Larkcall Lowlands Immortals

It's happening guys! This is the official claim thread, let's see if we can't celebrate by taking down an elk ;D
@Jessie @Askan @Icicle @Phoenix

Clouds passing high above cast misshapen shadows on the waving, golden grass. In between them the sun shone brightly, warming the back of the graying, black wolf as he looked out over his land. He'd been circling the fields regularly for some time now, slowly marking a border for the formed pack; They were small yet, but he felt they would be able to defend themselves decently now. And he was tired of waiting! So far they'd been mostly undisturbed, there'd been a few run-ins with the neighbors, but there seemed to be enough distance between the packs, not to cause strife; I hope… Winter would test them, and he would have to take a diplomacy round soon, to make sure everyone was on the same page. For now though, the Lowlands were rich with prey, and his family was thriving. As if a confirmation of his thoughts, the alpha caught sight of movement in the distance, a small herd of Elk picking their way through the rye. A wolf's grin lined his muzzle, eyes narrowing as he studied the group: maybe six or seven females, trailed by a young bull, his first harem. This was perfect! If they all joined in, they should be strong enough to take down an animal, and it was about time Percy started learning too; Watching… And what better way to unify the pack than with a proper hunt. Eyes glowing, Drestig tilted back his head, howling a loud, strong call for his pack to join him; Let's do this!   Word count: 256 Thoughts ”Speech”

kuschelirmel-stock @DA & Dawnthieves.de

(This post was last modified: Sep 15, 2016, 05:57 PM by Drestig.)

Yellow grass vanished under outstretched legs, a low growl offered to her dream quarry. Jaws parted wide. She almost... almost...!

Teeth clicked as her head darted up, blazing eyes wide as oversized ears turned to try and pinpoint just what had pulled her from her slumber. Was that? It sounded like dad was calling her, but what could he want? Ever since the flea incident she had been keeping a low profile, chasing those lemon things and keeping to herself. She hadn't wandered too far or spoken to strangers (not that she had spoken to the stranger in the last instance either but apparently that wasn't the point...)

She hauled herself upwards with a sigh, bowing down to stretch the movement already causing the bones in her spine to pop, a well practiced shake to get the dust out of her coat and the last remnants of visible sleep from her steadily lengthening coat. Soon they wouldn't be able to tell the difference between her and the adults. Maybe then they'd stop trying to treat her like a baby.

Easily she loped clear of the trees, out into the swaying grass where her father stood. She pressed her snout under his chin with an affectionate rumble and an expectant look. What was so important that she had to be dragged from her nap?

(This post was last modified: Sep 17, 2016, 12:08 AM by Phoenix.)

Askan tilted his head up and glared at the couple of magpies who taunted him from the branches above. It wasn't that he had been trying to nap, or that he even wanted some silence, it was simply the fact that they had singled him out. That they were making a pointed effort to make pests of themselves. Usually, he would have ignored them or at least moved on, but as soon as he turned his back on them they had swooped down and started tugging at his tail. No doubt, this was some sort of game to them. And from their cawing he could tell that they were having a grand old time. Stupid birds.

He'd turned and snapped them away of course, but they didn't leave. They'd just retreated to the branches, where they were now quickly whittling away at his patience. 

"Get down here!" He demanded, baring his teeth as if he thought they would really be foolish enough to heed his words. Which of course they didn't.

Askan tsked and had been about to call it off his fruitless endeavour when a familiar howl ripped through the forest. His ears twitched to alert and he turned to stare in the direction of which it came. Drestig, he'd recognise that howl anywhere. However, the purpose behind it was unfamiliar to him. From what he could tell nothing was wrong, there were no tones of panic or worry, it was simply... It sounded hopeful. Before he knew it, Askan lurched into a gallop, his paws thudding on the ground as green blurred past him. He was under no impression that he was going to get there first, after all he wasn't the fastest around, but as long as he didn't get there last he would be content. He had to prove that he could do as he was told, that he wasn't above following Drestig's lead.

When greens and browns shifted into gold and Askan slowed to a trot.  It seemed that Percy had gotten there before him and was making use of the spare time to greet her father. Askan maintained a respectful distance and averted his eyes, just in case. Once he assumed they were done, he went about greeting his elder in his usual fashion. He huffed and dipped his head.

"Old man." His gaze then slid to Phoenix. Things were still a little tentative (or at least Askan thought they were)  between them, so he kept his greeting simple. "Percy." 

The skeletal white shape laid dozing under the shade of a large tree, his back toward the sunlight that was slowly creeping into his little lightless nook when he heard the howl. Pink gaze shooting open and blinking slightly as the wolf making a grunting motion and stood slowly. Now more fit and sustained on proper meals, Icicle was finding it easier to actually live. His muscles joints ached less as he found himself actually able to sustain some muscle growth with a proper diet and to his own delight, the colorless discovered that he could trot short distances with very little pain during these warmer months, making his active contributions to the back less meager and more worth while, boosting the wolf’s view on his own usefulness.

Icicle moved slowly out of the safety of the shade and into the burning glare of the sun, the one thing in this life he’s really come to hate, that ball of hot, burning gas far in the sky and out of his reach, simply mocking him on a day by day basis. He shrugged off the pain though, he could tolerate it as he made his way toward the source of the call.

Soon, he made his way onto the scene as he found his new family all there, only missing one member as he ducked his head to each of them in turn “Greetings Drestig, Asken and Percy.”

She was hot on its trail. It would not be long now before the rabbit was within her jaws and she could take it back. Jessie would more than likely offer it to Phoenix before she even thought about eating it. Their group had certainly grown and the Tainn felt as though she could finally be comfortable leaving her daughter alone for longer periods of time. As she grew older she would, no doubt, get into even more mischief; Jess held onto the hope that the others would minimize Percy's relationship with trouble. Even though the others could certainly provide for her little girl, she felt as though it were her responsibility to do everything for Percy. The rabbit, as it would be, never made it into her paws. A call, for the pack, from her lover distracted her from the hunt. It did not take much deliberating before she changed her direction towards where Drestig's call sounded from. Her pace was not slow but she was not in any rush to reach them. If he had been panicked, she might have changed her course of action, but as of then she had no concerns. Unsurprisingly, she was the last one on the scene. As one would, she greeted each with a brief nod of her head, holding eye contact with Drestig a little longer and leaning down slightly to give Percy a small nudge on the cheek in greeting before moving to her mate's side. The Scout's expert nose was quick to detect the scent of elk and while she had made no comment on it, as she slide up next to Drestig's side, she commented softly, ”Good find.” A small smirk played at the corner of her lips at the compliment that she freely gave to him. If they were successful, they would certainly have a feast. Jessie Tainn

feainne-stock & Dawnthieves.de

Thanks everyone for being so quick! :D Some PP here to get them moving, and you can start chasing/attacking in this round.

Turning his head towards the forest, the king didn't have to wait long before the first body appeared. A grin spread across his face as he watched his daughter gallop towards him through the golden sea. She'd changed so much already, from that tiny smudge Jessie had brought into the world, now tall and gangly in her youth, with more and more brown showing in the dark fur. Short work was made of the distance between them, and she climbed the small rise to join him with a warm greeting. The father's heart swelled as he returned the gesture with a soft hum, looking down into her shifting eyes and seeing an odd familiarity on the maturing face; My child! Meanwhile there was a clear question in those same eyes, but Drestig just smirked, turning back towards the woods to wait for the rest to arrive. It didn't take long either, first Askan came with characteristic attitude, prompting a casual raised brow and rumbled: "Kid." Next was Icicle careful and cautious, and the leader gave him an encouraging smile; They were family now, and he would fit in perfectly. Jessie was the last one to join them, contrary to in the Bend when she was always punctual. Of course, now she was in her full right to take her time, and her mate couldn't help but wonder if perhaps her tardiness was at least partly a ways of reveling in that freedom. She made it though, and greeted the young men in a manner worthy of her rank, saving a light show of affection for her family. Drestig smiled crookedly, meeting her deep green gaze as she praised his find, then turned to the others; "It's high time we celebrate what we've accomplished! Show everyone exactly how strong we are, including ourselves." His voice was booming and filled with joy, gaze travelling from Askan to Icicle, before landing on Percy, ending his speech with a playful wink. Then he turned to look back out over the Fields. The herd was moving slowly, the air not yet cold enough to put a rush in their steps. They paused to nibble at the weeds peaking out among the rye, oblivious to the wolves watching from downwind. Drestig grinned, waving his tail high above his back as he turned to look at his pack; "That bull's young and inexperienced, to preoccupied with rivals to concentrate on us. But he'd make a worthy feast, what say you?" Head craned over his shoulder, ember eyes glistening at the rest of them, then he jerked his head as signal to send them moving towards the elk. Though, as they went past, he stopped @Phoenix with an outstretched muzzle, smiling faintly at her. "I won't let you into the thick of it, not yet!" He explained in a low voice; "You find a good place to watch, learn, and join us once he's down." Though he kept smiling, there was an unusual firmness to his voice, eyes meeting his daughter's levelly; He wanted to make sure she didn't get hurt. He would follow the rest of them, down into the cover of the swaying grain. Speeding to a trot, he passed them each, whispering instructions as he went: "We need to get them running, send the does scrambling and cut him off. Askan, you go with Jessie and swing behind, start them up once we're in position. Icicle, your with me, we sneak ahead and slip in to stop the bull." Once all was understood, he would nod, moving up through the grass, expecting Icicle to be right behind.   Word count: 602 Thoughts ”Speech”

kuschelirmel-stock @DA & Dawnthieves.de

pooper gave me permission to go next. @Jessie, feel free to PP askan if need be

Askan watched the newcomers arrive with interest. It seemed as though they were also curious as to what the old man wanted, but like Askan they were willing and happy to heed his call.  Fortunately, Drestig didn't make a pest of himself often -a fact of which Askan was eternally grateful. When the elder revealed what was on the agenda, Askan couldn't help but take a moment to observe the herd passing by in the distance. Oh, so this was what the old man had in mind. Well, if that was the case then he was game. 

No, he was more than game! He was ready, willing and eager! Attentively, the Yukon wolf listened to Drestig's hushed instructions. He could do that, he'd proved once before that he was good at flushing out prey by creating a noisy distraction. But this time would be different, he'd have Jessie at his side. Honestly, he wasn't sure how he felt about that. It wasn't as though disliked her, he had nothing but respect for her, as was fitting of her title and position. But the same didn't seem to apply for him. Which was understandably really, for as petty as Askan could be, he knew where she was coming from. But he hoped that they would be able to work together smoothly and that perhaps in time she would grow to tolerate his presence. He supposed that he would simply have to wait and see.

Percy was sitting out on this one then? Askan knew for a fact that she wouldn't be happy about that, but he hoped that she'd be smart and do was told. She'd be able to join in when she was older, for now it was time to learn. As for Icicle, well Askan still hadn't managed to come to a conclusion about him. Same as the pup, he assumed that he was weird, a little creepy, but all in all harmless. Askan wouldn't go out of his way to make pals with him, but he certainly wouldn't bully him or anything like that. He just wanted him to play his part in this plan the old man had cooked up.

Finally turning his attention back to the boss, Askan nodded.  "Will do." He responded, before falling into a step behind the alpha female.

They could do this, together.

(This post was last modified: Oct 03, 2016, 11:17 PM by Askan.)

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

The white wolf nodded quietly as Jesse came onto the scene, now the small group was completely on the scene, his pink gaze drifting toward Percy as her father made his wishes know, she was to hang back and observe this time around. She’d grow up lucky, a pack that loved and cared for her, a family that truly wanted her for who she was, not what she might have become. For a brief moment, Icicle became distracted in his reminiscing of his own, far more painful childhood, betrayal, taunting and the constant worry about if he’d even live another day.

Those times though, thankfully were far behind the albino, though not much unlike the the others’ views of him, Icicle wasn’t sure what to really make of Asken nor Jesse, having spent little time with them, and even less time revealing his past, the expectant air of..weirdness was there and there wasn’t much he could do about it at the moment, but for now, that was the least of his concerns, His name being called brought him back to reality and the colorless wolf nodded “Yes sir.” he whispered. Nodding once to everyone else, he set off after Drestig, intent to prove his worth, to the others, and more importantly, to himself.

Askan was the next to join them, met with a happy thump of her tail against the earth, a more reserved glance offered for the white one. Even after the time he had spent with them he still smelled funny, and he looked so frail that Percy was afraid to get too close just in case she bumped him and broke something. He also seemed to prefer the shade, while the girl preferred to sunbake, so they hadn't crossed paths often. Her mother's nudge was returned with a happy wiggle and a bumping of her nose to the pale fur on @Jessie's chin, attention quickly diverted when her father began to speak.

As he spoke of their quarry, anxiety stirred in her gut. He might have been young and distracted but he was so huge! and watching for rival males would surely mean he'd be on high alert for hunters as well. He had those big fearsome branches sprouting out of his head, and Percy couldn't help but wonder why they were picking on him. The females were far less imposing, with their blunt skulls and smaller bodies. She couldn't say she was pleased when her father told her she wouldn't be taking part, but she was grateful that she wouldn't have to get too close to that imposing head.

As the group began to split up, Percy trailed after Askan and her mother while keeping a reasonable distance back. She might not be taking part but that didn't mean she couldn't add her size to the distraction, another body placed between and behind the adult wolves might confuse the prey enough not to risk turning back on the chasers. Or so she could hope.