Fallen Tree Cove A storm is comming

It was cloudy again Solas noted as he wandered to the edge of the lake. It had been cloudy more and more lately and not just with the sky either but with his thoughts. He couldn't help but be aware of the frequent rank shifts and the sudden holes. The wolves that he had felt a connection to were gone now. It was glaringly obvious to him he was living with strangers now. Heck, Solas hadn't even talked to the King of the place and in truth, he doubted he would. What was the point? There would be another one soon enough if what was happening continued.  

A frown formed on his face. What was the point of staying? Solas had come here again eager to prove that he was useful and he had started to search out the wolves he lived with but then constantly shifting ranks had put him on edge. His position hadn't changed simply because he was the newest of everyone and the lowest. But wasn't pack life supposed to steady and reliable? What was all this then? A fluke or the warning flags of the pack disbanding?

Pacing the stormy male walked the edge of the lake and back again. He was agitated that was for sure because he knew that if he left then the pack was that much closer to losing its grip on this place. But what was the point in staying? Solas's thoughts were as stormy as his pelt and his mood matched because he could already tell he was trying to convince himself to leave even though he wanted to stay simply because of stubbornness. Yet if the pack was going to disband anyway...

@Tagg

(This post was last modified: Oct 15, 2017, 06:56 PM by Solas.)

OOC! 

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Word Count: 276

Everything had been tense as of late, and now… everything was just getting worse.< /p>

Tagg wasn’t sure what to do.  Stay, obviously, and perform his duties to the best of his ability… but he was no longer sure exactly what that meant.  He was supposed to protect the pack, but how could he protect it from itself? How could he keep members from leaving? It’s not like he could simply force them to stay.

Then they received the biggest shock of all. Vespertio was gone. Vanished. Poof. Tagg knew it was likely that he had followed his mate, but to not tell anyone… it just didn’t seem real.  What was going to happen to the pack now that its founder had vanished?

He just had to keep working. His wife and son needed a home, and this was it.

Like he always did when he was thinking too much, the veteran decided to walk around the border of their territory.  This brought him to the edge of the lake, where he smelled someone he hadn’t met before.  He knew this was a member of the pack; he’d smelled him around the den, yet never run into him.  Now was as good a time as any to say hello, he supposed.  Maybe he could keep one wolf from leaving.

Picking up his pace, Tagg trotted along the shoreline looking for the other man. Finally, he found him. “Hello,” He called, speeding up even more to catch up. He slowed a respectful distance away so their newest pack member could still decline his company should he wish to do so. “I don’t think we’ve met.  I’m Tagg.”

"Speech"  Thought

l

Solas continued to pace with his eyes on the ground in front of him. What was the point in staying here? No friends. No family. He had no ties to the wolves that lived here the ones he had gotten to know even if barely were gone. Most of the others were strangers. His thoughts kept looping to that one point. He didn't know anyone and they didn't know him. No one had ever tried to seek him out either. Was that because they had set their sights on the top of the pack? Or was it because they simply didn't care?

The sound of paw steps was heard but they didn't register until a voice spoke up pulling Solas back to reality. He found himself looking at a wolf that had seen better times. His face held scars and one, in particular, looked like it went across his eye. The stormy waited as the other introduced himself as Tagg while mentioning the fact that they hadn't met before. Solas felt a bitter smile cross his face. So now when there weren't that many wolves in the pack were the remaining seeking him out. Perhaps Tagg was going to try and make him stay even though Solas hadn't truly decided to leave yet.

I'm not surprised I've been keeping to myself since the ranks have been changing. Solas told him finally responding as he kept the distance between them. My name's Solas. Did you need something from me? After speaking he fell silent waiting to see what Tagg wanted from him or if he didn't have an actual purpose for this meet and greet.

OOC! 

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Word Count: 216

Tagg was used to wolves coming and going.  It happened a lot, and he had been one of those members before.  But for Vespertio to leave, and to do so without word – unless he talked to Kajika and the darker man simply hadn’t told anyone else yet – was a huge blow to the pack.  Tagg wasn’t even sure what to do anymore.

The veteran chuckled slightly at the newcomer’s response.  “It doesn’t help that I’ve been out of the territory a lot recently.  My son went missing and I had to find him, otherwise I would have introduced myself much sooner.” He smiled.  “I hope you’ve been settling into the cove well.”

Then the other brought forth his name, quickly followed by a question. Tagg’s ears flicked slightly.  He didn’t feel that Solas was being aggressive, but he didn’t seem particularly friendly, either.  The russet man decided to attribute it to awkwardness.  It must be weird to be part of this kind of drama in a pack he’d just barely joined.  The last thing a wolf looked for in a pack was turbulence.

He shrugged. “I just wanted to introduce myself.  I’m doing a border run, if you wanted to join me.” He offered. “It would give me the opportunity to get to know you better.”

"Speech"  Thought

l

Solas felt a brow raise as he was informed that the pup that had been around the territory was actually Tagg's. From what he knew only the leaders had pups. So had the wolf in front of him been given permission or had he gone behind their backs? He hadn't been around at that time but if the pup was still here then the leaders at the time must not have been too mad if they had let them stay. If it had been Namid and Vespertio at the time Solas doubted that they would force new parents and their pup out to fend for themselves.

I've been settling in as best as I can. Solas returned with a slight shrug. He knew the territory better now and new where most things were located and how to get to them. Which was rather important if he wanted to get anywhere in the territory. It was the wolves that he needed to know more now not the territory but he felt like that was a bridge he didn't want to cross if he was going to leave. Yet, he was moving across it with every word that was spoken between the two of them.

Tagg went on to explain that he was doing a border run and had just wanted to introduce himself with the invitation to join in the patrol. One of Solas's ears twisted as he thought about it. He didn't have any plans for the day and maybe if he spent time with the wolf in front of him he might understand why some of the rank shifts had happened. Also, he would start to learn about the wolves that shared his current home.

Alright I'll join you.Solas responded with a nod of agreement. If anything he would be doing something productive. He would follow Tagg as soon as he started to move. How long has this pack been here anyway? He questioned. If the pack was new then that would explain why the ranks were moving around like they were.

(This post was last modified: Nov 06, 2017, 05:02 PM by Solas.)

OOC! Sorry for the wait, things got crazy for a minute

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Word Count: 183

Tagg thought Solas seemed uneasy about something, but he didn’t know him well enough to be sure.  Or ask him about it.  It could just be his personality.  Still, he’d invited the other man to walk the borders with him, and to his delight he accepted.

With a smile the veteran started off again, head tilted so he could keep Solas in his vision while still watching where he was going. It wasn’t long before he was asking a question, something Tagg himself had asked when he’d first joined.  He thought back to that conversation with Anthem, smiling slightly.  He’d like the former beta; if only he’d been here before.

“A couple of years, I think... maybe three? I first joined about two years ago, and it was still pretty young then. That year was Vespertio and Namid’s first litter. This spring would have been their third, had they chosen to breed again.” He explained.  It was so weird.  He didn’t think of the pack ever having a beginning; it just seemed eternal. And now he was maybe going to see its end.

"Speech"  Thought

l

OOC: Apologies for the wait

Solas followed alongside Tagg as he wondered if there was perhaps another reason why the ranks had been changing so much. Wolves that simply didn't want to stay? Maybe but why would they leave now? It was stressful he decided, not knowing who was going to leave next or if anyone was going to leave at all. A pack was meant to stand together however this pack seemed to be falling apart at the seems.

Tagg answered his question saying that the pack had been there about three years. Solas's paws stopped for a minute in surprise but he quickly caught himself and moved after the smaller man once more. Three years. This wasn't a new pack after all. So why was there this much discord? The one thing that seemed to have changed was the leadership. If Namid and Vespertio had been the leaders for the three years and had stepped down only recently they must have been what had held the pack together. It was the only thing that Solas could think of.

You said that this would have been their third litter. Are any of their kids still in the pack? or did they leave like everyone else? Solas asked wondering if any of the kids would be coming back to try and regain control of the pack that they were the heirs to. Unless the current Alpha wasn't planning on letting go of the throne for them. It wasn't uncommon for a new leader to move the pack and rename it yet this pack had stayed. Was it out of loyalty or stubbornness?

OOC! 

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Word Count: 341

Thinking about the old days brought a smile to Tagg’s face.  There had been so much life back then… sorrow too, yes.  He had just lost his family when he found the Cove. He seemed to be really good at that. Yet here he was, still alive and things had been looking up.  He hoped they could continue to move forward and pull through.

Solas seemed surprised by the veteran’s answer, but he recovered and quickly caught back up before he could even stop to wait.  He asked a follow up question, and Tagg wished he had a better answer.

“No; that’s why Namid left. One of her sons was gone by the time I returned last year, and the other disappeared shortly after. Last year they had a stillborn, and she stepped down for a while… Moonshadow was leading when made it back. I never met one of their daughters; she vanished too, while still young.  Lunette… she’s been in and out of the pack.  I’m not sure where she goes or what she does, but she doesn’t seem happy here.  Neha stayed for a long time.  She left only recently, to go be with the father of her child I think.” It was a mouthful, and maybe Solas didn’t care that much, but as a member of the pack he had a right to know why these things were happening.

Tagg paused to sniff the air for a moment, swinging his head around to get a better look at his surroundings, before moving on again. “Namid is out looking for the ones who disappeared, and I assume Vespertio followed her.  When Moon and I asked permission to have Chan in the spring, they made it very clear they had no intentions of giving up the pack. I don’t think that’s changed; they just want their kids to come home.” He sighed.  "Kajika's doign his best, but I wish Anthem were here.  He would know exactly what to do.  Maybe Aleister and Cernan wouldn't have left in the first place."

"Speech"  Thought

l

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

It appeared that none of the children had stayed. One came and went as she pleased which had Solas raising a brow. Did this Lunette feel that she would be welcomed back after she continued to vanish repeatedly? If she wasn' happy here then why did she bother to return at all? It was a mystery to the stormy male. Neha had a valid reason for leaving and staying away so Solas couldn't exactly fault her for it. He wondered if she would return with her small family if she knew how few members that were in the pack or if she would stay were she was at regardless. It was all rather interesting to him. The parents were loyal to this area yet the children weren't and left and didn't seem inclined to return.

Tagg paused and Solas took that moment to ask a question before the other continued to speak. Do you plan on staying? The other male had a kid but that didn't seem to stop a lot of wolves from leaving. It was a forward question and Solas knew if he was asked in return he wouldn't be able to give a straight answer.

At the mention of Anthem Solas gave the other a curious look. Why do you think Anthem would have known what to do? Why would his father know what to do instead of Kajika and how would he have made Aleister and Cernan stay? He had been trusted sure but Solas hadn't thought that Anthem would be the one with all the answers. Wasn't that a role someone far older would usually take. Of course, the stormy male had no idea how old his father would have been at that point.

(This post was last modified: Nov 08, 2017, 05:42 PM by Solas.)