Turtleback Lake we're still so young, desperate for attention

Legolas is just outside the DS borders - all welcome! open to 1-2 only.
Random Event! Legolas, you come across an orphaned baby animal. little Leggy has stumbled upon a baby canada jay (grey jay/whiskey jack)

He was being very brave today.

The den was safe and comfortable; he did not like straying far from it. But, unfortunately for the long-limbed Stark, he was beginning to outgrow the den (along with his siblings). The trio had started to sprout like weeds and often got tangled up in each other as they fought for room in their birthing den. It worried the ivory Stark. Soon they would have to join the communal den … the thought alone was enough to send a shiver running down his spine. He didn’t do well with crowds. Or anyone that wasn’t his family. The big cloud with the soft, blue eyes was okay, too. She was softer than mom and dad. Gentle; calm. He liked that.

Legolas had strayed too far from the dens—further than he had intended to. His ebony nose had been glued to the ground, captivated by the array of scents that surrounded him. Before he knew it (and was able to stop himself) the ivory boy had already wandered a great distance from the den and found himself on unfamiliar territory. The scents of Driftwood began to fade around him as he drew closer to the invisible border, his changing irises nearly crosseyed as he focused on the path before him. It was only when he shuffled over the invisible line that Legolas realized he had gone too far. He skidded to an abrupt stop, his neck snapping up as he glanced around wildly. Danger! Danger! He had gone too far! He swallowed, hard, as he began to scramble backward, a low whine humming in the back of his throat. But something—a loud warbling noise—had caught his attention. A cry for help. His whine grew louder as he lowered his stomach to the ground, his ears falling flat against the back of his crown. The cry came a second time, this time quieter than the first. He did not know what to do. Did he pursue the creature or did he retreat back into Driftwood? If he took a few more steps back he could go for help… but what if time was of the essence? What if the creature couldn’t wait?

But what if it was a trap?

He whined a third time as he shuffled forward, his body still flattened against the ground as he approached a small shrub where the pathetic cries were coming from. His stubby snout prodded at the bush, his blue-green eyes narrowing as he struggled to make a shape out in the darkness…

It was a birb. A little one. Shades of soft dove-grey and deep charcoal. Big bug eyes. It was kind of ugly but it looked scared. Alone. Kind of like Legolas. H-h-hi, he managed, his voice hoarse as he smiled (weakly) at the creature. You okay? He asked silently as he tugged on the bundle of leaves the birb was sitting on in order to bring it closer to him.  

 

Luck was on his side today. The shy little Stark was in fact, not alone. He was being shadowed, silently from a distance. Jynx had been checking on the Surges caches as a part of her daily routine when the boy began to innocently creep closer and closer to the borders. Sharp eyed as always, she had spotted the telltale shine of his pale agouti coat. Neither his brother nor sister were with him. Her protective instinct came into play, being a mother herself. Rather than bear down on the child instantaneously, she followed his path, watchful. She knew that children were prone to wandering great distances at this age, but with so many potential hazards beyond the borders, they still should be supervised.

She had regrettably, still had not located any traces of her own son and daughter. But she still held hope, and pack life was keeping her busy. The russet female had limited her time around the trio of Surge pups until now, allowing them to grow and bond amongst themselves and their parents, Lachesis and Lilya. She had began to feel the tug again..one that she had experienced many times before. Of the desire to be a greater part of their lives than just another face in the backdrop. She knew it was partly influenced by the mysterious vanishing of her own children, and perhaps if she kindled a relationship...or even a friendship with them...even one of them, that'd help ease the pain she still experienced from time to time.

As Legolas' growing paws found their way across the invisible border, her eyes widened with concern. Her steps quickened, urgently trying to close the space between her and the boy. He was the shyest of the three; Jynx knew this, and thus, she did not want to frighten him. Besides, he didn't know her aside from that she was a pack mate. Her eyes hardened as she scanned the immediate area for any traces of coyotes, the biggest threat to a lone pup out here. So far, so good. His whines of apprehension came to her, and in turn, her to him, ever closer. But there was another sound too. The warble of a bird. It sounded distressed. He had located it well before she could, of course. Crouched by a bush, he was peering inside. Relieved that he had stopped meandering around, she approached tenderly, offering a gentle, sweet whine to let him know he was found and safe. "What did you find? May I see?" She hummed, hanging back enough so as not to crowd the young pair, but so she might peer over him if she wanted to.

He should have known that he wouldn’t be able to slip across the borders—or very far from the dens—without  being detected. But the ivory Stark wasn’t trying to be sneaky or defiant. He had been captivated by the scents of the mountain forest and lost track of where he was going—a genuine mistake. Surely his parents would understand… as long as he made it back in one piece. The outside world was a scary place. If it wasn’t for the ugly little birb Legolas would have turned around as soon as he realized he’d gone too far. But the birb looked jut as frightened as he did—maybe even more (if that was even possible).

The soft whine had not been loud enough to alert him of her presence. Not when he had been so enthralled by the lone baby birb. Her voice came from behind, nearly causing the long-legged youth to jump out of his skin as he crumpled to the ground. He twisted his neck over his shoulder to get a better look at him as his little body trembled. Fortunately, for Leggy, it was no stranger. A packmate; another caregiver. Watcher of the pups. A beacon of safety. No danger could come to him—not anymore.

But about his new friend?

Her questions rang in his head once more, bringing back to reality as he shuffled way from the grey creature. B-b-birb, he answered, his voice just barely above a whisper as he quickly returned his gaze to his feathered companion. F-fren. L-lone. He blinked, a small frown tugging at his lips. P-p-parents? Where had its mom and dad gone? 

(This post was last modified: Aug 14, 2018, 02:43 AM by Legolas.)

You realize that two coyotes have been following you.

Before she could even consider stepping closer, the young Stark flinched at the sound of her voice. Her ears dropped apologetically, and her body hunkered lower to the ground so as not to appear intimidating. Softly, he replied, to which she titled her head. "Oh, a birb huh?" She didn't bother following through on correcting him, while tender steps brought her closer to the pale youngsters side. "I'm glad to see you made a new friend out here." Down she eased her body beside his, head raised above the cluster of leaves and the baby bird was sitting on. It warbled again, shifting uncomfortably. Not out of fear...but of distress. Her golden eyes were immediately drawn to it's left wing, where the feathers stuck out of place awkwardly. A bruised wing from the fall, perhaps.

When he asked her where the birbs parents were, her eyes softened with a gleam of regret. "Still up in the trees, most likely. They...won't be coming back, I'm afraid." Her eyes fell onto the grey feathered baby again. "You see, when birbs fall out of their nest like he has...the parents almost always abandon them. See his wing there?" She gestured with her nose. "He likely hurt it in the fall and he's far too young to fly." Although a hunter at heart, Jynx was also a mother and not so cruel as to let an innocent baby animal suffer. She could easily have made a meal of the bird, but as small as it was, it would hardly surpass as a snack. So she came up with a kinder option instead. One she was sure that would make Legolas' day. "But tell you what? We'll take him back with us. Your father is a skilled healer and my husband is well practiced too. We'll get your friend patched up." She concluded with a decisive nod and a warm smile.

The moment of peace between the unlikely trio was short lived. As she stood up again, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted two lanky, tawny figures. Far too small to be wolves. A pair of coyotes had caught her, Legolas and their patient to be, outside the safety of pack territory. And they seemed to know it, sensing their vulnerability as they flitted through the treeline. They drew ever closer, slowly but surely, tails high in confidence. She whirled around to keep them in her sights, cursing silently. She used her body as a protective barrier between the opportunists and Legolas. "Stay behind me...keep close." She whispered firmly. Taking a threatening step forward, her hackles flew up, a deep snarl emerging from angry jaws. The coyotes seemed to be willing to take her up on the challenge, issuing growls of their own, trotting closer. One adult wolf, plus a pup against two of these vermin were not good odds. But she did have one thing in her favor; she wasn't that far off from Driftwood territory. In hopes that someone would hear, she raised her head and let out a deep cry, for any Surge wolf close by. Then she gestured to Legolas...and his friend as well, whom he may carry. "Come...quickly. We need to try and make it back to the border."

(This post was last modified: Sep 19, 2018, 07:17 PM by Jynx.)

Lachesis would have expected either Makvala or Leith to stray from the dens without supervision but Legolas? He would have never of guessed his timid son had ventured so far from the heart of Driftwood. Panic consumed him as he moved as quickly as possible through the forest. He worried that one of the Keep wolves would stray too close to the Surge borders and scoop up his children—or one of the coyotes. The vermin were becoming bolder; unafraid of testing their luck near pack borders. Lachesis liked to keep a watchful eye on his children but Legolas had managed to slip away unnoticed and gone too far… and the pale leader couldn’t help but fear the worst (as usual).

The familiar scent of another eased his thoughts—Jynx. It appeared the russet female had tracked down the ivory Stark before XIX had caught up. A sigh of relief caused his chest to heave but did not slow his steps. The father was determined.

Unfortunately it did not last long. Jynx’s voice filled the forest, beckoning the wolves of Driftwood forward.

He leapt onto the scene, his tail raised as the fur on the back of his neck prickled. His teeth were exposed as they gnashed together, a loud rumble forming deep within his chest as he stepped toward the coyotes. Legolas had shielded himself behind the russet woman but it wasn’t good enough. They needed to leave—all three of them. Lachesis did not want to waste a fight on the vermin; not unless he had to. Quickly—go! I’ll catch up! Despite his Arctic heritage he was still much larger than the coyotes. While he was outnumbered he knew they weren’t stupid enough to try and fight him—not if they wanted to continue breathing.

stick with those who stick with you

He nodded at her comment. Yes, a birb! He beamed in response, his blue-green gaze turning to the older female. She seem pleased at his discovery and did not scold him for straying so far from the dens. So far so good. He did not doubt a scolding would come later, by his parents, but for now he was content in believing that he had gotten away with slinking away from the den. Maybe, if he was lucky, his parents didn’t even have to find out!!! That was if Jynx wasn’t a tattle-tale …

Brows furrowed as his older packmate began to explain that the little birbs parents wouldn’t be coming back. He stared at her in disbelief as his lower lip began to tremble; his ears drooping to the side. Its parents were going to leave it?! All because it had fallen from its… nest-thing-whatever. That was … that was ridiculous!!! His parents wouldn’t ever do that to him, would they? He swallowed as he turned back to his new friend, his expression still soft and downcast. T-that’s n-n-not okay, he answered softly as he peered at the injured birb. But Legolas wouldn’t leave his new friend—heck no!

His ears perked as she spoke once more, announcing that his father and Jynx’s husband could patch up his new friend. Oh! He liked that idea! Legolas nodded once more, this time more enthusiastically. G-good idea! He liked Jynx. She reminded him of his mother. Just less … twangy.

The excitement did not last long. A new scent arrived—one that the boy was unfamiliar with. One that made Jynx grow tense and her fur do the prickly thing. A low whine escaped him as he shuffled closer to his new friend. As gently as he could Legolas plucked the soft birb from the ground with his teeth before retreating behind Jynx’s scarlet frame. He peered around her long, creamy legs at the intruders: two small, tawny not-wolves. They were bad; very bad. Bad enough to make Jynx call for the others.

Almost immediately after the call sounded his father appeared through the trees, his large body filling the space between Jynx and the strange not-wolves. He was definitely gonna be in trouble now. His father’s growl made his body tremble as he took a step back, his blue-green gaze never wavering from the scene before him. The birb squeaked between his jaws but Legolas did not release his new friend. He kept stepping backward, at his father’s request, in hopes of stumbling over the Driftwood borders…

 

To her great relief, it was not long after her summons that Lachesis arrived on the scene. One look said it all; he had clearly been searching for his astray son as well. Her edgy nerves settled only slightly. The ghost was a steadfast leader and a dependable ally. But, he was also her close friend as well. He had her back, and she would always have his, extending that same courtesy to his children as well.

Golden eyes lingering threateningly on the coyotes, she backed up, glancing down towards the young Stark, who looked petrified and the birb he held softly in his mouth. A sharp, stiff nod was sent towards Lachesis, and she turned in the opposite direction. Firmly, she nudged Legolas' rump, urging him to run start moving. "C'mon. Let's get going." As their legs flew over the ground and back towards the borders, Jynx stayed alongside the pale flank of the boy the entire time. She would not leave him...not let him out of her sights. When they at last crossed safely back over the borders, the smell of home enveloped them like a comforting blanket. Her paws brought her to a standstill, turning her back to watch for Lachesis. He could handle himself, she was sure. But no doubt, there would be some form of a lecture coming for his son. Glancing down to him, she smoothed her tongue over the top of his pale head. "You both okay? That was a lucky break."

A low growl hummed in the back of his throat as he took a step forward, toward the coyotes, his hackles raised and tail arched over his back. His tongue curled between bared teeth as he stared down the pair of coyotes, his posture rigid and his gaze unwavering. Finally, after a pregnant pause, the scrawny pair backed off upon realizing they had messed with the wrong dad. They were not going to win this battle—even if they outnumbered Lachesis. They clicked their teeth in the ghost’s direction before fleeing the scene with their squirrel-like tails tucked beneath their legs. Lachesis waited until their scents disappeared before retreating into the forest to fetch his son and faithful subordinate. He was thankful that Jynx had beat him to the scene—Legolas was a bright boy but he often froze in the face of danger. He did not want to think about what would of happened if she—or he—had not arrived in time.

The older Stark followed their scents back to the borders where he greeted the pair with a few short wags of his tail before pressing a quick lick to his son’s forehead. He was safe; that was all that mattered. Jynx had gotten to him first and kept him safe from the overgrown vermin.

It was then that he noticed that the pair was accompanied by a third of the feathered variety. His head tilted to the side, his brows pinched his curiosity. Who is this? He asked gently as his previous hostility subsided, his expression growing soft as he focused on the ivory boy.

stick with those who stick with you

The boy did not have to be told twice. He quickly scampered off into the forest at Jynx’s side, his pale body sticking close to her long legs as they maneuvered through the mountain forest. His new friend remained gripped tightly (but gently) between his jaws as he struggled to keep with his larger packmate. He would not abandon the little birb—they were in this together now. Legolas would make sure that his friend was kept safe. Only when they crossed over the borders of Driftwood did the ivory youth plop his friend on the ground as he, too, flattened against the soft grass. A heavy sigh escaped him as he glanced up at the golden-eyed agouti, his ears swept back against his crown. He nodded in response to her question and accepted the lick without question. He glanced, quickly, at his bird friend to assess his condition before returning his blue-green gaze to the older female. Y-y-yeah, he retorted with another nod, his tail wagging weakly behind him. C-coyotes? He had not seen them before but he had heard about them. Strange, small, stinky non-wolves. Bad.

His focus broke as his father reappeared, his tail thudding frantically against the ground as the older Stark approached and applied a lick in the same spot as Jynx’s. T-thanks dad, he mumbled bashfully as he redirected his gaze the ground. He’d been bad by wandering away from the borders… surely his father was going to scold him for being so careless… but the stern words did not come. Instead the boy was greeted by a simple question. Who is this?  He offered his father a weak smile as he studied the grey blob. Ch-chi’p. He had meant to say chirp but the r sound failed him… and chip sounded way cooler. Chip it was.

(This post was last modified: Sep 21, 2018, 02:45 AM by Legolas.)