Wild Cherry Orchard Running with the Wolves

@Maugrim @Hrun @Rhaegara @Adelard @Riven @Saga Maugrim and Hrun are joining their little band! Back dated to the 17th, mid-day with light snowfall. Please let Sarah and Mari post first c:

Well if you wanted honesty that's all you had to say

It was midday and, for once, Hudson had decided to take a nap. He laid beneath a skeletal cherry tree, which really did nothing to protect him from the falling snow, but it did help block the wind just enough that he didn’t feel like he had to worry about dying from hypothermia at that moment. Maybe later in the evening, when the temperatures would surely plummet to bone-chilling levels, but not at that moment, and that was all he cared about. The burly man laid curled up in as tight a ball as he could manage, his tail laid over his poor frozen nose to try and keep it from falling off. His silver gaze was closed and his chest rose and fell slowly as he snoozed, his normal routine of either watching the herds with one of the other members of the band moving in and out of his presence or dicking around forgotten and laid to the side as he dreamt.

Ashbash 2016 - Ian Schneider 

@Hrun

Maugrim wasn't big on commitments. He had liked Hudson just fine, but he was unsure how he would feel about these other wolves, even if they had been vouched for as certified hinged wolves. (As opposed to the unhinged ones he had his brother had run into already). They definitely didn't have to stay but Maugrim got the idea that this Hudson fellow was pretty chill and wouldn't pull some disciplinary mumbo-jumbo on him or his brother. As long as he was relatively free to do what he wanted, having a band of other wolves around to keep him from starving sounded pretty attractive.

"Yeah, and like I was sayin' this guys got a lotta wolves— Ope"

Maugrim stopped suddenly when he caught sight of Hudson wrapped like a little pine martin in the snow. Raising his eyebrows at his brother he shrugged in a I got nothing to do with this, I swear he seemed cooler yesterday kind of way. "I don't uhm... see any others but they're probably around." Unless this was all some sort of weird ruse?

Hrun was, more or less, willing and able to follow Maugrim into whatever he decided to do. For now, there was comfort in his brother’s presence, and when he’d talked of some other wolf, of their small group, it seemed like a good of an idea as any to join them. There was strength in numbers and this winter seemed like it was here to stay.

“Ope?” Hrun parroted, but then saw what the ope was about. A wolf, probably the one Maugrim had been chatting about, snoozing the afternoon away. He looked to his brother, who offered no reply besides some incredulous sort of look. He glanced around, not seeing any other wolf nearby. He shot Maugrim a concerned, confused look, but then decided to walk up to the sleeping dark figure.

Hrun, who apparently had no perception of personal space and no manners to speak of, gave Hudson a sharp jab on the neck. “Get up. You have company.” And more importantly, Hrun didn't want to waste any time figuring out whether this other boy and his group were worth sticking around for or not.

Well if you wanted honesty that's all you had to say

Hudson was having nice dreams, dreams about full bellies and warm spring naps, the sound of rain pattering on the top of a cave, of being karate chopped in the neck---wait. That wasn’t part of his good dream, and it had certainly felt more real. His eyes flew open and he came basically snout to snout with a pair of bright golden eyes set in a dark face, an instinctual curse falling from his lips before his foreleg shot out to deliver a swift jab to the other’s nose as he sat upright, hackles up. His attention switched blearily to the figure next to the other, his silver gaze squinting as he blinked the sleep from them. Then, it became quickly apparent that it was Maugrim and the one he’d sucker punched in the nose was his brother.

“Shit, sorry, but ain’t anyone told you not to sneak up on someone when they’re sleepin’?” he grumbled, his tone hinting that he wasn’t really that sorry. After all, it had only been defense. “You guys decide to hang around with us then?” he asked, a yawn gaping his jaws before giving himself a good scratch behind the ear.

Ashbash 2016 - Ian Schneider 

You smell the remains of an elk nearby. Enjoy your feast! +10 Health

Some wolves might say that Hrun was without tact. Maugrim was that wolf.

Hrun trotted right up to Hudson who was curled up like a powerful cougar and Maugrim sucked his breath in through his teeth. At first he wasn't going to say anything. Hrun was standing uncomfortably close and Maugrim somehow assumed that was as wild as things were going to get. "Hey hey hey—" he whispered urgently, eyes bulging as his brother prodded and barked an order—an order!—right at the sleeping man. Maugrim's mouth hung wide open, as if he was ready to say or do something else but could not find any words.

Bam!

There was no sound, but in Maugrim's head there was a crack that accompanied Hudson's swift paw. His lungs were filling with air as Maugrim inhaled sharply yet again, somehow finding space for more even though he felt he would burst.

"That's...that's Hrun." The way Maugrim turned to look at his brother might have had the same power as the karate chop. " Say... Say hello Hrun." His eyes widened emphatically as he gestured at Hudson with his snout. Apologize.

Riven wasn’t aware that there were new wolves joining their little group. So when he came across two strangers standing over Hudson, it was only natural that he’d be a little apprehensive. Now, there wasn’t a whole lot that he could do to defend the older man exactly, but maybe he could provide some kind of moral support.

The blond trotted up to the trio of dark-furred wolves, blue eyes round and inquisitive as his head tilted to the side. “Is everything... alright?” he questioned, having watched the little exchange of blows from a ways off.

Things didn’t look violent, thankfully, especially with the quick introduction from one stranger. But you could never be too careful.

Whatever he had expected, it wasn’t retaliation. Hrun flinched away, his maw wrinkling in distaste. He clenched his jaw together tightly to keep himself from biting, which he desperately wanted to do. Huddy had booped him! He did not like being booped. Before he could speak, Maugrim caught his eye and the two exchanged a silent argument, which Hrun inevitably lost. He lowered himself submissively, tail curling beneath his belly as he looked over to Hudson.

“I apologize,” he sounded sincere enough (or at least as sincere as Hrun could be), but couldn’t help but to add “I had assumed you were friendly.” Shortly after, another wolf showed up. Hrun shrunk back a little more and avoided eye contact, feeling more like a little pup that had been put in time out. “I am Hrun Aethelred, Maugrim’s brother. He seems to think it’d be a good idea if we join you...”

Hrun’s ears pinned. Hm. That didn’t sound right either. “I do not mean to imply that I do not think it is a bad idea, you... both seem... capable,” of what? Hrun wasn’t sure. He decided it’d be better if he stopped talking and settled on biting his tongue.

Rhaegara had been stretching her paws, tracking some game trails through the Orchard. There didn’t seem to be anything too substantial, just thin rabbits racing off to their burrows at the mildest of disturbances. She was on her way back when she caught the scent of others. She was guarded, cautious, and she noted that the scents were heading towards where she knew they had set up their little camp, and so she pursued. It was as simple as that. When she arrived, it appeared they had already found Huddy, and the newcomer Riven whom she still did not know all that well, not that she knew anyone in the group terribly well.

She bit back a snort at the words, catching the tail end of the conversation. She simply observed for now, copper eyes floating over both newcomers as she quietly sized them up. One of them was surprisingly familiar. "Hrun, good to see you again." She didn’t add anything more, and as far as she was concerned, she was a ghost in the wind unless she was spoken to or otherwise interacted with. She had always been better at observation and analysis. She could handle diplomatic situations, she just… wasn’t really sure where she fit in, and so she found it best to say nothing at all.

The scent of strangers on the breeze set her paws in motion, as Saga weaved through the trees towards the source. From what she could tell, Hudson and Riven were already there, but she thought it best to show just in case. There would be better odds with three on two, not that she really thought there would be any fighting, but a little caution never hurt.

She arrived at nearly the same time as Rhaegara, though she probably caught even less of the conversation. Interestingly enough, it seemed that the tawny woman already knew one of the wolves, Hrun, did she say?, which put Saga even more at ease. Bright eyes flickered over the group, landing first on the two strangers, then Riven, and Rhaegara, before finally settling on Hudson. Were they here to join their merry little band, or were they just passing through? She would wait to gauge the situation before offering any input.

Sága is currently travelling with Huddy, Aubine, Adelard, Rhaegara, Riven, Maugrim & Hrun