belonged and exposed in the elements up here for scavengers far and wide to come feast upon his bones was not such a place. The lake was the only ideal place for him to be. It was his home.

Everything was breaking, shattering around them like glass and Namid felt like she was trying to tip-toe around the shards while searching for the parts that had fallen off of herself. The atmosphere was so dense, it was chocking her, making her eyes water and her fur stand on end but she bit back the pain. Vespertio had always been there to pick up the pieces for them, to solve their problems and be a good man and she saw Nathaniel in a similar light. This time they had both been brought to their knees, and it was the pale Queen’s turn to stand up and bear some weight on her shoulders. She would grieve in her own time, after the fact and the dust had settled, but they needed her right then and there.

Nathaniel cleared his throat, shuffling slightly and she pulled away to give him a little space. At least with the contact he knew she was there, but she saw no need in suffocating him. No, he’d need all the oxygen he could get. “He would want to be at the lake,” he said, and Vespertio agreed with him. She did as well, of course, but they needed to decide together. The Star Dancer thought back on the man, thought of all he had done for them but the main thing she could think of was when she had been pregnant with the children and after she had had them, how she would hardly go a day or two without seeing him and talking to him, how he would play with them. The joy he had expressed when she’d dubbed him their uncle. “If..if I might say, there is a place I think would be appropriate. It is beneath a small grove of pine trees nearby an overhang which looks over the entire territory. It is beautiful during the twilight hours, and…it is near the birthing den. He would often come see me and the children there and express how he appreciated it. He loved all of us, and the children especially. I would be happy to know he is looking out over the pack,” she suggested gently. If he had any other ideas she would be glad to go with it, but the scenario had stuck to her mind firmly.

(This post was last modified: Mar 10, 2016, 09:10 PM by Namid.)