Larkcall Lowlands They don't always happen when you ask

@Askan can post first, and then @Jessie <3
For reference on the territory: Right at the edge of the Lowlands, where open fields meet the forested out-runners of Serpents Pass, flowers and more common grasses give way to a much brighter sort. Waving ears of wild rye stand high, blanketing the rolling hills in a golden sea, from mid spring until the first winter storms knock down the stalks. The fields run all the way to the tree line, only yielding for lighter underbrush where the low pines put the ground in shade. Out in the open, the grain is almost uncorrupted, only a rare few weeds managing to hold their ground among the yellow stalks, mostly along the banks of the wide creek cutting straight through the hills before pooling near at the forest's edge, forming a small basin. Close by, among the shelter of the trees, a small den is dug out between the roots of a lone oak in the midst of a wood of pines.

The clouds had parted as the sun began to set, loose tufts of white dotting the vermilion sky. The thunder had receded, rolling further out over the tundra to give room for a perfectly lovely evening. The two dark wolves had taken turns dragging the half-eaten calf through the rising grass, doing little talking as they worked. Only when the weeds and green stalks gave way for golden fields did Drestig pause, taking in the full view of the rolling hills, basking in the warm joy in his chest, the feeling of returning home. He couldn't help but look to Askan for a reaction, curious how someone else would react to seeing the shimmering ears of rye stretch before them. No words were needed though, the look in bright, ember eyes spoke clear enough; This is home!

Finding the winding creek, the graying wolf continued to lead his graying counterpart through the fields along side it, towards the tree line slowly appearing in the distance. Once they'd rounded the pond, standing in the shade of the first, dark pines, the elder man stopped again, squinting into the shaded woods. After taking his companion all this way, fully intent on and committed to introducing him to Jessie and making him part of their family, protective feelings suddenly stiffened his legs. He breathed deeply, reminding himself that he had to let someone in if he wanted a pack; What is he gonna do anyway?! Really, his hesitancy was ridiculous, even in her current state his gray partner would be more than able to chase off some young rascal, should the need arise, and certainly with him by her side there was no need to worry; Why would he even WANT to hurt her? He sighed to himself, shaking his fur lightly before looking back to Askan. "Wait here," He bade in a hushed voice, slipping into the trees alone. Making his way towards their den, he kept a soft tone as he called out for his lover, a faint smile on his lips; "Jessie, are you awake? I've brought something back for you."

Word count: 351

"Speech" Thoughts

Askan had been travelling for weeks. He had passed through ancient evergreen forests and expansive tundras, he thought he had seen it all but evidently he was wrong. This landscape was unlike anything he had ever seen. It granted the sense of freedom that open spaces so often did, but it didn't make him feel as though he was vulnerable or exposed. He felt... It wasn't like home, after all his pack's homelands were situated in a barren tundra where few species of grass were hardy enough to thrive. And yet, this place felt right. Askan could see why Drestig liked it here. Life thrived, and with luck and hard work, Drestig's new pack would as well. 

Askan was no conversationalist, but he was willing enough to engage in small talk as they walked along together, taking turns to drag the carcass. Drestig told him how he had stumbled upon this place, and how he hoped in time it would serve as a good place to raise a family. Askan had no experience with such matters, but he had to agree that this was as good a place as any. It felt safe, secure and least of all it was certainly scenic. 

They duo soon exchanged the wide open space of the rye fields, to the confines of the edge of a forest. This territory was the best of both worlds, and the more that Askan looked about the more he could see himself living here, carving out a life for himself. Maybe this was his chance to make his life actually mean something. Sure, he would be living in the shadow of another wolf, but the prospect of following Drestig's lead was far more favourable than that of his father. Gods, he couldn't stand him, and thinking about him only made Askan feel sour so he shook those thoughts away.

In the brief moments of Askan's distraction, Drestig's carefree posture had shifted into something else. He seemed tense, wary, and the sharp look in his eyes made Askan hesitate as well. Had he done something wrong? Had Askan screwed up his chance of finding home? He had been about to speak up, but Drestig beat him too it. His tone wasn't sharp or snappish, but it was clear that Drestig meant what he said. He wanted Askan to wait there, so he did.

"Sure." He said in confirmation as the older wolf walked on and headed into the greenery.

Dropping the carcass to the floor, Askan flexed his jaw. It ached a little, but it was bearable and would no doubt fade in time. He then sat down and did his best to make himself seem.... agreeable? He wasn't very good at making good first impressions, but that didn't mean he was going to snarl and kick up a fuss. He could be well behaved, sort of.  As he waited, he glanced over at the creek, and the water that glided over the rocks and pebbles. He was a little thirsty, but he was in no rush. He had been told to wait, so as Drestig's subordinate he did.

Drestig and Jessie had settled in well to their new home of sorts. It had become apparent that the gray woman would no longer be able to travel as her belly enlarged but the knowledge did not bother her. It was only a reminder that their children were growing stronger inside of her. It would only be a matter of time, now, before she gave birth to their miracles. While she was excited for this new chapter in her life, she was also nervous. What if she failed them? What if she failed Drestig? Jessie tried not to dwell on those thoughts long, especially around him because he was so happy now that they were away from the dark forest. Every once and awhile, when she was alone, Jessie would wonder about what Triell was doing and how he was, but then she would stop those thoughts because she knew that was not what he would want her to be doing. She had left there so that she could live her life and that was exactly what she was going to do. Drestig had left that day for a hunting trip and while the smaller woman wished to have joined him, she knew that at this time in her pregnancy, it probably was for the best that she remained put. At times, she worried for his return, for she was not sure if he would get injured out there, all by himself. The lady knew that if she ever voiced her concerns out to the dark man all she would receive in return was a snarky remark and then they would get into one of their lovely arguments. She contented herself to laze around in her den, her lids half-closed when the voice of her lover called to her, baiting her. Something for her? Jess forced herself to her paws and walked out of the den, embracing the dark man as she listened to the reassuring sound of the creek nearby. Pulling away, she allowed her curiosity to get the best of her and followed the scent of where he had come. Emerald eyes took in first, the sight of a carcass, which made her mouth water invitingly, and then the body of a stranger. The pepper-and-salt coated woman stopped in her tracks, observing the young man silently. What caught her attention first were his eyes, they were a yellow color, much like Hotei's, but his coat was brown with light patches of fur that were merrily highlights. He was built much like Drestig and as if it could not have been any clearer, there was only one reason the dark man would have brought him here.  Clearing her throat, she introduce herself, ”Hello, I am Jessie.” Anxiously, she looked for Drestig in her peripheral for any other social cue as to what she should say. Jessie Tainn

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(This post was last modified: Jun 08, 2016, 05:33 AM by Jessie.)

Askan wasn't a patient wolf. But fortunately, he wasn't left alone for long. Out of the thickness of the brush emerged a small grey wolf. She was petite, lithe,well she would have been if she wasn't heavily pregnant Her steps were slow and cautious, and Askan could tell that she was a little hesitant about the whole situation. Not that he could blame her, he had no idea what to do or say either. Still, her voice was soft and it emitted a sense of gentleness.  Askan had only just met her but he had a strong feeling that she was the nurturing, compassionate sort. The kind of wolf who would put up with all of his nonsense and not blame him for who he was. 

Askan shifted a little, suddenly feeling very self concious of himself.  He didn't like that. He didn't like the feeling of vulnerability, he loathed it. But it was all in his head wasn't it? She didn't know, she couldn't know and if anything, his reaction likely seemed caused by the fact that he clearly wasn't a social wolf. Or at least he wasn't outgoing and charismatic like Drestig seemed to be. What an annoying old man.

"Hi." Askan said, after a brief silence. "I'm Askan. Your mate..." Gods this was awkward. "He told me you were planning to start a pack together and I want to be a part of it." There that was better, he sounded surer of himself.  He sounded more like himself, or at least the wolf he was always trying to be. The wolf others thought he was.

Askan pointed to the carcass that laid at his feet with his snout and took a step back. "We got this for you. Drestig wouldn't have been able to without me." That was a lie, or sort of at least. It was more the other way around, but Askan was simply protecting his pride here. He didn't lie out of maliciousness, he did it because he thought he had no other choice. Because he thought the alternative was far worse. 

"But anyway, I suppose from here on out I'll defer to your judgement. If you and Drestig say jump, I ask how high and all that." He shrugged, trying to tie off his part of the conversation with a neat little bow. He hadn't talked this much in a while and it felt weird, unnatural. He supposed that he had to get used to it, after all he couldn't ignore the other members of his pack. 

<3 Hey Alice, for future reference, in threads with more than 2 wolves, unless anything else is stated, we usually follow posting order - letting everyone else post before you post again, so we have a chance to react to each others :) So the order is now: @Jessie > @Askan > Drestig repeat ^^

Jessie appeared quickly out of their den to greet him, her distinct scent filling his nostrils as they embraced briefly. It was still a marvel to him, holding her like this, touching her so casually, it made his heart skip a beat. His muzzle moved down along her side to caress her swollen flank, the mere sight making joy bloom in his chest. Then all too soon they parted, the grey woman's interest clearly peaked by his statement. He didn't blame her, surely she was hungry, and he had brought the smell of blood with him. He was quick to follow her back through the woods though, not intending on letting her face Askan on her own; Both because he knew of her discomfort with strangers, and the protectiveness was still brewing within him, an instinctive need to watch over her when at all possible.

She managed to introduce herself calmly though, a kindness in her voice that he had rarely heard before; Perhaps just a means of covering her nervousness. The young man before them, in turn, managed to answer with an impressive amount of words – easily the most Drestig had heard him utter all together since they met – giving his own name as well as a short summery of why he was there. The elder wolf snickered at the comment about their hunt, but said nothing, it was true that he likely couldn't have made the kill without the other wolf's help, even if the same was true the other way around. In the end he was thankful for the lad's help, and equally so that he had agreed to join them; Drestig might be the one offering Askan a home, but in turn he was getting support, both in hunting and protecting their home.

The young man's last words did make his prospective new leader snort, though it was a good-natured sound, followed up with a toothy grin. "We won't demand too much," He assured, looking between Askan and his petite partner; "You help hunt and protect the territory, and at night you'll have a full belly and a place to sleep. A win for all of us!" He turned his attention to Jessie, sparkling, ember eyes softening as he looked down upon her; "Of course the children will be top priority, but with another wolf or two on our side, we should be able to care for everyone. Askan here's been traveling for a while, I told him he'd be welcome here if he was tired of it. " His gaze moved to meet Jessie's deep green eyes, then continued to lift, looking back at the dark boy before them. He was sure they could all easily come to an understanding. He had no plans of ruling with an iron-fist, the amount of respect he required only extended to him having the ultimate last word, but he would be more than willing to listen and discuss.

Word count: 490

"Speech" Thoughts

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

If anything, the man's greeting made Jessie feel a little better about herself. Gray ears flicked forward to hear his name. At the mention of Drestig, emerald eyes slide to the dark man at her side, a hint of a smile on her lips, pride in her eyes. As much as she wished that she could help recruit, she knew at this time in her pregnancy any travel would be a bad idea and her social skills were not yet up to par when it came to strangers. It seemed as though her companion had stirred up quite the situation though.  Her eyes slid back to Askan when he spoke again, referring to the carcass he brought. His added commented, however, was unnecessary. Jessie snorted and opened her maw to make a snappy, defensive comment about Drestig before closing it and reminding herself that they needed this to work and she needed to play nice. The last thing she wanted was to disappoint her lover by driving someone away with her more than brash comments. So instead, she smiled tightly at the other man, nodding her head in thanks. Askan did have a understanding of how the pack life worked though and it would work in their advantage. He was young and capable, something that Jessie and Drestig could certainly benefit from. The dark man beside her spoke up and his words inspired her, as well as warmed her heart. The Avalon was a good man and she was pleased that they had gotten away from their dark past in order to start their new lives. She couldn't remember a time when he was so full of life and hope. Jessie didn't want anyone messing that up for him, including herself. At the mention of their children, Jessie lit up, her head turning to look up at him, emerald eyes sparkling. They were one step closer to the family that they dreamed about, but they would need more pack members if they wanted their dream to become a reality. Clearing her throat, she turned back towards the other man, her eyes observing him once again. Her voice was much more business-like this time, as they were talking about pack matters now, ”As Drestig said, you are welcome here. But we still have some building to do before we can found our pack. We need more members and I'm down for the count, so you'll certainly be of help so that Drestig does not have to work alone.” She focused her gaze on the newcomer. Hopefully, he would agree with her words. After all, Drestig had been working himself tirelessly and she did not want him to wear himself out. An extra set of helping paws could never be put to waste. Jessie Tainn

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(Occ, sorry for the delay, I've been having internet troubles)

Askan nodded. He understood how things were going to work around here. He had always dreamed that he would be in charge, that he would have the authority that he was certain he deserved, but for now this would work nicely. As he had stated before, he could follow orders. He was pretty good at it too, despite his temperament. The two of them were just looking out for their family, as they should. Family, the pack, that was all that mattered in the end. That lesson had been drilled into him more times then he could count.

He was a snappish wolf, he was defensive and proud, but if he had a cause he would serve it with his all. It was as simple as that. And helping this pack get to its feet, that was something he could get behind. It'd be hard work, but if it went well he would reap the rewards. It wasn't as if he had much of a choice anyway, living on his own hadn't gone well. At all. The idea of working with Drestig was not a bad one. The wolf was capable, he could handle himself will despite his age, and he seemed more than willing to pull his own weight. Good. Askan was willing to help, but he didn't want to do all of the work. That wouldn't be fair. 

"Whatever you need me for, I'm game. As long as it's within reason." He doubted the pair would be unreasonable. They seemed the level headed sort. What would be the point of trying to recruit him if they were just going to push him away by being unreasonable. They needed him, just as much Askan needed them and the stability their pack would provide.

He wasn't sure what role they had in mind for him, but he hoped that he could adjust to it well. He was young, fit and strong, so surely they could think of something that was worthy of his time and effort. Still, they had a way to go yet. A pack needed to have more members, they couldn't just be the three of them and Jessie's pups. Surely the pack would collapse if they didn't arrange things properly. There was always the risk of inviting the wrong wolf, which was why he supposed Jessie seemed rather apprehensive of him. Understandable. But she was in no danger from him, and neither were her pups. Askan had given them his word, and he would stick to it. No matter what.

"So, do you two a plan or something? I'm not exactly sure how packs are made." His inexperience was stark, and usually he would make an effort to conceal it, but now it seemed pointless. After all, they had to know this by now.  "Do you have members in mind, or is it just us?"

(This post was last modified: Jun 21, 2016, 09:00 PM by Askan.)

Everything seemed to be going civilly. The whole situation was so domestic, there was an old, autonomous part of him that screamed for him to turn tail and flee, before he got himself too deep in all of this. But it was the dying remnants of a former life, lived by another wolf who'd known nothing but abandonment and betrayal. If there was one thing he had learned in his years in Relic Lore, it was the value of family. And he was looking at it now, small and vibrant despite her grayscale fur, with a smile so vibrant, it was hard to believe she was the same wolf he'd known in Spectral Woods. It still made him tickle inside, like a pup, even more so when his eyes travelled along her swollen flank. No, he wasn't running anywhere, he was finally getting all he was dreaming of.

Jessie, now with her business face on, made her own small addition to his words, and Drestig nodded along, letting his wagging tail lightly brush against hers in silent compliment; She was doing very well, though he'd never doubted her leader abilities. To Askan he smiled inclining his head towards the she-wolf, a what-she-said, motion. The boy replied with the neutrality that his elder was starting to expect, though he seemed both understanding and accepting of the hierarchy. It also seemed like he was ready to help and work to get the pack up and running. They had plenty to do yet, but it felt like they were in a pretty good place now.

At the questions, the graying man pursed his lips, not the least bit off put by the show of ignorance, this was new to all of them. He let his eyes drift out over the fields, thinking for a moment before drawling: "The plan yes…" Ember gaze returned to the youth, a light in them despite the seriousness of the words that followed; "Well we've got this land, and hopefully we can hold onto it until we've gathered enough wolves to claim it for good." He smiled toothily, glancing down at Jessie before continuing: "For now it's just the three of us, then the pups when they come. I'd say one more capable adult, and we'd be strong enough to defend the territory, start marking borders and all that, call ourselves a real pack." Gaze strayed to the salt and pepper woman again, looking to see if she agreed with his assessment. He was itching to put down some real borders, finally feel like his family was fully safe, but without the force to back up such a claim, it would be useless. With a light, and more sincere, smile, Drestig looked back at his first recruit, voice honest as he added: "Can't say how long it'll be kid, I'm out looking every day, practically asking everyone I come across, I'll encourage you to do the same. Give them the once over, if they seem alright to you, you can bring them here and we'll check for ourselves, yeah? Not much more we can do I'm afraid." He shrugged faintly but there was a hopeful light in his eyes despite the bleak speech, they'd managed this far, it was only a little more to go.

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"Speech" Thoughts

(This post was last modified: Aug 07, 2016, 11:26 AM by Drestig.)

She felt like an accessory after she said her piece and remained silent by Drestig's side. Askan seemed to know his place and Jessie held no complaints, emerald eyes cold in their evaluation of him. His questions brought a surge of confused anger within her and she allowed Drestig to answer, gray ears pinned back on her head. They had found these beautiful lands with the intentions of settling down, hoping to do so before she gave birth, but it was becoming quite obvious to the two of them that this wasn't going to be happening anytime soon. As she mentioned though, with Askan's presence, their hopes could become a reality if he helped around. Anyone would do really, as long as they were willing to pull their weight and acknowledge that Jessie and Drestig had the final word on things. Her ears flicked at the sound of her companion speaking, echoing parts of her former sentiment and adding his own thoughts in. The pepper-and-salt colored woman nodded her head in agreement, emerald eyes sharp on the newcomer. For so long, she was use to being invisible within the Bend and she supposed this would be no different. Jessie was always aware that the Avalon man would listen to her, he always had, and she appreciated that. When her mate finished speaking, she turned her hardened gaze back on the newcomer, her voice firm, ”Obviously, the sooner the better. We don't want our children living without the safety of borders.” Jessie bit back a yawn, forcing herself to admit how much this meeting at drained her. It would be soon that their children would come and Jessie did fear for its safety. Finally, she turned towards the dark man at her side, beaming up at him in reassurance. Jessie Tainn

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