Cedarwood Forest hey soul sister

Discovery Thread! All welcome, but special mention for @Tomen and @Nineva if they wanted to play with frogs, too. :D Pip is traveling from the southernmost to northernmost part of the subterritory.

Frog Chirp Creek: At the headwaters of Cut Rock River, the fall of a great oak years before provided a small portion of the river with a second tract to follow through Cedarwood Forest. This small creek bubbles over lichen-covered stones that have already been worn smooth by the water's passage, providing the perfect habitat for the many amphibians that can be heard singing at the riverain edges, especially at dusk. As the creek travels farther south towards Grizzly Hollow territory, the creek's boundaries become less clear and it acts to supply a swale that seems perpetually moist even when the rains have not been prominent.

Perhaps it was the way the wind carried the moist scent to her nose that gave Pip the idea that perhaps her two favored fishing spots may not be the only options around. She had yet to hear of another river from the others in the pack, but it wasn't exactly something she could ask and no one had ever brought up the subject. But the sea wolf had a habit of letting her nose lead her to new fishing secrets and would make no exception today.

With her left hind limb healing nicely since the attack, she really had no excuse not to explore. And maybe she should have tried to convince @Yvly or @Amaryllis or any other of her packmates to follow considering her recent run-ins with strange wolves, but curiosity had Pip moving onward recklessly without a thought for back up. It was an innocent enough mission, after all. She promised herself if she wandered too far from pack territory, she would come right back.

The amount of moss in the forest as she traveled northwest seemed to increase exponentially and Pip lowered her muzzle to sniff at it curiously. It wasn't like algae in scent, but reminded her of it all the same. The yearling had the impression that the green growth preferred water as well. Her thoughts were confirmed when she felt how squishy the land became beneath her paws. At some point, she was expecting to find a small lake or bog nearby, but instead noticed only the trickling of water over a few smooth stones. Trotting towards them, orange eyes followed a quiet little creek that wove farther north along the lichen-laden knoll that was peppered with varying types of trees that were no longer strictly cedar.

The little female gave a little hop to mount the rocks at the edges of the water and continued to follow it up the hill. As she moved, it became more assuredly a creek. She smiled at the way the water bubbled and churned in miniature falls. Walking on, she realized she wasn't the only inhabitant. As always, her eyes were drawn to movement within the water. Rather than fish, she spotted what could only be tadpoles swimming together en masse in the shade and still waters behind a large boulder. Amused, she dipped her nose into the creek to watch them scattered before returning to their places as she lifted her muzzle away.

Listening now, she could hear the chirps and calls of several species of frog. The deep croak of a large bull frog had the girl's russett ears swiveling excitedly. Now that was a hunt she could get behind! Of course, she had no intention of eating it. But she certainly wouldn't mind giving a quick chase just to watch it hop away. With tail wagging, Pip crossed the shallow creek multiple times, leaping playfully over rocks that blocked her path as she sloshed around in search of the little devil.

Template courtesy of Shipwrecks

@Nineva, hop in if and whenever you want - am saying that they were playing but he lost track of her, so she's probably nearby, but no pressure to jump in right away :D Also let me know if you want anything changed! @Pip <3

It wasn't really a fair competition anymore, though it hadn't ever been - Tomen had been pushing himself for speed since the very day that Kat had nearly barrelled straight into him. Inspired by her agility and light-footedness, it had become one of his primary goals to one day fly through the forest that fast. He'd dreamt, of course, of testing himself against that very woman, but she was gone now. One of many, just gone. It had hurt his heart but not crushed his motivation; if she ever came back, then he hoped she would be proud of his accomplishments.

Nineva, on the other hand, was many wonderful things but an equal sprinter she was not; while the two near-yearlings were fairly matched on most grounds, such as playfighting, tracking or hunting (and she was usually better) he was yet to lose a race. So when she'd provoked him with a teasing catch me, he'd thought it to be an easy win - but then she'd promptly dashed into a dense part of the forest where speed was far less important than the ability to scramble through and under and over thorny bushes and fallen trees and tightly-packed branches and he had ground his teeth together in amused frustration at her excellent ploy. His strengths had been all but nullified when he wasn't able to just find a clear bit of ground to lay paw to.

The chase had taken them further northward, and by the time Nineva ran out of undergrowth to slow him down in, he had lost sight of her - emerging out into relatively clear forest, Tomen thought he caught a glimpse of a grey tail disappearing around a thick cedar and, with a yip, took chase again, confidence mounting. The sound of trickling water registered somewhere in the back of his mind, along with a strange, faint chorus of croaks and chirps, but he paid it little mind. It wasn't until he came across a wide-open area and Nineva was nowhere to be seen that he paused, unsure, panting as he glanced about in search of her familiar greyscale figure. Movement somewhere far to his right caught his eye, and naturally thinking it was her, he darted towards it with a cry of "Nineva you-!" before realising that the wolf jumping across the creek certainly wasn't her.

He stopped again, brain skipping a few beats as it caught up with his totally dashed expectations, having not even thought to come across anybody else. He blinked at the small, russet-coloured woman who was several yards away, recognition understandably failing as she was a little too far away to detect the telltale smell of home thick in her pelt. "Uhhh," he said haltingly, taking a few aimless steps forward as he cast his eyes about the area some more, expecting her to pop out with a laugh at any moment, "have you seen anyone else, a, a girl...?"

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

For how large and burly the bullfrog was, Pip had never expected it to be so agile! It was quite good at avoiding her crushing paws and nipping maw, hopping its way over small falls and squirming between slick rocks where she couldn't quite reach.The sea wolf was reminded of a slippery eel. if she squinted hard enough and pretended the bullfrog had no legs, she could almost convince herself it was one. Cheered by the reminiscent thought of Bella Coola, the small female's tail wagged all the harder.

In a second, that carefree joy that had swamped her was suddenly dashed away as she heard a voice behind her. By sound alone, he was approaching fast. Whirling to face the wolf nervously, Pip hunkered down in her usual submissive posture to watch the stranger with wary orange eyes. From where she stood, his scent floated to her readily. Recognizing the Grizzly Hollow pack scent, she stood just a little straighter. It was a packmate, then! Not some angry combatant come to defend their territory.

With relief, Pip was now able to focus on what it was the dark wolf was saying. Her head tilted at the question before her gaze darted around the area for any sign of another wolf. Was she that oblivious that she had missed not one, but two wolves in the area? She wondered if her siblings would be embarrassed if they knew and felt certain they must. No wonder they always hovered over her like she was utterly incapable of looking after herself! She was!

Returning her gaze to the younger wolf, Pip shook her head. She'd seen none but the frogs. Compounding the thought, she heard a telltale splash of her prey hopping to safety.

Nineva didn't appear, and though Tomen was primarily concerned with trying to locate her - was she hiding? had he gone the wrong way? - he did spare a few moments to watch the small russet girl who was cowering in the creek, his ears flicking about as he tried to detect his wayward prey. The stranger's instance submission made him a little uncomfortable, reminding him of the overwhelming timidness of that pale wolf he and Nineva had saved, but fortunately something gave the woman the confidence to stand up. Tomen didn't enjoy being treated like a threat, nor anyone all that important; even in the pack he didn't mean much anymore, since it wasn't run by Lyalls anymore. He was just some kid in some pack, nothing scary.

As his brain slowly switched gears to pay the stranger more attention, something about her lit a spark of curiosity, something... familiar? Was that possible? He watched her, an ear turning to focus on her and away from its frantic searching, but she just looked about the place and then shook her head. "Oh," he said flatly, eyes narrowing a little as he tried to figure out why he seemed to recognise her, head crooking forward in interest - and he took a wary step towards her, and then finally untangled the trace of her scent from all those around the creek and it fell into place. That's why she was familiar.

"Oh!" he said again, but brighter, his tail giving a hesitant wag of happy recognition, "you're Pip. Niq'x's sister, right?"

The boy seemed disappointed by her response, but narrowed his eyes and stepped closer. Warily, the yearling took another step back to keep the distance between them the same. While the wolf wasn't outright attacking her, it really could be a ploy to get her to lower her guard and make for an easy victim. At least, that was how she used to think. Old habits seemed to die hard, despite her trust in the Grizzly Hollow wolves.

As suddenly as he had appeared, he lifted his head and wagged his tail with delight in a friendly, welcoming manner that left her befuddled until he said her name as well as that of her sister! Pip straightened as well, tail wagging to match @Tomen's own. She gave an excited chirp. Yes, yes, I'm @Niq'x's sister! That's me, I'm Pip! As much as the young female loved all the new names she was given since finding herself within Relic Lore, it was a relief to hear her own name without prompting from an otherwise total stranger.

Excitably, she skipped forward to touch her nose to his in greeting, taking care to make sure her head was lower than his. Her sibling's scent was indeed intermixed among his pelt, so it must have been a recent visit. Did that mean she was near? Was she coming to join Grizzly Hollow?! Hope soared in the sea wolf's eyes and her tail wagged all the faster for it. What an amazing thing it would be for her two families to join as one!

The moment the words left his mouth, Pip's entire demeanour changed, rising from afraid to joyful. There could be no doubt at all that he'd guessed right with a reaction like that, seeing the recognition of the two names in her face. If she had spoken it with her voice rather than her eyes, he would have second-guessed it, for Niq'x had said she can't speak. Tomen couldn't help but laugh, her sudden merriment intensely infectious. Tail wagging high and freely now, he smiled as she hopped forward to bring their nosetips together, pressing back in that brief moment to show that yes, he really was friendly.

While he'd never met a wolf who didn't talk, Tomen was no stranger to conversations in which only one side used actual words, and as members of the same species Pip's body language was clearer than anything Prudence could manage, and he knew her mannerisms very well. "I'm Tomen," he said cheerily, "Rook's son. I don't know if you've met him, he's been busy with a lot of his own stuff, lately." Not that Tomen had much room to judge. There was no point in also saying Quil's son... there was no way that Pip would know who his mother was. He didn't let the thought deflate him.

Still aware that Nineva was out there somewhere, possibly wondering why he hadn't caught up, Tomen decided that she could wait a little longer; she only had to backtrack to find him. Meeting Niq'x sister properly was too appealing to pass up. "I met your sister a few days ago, in the Marsh. She looked well -" considering that he almost jumped on her  "- I hope the rest of your family joins us, that'd be nice. So, uh," he said, glancing back at the creek, remembering the sight of her dancing along it, "what are you doing out here?"

Tomen, she thought to herself. She'd not yet heard of him, though it was unsurprising considering how often she hid herself away in Veho's medical den. As terrifying as the beaver attack had been for her, it provided the incredibly shy female the perfect excuse to avoid the attention of too many packmates. However, she found herself regretting it some now. Tomen seemed very kind! His behavior was appropriate, he took well to her greeting, and he knew her name.

The younger boy was correct in assuming she had yet to meet Rook. Of him, she'd heard. Veho spoke fondly of him, and in turn, had Pip's fondness by proxy as well. The more time she spent around her new Alpha, the more devoted she found herself.

As Tomen continued, Pip felt a similar fondness rising for him as well. He spoke so nice of @Niq'x! Anyone who liked her sister always had the sea wolf's approval. Her siblings had owned every ounce of her devotion prior to the incident that left her stranded alone in Relic Lore, and though her loyalty was more divided now, she had no less love for them.

At the final question, Pip lowered her head with embarrassment, the tip of her tail wagging just a bit as if to wave off the nerves. Did the yearlings in Grizzly Hollow play chase with other animals simply for fun? Or was that an activity reserved for playful sea wolves who had plenty of daring gulls to snap at? She turned, intended on showing him what it was she'd been hopping after.

In no time at all, she found the bull frog once more and delighted in giving chance once it tried fleeing from her again. She gave a chirp, the sound portraying her excitement rather than pulling the attention or trumpeting a warning as it was usually used for. Maybe Tomen would even join in with her!

Anyone else welcome to join and play with frogs or wonder wtf they're doing? Otherwise, I'm happy for you to PP them just messing around and playing with the frogs/in the creek for a while x]

It was so much easier to read wolves than burrowing owls. It was clear that he was saying all the right things, for Pip wore her pleasure openly, and Tomen couldn't help the merriment rise in his cheeks as he looked at her, feeling happy that he could make her happy with things so simple. Why couldn't he make everyone this cheerful by saying so little? The rifts he could mend in the pack... maybe Kat and his mum wouldn't have left in the first place...

Pip shrunk a little at his question, embarrassed by the answer, but she had no reason to be; when she turned away, clearly to show him (since she couldn't speak it) he stepped forward to follow automatically before hesitating, glancing back at the way he'd come. Nineva was still out there somewhere, probably wondering why he hadn't caught her yet... or, let's face it, gleeful in how masterfully she'd eluded him. He poorly suppressed a smirk at the thought of that, and Tomen knew that she was more than capable of looking after herself. She'd find him eventually, and when she did... he looked back at Pip, saw her hopping after what looked like some big frog, and the grin broke free. She'd find him playing with frogs, apparently. Skipping forwards with a soft woof, tail waving a content and playful beat behind him, he chased after the cold, slimy creature and made to bop it with his nose, but it jumped away again before he could touch it. There was something weirdly nonchalant about its manner, as though it wasn't really that worried but also wanted to be left alone.

As @Tomen joined in right alongside her, Pip found herself unable to keep the sweet smile from her face in response. It was nice to have someone around who would chase after silly things with her rather than chase after her. Whenever her siblings hadn't been around in Bella Coola, packmates would often turn any game she played by herself with the gulls into one where she was the prey. And unlike any kind of game, their bites had not been tempered. It certainly had broken Pip of playing in sight of others unless @Niq'x and "Blitz" were present to discourage anyone else from picking on her.

But this was lovely! The sun still speckled through the leaves overhead to reflect off the water in a dazzling way that only seemed to make the place more magical to Pip. Of course, it was nothing more than a creek set in the woods, but the aura around the area felt light-hearted and happy; like nothing bad could ever happen in such a place.

Tomen's wagging tail gave Pip's all the fuel it needed to continue waving behind her. A smaller frog caught her eye as it tried to avoid being stepped on and she immediately changed direction to chase after that one, giving Tomen freedom to chase the big bull frog. She smacked at the water with a paw, sending droplets cascading over the amphibian which only sent it farther along. It really was a never ending game and she felt she could continue with it all day long!