Heartleaf Creek stuck in my ways like old fashioned days

Backdated to 3/29. For @Vayko only.

Chan hadn't been doing his best for this trip, and the guilt of that weighed heavily in his chest. Unfortunately, it was hard to help the desire to not return home and face those he had clearly so thoroughly disappointed and affected. Finding the young man's pack, or evidence of their absence, would just bring him closer to needing to climb the mountain once more, and so he found himself putting it off. It had taken him far too long to make his way here to this particular forest, where the difference in the terrain was clear; this area was well-traveled, the stomping grounds of fellow wolves.

Time to put on a happy face and do his job.

what i really need now is a double shot of crown

Vayko had been out and about. It wasn’t terribly unusual for him to do so. Viorel and him worked on offset schedules. He was an early riser who was up when the sun was and stayed up as long as the sun was out, retiring not long after it’s set but taking it easy when the sun started to subside whereas his cousin woke up later and stayed up later as a result. It worked fairly well, because there was hardly a time where one of them wasn’t accessible for something. Vayko took his jobs and duties quite seriously.

Apart from that, he had been grappling the stress of two litters upon them this Spring, and it had led to his incessant tracking of herds, filling caches and checking them constantly. He had been out beyond the border tracking a local herd for a hunt when a familiar scent caught his nose. “Chan?” He called out curiously when the familiar wolf came into view, a genuine smile crossing his maw for once. Finally, someone who hadn’t completely and utterly disappointed him. Fine, maybe he was being a little melodramatic. They hadn't disappointed him... maybe...

Once scent in particular grew gradually more pungent, announcing Vayko's presence before his voice did. Chan picked up the pace, happy that the wolf he knew was the first of the group that he'd found. Or, had found him.

"Heya," Chan called out in response, navigating the melting forest floor to make his way toward the goldenrod-eyed youth. When Vayko came into view, the Eastfall tipped his muzzle upward in acknowledgment and grinned. When they were close enough, conversationally speaking, he continued talking.

"Just the man I was looking for!"

Chan would then move in to butt the flat of his skull briefly and amiably against either Vayko's own forehead or his shoulder before stepping back to give the other space again.

(This post was last modified: May 05, 2021, 01:56 AM by Chan.)

what i really need now is a double shot of crown

Vayko was not expecting to see the man so close to the pack’s borders but it was a welcome sight. He allowed a grin onto his features as he tipped his muzzle in return. He respected Chan, and that was not a compliment he gave lightly because he hardly respected anyone, and time had shown that. He smirked just a little at the mention and snorted with a raised eyebrow. “Is that so? Well then I just happen to have impeccable timing.” He responded smoothly as always.

Vayko met the butt with his own forehead before stepping back himself. “I’m not complaining because you’re company that I’d much rather be in right now, but why were you looking for me?” He asked curiously. The sight of him was definitely a site for sore eyes.

That certainly wasn't something he'd expected Vayko to greet him with. Chan's brow lifted, curious about what must be going on. Just because he wanted to know didn't make it his business, however. He swung his muzzle toward the mountain range before answering.

"We finally picked a spot to resettle, so I talked to our head honcho about reaching out to you guys. Y'know, 'officially.'"

Hopefully the trouble wasn't that Vayko's crew hadn't been able to decide what it was they were doing. From what he'd been able to scent so far, they seemed pretty well established.

"How's it going so far? How've you been?"

(This post was last modified: May 05, 2021, 02:04 AM by Chan.)

There is a small pile of bones gathered on the ground, there might be some marrow left in them. +2 Health

what i really need now is a double shot of crown

Vayko knew that this relief to see the man ought to be confusing, but he held his tongue in explaining for now. What else was there to explain? They had finally settled on the mountain, and the admittance brought a grin to his features as he nodded eagerly. That was good, and it meant a potential alliance could be in the works which lord knew the Backwater needed right now. “That is excellent news!” He added cheerily though the question brought a more somber expression to his features.

“I have… been better, but I have also been worse.” He mused vaguely before explaining. “It’s my cousin… he knocked up the only two women in the pack that we’re not related to… and I’m worried about the logistics of supporting two litters when we’re so newly established and lower on numbers.” He was going to be honest with the man, because he was stressed and it wasn’t hard to tell from the way he was carrying himself. “The Backwater is surviving for now… but one of our main caches was just recently destroyed…” He trailed again with a sigh. “It’s… It’s been a lot, but we’re managing.” Perhaps he had said too much, but then again Vayko didn't really care. "How have you been?"

Chan's brow furrowed as Vayko explained the trials the newly-founded pack was facing. He had to wonder if this cousin was an age-mate of the man's, if this had been his first Spring too. It was definitely not an ideal situation, but it was really up to those involved whether or not it would work out. Vayko was right to be concerned logistically of course too, though Chan couldn't help but worry first about the impact it would have on the emotional wellbeing of each wolf.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he offered once the young man had finished speaking, "but it's pretty kick ass that you're taking it all head on nonetheless."

After all, they could've decided this was all too much and scattered.

"We've got two litters coming as well, one's Aleister's and the other is without a second parent," he communicated, "I think we'll be able to handle them, we've got to at least try, right?"

It was a rhetorical question; Chan was not a wolf that could turn away another animal in true need. It was awful that it was the unborn children most likely to suffer and maybe even pass, but the other option was to more or less guarantee that trauma.

"Can I ask how many working sets of paws you have to get you through the whelping? And what happened with the cache?"

what i really need now is a double shot of crown

Vayko had little doubt that he would be able to manage, but he was still nervous when it came to crunching the numbers that there was no way to be certain. He figured they could handle upwards of six pups under their care with their current numbers, and even then that was pushing it. He hummed softly at the compliment, though it did little to sooth him. Still, they would survive. Through trials and triumphs, they would survive. It just took patience, and he had an advisor with a level head in the moments that he doubted his ability to be calm.

There was another hum, listening to hear that they were in a similar boat. He nodded. “I don’t like the idea of turning a pregnant or new mother away… everyone has to try… and it was a last resort. It’s frustrating, knowing that a decision like that might have to be made, but we have to try and get it to all work out first.” He agreed, albeit a little long-windedly. He nodded at the question. “Eight… there are 9 adults but one is my grandmother… and she’s ill, and elderly and retired from work.” He explained with a hum. “Which brings us down to six once you take the new mothers out who will be busy rearing cubs… it’s all going to depend on how many cubs they each have.” He decided, reasoning it aloud. “It was the creek nearby… a flood destroyed the cache. We’re working on rebuilding it, but it takes time and patience.”

Chan's eyes softened with empathy as Vayko reasoned aloud his concurrence. He understood the sort of turmoil and pressure the younger wolf must be withstanding, knew why he was frustrated and how he was doing his best to do right by everyone in a world that forced you to choose.

Their numbers were larger than Chan expected, which was a relief to hear. It seemed to him that they stood a rather fair chance, but it was clear how quickly the tables could turn on the pack, especially if both mothers proved exceptionally fertile. Flooding, however, was a familiar and serious problem. If it happened once, it was all  but guaranteed to occur again, and again, over and over.

"I hope the flooding didn't affect a large portion of your territory... ?"

Hopefully they hadn't settled somewhere disadvantageous, if not outright doomed.

"Obviously, there's not much you can do about that but avoid it. Maybe we can help you refill and stay stocked, though? If our packs work together here and there on hunts, it would make up for the numbers lost to caretaking for both our packs' litters. Moms and pups'll of course drain the plant stores too, and we're in such different biomes, it'd make a lot of sense to trade what's abundant to one pack for what's rare to the other."

They were of course ideas he would need to verify with @Aleister, but he didn't see why it wasn't a benefit to each pack and therefor completely worthwhile.

(This post was last modified: May 30, 2021, 11:11 PM by Chan.)