Fool's Gold Chasm now i'm kicking myself to sleep

Backdated to 2/5. Woya, Rhaegara and the kids are leaving to go visit their Macieo cousins in SC! Anyone is welcome to come see them off.
@Adelard @Saga @Rhaegara @Caelyn @Marrah @Enera

Woya tipped back her head and howled. It was time to begin their trip to the Cove, an event the pack had agreed upon as a whole. Winter still blanketed the land, but she was now familiar with the path they would be taking and waiting longer would not do - Spring would be upon them before they knew it, and one could only guess what all that tumultuous season would bring. It was practically now or never (well, Summer - close enough).

She settled her cream-colored haunches into the ground and waited patiently for the others to join her.

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Enera was positively giddy. The moment she'd heard about the planned trip to visit the other pack up the mountain she'd been impatient, begging her Ma to let her go and desperately waiting for the day when they could leave. She loved her home, but she wanted to see more, wanted to explore other places and see what was so great about such a tall place. Chan had seemed to like it when he'd visited.

Finally, finally, Woya called for them to assemble and Enera was off like a dart, skidding to a stop next to the pale woman. The cold hard earth made her drift a little more than usual, but that was okay because Woya and Marrah had taught her how to skate good enough not to fall.

"It's time to go?" she chirruped excitedly, bouncing in place and resisting the urge to take off into the forest and run all the way to the distant peaks.

Perhaps the insistence to go to keep an eye on her daughter but also an eye on the other guardian made her something of a helicopter mother… but Enera was the only blood family she had, her only progeny as she had no reason nor desire to carry another litter the coming spring… so yes, she was going to go with them to the mountain pack, and help wrangle the kids. It also felt like something of an olive branch as well, working with Woya rather than against her as she had during their screaming match… whether or not the abrasive woman would see it that way, she was not sure.

“Patience, Dove. Yes, it’s time to go. Remember you have to listen to us the first time or I will march you straight back to the Chasm without a second thought.” She offered that ground rule up front, hoping to instill a larger sense of discipline in her wayward pacifistic soul of a child in the process. She waited for the rest of the kiddos to join them.

Woya's call had come earlier than expected. When this cub exchange had been pitched to the pack, Adelard was tempted to foil it. The cubs of Fools' Gold Chasm were not his but he was very, very protective of them. Whether their mothers (or aunt) knew that or not, Adelard couldn't care less. Cubs born to a pack were its future. No matter what. No matter who they were born to.

Regardless, the Leader knew it was a good thing. He had, after all, sent Sawyer out with a plea for allegiance with blind hope. This was what had come of it. He had to trust that this was good for both packs and the cubs.

The crunching of snow underfoot announced his presence, but he kept his distance. This was what the women had wanted, and he could not deny them. He stood a few meters behind Rhaegara, tall on his toes as he surveyed the gathering traveling party. For a time, he remained in the back, wanting to keep his distance. He couldn't remain stoic for long, though. He soon found himself standing at Woya's side. A small wink was offered to Enera as Rhaegara laid down the most important guideline.

He would see them all off and he would be there when they returned home again.

         

ADELARD

heat stroke, bring the fire black smoke, I take it higher

I’m Done Putting Out The Fires You Start

Marrah had taken up a rather age appropriate hobby as they came into the tail end of winter; following the adults around. Sometimes she was underfoot, sometimes she watched from a distance, but she was usually pretty quiet. She liked observing them, watching how they went about their business, how they interacted with each other, trying to figure out how to really be a productive adult.

Her favourites to watch were her mom and Auntie Woya of course, but she also spent a lot of her time secretly following Adelard. Ever since the conversation about dads had occurred, he sparked a sense of curiosity that Marrah could not quite understand. So, when Auntie Woya called, and Adelard started heading that direction, the dark pup took up the caboose of the train. He went to sit next to her aunt and so Marrah took up her place on Woya’s other side.

Peering around the small pale woman she inquired, ”Are you coming with us Adelard?” That would be kind of fun, she could observe what he did when he wasn’t being so serious and leading them. Plus, she was a little nervous about the aspect of meeting a bunch of strangers, the more wolves she knew in the mix the better. Climbing a mountain was intimidating enough.

When The Cranberry Vodkas Hit A Little Too Hard

As was usual, Enera was the first to arrive. Rhaegara was hot on her heels, and Woya greeted them both with a familiar smile. Excepting that this would be their first trip away from the pack's stomping grounds, it was seeming like any other time they gathered. The young girl, ironically given her same familial nickname of Dove, asking questions and her mother attempting to more or less do it all.

Woya's left ear twitched as a measure of fondness came over her features, watching the two interact. She never would have thought, that first day discovering the Chasm, that the group of strangers her brother had assembled would come to feel so much like home. Adelard almost went unnoticed at first, obscured behind Rhaegara and her daughter. When he moved, her focus returned to the larger picture. She was flanked by him and her niece, and they both were met with a toothy grin.

There was a time when their affection toward Lard had irked her, worrying her that he would come to replace Hudson. As time had gone by, however, she was bothered less and less. The wolves that made Marrah and Caelyn happy also made her happy, even if at times only for that reason alone.

Woya passed Adelard a knowing look, but did not attempt to explain on his behalf. Instead, she let the two converse around her, sandstone eyes looking for her nephew who had yet to appear. He was the most likely of the three to be off by himself, but after losing Aweho she didn't like not knowing for long. She would give him a little more time, and then she was tracking him down.

(This post was last modified: Apr 03, 2022, 09:36 PM by Woya.)

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Enera couldn't believe it was time to leave already, and with her excitement she couldn't believe the others were so much slower in gathering. It still didn't take her mama long to join them, reminding her once again to be patient and that if she didn't behave, should would be coming straight home. Enera's ears dropped back for a split second at the warning, but she nodded furiously. "I'm gonna be so good, mama," she promised. She wanted to meet the other pups up the mountain and see for herself the wonderful place Chan and Jethro had described to them.

Marrah and Ad finally arrived. The Rayvne girl perked up more at her sister-friend's question; she hoped Adelard went with them. She liked him and it would be so much fun to have him around climbing the mountain. He was so big; nothing would mess with them while he was around!

But Enera was growing ever more impatient to leave. Where was @Caelyn at? It was time to go! Wasn't he excited? Why was he holding them up?

Adelard's attention was brought to Marrah as his name came off her tongue. Him? Come along? How sweet. He caught Woya's toothy smile before he found his little shadow's curious face. He beamed at her dark-furred face, feigning disinterest in the silver Macieo. It was here and now that he was only just realizing the infatuation with his ex-Leader's feisty sister.

"Mmm," he hummed at first in mock thought. "Maybe not this trip, but perhaps the next." He hoped it would suffice. Just in case, he tacked on, "Someone has to keep things in order at home." Another wink as he overheard Enera telling her mother that she was going to be 'so good.'

Blinking as he surveyed the clearing, he looked from mother and daughter to Marrah, then to Woya. Unspoken questions danced across his face. He had to shake his head to right himself again. Finding his way a little closer to Woya's side, he was careful not to interrupt Rhaegara and Enera. He swallowed as he looked at the ashen woman, "You sure you both want to do this?"

(This post was last modified: Jun 09, 2022, 11:59 PM by Adelard.)

         

ADELARD

heat stroke, bring the fire black smoke, I take it higher

I’m Done Putting Out The Fires You Start

The pup had no idea about the blossoming romance between her aunt and the wolf she had come to see as a father figure. How could she really? She had never seen an adult relationship, let alone one that was just beginning, tiny hints dropped like silent raindrops went unnoticed. She was a little disappointed, and her tummy twisted slightly with anxiety upon hearing that Adelard would not be coming with them after all, but she tried to smile bravely.

Then she had an idea that actually brought the light to her eyes, ”Do you want me to bring you a present? Like you do for us?” The thought made the dark tail behind her swing with excitement, oh it would be nice to be bringing him a gift for once. She wondered what kinds of treasures might await them upon the mountain that she could bring back for the leader. The thought made the anxiety shift to a happier emotion, at least for the time being.

Marrah got to her paws, looking back and forth expectantly between the three adults that had gathered around her. They were still missing her brother, where could he possibly be keeping him, and that in turn was keeping them all from going? It was surely going to be a long walk.

When The Cranberry Vodkas Hit A Little Too Hard

Final round guys! No posting order given the age + Rhae and Caelyn being inactive now. Please let me know if you'd rather not post again so that I don't wait on you to archive. <3

As she had expected, Lard's reply to her niece came naturally to him. It helped, her not resenting him for not being Hudson, that he was so wonderful with the children. When it came down to it, here and now, they simply mattered more. Much more.

Marrah was not promptly bolstered by his words, and Woya's smile faltered briefly as she recognized once more that such was becoming the norm for the young girl, rather than an exception. She hadn't been gifted with a lion's share of emotional intelligence, and so was at a loss as to what more she could do to help her niece through the storms.

You sure you both want to do this?

Her attention was drawn away as he spoke just to her, back toward Adelard's treasure-trove eyes. Her shadowy lips quirked upward in a smirk, as though he'd made some clever joke. There was not a doubt in her mind that this trip was the right thing to do, and not just for her. Her niece and nephew deserved to know their extended family, especially given what they'd lost of their immediate. Not to mention, a solid relationship with a relatively-nearby pack could only help everyone.

"Enough for both of us," she answered with a wink of her own.

Do you want me to bring you a present? Like you do for us?

When Woya looked upon Marrah once more, her eyes had brightened and it made her own heart warm to see it.

"That's a wonderful idea, Mar," she put in, touching her nose to the young wolf's soft crown before slipping away from the group.

"I'll go get Cae, he's prolly gettin' in a second final meal," she called to them over her shoulder, before taking off at a jog. The sooner he was here the quicker they could leave. Then everyone could just see for themselves that things would be just fine. They totally had this.