Heartleaf Creek west african lion [s]

This thread is intended for @Modesto and @Katna following shortly after this thread. But it's also open for others in their band to jump in if they would like.
Viorel has managed to find and bring Katna back to the group, this would be in late February for reference.

starting out in the white house

It had taken him what seemed like the entire day to get his grandmother back to the creek. Realistically that wasn’t true, but every second had been filled with the critical knowledge that she could just turn around whenever she wanted. If Viorel lost her again he was not confident that any of them would be able to find Katna, certainly not that they would find her in such good shape. He probably had not been the best conversationalist on the way here, though he had tried to attempt to make everything smooth and normal.

His heart rate didn’t begin to slow down until their paws had carried them back into more familiar places. The burble of the creek was the most beautiful sound that he had ever heard. Smiling brightly towards Grandma Katna he announced, ”Oh I hear the creek! We aren’t far now, and then I can show you all my practicing.” Which was deer shit he knew, but she didn’t have to know that. Quickly raising his muzzle to the sky he called for his Aunt Modesto, and anybody else who was close enough to hear him. Now that they were home he needed help. Glancing back at the tawny woman he explained, ”Well we’ll need more than one judge to see who is the best fisher, although obviously you’re going to know right away that it’s me.” Would she accept that explanation?

you work for free, let's make that clear

(This post was last modified: Mar 09, 2021, 10:29 PM by Viorel.)

The was content to stay within the building territory walls of their new home. Modesto had every intention to uphold them and enforce them. Whilst she was learning of the newest members in the ranks, she would judge those not of her blood with a critical stare as she kept a fiery attention upon them. To her nieces and nephews, she played the role of a caring and devoted guardian.

As it were now, she took to the creek which twisted and turned through the heartland of home. A term she was still very much getting used to. The sound of the babbling creek was a poor substitute for the sound of ocean waves churning over golden sands.

She huffed to herself, drinking the cool spring and sniffing around the foliage. A call from the equally phase gray wolf caused her head to lift and ears to perk. A 'hrmmm' moving over her lips as she headed the call and made way down the creekside.

Her breath catches at the sight of her mother. Someone she was not certain she would ever see again either by the fact that she would not be here or simply because she had grown old now. She knows not to look shocked or too overwhelmed by her presence as Modesto did not know which state her mother was in. So, a test. "Afternoon, mother..." The consul murmurs as she comes to her mother and nephew, a prier in her stance but head lowered under that of her mother's own.

(This post was last modified: Mar 14, 2021, 12:07 AM by Modesto.)

Katna followed close by, not at top speed so if she ever did stray it would not be too far from him. She likely grumbled some odd things here and there. A collection of names that belonged to faces that weren't here. Although otherwise she was rather hushed. As if she had to be in deeply submerged thought about everything around them.

Ah, until they arrived and it was time to judge. Right. The creek, the fish, her children playing.

Her children.

Modesto is there in what felt like a heartbeat. Although Katna had truthfully fallen into some silence upon her arrival here with Viorel.

"Oh, Modesto." She hummed with a mother's fondness. Then sought to close in on the woman and embrace her as if she was a pup, not a full grown wolf.

katna is showing signs of mental decline
as such, she might be unreliable or confused

Sharlee was busy looking for a good place to try and dig out a cache or where they could dig later. She thought they might just have to continue the way they were until spring. Once the snow melted and the ground thawed. Still they could be one step ahead when that time came. 

What she wasn't expecting was the call from their future leader. Whatever it was she thought she should ve there. The young Valle girl abandon her search to go and assist in any way that she could.

It didn't take her long to reach her cousin and Modesto had come to the call as well. It was her grandma Katna that drew the young girls attention. "Vi you found her," she stated happily before moving to her grandmother's side, "I'm so happy to see you," she said to the Matriarch brushing her cheek with her muzzle affectionately.

starting out in the white house

It had taken longer than usual to get back to the creek because Viorel kept pausing whenever his grandmother fell too far behind. Despite his best efforts to keep her light hearted and distracted with conversations he had mostly been met with muttering and silence. It was alarming, that her mind was so much worse than he remembered it being. Had he just been young and not noticed? Or had she really deteriorated this quickly?

Thankfully they had gotten back to the creek in one piece and now Modesto was with them, and Viorel finally let out a sigh of relief. He looked away awkwardly when his grandmother embraced his aunt as if she was just a young pup. The Valle man had no idea how to act in this situation and was just so glad that there was someone else here.

But, it wasn’t just the three of them, Sharlee was quick to join the little ‘welcome home’ party. Shooting his cousin a quick side eye he tried to say as nonchalantly as possible, ”Ah yeah, she was up in the cave south of here. She was erm, sorting out the herbs I believe.” Hopefully she would pick up on the hint that Grandma Katna was not feeling her best. The last thing he wanted was to upset her and have grandmother take off into the foliage, it had been a miracle he had stumbled upon her at all.

you work for free, let's make that clear

Modesto's mother came to her and took her in like a mother to her newest litter of pups, sniffs and prods with her nose to make sure she was all and well, likely to have tried to clean her too before Modesto politely stepped aside and urged her mother's attention to the newest arrival- Sharlee. The young girl came quick, stating to her grandmother that she missed her and was to happy to see her. Modesto laid a sharp eye on the young one, shifting her attention then to her mother. Viorel's words to Sharlee encouraged her but Modesto wondered how her mother might react. So Modesto added, ”Yes its a bit of a mess right now, I'd imagine.” She was not a healer however and knew little of it. ”I'm sure the medics will get it straightened up as Spring arrives.

She wanted to know how her mother was feeling, wanted to know which direction she had come from and her story on what had happened to her with the two-legged creatures. She wanted to know if her mother knew of anyone else having come of their family… All so man questions which would have to be left unasked until she could wait for a day that Katna might remember the present, if ever.

Katna, so quickly submerged in a flood of emotions, would not be talkative. Taking a more instinctual role here. Once Modesto was tended to (and Katna was pleased to see she was growing so well!) another child had been ushered to her. One that greeted her with standard affection.

The eldest Valle would tilt her head, allowing the child to continue the affection along her neck if she so wished. All so that Katna could repeat the same prodding inspection she had placed upon Modesto.

Finally, when she did speak, it was a simple mumbled. "Feeding you well. Good, good." All that plump puppy fat! Oh how it made her miss when they were smaller, still stuck in a den by her side.

katna is showing signs of mental decline
as such, she might be unreliable or confused

To say she was confused by not only her behavior but also the explanation Vi gave about when he Katna left Sharlee confused. She was sure to let her grandmother know she missed her and was very glad to see her. The older woman seemed to be checking her over once Sharlee paused in her affection. Perhaps her grandmother thought she'd been injured. "She hasn't mentioned how she got her," Sharlee whispered in the direction of her cousin. 

The young Valle girl got the distinct impression that something wasn't quite right. She couldn't put her paw on what but with the talk of feeding well and sorting herbs in a cave. While that might have been normal back home she didn't think it was now that they were all displaced. "Grandmother, " she said to get Katna's attention. "Do you want to go find a better cave for your herbs?" She asked thinking it might be beat to go along for now.

Lets make this the last round! Sharlee can fade out on her next post

starting out in the white house

It was seriously relieving to have both his aunt and cousin play along with the same strategy that he had been using. At the very least he hadn’t made a total mess of finding her and getting his grandmother home, now there were a lot more eyes on her. It sent a shiver down his spine to think what could have happened to Katna had he not stumbled upon her in that cave, how long before she got further lost, or worse, someone or something else had come upon her?

Viorel had to turn his head to hide the smirk that he couldn’t contain as he watched his grandmother prod at Sharlee and make comments on feeding her well. It ran well within the Valle line to be built huskily, something that he had often heard the girls complain about back on the coast. He himself was built boxy, as was his cousin, and to hear the confused older woman point it out felt undeniably silly in this moment, as if Katna herself had not been a beast of a wolf in her hay-day.

Shaking his head at Sharlee’s comment he murmured back as quietly as possible, ”When I asked, all she said was that ‘she had always been here’.” Which it went without saying, was clearly not the truth. Ever the actor, he brightened up at the suggestion and played along his ‘pup’ role, ”Oh grandma please! I want to see how you organize everything properly.” Another lie, he couldn’t give two shits, but he wanted her further in the territory with all the others.

you work for free, let's make that clear

Last for Modesto!

Her mother continued to poke and prod, delving out affections between she and her niece who in turn looked over Katna just as thoroughly. A smirk tugged on Modesto's mug at them being fed well. Many of the Valle wolves were quite stout though Modesto had gathered a more lean form then most of the lot. Still, she couldnt help that smirk.

Deciding to of course continuing along with what the others were saying, Modesto nodded in agreement about the medical site. I think I may have found the perfect place. She ensured. And she had found a nice area too, actually that she and her mother (where she could keep an eye on her) could call their own. They would be in need of a good place for herbs soon enough now that they found themselves a new establishment.

You'll love it. And as she turns so they could begin off deeper into the territory, a sadness takes her. Maybe her mother was better this way, not knowing. Not knowing their true home was lost to them, much of their family dispersed and that Katna and herself may never feel the spray of the sea ever again...

(This post was last modified: May 21, 2021, 04:44 PM by Modesto.)