Swallow Swallet chasing twisters in the canyon

RE: Veho, you find a trio of duck eggs.  Set a few days before the pack meeting.
For @Tomen & @Nineva.

Free time was in short supply, but there were some things he simply could not put off any longer.  With Oula and the puppies settled, the alpha moved from the territory in a steady lope.  It felt good to stretch his limbs for something longer than a quick jog, to really stretch out and push himself.  The run wasn’t something he needed – but he really did, and he made it all the way to Swallow Swallet before he finally came to a halt.  His breath came in quick puffs, tongue lolling out in a pleased smile.

Once his breath was even, he lifted his skull, intoned a call for the two youngest – well, that wasn’t true, not with puppies afoot – the two new yearlings to join him.  They were growing members of the pack.  Considered among the adult ranks, even!  It was time they began to study, to specialize themselves, and he’d be doing a poor job as a leader if he let their education slide.

After calling the pair, Veho settled himself down, waiting for they arrival.  His curiosity only took a moment or two to get the better of him, and he was moving, moving, and ah!  There was a nest, a nest with three eggs!  The wolf perked his head up, glancing around for the responsible bird.  Surely they hadn’t been abandoned!

He had not been with @Nineva when he heard their names within Veho's summons. Rather, he had been on his way to Frog Chirp Creek to see if @Pip was there, because he hadn't seen her at all yesterday or, when he thought about it, the night before that, either. It was quite unlike her to be so elusive, for despite her muteness she managed to have a large and unmissable presence wherever she went, her communication skills hardly lacking. Except maybe in circumstances like this, for she could have been intending to spend some time apart from the pack for whatever reason, and how could she explain that? She was probably fine.

Maybe Veho knew where she'd gone, anyway. Yeah, he probably knew. There was nothing to worry about.

Setting into an easy trot in the direction of the call, Tomen's nose lifted up briefly as he returned it with an 'I'm on my way!', not wanting to keep his leader waiting. With that, his lazy strides became longer, faster, until he was sprinting through the cedarwoods in that way which always made him feel most alive, and perhaps, thus, it wasn't surprising that he beat the grey girl to it.

"Veho," he greeted, breathing and heartbeat at a comfortable speed despite his exertion, feeling pumped and ready for whatever this specific meeting was about. Making sure to display the proper respect, he approached the older wolf in order to place a lick on his chin, always feeling more formal around Veho than he ever had when his father had been leader. He spotted the nest and the hint of eggs, but didn't question them, nor their proximity to the sinkhole which he'd always felt a little unnerved by. "Everything okay?"

Nineva did not hesitate to answer the call, especially when Tomen's name was strung along with hers through the tones. Whatever Veho was calling them for had to be important; leader and father, certainly he wasn't calling them outside of the territory for a simple catch-up chat. That had her excited for what the day might entail, and that her best friend would be involved only made it all the more promising. The pep in her step made this clear, tail wagging behind her as she maneuvered through the forest toward the origin of the howl.

Yet as she began to close in on where Veho--and, as the comingling scents told her, Tomen--wait, a foreboding sense of deja vu fell over her. She had been all over these woods, making every piece of them familiar to her these past eight months, except one area; that which she had met Kenelm in, and that which had been an absolute living nightmare to experience.

The chirping swelled within the air, echoing and bouncing and assaulting her ears as she drew closer. The fear crept along her spine and filled her heart as her mind threatened to take her back to that night, to the feeling of nothing beneath her body, her claws losing purchase, the swarm of a thousand birds rushing past her with beating wings and shrill calls.

With a deep breath, she tried to take in serenity and exhale the poison. She thought of Prudence bouncing about and hooing softly, nothing but a friendly presence each and every time she stepped out from her den. She thought of Tomen's reassuring embrace, the feel of his heart against her temple and the confusion he had so politely tried to hide. The eagle had not swooped down to claim her; surely the far smaller swallows would not attempt to harm her, even in their massive numbers. Her childhood incident had been a fluke, and she had to stop letting it send her scurrying like a rabbit at every hint of a feather.

Nineva at last joined them at a much steadier gait than she had begun the journey, mismatched eyes anxious but determined. Her movements were rigid, but only a wolf who knew her well would recognize that this meant she was trembling inside.

Hey, she greeted when at last her steps came to a stop, and pressed a smile upon her lips.

A lynx has left behind the remains of a deer. +5 Health

@Tomen appeared not too long after the alpha had made his discovery of the eggs and he startled briefly, lifting up his crown to peer at the coming yearling.  So big!  It was amazing what a simple turn of the seasons did to a pup, for Rook’s son certainly could not be called that anymore.  Carefully picking his way around the nest, he stretched out to grab the boy’s muzzle, giving him a gentle shake in greeting.

“Nothing is wrong,” he assured the boy once he’d stopped, nudging his shoulder once.  “Well, save for this nest here – I cannot tell if these eggs have been abandoned!  But that is not why I’ve called you.  Once Nineva arrives, I might explain myself.”

Though time seemed to stretch on in the female’s mind, she appeared not long after her age mate.  The silver youth was greeted much in the same way as Tomen, Veho giving her muzzle a gentle shake before nudging her cheek.  Once all greetings were out of the way – for the alpha knew the pair of yearlings as friends – he cleared his throat.  “Thank you for coming so quickly.  I’ve asked you out here for a special reason.  You’re both yearlings now, and adult members in the eyes of the pack.  It is time for you to choose a role to specialize in.  I was a healer, myself, prior to stepping into this role, but now I will make sure you will receive the proper education in whatever area you fancy.”  His hum was soft, his eyes were bright.  Oh, youth!  He utterly loved his job in times like these, evident in the way his tail swished softly behind his back.  “Do you have any thoughts on what you might like?”

Reassured that all was well, Tomen nodded, glancing at the nest which had drawn Veho's attention. As the yearling gazed at it, the leader continued on, and the reminder that @Nineva was to come gave Tomen pause. The sound of the swallows flitting about in the darkness was little more than background noise, but he could hear them clearly, and instantly he wondered if Veho had chosen this place deliberately or through ignorance. Not that Nineva's phobia was anywhere near as strong as it had been once upon a time, but it didn't mean that she should be forced into proximity with them, especially so many... Prudence was one thing, but a cave full  was another.

So he waited with second-hand anxiety for his pretty grey friend, and the moment she appeared he knew he was right.

"Hey," he whispered back, moving to stand next to her, seeing and feeling the tension in her body even if she did a good job at hiding it. He pressed his shoulder to hers - harder now than it once was, she had grown so much taller than him - and offered a smile just for her, an I know.

Veho continued on, thanking them for their promptness and getting to the reason why he had called them, and it all convinced Tomen that the man simply had no idea. Could he feel resentment for that kind of thoughtlessness, was that fair? The young wolf's attention drew towards his leader as he spoke about them growing up and taking roles, clearly taking delight in the thought, the often-serious man's manner light and cheery. Tomen just watched him with an increasing level of numbness, something which he half-heartedly fought off because he hated feeling like that and didn't want to make a scene in front of Nineva. Plus, again, this wasn't Veho's fault - he thought he was doing something nice. Maybe Nineva would like it.

To Tomen, it was just another reminder that everything he'd been told as a puppy was bullshit, which made him feel awful because he'd always told himself he hadn't wanted any of it anyway.

"So, what, do we want to be guardians or hunters or scouts? What actually are the options?" he asked, perhaps a little too curtly, trying to fend off the weird, uncomfortable sensation in his gut and just be normal. But when he thought about how to be normal, he suddenly had no idea how. Maybe he should have kept quiet and let Nineva talk, maybe this would be something which excited her, and he could just piggyback off her enthusiasm.

By the time she'd given Veho a bump to his chin with her nose to amiably return the greeting, @Tomen was at her side. Her mismatched gaze took in his meaningful look, and she leaned into him while throwing her nonpareil friend a genuinely appreciative grin. She was fine, especially when he was here with her. Doing her best to tune out the incessant chirping and fluttering, her eyes and gaze twisted back to attention for Veho.

What he had to say did wonders in helping distract her. Immediately her eyes lit up while her tail curled at the tip and began to swish about. Not just yearlings, they were really, truly considered adults now? And they could have a role. Excitement bubbled in her chest as her mind began to race with the possibilities.

Medicine and scouting she already had quite a bit of experience in, but those were already amply filled by the pack it seemed. It lacked hunters and guardians, or at least dedicatedly trained ones, but she didn't want to do just that either. Briefly her mind flickered to what she truly wanted, but that had nothing to do with this pack. What could best help her towards that?

Tomen spoke up, asking for a breakdown of the options available, and Nineva nodded eagerly, wanting to know as well before she even considered making a choice.

The two youths settled in to one another, and for a moment, the stony grey wolf simply watched – he’d known them to spend time together, only natural, he imagined, that they were agemates, but it was clearly more than a causal relationship founded on age alone.  He hummed softly, glancing between the pair – it was a fair question, he decided, and not one he should have assumed them to know.  Only the Ancestors knew how Nineva’s pack life was previously, and what Rook might have told @Tomen —

Trying not to let the discomfort creep into his chest, he cleared his throat.  “Guardian, hunter, and scout are all options, yes, but also available are teacher, advisor, and healer.  There is also leader, if course, but rare is it a wolf is a leader before he is anything else.”  His mouth twisted into a wry smile.  “I was a healer first – I consider myself a medic still, truly.  It is good to have a skillset to fall back on, for leadership oft changes with seasons and years.”

With another hum, the male began to knead the earth under his feet.  “An advisor is important to the alpha, and must be known for granting wise advice, best for the pack and not an individual.  They are trustworthy, reliable, and not ruled by their emotions.  He may later become a diplomat, focusing on inter-pack relations, or a consul, more dedicated to the leaders themselves.  A hunter provides for the entire pack; they must be physically fit, and good at working with others when required.  They are self-driven, instinctive, and strategic.  She has most specialization opportunities: a tracker, a fisher, a scavenger, or a keeper, who spends most of their time on the pack’s caches exclusively.  A guardian is the pack’s security, and must be strong, protective, and assertive.  Another physical role, he may later become a sentry or a vigilante.  A teacher, though perhaps overlooked, is important as well – they teach both the young, as well as any new members of a pack.  They are scholarly, methological, and able to communicate.  She has three options following that: a historian, a disciplinarian, and a survivalist expert.  The medic is charged with the physical and mental well-being of the pack.  They are resilient, organized, and holistic.  He might become a healer, like myself, or an herbalist, specializing exclusively in how these plants work, and where to find them.  The scout is both the alarm system and usually the first impression a pack makes.  They are agile, clever, and often adventurous.  This too requires some athleticism, and she may evolve into a runner or a lookout.”

Veho paused then, giving both of the yearlings a chance to soak all this in.  “It is important to know that you will never be bound to a choice, should you find a task less desirable than you originally thought.  You are also allowed to try many things – it would be foolish to expect you to simply know without getting your paws wet, first.  And if leadership is something you aspire to,” he inclined his head, a smile in his grey eyes, “I would be happy to instruct you in that, as well.”

She didn't let him down, like usual. A smile threatened to tweak at the corners of his mouth as @Nineva nodded, and just as he'd hoped her enthusiasm spilled over into his cup, just enough to take the edge off his bitterness. Fortunately, neither of them seemed to notice, or at least were not pointing it out, and he felt both grateful and guilty for being a sourpuss when this was supposed to be something nice for them both.

Tomen's ears pricked up as Veho began to explain, and with surprise the older wolf acknowledged the matter of the leader role almost instantly. Had Tomen been that transparent? His expression tightened with suppressed discomfort and embarrassment at how he was reacting to this, before taking a breath and then looking to Veho more earnestly, prepared to just listen and learn without burden. So followed a long and thorough explanation of almost everything a pack wolf could aspire to be, and the torrent of information was quite effective at washing away his weird feelings, for there was so much to absorb that he had no brain space left for anything else. It was not until the leader finished the list did one of the roles really catch his attention, though - runner.

The brief elation at feeling like he would have a real, adult purpose was enough to prevent his gut from twisting again as Veho finished, once more alluding to the leadership thing. A few minutes ago, Tomen would have wrinkled his nose. Now he just shrugged, dismissing it. Maybe Veho was trying to be pointed and say something, but it was okay, he didn't want that anyway, and now he knew there was something better. "I want to be a runner," he breathed, tail doing a little half-wag, ears lifting and eyes brightening. "I was made for it."

Let someone else be made to be a leader, he wasn't that kind of Lyall. Keen to hear what Nineva would pick, his eyes turned to find hers, tail wagging more freely now as he grinned.

Teacher, advisor. Initially, just listed off like that, these titles struck nothing up within her. Leader passed from Veho's lips, causing her ears to cup forward, but the emphasis swiftly returned to possessing a more rudimentary skill first. Leadership oft changes , he also said, and Nineva thought of also of how quickly the packs death had swept in, knocking her parents from the throne seemingly so easily. Not Nineva ; it would not happen to her, she was hellbent on that.

Not letting her down, Veho launched into a descriptive account of each available role. Nineva soaked up the information like a sponge, almost able to completely block out the cacophony of her enemies now. Advisor seemed like an excellent lead into becoming an alpha, but also sounded like something that would be achieved at the same pace. She would have to garner nearly all the same things, the favor of the vox populi, the trust and respect of the entire pack to be most effective in her role as advisor, wouldn't she? Maybe it wasn't as intricate as she was envisioning, but already something else had caught her attention.

Scholarly grabbed her, drawing her into the description for the teacher role. Well if she was expected to pass on knowledge, it would be her duty to learn all that she could in preparation for that, right? It sounded wonderful, and survivalist sounded cool , and she felt as though that would be a more attainable role that could benefit her on her path back to Whisper Caverns. Yes, she had her choice-- or at least thought she did, until Veho snuck in that final offer.

Her tail stilled its casual swaying as the girl noticably perked. Really, he would really show them how to become a good alpha, just like that? Despite her doubts about his personal life, Veho had proven himself to be a skilled leader. Grizzly Hollow was thriving; aside from her own parents, she couldn't think of a better wolf to learn from. Still, Nineva was held back from jumping at the opportunity just yet.

To admit that she wanted to be alpha would lead into her ultimate intentions of leaving the Hollow to revive the Caverns; something she had thus far neglected to share with anyone but her father and @Korrin. Finally sure of herself and her plan, she had meant to inform both her best friend and her leaders, but privately, not together. Really, she had wanted Tomen to be the first outside of her family to know. But... to say she wanted anything else would be dishonest, and its not like Tomen would be upset with her over it, right? And Veho might not even ask questions, she might still be able to speak with them separately.

Tomen's voice picked up, and so did her wagging once more, sweep past her hocks to bat her friend's with each pass. Runner he said, and she wasnt the least bit surprised. It was already a title that fit him, and she beamed back at him in support. Now it was her turn, and something burning but pleasant filled her chest as she turned blazing eyes upon Veho once more.

"Leader," she announced decisively. "Survivalist, in the mean time, but... I want to be an alpha."