White Fir Notch Eye Spy

Re: White Fir Notch, a cougar has been spotted near your den.@Jynx @Ishtar @Hawthorne @Arwyn @Sylva @Ryker

He'd been up early and started his rounds, much too early to be dragging Hawthorne out of the den. He would have to take her later in the day so that she could get some more experience. He'd decided she was the one he wanted to take on his rounds. She was still young but it would be second nature by the time she was a yearling. It was also a nice time for them to spend some time together before the day became busy. He felt it was a role that she would fit into well whether her mother liked it or not, his anger for the little healer still burned strong in the pale alpha.

That didn't mean he hadn't noticed her actions when the bison had attacked his mate. He would give her the credit for that but it would take time for her to win back their trust.

Normally his rounds were rather quiet and uneventful however as he passed by a part of the border near the spring a movement caught his attention. Emrys couldn't let it go without checking it out so he moved quietly toward it just in case it wasn't one of his packmates. As he came up to a tree and peered around it he saw that it was in fact not one of his packmates.

The cougar was heading into White Fir Notch territory and in the direction of the pups. It took everything in him not to go after it himself but he also knew how stupid that would be. Instead he tracked the cougar and called for his packmates.

Hawthorne wasn't in the same den as the other kids but she was certainly close enough to go visit them. When she had awoken that morning that was what she planned to do. Of course, the call of Emrys was heard as she was groggily moving out of the den. The young girl moved off towards where the call had come from. She wasn't worried that anything might have been unusual because to her it was just another typical day in the Notch.

"Em! Em!" The bouncy girl chirped as she came up to his hind leg before halting. A large lumbering creature lurked not too far away. Her wide eyes glanced between his legs trying to get a better look at the stranger. It didn't really look like all the other wolves in the Notch. Its body was so strange compared to the man she was attempting to lean against. Maybe it was a new friend? Perhaps a friend of Emrys'? "Who that?" She asked softly so to not disrupt their guest who seemed content on finding something or maybe even someone.

Her head turned to wonder where the others were at currently. Maybe Elyan knew who this was. Oh, maybe even mama would know! Hawthorne wished she had dragged her mother out with her so that she could see the guest and tell the young Riverflow who it was.

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

Reach for the stars

Be it one or the other, or both, fate and mother nature seemed to have a way of constantly testing the Notch wolves. From the day of it's birth, the pack had been challenged. And such tests of strength, will and unity kept on coming. Each time, when Gent and Raela reigned, the wolves had triumphed. They always pushed back with steely vigilance, and won. Even now, during this new shift, with Emrys and Jynx in charge, the challenges still came. The most recent of which was the Bison attack, who had threatened the life of the new mother. And again, in typical White Fir Notch character, the wolves stood firm, earning both a meal and a stiffening of their spines in the process. 

And so, when the distinct call of her partner rang out, beckoning her and the pack firmly, she couldn't help but huff in dry amusement. The message laced in his voice was clear; they had yet another problem to deal with. One corner of her lip quirked up. Oh the irony of it all. Were these challenges sent their way for a reason? As a means to test her and Emrys' strength as new leaders? Or perhaps this was simply the price the wolves who called this place home had to pay to live in paradise. Dropping the freshly caught chipmunk from her jaws, Jynx headed towards the border from where Emrys had called. Her walk was brisk but stiff, the black tipped hackles along the length of her spine already beginning to raise. As the white figure of her mate came into view, her eyes landed first on the black frame of Hawthorne wedged between his front legs. Then a flicker of tawny brown movement through the trees made her freeze.

Instantly her body stiffened, ears pricking forward aggressively. Hawthornes curious inquiry did not go unheard, and without so much as a glance (do the seriousness of the situation) she replied. "That is a cougar. They are nothing like us, Hawthorne." She said in a soft but tight voice. Her stare hardened, muzzle crinkling. "And they are not our friends. They are dangerous." A pang of dread that made her sick to her stomach rose up, as she followed the path the feline was taking. It was heading into Notch territory. Towards the den. Towards Arwyn and Eylan, and the leftovers of a young fawn the pack had caught the other night. Any predator who was bold enough would be drawn by the smell of meat to stroll through a wolves home. If they didn't act and stop the cat, the lives of her children would be in jeopardy. And she wasn't about to let it steal the last of their meal either. With a swift glance towards Emrys, she laid out her plan. "I am going to circle around to try and cut him off so he doesn't reach the den." She took a step away, but looked at Hawthorne. "I want you to stay put, okay? Don't help...just watch." She encouraged with a soft bump of her muzzle to the Riverflows tiny chest.

He had seen Hawthorne chewing on her stick which only made Elyan want a stick of his very own. To get his stick he knew he would have to find just the right one. Well that took time and the trying of several different sticks. It had taken quite a chunk of his morning to find a stick and chew it for a short time to see if it was the right one. He was so consumed with his task that he had forgotten all about leaving the clearing after his mother had left him by the den entrance. That adventure could be for another day when he wasn't in search of the perfect stick.

Once he found his stick he carried it proudly back to the den entrance where he laid down and started breaking it in. Before long it would be more than perfect it would be his. He wanted something that was just his and not something he had to share with someone else like he did his parents. He loved his little sister but sometimes he grew tired of having to fight her for the best place next to their mother.

Elyan was busy chewing his stick when his ears picked up his father's call. The gray pup didn't know why his father was calling but he thought he should go and find out. He didn't want the call to be for him and he didn't go because he wasn't sure. So he picked up his stick and put it where he thought it would be safe until he got back. Then Elyan trotted off toward his father stumbling a couple times along the way. It was during one of those times that he saw the sable creature moving through the trees. Curious as to what it was he tried to get a better look at it, he wondered if his parents could tell him what it was.

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There had been a small break in the weather had been welcome for the sea wolf after her morning of taking care of her duties. With a small pack there was always something to do do it was rare when she would get a little time to herself. When she didn't a moment to herself Nauja made sure to take advantage of it. That was the reason she could be found outside the den stretched out in the time the sun decided to appear. The dark color of her coat soaking up the heat from the sun.

Her moment wasn't to last however as the sound of her alphas call reached her ears. The last time he had called in such a way she'd arrived to find an angry bison trying to kill both her Alpha's. She wondered what had leader so distressed this time. Not wasting another moment Nauja got to her feet and charged through the territory to where Emrys had called from.

When she arrived she found the pale figure of the male lead with his mate and Hawthorne wedged between Emrys’ paws. The sea wolf caught what jynx was saying to the pup about it being a cougar. Nauja could see the path the big cat was taking though the territory and the younger pups came to mind, it was headed straight for them. She looked between the two alphas as Jynx spoke of what she planned to do, “I’ll go with you. Two is better than one.” She didn't want to see anything happen to the pups and as a member of the pack it was her job to protect them.

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Being that he was alone he had nothing to do but follow the cougar while he waited for his packmates to arrive. Unfortunately Hawthorne was the first, she shouldn't be there it was too dangerous. He watched the pup and the feline to make sure she wasn't seen and also that she didn't get too close. Just as he was about to answer the girls question his mate appeared and answered the question for him. He looked down to the Riverflow child as Jynx spoke telling her about the cat. He brushed his muzzle against hers, “Don't worry Hawthorne we will take care of it,” he told her. They would have to move quickly because the feline was heading straight for the den where his children were.

Nauja came up just as Jynx was explaining her plan to them and the dark furred woman piped in to say she would go with his mate. “Good and both of you be careful,” he told the women before pressing a kiss to Jynx cheek, “I don't want anything to happen to either of you.” It was that moment that he was glad to be a healer because if something did happen he could take care of it quickly.

“I will stay behind it and make sure it doesn't double back or turn a different direction. We can attack from both sides when the time is right.” He doubted the cougar would deviate its course considering what lay ahead but he would rather be safe than sorry. He didn't want it to get lost in the notch and it be a constant threat. “Now go, we don't want it to reach Elyan and Arwyn,” he ordered before turning to Hawthorne, “I want you to stay close to me and if something happened I want you to run and hide and don't come it until someone comes for you. Do you understand?” He didn't want to exclude her because of her age but he wanted to make sure he was perfectly clear before he moved to follow the feline.

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to keep the goddess on my side
she demands a sacrifice

Hawthorne Riverflow

She couldn't exactly understand why Emrys was acting the way he was as she watched from underneath his frame. Well, she didn't understand until Jynx showed up. Her ears perking up and catching one key word more clearly than the others. Dangerous. The word made her face crinkle up. It wasn't a word that was said often to the gray and black Riverflow but when it was used it was never in a good way.

The girl didn't protest as Jynx nudged her chest and told her to stay put. If it was dangerous and not a friend then why were the grown ups going to go towards it? Shouldn't they just let it be? Maybe avoid it even? Where was her mother? Would she be alright and safe from the dangerous non-friend?

Those thoughts plagued her young mind until Emrys spoke to her. A frown pulled on her features but she still nodded her head understandingly, pressing into his sturdy leg for comfort from the suddenly unsettling situation. She wished that Jynx and Nauja would have just stayed back here where it was safe. Hawthorne didn't want to see them confront the large creature. What would the non-friend do to her friends?

terribly sorry about the wait! please feel free to skip hawth if i take too long again.