Heartleaf Creek Love the why of things

Territory Discovery: Empress Riffle

Located at the confluence of the Heartleaf Creek and the run-off from Bramble Falls, this shallow section of water is marked with rapids caused by the rough rocky bottom of the creek. It is here the evergreen empress trees, with their heart-shaped leaves, begin to make their presence known signalling the transition from the wildwood into Heartleaf Creek. A relatively flat and open area fringed with charred trees to the east, the territory provides almost everything a wolf could hope for, from small stands of trees to a ready source of water.
@Maera, @Kerberos, @Leotie, @Triell - if any of you want to jump in feel free!

unfortunate empress that i am,
I write on the susceptible skin of living beings

Naira

She had snuck away. Even the newcomers were treating her like some frail old dear... She snorted her amusement. Sure it had been a bit harder than it once was to get going, but she was only a year older than the dark Tainn and he showed no signs of slowing down. Why once she got moving it wasn't even that bad anyway. Her joints just needed a bit of warming up and the easiest way to do that was to get moving.

It wasn't far to the heartleaf creek, and sometimes she even wondered if she might be able to make its as far as Luna Hill... but then she thought better of it. They were yet to find somewhere worth sticking to and so, well perhaps she was just too picky but she was in no real rush. Others might think her days were numbered but she'd show them all yet.

It was with a wry grin that she stepped onto the iced over riffle, taking some solace in the stones that broke through to serve as footholds should they be needed. The ice here was frozen right down to the creek bed so there would be no risk of falling through and drowning. Her sharp bark of laughter at the path her own mind took her broke through the winter still harshly enough to startle the birds from the evergreen empress trees. Much like her daughter had done on the frozen river, she pushed herself forward, limbs shaing as she tried to maintain her balance.

She wasn't doing too badly after all.

figured these two could properly meet c:

He no longer crept and slid about. Kerberos now had a group of individuals who he had to alert about things. @Maera would always come first, especially after their new dignified relationship, but he stayed mindful of the others and their needs.

Today he wished to explore, though. Heading back to the creek he'd only been to two other times. One time he met the pack alpha Crystal (Yvly) and the other time he ran into the towering girl Nineva. Both interactions had been pleasant to say the least. That was part of the reason why he kept coming back. He wanted more of those good interactions to tell Maera about. He found himself in an area of the creek he couldn't say he was familiar with. There was one thing he was familiar with here. Naira's scent. He never got the chance to fully meet her but Triell and Reiko had informed him about her the first time they met.

The tawny male watch carefully as she crossed over the icy creek. Little stones made good markers for where to step. What he had heard about Naria (mostly that she was aging and wasn't capable) was being replaced with new thoughts. Certainly aging but still youthful, even marked with some kind of grace. He let out a bark to let her know he was there. "Hey! It's Kerberos, mind if I join you?"

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One of the main reasons that she had left the bend was because she had realized how much she was allowing it to hinder her. She used it to hold her up and keep her safe which she felt was starting to become an unhealthy attachment for her. Ruenna leaving the bend had helped to realize that it wouldn't be life ending if she did leave. The longer she was with the group exploring the forest that Triell had brought them to the more she realized that she needed to rely on herself for her own protection. She had no doubt that if need be the others would be there for her but at the end of the day they may not always be there. She also knew she had to get out more and explore and track, improve the skills she had.

Which is what had brought her to this part of the forest which was a part she had yet to explore. The more she explored she found that she really enjoyed being able to see all of the new things that she found. Crossing the scents of Kerb and Naira led her in the direction they had gone and became curious as to what they were up to.

Their scent trails led her to a frozen creek, as she stepped down onto the riffle she could feel the smoothness of the rocks under her paws. It was here she found Kerb and Naira. “I hope I'm not intruding,” she said offering them each a smile, “I just thought if you were exploring we could maybe do it together?”

(This post was last modified: Jan 18, 2017, 10:38 PM by Leotie.)

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and i confess, i'm only holding on by a thin thin thread

Naira

It was a good thing the ice was so thick or she might break her ankle on one of the protruding rocks and then what would she do with herself? Probably starve to death no doubt. What a way to go... When @Kerberos asked if he could join her, the smile she threw him was full of playful challenge, "If you think you can keep up." The challenge followed with a laugh as her front paws slid forward almost bringing her chin in contact with the ice.

 

Next to join them was @Leotie, and as Naira attempted to recover her balance, she too asked to join in, "I don't think we'll go much further than this, but isn't it a quaint little patch of creek?" She was finding herself quite taken with the evergreen empress trees that overhung the shallow section of what would be a creek in warmer months. The only downside she could see was the wide flat banks, and the fact the swift river would feed into it in the spring. She had seen the river swell first hand. "If I wasn't sure we'd be swept off in a flood I'd almost be tempted to stay." She mentioned with a wave of her plush tail.

He loved a good challenge and he happily barked as Naira gave one. "Of course I can!" He moved forward as he noticed her paws slip forward. The tawny male was rather impressed that she hadn't fallen all the way or hit her chin. Her laugh signaled to him that everything was okay, though.

As he had just made his way onto a stone that broke free from the ice (alas still slippery), a voice called out from behind them. Leotie. He hadn't spent much time with her either so he was completely fine with her tagging along. "Not at all," He commented on her intruding statement. "the more the merrier!" He looked to the older mother as she began to speak. "Indeed it is!" He wagged his tail and stood happily on his rock.

The mention of a flood had his ears perking up. "We always had to worry about a flood back where I'm from but the river there wasn't so flat and shallow as this one." He looked down and around them. "Might be good in the warmer months to see if fish get trapped in the rocks." His tail waved happily behind himself. While he desperately wished Maera was here he knew it was fine to spend time away from her. Perhaps this would be good for him.

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Leotie had become more and more comfortable with exploring since coming to sacred grove and had been doing a lot more of it. While the fear of getting lost stayed on the back of her mind she didn't let it keep her from learning more about the area she now lived. It was while exploring by herself she had come across the scent of Kerb and Naira and thought to join them. It would give her a chance to spend some time with the matriarch and one of their newest group members. It had become more important to her to become closer with her pack mates, to do things differently.

Catching up with them in the bed of the creek Leotie was careful where she placed her feet having seen Naira lose her balance a little when she first arrived. The older female gave indication that she was alright and both wolves confirmed she wasn't intruding on their adventure. A smile crossed her face, “Thanks,” she offered before taking in what Naira had mentioned, “Agreed, I think it will be much prettier on the spring and summer. A good place to come cool off when it gets hotter,” she said adding her opinion. It seemed a quiet place that she would even consider spending some time after hunting or patrolling.

The agouti womans attention was brought back to her companions as they spoke about a flood which worried her, “With that as a possibility it certainly wouldn't make the best place to stay,” she agreed remembering a lesson about finding a den when she'd first come to the lore. “That would be perfect,” she said to Kerb as he spoke about fish become trapped in the warmer months, “I can work on my fishing then.” She hadn't ever been that good at fishing, it was something she wanted to improve upon.

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(This post was last modified: Feb 02, 2017, 12:48 AM by Leotie.)

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Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

Glitter & Gold

Naira

Naira managed a nod as Kerberos spoke of his home, and the possibility of fish getting caught in the rocks. "I grew up in a forest so thick we almost never saw the sun, but it was in the Grove, when Swift River was still around that I got to see just how fat the river can swell around these parts. We nearly lost a cub." She still remembered the pull of the current threatening to drag her head under and hold her there. On some of her harder nights, she sometimes dreamed that she never made it out. But the clouding of her eyes cleared as Leotie's cheerful voice chimed in.

She smiled at the other woman's suggestion, "Maybe wait for the summer, after the worst of the thaw is done. I think we'll hear the river roar wherever we wind up." With two rivers converging on this little stony spill, she wondered just how far the river would break its banks. An ear turned as Leotie too, spoke of fishing, "I've never really had any luck at it myself..." Not that she had tried terribly hard. "Even beavers have been known to take exception to me getting too close," she laughed again, paws slipping this way and that as she made her way out onto open ice. She wondered how far it was to the beaver dam from here, and if it still existed after all these years and her best attempts to break it down.

He watched everything around the trio with interest as the females took turns speaking. His ears perked as Naira spoke about some Swift River and almost losing a cub. A frown etched onto his face but he wiped it away as the topic changed to something more lighthearted. "Maybe water hunting just isn't your thing." He tossed a wolfish wink and a small laugh followed suit. "And from what I've heard Beavers are like a million times harder." Another laugh erupted from him. He remembered hearing stories from the elders and his mother about what awful creatures they could be to get a hold of. Along with how one of them could take down a tree. That was enough to steer him away from them.

Kerberos stayed on his stone while the elder woman dared to move onto the ice. His tail beat at a steady pace behind him. This was exciting. He hadn't had much time with either one of them so far so he hoped this little exploration would be good for them all to bond. While Naira, Triell, Leotie and the two children all seemed close Kerberos was aware that he and Maera still had to work their way into the little family better.

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Leotie listened as Naira told them about the forest she lived in when she was younger and how Swift River had swelled so badly. A pup was almost lost, it was a terrible thing. “Let's hope that we don't have anything like that happen,” they were lucky Treyah and Reiko were old enough to take care of themselves. “I hope the cub was okay,” though Naira’s words suggested that it was any number of things could have happened. Kerb's comment about water hunting reminded her of the first time she had really met Triell. She'd imported since then but, “I'm not sure it's really my thing.” She'd never been especially good at fishing, at least she knew what it was called now. As for beavers, ”I've never had the chance but perhaps I can give it a go this summer. If would be a nice change from what we are used to.”

While Naira went out onto the ice Leotie stood with Kerb and watched in anticipation hoping the woman wouldn't get hurt. “Come on Kerb, we should explore a little more to,” she said nudging him in the shoulder before she moved off to join the older woman. If something did happen she could be there to help if need be and she didn't want to miss out. Leotie glanced back to Kerb to see if her was coming with them. Though they hadn't been together long she liked the man and hoped he wouldn't be like so many others she'd known.

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(This post was last modified: Mar 01, 2017, 04:37 AM by Leotie.)

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