Mountain of Dire stay good under pressure

Feb. 13th, Late Morning, Cloudy, -7°F (-22°C)
Name: Clearwater Tarn (Mountain of Dire, Serpent's Pass)
Coordinates: 15.11455, 27.77344
Picture: here
Description: Clearwater Tarn is a smaller secluded lake nestled on the lower altitudes of Mountain of Dire. The lake is nestled between peaks keeping it rather hidden from those who aren't keenly looking. The location is rather peaceful along with having lavish views of both forestry and mountains. Instead of a grassy shore for the lake, there is a shore composed of rough dirt and smoothed out stones mixed in. The flatness of the location offers a good resting place for any who stumble upon this place in their journey.

She had brought @Lorcan back to the woods and allowed him to do as he pleased. She figured he might be weary from his travels so she did not disrupt the male when she slipped away early that morning. Her pale form occasionally brushed against the trees in order to leave a trail for anyone curious as to where she had gone off to this time. The ex-queen was taking a new path today. She was braving the mountains but knew she would not scale them fully. It would be too dangerous to go all the way to the peaks.

The sun traveled behind the cloudy sky, signaling the hours she had wandered and how she was just almost pressing on into the afternoon. Hopefully, she'd find something worthwhile besides sore paw pads and an appetite. Her nose sniffed sharply at the air with curiosity. Was there any prey around? Or even predator? Piety remembered the sound plan that the Artemieva had offered. They were supposed to check for any cougars or surrounding packs. So far the woman had not stumbled upon either, which left the mountain becoming more desirable.

As she broke over a few large boulders she came upon a hidden treasure. There laid a lake, frozen solid from the temperatures but still beautiful nonetheless. Everything was dusted in snow and seemed untouched by the world that laid beyond the mountain walls. It was rather breathtaking. Piety could only imagine what such a place would look like in the spring or summer. Stunning - more so, if that was even possible.

Her tail whipped behind her lean form, pleased with the discovery. She was not sure if this was the place but it was a good find. She slowly jogged towards the frozen body of water. There was a childish curiosity evident in her eyes and smile as her head turned from side to side. There was so much to explore!

# C W T

With the prospect of settling some place in the mountain the small Agouti woman felt like things were starting to look up for the small group. They had been searching for the perfect place for a while and had even stumbled on a couple of places but none seemed just right so they kept looking. Cheedo had spent some time looking herself when she wasn't hunting to make sure her companions didn't go hungry. They seemed to slowly be getting back to better spirits. Even she was starting to feel better.

The day they lost Wraith would never leave her completely but she felt like she might be starting to move past it. With their continued efforts to find some place more permanent she saw hope for their future and for her own. She felt a little less like her old self and more like who she'd been while in Whitestone.

However disappointment wasn't far when Piety brought Lorcan back with her. She tried her best not to show it since it had been the pale woman's choice and she had never questioned Piety's decisions but the healer left a bad taste in her mouth. She felt he'd judged her much too quickly because of the relationships she'd held without fully understanding. He'd never given her the chance to explain herself. She was a different wolf now and felt any reasons he had to dislike her no longer held.

When she awoke the morning after Piety's return she found the pale woman had already headed away from the group. Unlike other times a trail had been left that Cheedo decided to follow. She spent most of the morning trailing her former leader until she came to a place where she finally caught up with the pale woman. There she found her in the shore of a lake that was now frozen over. As she looked around her head turning slowly to take it all in she had to wonder if they had finally found the place they were looking for.

She made the trek down toward where the Santoro woman was and brushed her side. “Who knew a place like this could exist. Do you think we have finally found what we've been looking for?” She asked turning from the view to look at her former leader. She noted a difference in her that Cheedo hadn't seen for a long time. “It's good to see you like this,” she added brushing her muzzle under the woman's chin.

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

cw - cyril thought a bad word

Another had joined them—his mother’s friend from the south who had been a part of Whitestone prior to his birth. Cyril had not seen him yet, but he was not in a hurry to. He was curious about the male, especially when it came to his mother’s relationship with him, but it was none of Cyril’s business who Piety spent time with. As long as he wasn’t an ass, or wanted Cyril out of the picture, she could so as she pleased.

The sullen boy had woken up before the others and scouted the lower territory in hopes of finding something to eat. Upon returning to the group Cyril discovered that neither his mother or Cheedo were present, earning a deep frown from the boy before he set off once more. Both of their scents went toward the mountain, causing his pace to quicken and his brow to furrow. He had been a little cautious when it came to exploring the mountain, as there was still a fair amount of snow present, so he was careful to ensure he followed their steps as he scaled the rock.

Fortunately, they had not gone too far up the mountain. It would have been too dangerous to. Making his way over the same boulders his mother had Cyril finally spotted her pale figure at the side of the frozen lake with the blue-eyed agouti at her side. He approached them slowly, his eyes sweeping over the secluded tarn as he examined their surroundings. No words tumbled off his tongue as he sidled up next to the pale woman, his nose touching her cheek briefly in greeting.

Now this was a place he could call home. 

(This post was last modified: Feb 12, 2018, 04:10 PM by Cyril.)

Lorcan had slept soundly through the night, curled up beneath the trees with the rest of the group. The male had been exhausted from all the travelling he had done over the past few days and had therefore failed to notice either Piety or Cheedo slip away. However, he did stir just as Cyril turned around to trail after the pair, alerted by his paws as they crunched against the fresh snow. Blinking awake Lorcan watched, still half asleep, as the dark figure of the pup disappeared out of sight and into the surrounding forest. Glancing around, it took the male a moment to realise that it was only him and Lenae left behind. Deciding to leave the female to rest, Lorcan quietly clambered up onto his paws and lowered down into a stretch, a yawn splitting his charcoal lips, before he followed after the trail curiously.

Having left their resting place not long after Cyril had, Lorcan was able to follow the pup's trail with ease. The scent of Piety still marked the trees as he began to ascend up the lower slope of the mountain. The male moved slowly, taking his time to gain stable footing before he advanced forwards for fear that he would slip in the fresh snow. Gradually though, the mountain rock began to flatten and where once large boulders blocked his path, a mixture of dirt and smaller stones paved the ground beneath his paws.

Breaking away from the trees, his golden gaze immediately fell upon the large frozen lake up ahead and the three wolves who stood at its shallow shore. Lorcan slowed his pace, taking the time to soak in his new surroundings as he quietly approached the trio. Greeting them all with a friendly woof, his black tipped tail lifted up to wave with mild excitement behind him.

Sidling in to the group beside to Cyril, Lorcan glanced across to Piety with a smile. "This place certainly looks promising." He commented optimistically, before his golden gaze swept across to glance at the others. Turning his head, the agouti male motioned his muzzle towards the trees to the right, behind them. "Those trees should do well for cover." He suggested, before turning back to face the group. The ground was sure to be less hard there with all the trees taking root, and would therefore likely make it easier to dig out a den site should they wish to.

(This post was last modified: Feb 12, 2018, 09:04 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

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

@Cheedo broke the fragile silence that Piety had found herself wrapped up in. It wasn't bad, though. She welcomed the smaller female at her side. Her tail raised but waved to and fro eagerly. "Perhaps. I do adore it." She rumbled as she felt the female under her chin. Piety placed a gentle nip at Cheedo's ear, returning the affection.

She caught the silent form of her son, @Cyril. He was a dark splotch against the ivory painted world. Her tail kept its high waving, eager to see him join them despite his lack of words. She buried her nose in his scruff briefly. "Beautiful, isn't it?" The mother whispered softly before leaning away from him - returning his personal.

Her brown eyes swept tried to take it all in. One side had an almost all stone mountain wall while behind them stood a wall covered with a bit more trees. Shelter. It would be a practical place to settle but Piety was not fully sold yet. She would need to examine the place and seek out any important scents.

Although she was pulled away from those thoughts as @Lorcan joined them. Her lips pulled into a rather happy smile, glad to see he had managed to catch up with them. "I thought so too." She hummed. The area very well fell into the promising category. Her head turned to look at the Artemieva before her brown gaze glanced around. "If we agree this is a good place to set out roots, the tree covered area would be ideal to seek out a den." Piety left it rather open-ended for the other two wolves to speak their own parts.

The pale woman took a few steps away from the group before turning her back to the lake. "We should explore the place anyway. Might have something to take back to the woods." Maybe they could find some food or even something nice. A gift might be in order for Lenae if the girl was not on the group's trail.

# C W T

It was good to see Piety in such high spirits after what she'd been through and seeing her former leader with her tail raised and waving brought a smile to the smaller woman's face. “It seems so peaceful here, a place I could certainly get used to and waking up to this every morning…” she let her thought trail off. Her tail waved behind her as she felt the woman's affectionate nip at her ear.

As she went to look around them once more she caught sight of the dark form of Piety's son. Her smile widened in greeting to the boy. She gave him a gentle nudge to his cheek after his mother had whispered to him. She was glad that he'd made it to see what they had found. They hadn't spoken in the past weeks but Cheedo understood and was letting him take his time with things. She hoped this would be a new beginning for him.

Giving the boy his space she turned back to really examine the area. Taking note of the walls they would protect them on two sides and the trees that could provide them shelter. The water they could drink and fish in. She didn't see anything Immediately off putting about the place but they still needed to ensure it was exactly what they were looking for.

A frown crossed her features momentarily as she noticed the form of Lorcan approaching. She wanted to be happy because Piety seemed happy that he was there but she couldn't bring herself to be. She looked away from him and back to Piety as she spoke agreeing with the healers words. “We should check it first to be sure it's a safe place to make our den. We don't want any surprises while we are settling,” she suggested letting her sea green gaze settle on the healer to see if he had any objections to that.

She agreed they should explore perhaps there were more hidden treasures in the place that we're waiting to be found. “Should we split up or go as a group?” the small woman was torn, if they split up they would have to come back and share what they found and would be alone if they encountered any dangers. Together they would be safer and see what each other saw. “Do you think Lenae will follow?” She asked Piety when the woman suggested taking something back.

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

The mystery man arrived shortly after the Kael-Santoro, earning a side glance from the sullen boy as he stepped up beside him. Huh. What was so special about him? Did they get along because of the scars that were etched across both of their faces. Or was it because it appeared soft-spoken, like Piety, and was more subdued than his fierce mother? His nose twitched as he observed the stranger, the corners of his mouth curling downward. Huh. He wasn’t sure what to think.

Nodding at his mother’s question the boy remained quiet as he drank in the picturesque view, committing each detail to memory. He couldn’t wait to tell Adeltra about what they had found. A place for them to settle, hopefully, as he wasn’t fond of the lower parts of the mountain where the rock met the forest. This… this was better. More secluded. Protected. His mother had found a slice of heaven among the stone; a haven.

The man made a good point. The trees he had motioned to would do well for cover, along with the towering cliffs behind. Piety was quick to agree, stating that it would be a good place to seek out a den. Cyril nodded once more. Perhaps in the warmer months he could lounge around the lake at night but with snow still staining the ground and his breath hovering in front of him in a small cloud it wasn’t a good idea. Not unless he had a death wish.

Explore the area—that was something he was good at. He stepped away from his mother’s side, dismembering the Lorcan-Piety sandwich, and approached the edge of the frozen lake. Should we split up or go as a group? His yellow gaze trailed back to his mother, a brow raised. He wasn’t opposed to exploring the area on his own, but there was safety in numbers. It was possible that the forest hid a hibernating bear or a hungry cougar. Do you think Lenae will follow? His heart sank at the thought. He hoped so. Imagining the tawny she-wolf on her own made his chest ache.

As he approached the small gathering of wolves he found it was only Piety who returned his friendly smile, with Cheedo and Cyril appearing less enthusiastic at the sight of his late arrival. Mentally Lorcan dismissed their stares – he was new to their group after all – and instead focused his golden gaze back towards Piety as she spoke.

Lorcan nodded in agreement when the pale female suggested the tree covered area would be a good place to seek out a den site. He had been thinking the same thing himself. However, Cheedo was quick to point out the potential dangers the forested area may hold and suggested they explore with caution. Once again the agouti male nodded. The mountains were home to a number of large predators, a few of which even a wolf would do well to avoid. 

Pale paws began to move to follow after Piety as she suggested that they explore the territory, though he soon paused as Cheedo questioned whether they should explore individually or together as a group. Lorcan looked back over to Piety, his brows half furrowing in query. “We’ll cover more ground more quickly if we split up.” He explained, meeting the mother’s light brown gaze in an attempt to gauge if she was in agreement with him. “Though if you do come across something suspicious, do not approach it. Move away to a safe distance and howl for the rest of us.” He suggested, his head then turning to address each of them.

“If all goes well, we can meet back here in a few hours.” If everyone agreed to his plan, they could all go off an explore the area and their own and then share information once they regrouped.

(This post was last modified: Feb 13, 2018, 07:01 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

One last post from everyone! Whoever posts last can fade (: @Cheedo @Cyril @Lorcan

Her head nodded, pleased with her son's liking for the place. When it boiled down to it she wanted him to be the most comfortable one of them all. He deserved it after everything.

She gave a gentle shake of her head at Cheedo's question of Lenae. "I doubt it. She needs her rest, though." Piety didn't expect Lenae to follow their scent up the mountain, especially when the girl still seemed a bit exhausted. They would be back soon enough, though. Perhaps with something special so she didn't feel left out either. She only wanted the best for the small female.

Her good ear flicked softly at Lorcan's directions. "Sounds good." She gave a gentle nod before her eyes scanned the rest of the group, seeking their acceptance of the plan.

Once everyone was settled Piety would take off, eager to explore further along the lake's shore.

-Piety Exit-

# C W T