Wild Rye Fields Wild Rye Fields Pack Thread

@Askan

 

There was no doubt about it, he was to be a father again. The thought send a mixed thrill of excitement and terror through the dark man as he trailed the southern border, pausing every so often to refresh the scent markers on trees and bushes. He was getting old, every time he looked at his reflection in the pond it seemed more black and brown hairs had been replaced by grey and white. It was rare that he really felt it though, some nights he was more tired than usual he supposed, muscles sore in the mornings from the last days exercise. But he was still nimble enough, still full of energy and gumption, and in the end, the thought of puppies brought a smile to his face. Soon there would be more Avalons in the world, and much more to keep all of the Rye wolves occupied.

The call of a familiar voice drew him out of his musings, immediately stopping his patrol, ears perking and head turning towards the sound; Askan? There was an urgency in his second's call, though no notes of panic or upset. Still Drestig turned quickly on his paws, heading back through the forest to answer, the Selwyn was never one to call needlessly. And it was a somehow different Askan he found when he reached the forest-edge, around the pack den. There was a seriousness in his manner that wasn't quite like the usual brusqueness, a touch of… Nerves? The king returned his subordinate's silent greeting and was left no time to ask any questions before the lad pushed straight into his point; Well, at least he's efficient..! The elder wolf quirked a brow, a smirk slowly lighting his face as the words unfurled.

Askan hardly stopped to breath, but when he finally broke off, silence stretched between them as the leader eyed him pointedly. "So that's what you think, huh?" He finally drawled, continuing to look at the younger wolf with wide, serious eyes. It was the devil in him, he simply couldn't resist drawing out the tension, just that bit longer. As if assessing the boy, Drestig ran his ember eyes all along his frame, an almost wicked smile on his face. Then finally he gave in, laughter in his voice: "Then a guardian you shall be! You've more than proved yourself."

Word count: 392

The tension was killing him, each second dragged on like an eternity and the longer Drestig thought about it the more Askan couldn't help but feel as though he'd overstepped his mark. Had he been too bold, too presumptuous to think he deserved such a title? Askan didn't think so, but then again of course he wouldn't. He'd put in the hard work, surely Drestig could see that...

But then again, even though he hadn't meant to he had inadvertently caused a lot of trouble for the pack. His prickly nature had made fast work of getting their relations with their neighbours off to a bad start. Things had improved somewhat as of late, but the marks still remained, as did their prejudices. So perhaps this would be his punishment, more than just a proverbial slap on the wrist he'd received in the past. If that was the case then what could he do to repent? He'd do anything, he just didn't want Drestig to be mad at him. Not when he'd tried so hard to make the Old Man proud.

Askan should have known though, shouldn't he? As a moment later the Rye King broke the silence and began to laugh with an awful, mischievous grin on his face.Why...That little...Askan frowned and shot his alpha a-harmless- sour look. The Old Man was too jolly for his own good, always pulling Askan's leg whenever he got the chance. He didn't really mind the rapport they had between them, if anything it was more annoying that he always fell for it. Always.

As much as he wanted to be, the new-offical- Guardian couldn't be mad for long. And without him really meaning for it to, a big grin tugged at his lips.

"Thanks Old Man." It seemed as though Askan had a spot for Avalons. Not that he was complaining.

@Askan

 

It was worth it, just for seeing his serious expression falter, a tinge of anxious panic sneaking into those golden eyes. Askan was a notorious grump, notorious throughout the Lowlands and beyond for his prickly manner, but Drestig knew better. There was a full heart within that dark chest, and plenty of humor hidden beneath the sour mask. Which was why the elder wolf only laughed louder when it grew that much more tense. No, his new guardian might not be polite, or even sociable, but the king had not been unlike him, once upon a time, and he recognized the airs of sarcasm and disdain, put out to hide the caring and loyal wolf underneath. He enjoyed bantering with the lad, and even teasing him now and again, it reminded him of his time with the strays of his youth; The good parts..!

And indeed the younger man could not hold onto his façade for long, as a smile cracked on his own face, pride aglow now in his sparkling gaze. Drestig bumped his shoulder against the other's, smiling heartily at the thanks; Not something you hear every day… His own embers shone with no small amount of pride in the chap, who had already come so far since they first met. "You deserve it kid," he rumbled, meeting Askan's eyes as were they equals; "You've done the work and more over. And you've succeeded in reining in your temper, mending the damage it has done." No one could disagree that the young wolf had grown, and so he was worthy of the title; "Guardian of Wild Rye Fields!"

Word count: 270

Just a quick discussion regarding Icicle's disappearance. He's still in the roster at this point, but since brian posted yesterday I figured I might as well get this out there. If need be , I can just forward date it to when he drops off. For @Jessie  @Drestig @Reyes @Adelayde  

Askan should have seen this coming, or at the very least he should have realised sooner. Maybe it was because he wasn't overly fond of the albino-or fond at all really- but when he hadn't seen Icicle for a few days he hadn't thought anything of it. But when his scent began to turn stale and even more musty than it usually did the Guardian knew something was amiss. Askan had followed the most recent trail he'd left and to his surprise it led out of the gateway and off north into the tundra.

He'd never returned, so Askan felt as though it was safe to assume he'd just wandered off north, without even a single word.

So to say that the Selwyn was frustrated, appalled and perhaps most of all disappointed, would be accurate. How many wolves had it been now that had vanished without a word? Four, five? Even Remington hadn't been seen for the past few days. And Percy...Well off adventuring or not she had left them. Like everyone else seemed to.

Were the Rye wolves cursed? Just when Askan had thought there was peace and stability it seemed as though their pack's foundations were already cracking.

Pacing back and forth outside the communal den, Askan's emotions struggled for control of his expression. His concern was clear-not for Icicle of course, that traitor could die for all he cared- and yet his eyes blazed with such an intensity it was surprising that the snow didn't melt beneath his gaze. What were they going to do? With the pups on the way surely it would be an uphill struggle... Were the five of them strong enough?

Loving the lyrics to this: Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova

she says beauty is pain

The Rye had been flourishing, once. Their numbers had increased dramatically in such a short time, it was hard to keep track of who the newest member had been. With the winter season, it made keeping the caches full much more difficult, but Adelayde hardly heard much complaining. The Rye second loved the fact that so many wanted to make the fields their home and its members their family. It was nice to meet and get to know the newcomers, become closer with them as they settled in. However, their numbers started to drop one by one. One by one, someone took their leave from the fields, many without a single word or goodbye.

The loyal Rye wolf couldn't fathom doing such a thing to the rag tag group of wolves she called her family. Turning her back on Askan, on Drestig or Jessie, Ade couldn't even imagine doing such a thing. Granted, she had a moment where she wanted to simply be alone, but she would have never left the Rye Fields because of something so trivial. She believed if you promised a pack your services, and they accepted, you never turn your back on them ever. But, obviously some wolves didn't hold the same morals as she did. 

The deep moral of never abandoning family ran deep in her veins. She hadn't left home until her mother unexpectedly passed away. She had been the only thing holding Ade back from leaving that place when he father was murdered. The rest of the pack was never a family to her, only using her to their own gain. But the Rye Fields were different. They were all a real family here. Where everyone was accepted, loved and respected as long as you treated others the same. This was the only place she truly felt like she belonged, till the end.  

And now, the pack was deserted by a founding member and another who joined shortly after she did. Without a word. Percy was gone too, off wandering and adventuring, she wasn't sure. It was confusing and it frankly hurt to see everyone just leave without another glance back. Did she do something wrong? Were we not good enough for them? Did she not get close enough to them to make them not want to leave? Why did they just leave like that? How could they leave? Shaking her head, she moved on anyway because she had to. Ade couldn't dwell on the fact that they made their choice to leave, no matter the reason as to why they left. 

She could almost feel the anger in the air as she drew closer to the communal den. Her mismatched eyes peered around a surrounding tree as she caught sight of Askan pacing back and forth. His gaze afire with anger and something else. Concern? Hurt? Stepping closer, she paused watching him closely as he turned away from her and took several steps before turning on his heels and coming back in her direction. She rushed towards him as their gazes met. Her tawny neck wrapped around his in a comforting embrace, ignoring the fact they had never touched like this before. Not letting too much time pass before she drew away from him, taking a few comfortable steps back to look at him square. "Screw them. All we need now is each other, we don't need them. So screw 'em."

and there's beauty in everything

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Askan gritted his teeth as he stalked back and forth, every muscle in his body coiled tight and tensed. Even when he heard the sound of someone approaching he didn't stop to see who it was, let alone greet them. It was all too much, he felt frayed, raw. Like someone had pulled on a string at the edge of a beautiful tapestry and caused it to unravel. Hundreds upon hundreds of hours wasted. And even if someone somehow managed to put it back together it wouldn't be the same, it'd be a poor replica, an echo of something lost.

Would the same thing happen to Wild Rye Fields? Had all of their effort gone to waste? Was Askan a fool for believing the Old Man, for thinking he could somehow change fate?

He wasn't sure what hurt more, the idea of loosing everything he'd worked so hard for, or the fact that he'd allowed himself to get lulled into a false sense of security. Nothing lasted forever and yet he wanted more than anything for their legacy to remain. It seemed as though, yet again, it was not to be. He didn't even know why he bothered.Maybe Reyes was right, packs were overrated. Not worth the effort.

The more he thought about it, the more his throat began to hurt, as though it was being constricted, squeezed by some invisible force. And then he couldn't ignore Adelayde any longer. She was up in his face, pressing herself against him in a strange, if not tender embrace.

It wasn't bad per se, after all Adelayde was a friend-even if he wouldn't word it as such. But at the same time it wasn't her touch that he wanted. Perhaps he should have said as such, or at the very least made it plain and clear but he didn't. He didn't say anything or even physically react. He just stood there and took it, like how a meek pup would silently take punishment. He felt her rest her chin on the back of his neck and the only thing he could think of was that it didn't feel the same, that Reyes did it better. That he smelled nicer too.

And then it was over and Askan still stood there, stone still as she pulled away and spoke to him, her words tough and yet somehow still soft.

Blinking, Askan responded in the only way that popped into his head. "Yeah."

Askan’s energy had been weird for the past day or two – maybe longer, though he’d been less concerned at first. He loved the man, but he was prone to mood swings; so was Reyes, he didn’t judge. But the prolonged anxiety was starting to great on the swarthy wolf, and he went off for a few hours by himself. Marking the boarders left the man with a sense of satisfaction; more importantly, it burned off some of his desire to move, too. If there was a problem with living in a pack, is that he was expected to return every time he left – though the same couldn’t be said for many of the others in the pack.

The wolf snorted softly, aware the abandonment was probably some of his mate’s problems. Moving back towards the pack den, Reyes began to formulate a plan. They’d go on a hunt. The prize they found while south couldn’t be returned. It’d be useful, and it’d get Askan’s mind of the bullshit—

“¿Qué carajo es esto?” he barked, his lazy lope becoming much more hurried. Who the hell did Adelayde think she was, rubbing all up on Askan like that? She was gonna make him stink! “Oi, puta! Back off!”

@Adelayde @Askan -- BORK!  Angry beef.

she says beauty is pain

As expected, the burly man didn't soften at her touch or return the gesture. Adelayde wasn't expecting him to hug her back and try to comfort her in the same way. She knew Askan wasn't one to do so and honestly, she didn't yearn for it even. Yes, he was attractive and she liked his company as she thought of him as a close friend, but he was just a friend to her. Ade was actually interested in someone else at the moment, someone she hopefully was going to see again in next few nights.

So when she began to draw away from him, she didn't feel hurt that he didn't say much or do much to comfort her. Ade was purely doing what she thought she needed to do to help a friend feel better at a time like this. She didn't take in consideration that he might not want to be touched by her and still didn't think about it when she drew away from him. But when the imperceptible shouts of another came from behind her, she finally became concerned that she did something wrong. But if she had indeed done something wrong, Askan would be the first one to tell.

It was then that Askan's buddy came galloping over to them, throwing his foreign words at her. Adelayde could easily tell through his tone that Reyes was angry, but about what? What the hell did she do that made this guy just start yelling at her to back off? Who did he think he was? Adelayde has been here much longer than he has, just more than twice if she remembered right. Brows furrowing as she turned to look at the lower ranked subordinate, “What is your problem?” Seriously, dude.  

and there's beauty in everything

ooc player preferences

Too late. It was too late, Askan definitely stunk by now. The pair of wolves was pulling apart, but the damage was done. The beta undoubtedly stunk like his female counterpart, and there was little Reyes could do to remediate the problem. As he drew to a halt, his tail flagged high above his haunches. His entire coat had bristled, increasing his volume and the general perception of his size, but—

What is your problem?

What was his problem?

What the fuck was he gonna do, fight this woman for getting too close to Askan? Shit, if the other male was actually upset, he certainly wouldn’t suffer in silence. That he had allowed the attention at all should have been Reyes’ first clue. Shit. His ears flipped backwards, agitation as obvious as his silver eyes, but his tail dropped somewhere lower. There was no trace of actual aggression left behind – even his fur began to return to its normal stature, and he just-- He just—

He was just a big damn idiot, is what he was. The wolf’s ears pressed further against his head, but he did not move any closer. Instead, his tail lashed, and he stepped back, and back again, and then Reyes was off in the direction he came, with no words, and no answers.

sorry ade XD @Reyes

With time passing slowly as it was you'd think Askan would have been able to put the pieces together in no time at all. But try as he might he just couldn't. It was as though he had them in his grasp and yet they just wouldn't slot together, and if by some off chance that they did he couldn't make sense of the picture they formed. It just didn't make sense. All he could think about was how angry he was, how betrayed he felt. There was little room for much else. Her words didn't soothe him, if anything they were background noise, the staticky sound he heard when he'd hit his head a little too hard.

So why then was Adelayde grumbling? And more pressingly why was she speaking in Reyes' language, in a tone that was remarkably similar to how- Askan blinked and then turned his neck a little. Ah, that made sense. They weren't alone any longer. Reyes had joined them in the clearly and he looked...Remarkably pissed. It was impressive actually how he managed to compile so many feelings into one long stare, but really that was aside the point for as quickly as he had arrived he turned to leave. Though not before Askan spotted a-devastating- look in his eyes. The sort that made his feet move without him telling them to.

Without even paying her any mind, Askan left Adelayde standing alone in the clearing and followed after his mate with haste in his step. He wasn't exactly sure what was running through the Southerner's mind, but he knew he didn't like to see that look and he wanted to do whatever he could do to make it go away, to make it better.

"Reyes, wait up."Askan called as he trotted alongside him and planted himself in his path so he had to come to a stop. He almost regretted it immediately as the the look he saw was not...Good."...You're mad at me?" 

(This post was last modified: Apr 27, 2017, 08:54 PM by Askan.)