Larkcall Lowlands be concerned

@Lorcan <3
healer 1/3 collecting plants

As usual, the medic was frantic. If he had a middle name it would most certainly be frantic—or something similar. In preparation for the winter months, XIX had been doing inventory in his infirmary to ensure that he had everything he needed before the snow arrived. The colder temperatures had already caused some plants to go into hiding, but luckily the ghost had been prepared.

Today, however, he realized that he had gotten low on sweet grass and, for whatever obscene reason, it had put him into a frenzy. Atropos was an excellent assistant when she wasn’t off exploring—she had taken an interest in the medical field as soon as she was able to differentiate plants from each other. Having a sort of apprentice again was warmly received; he had missed passing down his knowledge. She was inquisitive and quiet, allowing Lachesis to teach and only asking questions when her father fell silent. Normally when he was going out to collect herbs he would seek out his daughter and bring her along, but today was different. Today he was panicking—and for no reason.

He streaked across the lowlands, his nose pressed to the cold terrain as he searched for the familiar fragrance that accompanied the grass. He did not know why he was in such a hurry to find the plant—it was not like winter was going to suddenly fall onto Relic Lore and cover the lands in a thick blanket of snow. His ears twitched at the thought and his pace suddenly slowed. He kept pushing forward, zigzagging across the tundra with his nose still hovering inches above the ground. The monadnock loomed in the distance, growing larger and larger with every step Lachesis took…

(This post was last modified: Mar 16, 2017, 05:31 AM by Lachesis.)

stick with those who stick with you

Scout demonstration 1/3

Whilst the days had been getting noticeably colder and snow had begun to fall all the more frequently, today was proving rather more forgiving. Perched contentedly atop the monadnock, lingering at the very edge of its imposing structure with his pale paws dangling off the edge, Lorcan was happy to enjoy the brief period of sunshine. Basking beneath the warmth of its golden glow, the subordinate would have remained there for hours had an unfamiliar white figure not caught his attention out on the lowlands.

Golden eyes narrowed as he observed the stranger, watching as they flitted frantically across the dying carpet of tundra grasses, nose pressed firmly to the ground. Whilst the figure captured his interest, he was hesitant to abandon his sunning spot until he noticed the alabaster figure moving ever closer to the marked pack borders. Black nostrils flared as Lorcan inhaled his scent on the breeze and his russet ears perked up curiously when he realised that the scent was strangely familiar. Inna? Of course he knew it wasn’t her, but the scent was almost identical. It was a river wolf.

Whilst Lorcan was yet to have a negative experience with a wolf of Hearthwood River, he remained vigilant. A threat or not, the young subordinate was compelled to investigate. Pushing his lean figure up off the warm surface of the rock, Lorcan swiftly made his way across the monadnock and trotted down the old abandoned goat track to the tundra below. Now on level ground with the stranger, he could tell that whilst the male did not carry as much height, his figure held more brawn. Approaching the alabaster male with his black-tipped tail swaying neutrally behind him, Lorcan paused to leave but a few metres between them. “Excuse me, sir. Is there something I can help you with?” Polite as ever, his tone held no hostility (for he had not yet crossed the marked borders) but more curiosity and apprehension.

(This post was last modified: Mar 08, 2017, 07:25 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

@Lorcan i am the worst ;c

Foolish.

He should have known better than to stray too close to the monadnock. The ghost had been so captivated by the scents littering the tundra he had not noticed the looming monument… or the figure skirting the rock face. Not until the scent of the whitestone wolf became so strong it suffocated him. There was no point in fleeing, or changing course; the wolf had already spotted him and the tundra made it impossible to disappear. Aside from wandering a little too close to the borders, XIX had done nothing wrong. Just been extremely (and embarrassingly) unobservant.

His movement ceased before the stranger’s words dripped off his tongue, his the holding only curiosity and the diplomacy he expected from one of Craw’s wolves. A sheepish grin stretched across pale features, his chartreuse gaze fixated on the tawny wolf. “I’m ashamed to admit I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going,” he admitted softly, his cheeks warm beneath his pale fur. “I was looking for some sweet grass—I like to keep our inventory well-stocked for the winter months.” Honesty was the best policy, especially if he wanted to keep an alliance with these wolves. They were a valuable asset; one the river wolves could not afford to lose. “Forgive my lack of manners, I’m afraid I’ve been in a bit of a frenzy all morning. My name is Lachesis Stark,” he introduced with a soft wag of his tail, his head tilting to the side as he studied the golden-eye male before him.

stick with those who stick with you

Scout demonstration 2/3

Lorcan waited patiently for the stranger’s answer, curious as to why the large white male had wandered so close to the marked territorial boundaries of Whitestone Monadnock. As he waited though, he took the opportunity to discretely sniff at the air which moved between them, trying to identify the stranger’s origins by his scent. Black nostrils flared as he inhaled the crisp cool air and his left ear perked up in interest when he realised that the man’s scent was familiar. River wolf.

The male’s answer to his question gave him no reason to be concerned. So it had been a genuine mistake, a lapse in concentration. Lorcan nodded silently as his tail swayed contentedly behind him now that he was sure that was alabaster male was no threat. “Oh...well,” He paused, feeling a little awkward. “then you are forgiven.” He nodded respectfully, a small smile sweeping across his face before he turned his attention to the expanse of tundra which rolled in the opposite direction. “You should be extra careful around here, sir, ours isn’t the only pack in this tundra.” He held a genuine look of concern on his face then as he thought of the trouble maker @Askan.

When the male mentioned that he had been searching for sweet grass, Lorcan’s lips parted into a surprised ‘o’. “You’re a healer too?” He asked excitedly, black tipped tail wagging with puppyish enthusiasm. “I haven’t really searched for sweet grass around here before…” His voice trailed off, slightly embarrassed. “I’m not really sure what it is useful for.” Lorcan admitted, his golden eyes flickering down to stare at the ground.

The agouti male glanced back up when the white male warmly introduced himself. Unfortunately, Lorcan did not recognise the alpha male’s name, only his scent. So he saw no reason to treat him as his superior for the moment. “I’m Lorcán Artemieva,” He dipped his head before turning his muzzle to point behind towards the large grey rocky structure. “and this is Whitestone Monadnock.” He said proudly before turning a curious glance back across to Lachesis. "You're from Hearthwood River, aren't you?" He asked, head tilting to one side curiously.

(This post was last modified: Mar 08, 2017, 07:25 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

healer 2/3 collecting plants

Admittedly, the healer was a little embarrassed that he had stumbled so close to the monadnock borders without realizing it. He knew to be more observant—he had been uncharacteristically careless, a trait he did not want associated with his name.

A warm smile rolled onto his paw male as the agouti spoke once more, forgiving the healer for his wandering paws. Dipping his head to show his gratitude toward the stranger his ears twitched at the mention of another pack nearby. Interesting. How much did the Whitestone wolves know of the group Lachesis had scented one too many times? His curiosity peaked as he kept his composure, pear eyes narrowing slightly. XIX did not like the idea of the tundra growing crowded. The forests and mountains south of the expanse could grow abundant with wolves, but he did not want the same for the tundra. He preferred the isolation. “I’m certainly thankful to run into one of Craw’s wolves,” he admitted with a flick of his tail, expression soft. Since their meeting Lachesis only grew more curious about the other wolves that inhabited the monadnock. The silver spider had been a breath of fresh air—his sharp tongue and diplomatic nature a welcome change from the peculair wolves of the south.

“Yes I am,” he answered quickly, his smile tugging at his liquorice lips. “I was hoping to find more before it disappeared for the winter.” He had some stock back in his infirmary but it was always good to be prepared. Winter was an unforgivable creature—filled with disease and uncertainty. “It’s useful for mothers in the spring; helps with afterbirth. And for minor colds.” He nodded once as the last word rolled off his tongue, filling the cold air between them. He did not know what would happen this spring—neither he or Kisla had mates, and the mother of his children was no longer around… would Hearthwood have it’s first year without a litter? The thought worried him—puppies were always a good morale booster and were a good way of attracting new members.

The sparrow-coloured male introduced himself, earning another nod from the ghost. His chartreuse gaze wandered to the landform behind him, his brows raising as he studied the impressive structure. Must have quite the view… he thought to himself, absently, as he focused onto the wolf before him. “That I am,” he beamed in response to Lorcán’s question. 

(This post was last modified: Mar 16, 2017, 05:32 AM by Lachesis.)

stick with those who stick with you

Scout demonstration 3/3

Lorcan dipped his head respectfully as the older male voiced his pleasure at meeting one of Craw’s wolves, allowing a small smile to grace his charcoal lips. A heartbeat or two later though, a subtle frown wrinkled his forehead as he realised the white haired man had knew his superior by name. “If you don’t mind me asking, how do you know Craw?” He asked with a curious tilt of his head. He still did not know the male’s name and was completely unaware of his rank.

His black tipped tail quickened its pace as it wagged excitedly in the air when he realised he had indeed encountered another healer, one potentially from Hearthwood River too, if his familiar scent was anything to go by. Russet ears perked up as he listened with intrigue as the man spoke about the uses for sweet grass. It was something he would have to store away in his mind for later. Its usefulness in treating afterbirth was another hint that the stranger belonged to a pack but agouti subordinate remained silent until the man confirmed his suspicions.

When he did, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, unable to hold back his excitement. “You must know @Inna then?” He barked back immediately with enthusiasm. A few moments passed and Lorcan considered helping Lachesis in his search for sweet grass. It would help improve in knowledge and it wasn’t a bad idea to strengthen relations with another pack. “Did…did you want some help finding the sweet grass? I know the lowlands really well, so if you tell me what you are looking for we might have a better chance of finding it together.”

(This post was last modified: Mar 08, 2017, 07:26 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

@Lorcan

“Craw and I are allies,” he started, his features soft as he spoke, the words rolling off his tongue effortlessly, “and friends. We met a few months ago, before all the snow.” His toes curled into the cold ground, his voice holding nothing but honesty. Their packs had thus far maintained their alliance—he did not want to put strain on their relationship by lying to the spider’s healer.

His tall, pointed sonars immediately perked as Lorcán mentioned his little sidekick, Inna. A small smile rolled across his features as the healer’s enthusiasm, to which Lachesis responded with a sharp nod. “Yes, I know Inna quite well,” he answered quickly, his tail wagging softly before he continued on, “She was the previous leader’s daughter, and she’s my sort of niece.” He paused, his tongue pressed to the roof of his mouth before he (finally) announced his position in the pack: “I have been both the leader and healer of Hearthwood since his passing.” The corners of his lips twitched at the mention of Maksim but he did not allow his composure to falter.

Nineteen’s face lit up at Lorcán’s offer. “If you wouldn’t mind,” he answered sheepishly, his insides humming at the thought of having the help of another healer. “Unless you have other things to attend to—I don’t want to pull you away from your duties.” Bonding with the neighbour’s healer was both ideal and necessary. Whitestone was the closest pack to Hearthwood—if they ever needed to exchange herbs, or borrow medicine, having a healthy relationship was crucial. 

stick with those who stick with you

@Lachesis

Russet ears perked up curiously when the larger male stated that he and Craw were allies. As he looked towards the Hearthwood wolf, the cogs in his mind slowly started turning and putting all the pieces together. The medic knew that his superior had gone to the river and spoken to the Hearthwood leader a while back, could this be the very male that he had conversed with all those months ago? His white brow raised in contemplation, but he said nothing for the moment.

The smile that graced that white male’s lips swiftly confirmed to the subordinate that he did indeed know of Inna and that they were most certainly on good terms. Lorcan’s tail wagged and his golden eyes widened in childish excitement, delighted to know that they had a friend in common. A soft frown etched across his brow when the male mentioned that she was the previous leader’s daughter. He wondered if perhaps that was the reason why she had left the pack temporarily in search of answers – but the man’s next words pretty much confirmed it to him.

He felt his heart ache, immediately regretting how nosy he had been back then with her. It must have been hard for her to cope with the loss of her father and then have to follow after her father’s replacement.

“I’m really sorry to hear that, Sir.” He breathed. Not missing the small snippet of information that he was talking a leader, he immediately crouched down a little and tucked his tail submissively between his legs in respect. He felt awkward and desperately wanted to move onto lighter conversion. He remembered back to Inna. “Did @Inna ever talk to you about becoming a scout?” He asked, head tilting curiously as he shifted to move alongside the more dominant male.

When the male accepted his offer of help, Lorcan smiled and wagged his tail and bound alongside him with enthusiasm. “No, it would be an honour to help you, Sir. In fact, I insist.” He smiled, before waiting for the male to lead the way or instruct him what to look for.

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

At the agouti’s words Lachesis dipped his head to show his gratitude, his chartreuse gaze focused on the land between them. Maksim had been a great mentor and friend to the pale healer—there was not a day that went by that XIX didn’t miss him. He was grateful that some of the Baranski’s children remained in Hearthwood; not all, but some. Aleksei was almost a spitting image of his father physically, while Inna mirrored the fallen king’s personality.  He could not imagine Hearthwood without them—which was part of the reason why he was so devoted to seeing the river wolves succeed. He did not want to let them, or their father, down.

“She did, actually,” he responded with a soft smile, grateful for the change in conversation. “She’s working toward that position now,” he confirmed with a sharp nod, his brows knitting together. “Did she speak to you about it?” He asked with genuine curiosity in his voice. Lachesis was happy to hear that the wolves of Hearthwood and Whitestone were getting along. It was not an alliance if it was just the leaders getting along.

His grin widened as the younger male accepted his offer, his pale banner wagging softly behind him. “Wonderful,” he chirped, his apple-green eyes wandering away from the agouti as he studied the tundra around them. “Usually it’s pretty easy to find, as it was a unmistakably sweet scent. But, with the cold weather and heaps of snow, it makes it a little more difficult to find.” He frowned slightly as he took a step forward, away from the looming monadnock. “It grows in cooler, damper conditions, so we should try to find a stream that cuts through the tundra.” At this, he motioned for the Whitestone wolf to follow him. “They are a couple feet tall, and have got three flowered spikelets at the top. You’ll know it when you see it.” 

(This post was last modified: Feb 23, 2017, 05:47 PM by Lachesis.)

stick with those who stick with you

@Lachesis – Let me know if this needs changing, I wasn’t sure if HR knows about WRF yet

A pleased smile spread across his charcoal lips as Lachesis confirmed that @Inna had indeed spoken to him about becoming a scout for Hearthwood River. Black tipped tail swayed gently behind him as he listened to the leader, delighted to hear that the young dark girl was already making steps towards gaining the role. “She did, about three months ago actually.” He confirmed with a smile and nod of his head.

“She told me she believed that she would be best suited to that role, but I could tell that she was still unsure or nervous about it.” He explained, turning to look at the larger alabaster male. “So, I tried to encourage her and I told her that she should talk to you about it.” He hoped Lachesis was okay with a Whitestone wolf getting involved in his pack affairs, Lorcan had only done it with good intentions.

Lachesis seemed pleased that he was willing to help him. In truth, Lorcan was always eager to learn about new plants and their uses and this was the perfect way to do just that. Russet ears perked up as he listened to the male’s description of the plant. At the male’s mention of a stream, Lorcan moved to follow after him politely before speaking up. “I know of a stream, it’s near the edge of another pack’s territory though, about a day’s travel south-west of here.” Golden eyes glanced up to his companion, unsure if he would be willing to get so close to their neighbour’s borders.

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together