Dead Empress Backwater pain is a game we all gotta play

Random Event: Dead Empress Backwater, your largest cache has been raided recently, but who could have done it? Was it a rival animal or worse... a rival wolf?

Things were changing so much, and he was doing his best to cope with them all. Asmund was still a rare sight amongst the pack as a whole, but inch by inch he was slowly crawling out of his shell, and those who could see it most were likely @Clover and @Viorel. As much as he tried to be present for the latter, he couldn't follow the man outside of the territory and when he was home, the anger he radiated and the anxiety it caused the traumatized child were only tolerable in small doses.

Clover, though? Even with everything that had happened, even in the state she was in, she was the same. Stable, comforting. While he left snacks and other gifts for Viorel, he would actually come out of hiding to spend time at length with his other leader. Of course, only when she was resting, and only when there were no other presences. The former was becoming more frequent, but it was difficult at times to dodge @Vayko's own visits. Asmund was pretty sure the pups that were supposed to be inside of her would be here soon, maybe even any day. What would change then?

He'd caught a rabbit, and was on his way to check in with her now, to see if the coast was even clear when something odd entered his nose. The lanky youth slowed to a stop, and set the carcass down to better sample the air around him. That feeling of strange turned to wrong quickly. Something, or someone, who didn't belong had been here. It didn't smell like him but who was to say they were any less dangerous? Adrenaline dumped into his veins and he began to yip and yowl, sounding the alarm as though mortally wounded.

(This post was last modified: May 31, 2023, 10:54 PM by Asmund.)

some fairy tales are more than true

Sage hadn't found her place within the pack yet,  but that hadn't stopped her from trying. She mostly stuck to herself allowing her packmates to grieve their loss but was always nearby. She spent her time studying the plants in the area, hunting for the pack, and marking the borders. She wanted to make friends, learn and gain a role, but her shyness kept her quietly at bay. Now was not a good time with the passing of her friend's sister anyhow. The yearling was minding her own business searching for a way to contribute for the day when a cry sent a chill down her spine. Instinctively she froze, ears alert with eyes full of worry.

Tentatively at first she edged forward before anxiety's grip lessened enough so she could run. Sprinting as fast as her legs could carry her toward whatever danger awaited.

Coming upon the scene the girl slowed, hackles raised and looking around for whatever might've hurt the wolf before her. She couldn't see anything or anyone else,  but their scent hung heavy in the air. With her head lowered and tail wagging low in submission, Sage turned her attention to the boy. She took a few hesitant steps closer, "Are you hurt?" Her voice was soft and shy, but she pushed passed her own nerves in hopes of helping him, "Did they attack you?" She couldn't smell blood on him, aside from a rabbit, but that didn't mean he couldn't have been shoved around."She speaks" She walks She thinks

Dead Empress Backwater

Warning for swearing!

The Valle man had been pacing just outside of the pack borders, a favourite activity of his nowadays, though could anything be your favourite if you didn’t enjoy it. He felt pent up, isolated, on edge, hackles flared at random and it took very little to send him over the cusp into anger. Logically he knew it wasn’t the pack's fault and so he was removing himself more and more other than getting his duties done. He didn’t want to snap at them, but couldn't help himself. So he stayed away.

Viorel had been shredding branches from a nearby tree and practically mulching them in his jaws, just as an excuse to bite something when the panicked calls had reached him. Spitting the bark from his mouth - and gracelessly choking on a piece - the dark man recognized the voice and was off in an instant. Still, he wasn’t the first to arrive and over his harsh, short breaths he heard the teen ask if they had attacked him.

Nostrils flared, taking in the unfamiliar scent, ”They who? Who did this Asmund?” It wasn’t the loner again, his smell Viorel would have recognized, this was someone or something new. He took a couple steps further, following the trail, when yellow eyes fell on the ripped open cache and the shreds of their hard work scattered around the earth. Teeth barred he snarled, ”Fuck.” The pups would arrive any day and now they were a cache down, just their luck.

(This post was last modified: May 25, 2023, 08:14 PM by Viorel.)

Asmund almost didn't hear those who responded so swiftly to him over his own racket. When he saw Sage's bright coat he thought for a moment she was Clover, but instead she fell into the category of practical stranger and Az couldn't help but raise his hackles and bare his fangs in a fearful grimace. Nothing about her was aggressive, and her words were gentle and expressed care. Still, he couldn't bring his jaws to work until Viorel arrived.

Greatly relieved, he promptly glued himself to the leader. Even with all the anger he radiated, the man still represented safety and at least in this moment Az felt it was clear that he was not in any part the source of the Valle patriarch's ire.

"I don't know," he answered them both, ears falling back. He wished he did, but all the information Asmund had was that which they could now see and smell for themselves.

"Is it... coyote?" there was a tinge of hopefulness. He hated their scrawny rivals, but they were still less threatening than another wolf.

(This post was last modified: Jun 17, 2023, 07:18 PM by Asmund.)

some fairy tales are more than true

Sage was immediately taken aback, her ears pinning while her paws backpedaled—wide eyes adverting his gaze. Confusion about why he'd bared his teeth at her was the least of her concerns when another arrived. The man was older than the youth with an overwhelming presence. Could he be? The yearling was unsure but felt her body lowering with shaking legs. The Hervok was intimidated by the pair and now the dark male with piercing eyes was speaking harshly.

She slunk forth to see what the man had cursed at, peering around him nervously. Immediately her tail fell limp along with her ears in dismay. Disappointment in her vibrant green orbs. She frowned, uncertain of how to respond. After a silent moment, the girl looked to Viorel for guidance.

"She speaks" She walks She thinks

Dead Empress Backwater

Nobody seemed to have any answers for Viorel, but the way that Sage practically cowered and Asmund pressed himself against his side was not lost on him. For a moment he thought that the pair of them had gotten into some kind of trouble but quickly dismissed the thought. He did his best to smooth his fur, though his muscles were still tense beneath his pelt and he couldn’t get himself to meet the young girl’s gaze. Later he would feel bad about this interaction, but for now he was pissed off.

His nostrils flared again and then he nodded, ”Probably coyote.” His voice was still stern but less fiery than it had been before, he was doing his best. Turning abruptly his nose planted itself to the ground to follow the trail to where the pest had gone to, he needed to get his teeth into it. Without looking up he called, ”We need to find it and teach it a lesson.” Surely between the three of them they would have no problem kicking the snot out of the rival that had helped itself to their hard work. Shoulders rolled and he grinned at the thought.

It was odd to him, the way she reacted. Asmund couldn't remember ever causing someone else fear or trepidation, and watching these emotions cross over the older girl's countenance stirred feelings he didn't have the time to try and sift through. Clearly, there was a far more pressing matter at paw.

Probably coyote, Viorel confirmed, and for a brief moment Az experienced relief. Still a threat, but at least it wasn't someone like wolf who'd taken his mother and all sense of safety from him. This didn't last though, washed away by a fresh bout of fear as Viorel used the word 'we.'

Maybe if it had been someone other than the newcomer Sage, the boy would have simply assumed he wasn't a part of that pronoun. It felt clear though now that he was being roped into hunting down another predator, and every muscle locked up on him in terror. Sure, he'd had a few lessons with the leader on tussling, but that wasn't the same as having actual experience. Asmund wasn't strong, he wasn't brave, he wasn't capable and yet...

That was why @Llinnea had left him. He couldn't give Viorel reason to turn his back on him too. Visibly quivering with anxiety, he followed.

Eros had heard Asmund from a distance, and moved as quickly through the muddy forest as his legs would take him. When he came upon the scene, his father had his nose to the ground, Asmund was shaking like a leaf and Sage looked like she'd just been berated. At the least, none of them were harmed. He used his own nose and eyes to asses, quickly gathering enough clues to roughly surmise what the issue was.

Coyote.

With a snort he turned his back to the disturbed cache and moved to stand at Sage's side. The once-verbose wolf didn't speak, choosing instead to simply meet the gaze of any who might look to him. He was here to help.

some fairy tales are more than true

A coyote? Why would it...Sage pondered to herself the stupidity of the creature for daring to come into a pack's territory. Yet, it had been successful. Its lack of intelligence might not be as persistent as she'd first thought. The girl's nervous energy merely increased at what Viorel said next. Now she fully sunk to the ground with a facial expression of dismay. Oh boy, she was in for a ringer today. This wasn't what she would have had in mind for contributing to her new home. Her eyes returned to the other yearling as he followed quivering behind whom she assumed to be the male alpha. Gulping she too rose up and followed behind, looking like a scorned child.

Eros's arrival brought some comfort to the girl, and she met his gaze with slight relief. A platonic nudge of affection was offered, followed by a worried expression. "I don't know how to help..." She whispered to him quietly. Bite the coyote, she figured, but wasn't there more to fighting? She'd missed out on the puppy tussling being a singleton and her older half-siblings barely took interest in her. She'd never fought anyone, she was meek, and peace was more her interest."She speaks" She walks She thinks

Dead Empress Backwater

This thread is pretty old so just putting a fade here

Eros appeared, silent and ready to go to work, and for that the salt and pepper wolf was thankful. Asmund was receiving fighting lessons but was not exactly the most tenacious wolf, and Sage appeared to be trembling with fear. He sighed, a little disappointed that the pair of them were visibly afraid and not in the mood to give them any kind of pep talk to get them up to the task.

Instead he gestured with his muzzle, ”Asmund, you and Sage go get one of the other adults and send them our way.” That way they would actually be helping without having to do any of the fighting. Turning back to Eros he smiled a kind of cold grin, ”In the meantime, Eros and I should be able to handle this.” Viorel was confident he could take on most coyotes in a one on one setting, but having some spare paws couldn’t hurt. Some kind of sick and twisted version of father-son bonding, if you could even call it that.

Turning without waiting for their reactions, Viorel disappeared following the vermin’s scent.

FADE