Grizzly Hollow Are You Watching Closely?

O O C | Welcome to GH’s first pack meeting! The deadline for this post round is March 29th, so please post before then if you wish to remain among the pack’s ranks.

A month had nearly passed since Borden had taken Jaysyek, Vlarindara and Raigo out of the shadow of Mount Dire and the new alpha could not help but to be proud of all that he had accomplished. Not only had he managed to escape his fear of growing old underneath Alexander’s reign, just as his uncle had done under his father, but he had finally taken up the role he had always been meant to take: the position of a leader, a caretaker to those who were loyal to him, and, soon enough, a parent, a father. He paced about quietly around the mound that housed the tunnel that led down into the underground den where his pack usually slept as a whole. Stopping before he passed the tunnel entrance for a third time, he stepped backwards and sat down. Everyone was out exploring, patrolling, and hunting, he was sure, but one howl, he hoped, would call them all together. The two ladies, whom he owed everything to now, had been busy recruiting, acquainting themselves with prospective pack members while he was occupied with staking out a suitable territory for them to call home. The time had finally come for a pack meeting, not just to introduce everyone to one another but to share and exchange news.

Carefully ordering his thoughts, he decided where to start, how to go about things pertaining to pack order and the priority in which possible tasks needed to be carried out. He wondered if Jayse would have an idea how to delegate duties. His head shook and he quietly scolded himself; he wanted Jayse to simply relax, to not have to worry about anything other than her well-being in the next couple of months. His forehead and brows creased as he finally settled on a notion about how to initiate the meeting. His mind wandered into a scenario in which chaos would override the composed and solemn air of the assembly. Of course, bringing others into the picture would change the flow of the gathering; he had no choice but to accept that anything unexpected would be taken care of then and there if and/or when it arose. With Jayse and Vlarindara to help maintain order and sort things out, he tried telling himself that he had no reason to stress out any further.

Taking a moment to recompose his posture, he stood up and shook out his pelt before sitting back down. He took a deep breath then released it through his teeth. Tilting his head up to the afternoon sky, he released a smooth, beckoning call to those who had pledged their loyalty to the wolves of Grizzly Hollow.

Well, what do you want from me?

OOC: And Kauda meets Borden. :3 It was a very wonderful day. There were a few fluffy white clouds hanging around in the sky, the bright, blinding sun peering around them. The warm ball of light cast sunshine all around Relic Lore and caused the tempuratures to rise rapidly - a lot warmer than it had been the day before and the day before that of course. Spring was finally coming, and one of the ones who was enjoying it most was a small, black she - wolf named Kauda Kokki. Kauda stretched out on her side deep in the forest, soaking in the sunlight through her dark fur (which attracted more sunlight that light colored fur, scientifically). Her stomach was full with the chipmunk she had caught on her and Jayse's little hunting party. Lazy blue eyes fell closed and she let out a happy sigh. Exhaustion was not a problem, Kauda was actually filled with a bunch of energy. She was just resting, soaking up whatever sunlight she could get. It was absolutely wonderful. Yawning lazily and revealing ivory white fangs, she suddenly paused. From somewhere in the distance, a loud, dominant howl. It was from an unfirmiliar voice and Kauda's eyebrows creased with concern, though she didn't want to worry. She did hear the dominance in the voice though, and she figured it was probably the other leader that Jayse spoke of - Borden. Ohhh, but you're ruining my lazy day! Kauda thought to herself. The dark ebony she - wolf let out a groan and rolled over onto her back, stretching her front paws out in front of her. She could do what she wanted, but she couldn't get away from a pack meeting. Blinking lazy blue eyes, she rolled over once more onto her stomach and pushed herself off the ground with powerful, agile black legs. Letting out a sigh, she twisted herself around to where the sound came from and began to trot along the forest. Hmmmm.... thought Kauda happily glancing up at the sky and letting her light pink tongue loll out of her mouth. With her tongue hanging carelessly out of the side of her mouth, her eyes with a sort of happy and lazy vibe to them, and her trot with a sort of comfort and bubbliness in it, she looked like a little, grown up pup. What an oxi-moron. Sniffing whatever blooming flowers Kauda passed and watching the trees go by her, she let a smile light her dark features. She honestly couldn't wait to meet her other leader. Jayse had chosen him as a mate, so he must have something good about him. Finally, after a bit of a long trot through the woods, Kauda arrived at her destination. The dark she - wolf spotted a large wolf sitting comfortably in front of her. His fur was a mixture of different colors and his eyes were a pale gold. "Well, hello there!" Kauda emitted from the thick undergrowth so that the wolf, Borden, could see her. "You must be Borden, right? I'm Kauda." she came right into her name. Borden was her alpha and she was his pack member. They had to keep trust in each other or else the pack would fall apart. Plus, if she didn't trust the alpha enough to tell him her name then she shouldn't be here at all. Smiling, she lowered herself into a sitting position, her fluffy black tail wagging happily behind her.

OOC: Wewt Wewt!

Most of the time, Vlarindara held herself with an odd sense of decorum.. self respect..dignity.. but today? She wanted to cut loose.. allow herself to do something that she secretly enjoyed more than most anything in the world; run. The white female had followed Bordens' scent markings, adding her own underlying tone..and once she came to the end of her rounds decided to simply stretch out and run.. The woods were open.. the sun was shining.. it was warmer than it had been in days.. Why waste it? Vlarindara held her tail behind her like a banner as she broke out from her mile eating trot to a dead sprint. The wind rushed through her fur, her tongue lolled from the side of her mouth as she panted..in-taking oxygen to power her highest run. Front legs folded between the back ones, launching her forward in great bounding leaps of speed.

Flying over a fallen tree, she landed and barely breaking stride, continued to simply...run. She had run for what felt like hours, but in reality was only about five minutes. The white female slowed to a jog as she turned and began moving back towards the pack den, letting her lungs catch up to the more normal pace she set. That had been.. Exhilarating! She had forgotten how much fun it was to simply let go.. and run.. let the wind carry her, her feet go were they might. She stopped and listened as a familiar howl broke the peace of the forest, over-large ears cocked forward as she sorted the sound. Borden was calling the pack together. Being a good distance out yet, Vlarindara inhaled and lifted her muzzle to the sky, a melodic warbling howl in answer to his call... "Coming.." it said.. She might be a bit late.. but she could at least respond to his call..let him know she would be coming.

Instead of picking up the speed and racing ahead to get there, Vlarindara simply trotted, her tail wagging jauntily over her back as she reentered their territory. The scent of the Grizzly Hollow wolves was abundant here.. and that was perfect.. It meant they would be able to keep intruders at bay... she could only hope Raigo might show... Vlarindara stepped into the clearing that made the pack dens primary site and saw Borden along with another female.. one she'd barely met... and had offered a meal to..only to be scorned.. At first, she wanted to growl at the female, but she held her tongue clamped firmly in her jaws before lowering herself to her belly once she was close enough to Borden. The plumed tail had gone from high and curled to tucked firmly beneath her legs as she advanced on him with a soft whine and licked at his chin before backing away..from both him and the onyx female.

There were more wolves in the pack..'twas true.. and she might have come with him to help establish the pack.. but she refused to make assumptions about rank or leadership. There was no reason to. In her eyes, Borden and Jaysyek were the alphas of the pack.. everyone else was expected to defer.. of course the black female wasn't.. It wasn't Vlarindara's place to call her out on it either.. for all she knew, this..Kauda would be higher in rank than she would be. A soft sigh escaped the females muzzle as she settled herself onto her haunches a few feet away from both wolves, tail curled tightly around her feet. She was attentive, her eyes, ears and nose trained on the forest surrounding them.. but each time she returned her gaze to the two present wolves, she was careful not to meet either set of eyes..and keep her head lowered. This...pack business really was a quandary to her.

our dreams are
only begining.
dim now, brightning.

The day started like it always did. Jaysyek had to get going too. First waking up, the begnining of her morning routine. Stretching and wandering to the stream for a brisk drink. She had her own way, and time checking the borders. She'd wander near, and around them marking where it needed a fresh reminder. Once she had a certain degree of accomplishment she'd take a minute to further investigate old animals trails. Or old burrows something to keep her busy.

Pulling nose from a tiny furrow in the ground, a deep note interupted, and echoed round the woods. Silver head rose, and her ears flipped listening to the call. Borden had decided a pack meeting was in order. Sounded like a good idea, and she lingered momentarily. She was not trying to be eschew. She was merely sifting through her thoughts, and trying to be sure he was back by the pack den. Calmy eyes blinked, and she twirled round eager to answer her mate's call. Legs collected into a quick trot, and glided along. Nerves were somewhat tight, and she was a bit uneasy. What news were they going to share? What places and roles would they give their packmembers? What did Borden think? She wished she could have spoken privately to him. She breathed in a slow breath. She was Jasyek Enap Lyall, and leader of Grizzy Hollow. She needed to be a strong guide not a nervous wreck.

Diligently head, and tail rose high, and she carried herself with stiff asertiveness, condfidence. If she played the part of the leader, that was what she was. Once she had this set in mind, and bestowed her grace she relaxed. Approaching the den, she saw three wolves. First her eyes met Borden's and a little smile flickered on her lips. Next was Vlar, and Kauda. She exchanged more quiet looks, but it did make her proud to see they were both here. Now if only everyone else arrived. She knew Kiche was a little different, surely if Aisling came he would come. She still had yet to figure out how to make him feel welcome. These thoughts were put aside, and she approached her mate. Tongue lapped at his cheek, and quietly she sat taking her spot beside him.

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For the past few days, Aisling had absolutely refused to wander away from her wonderful new home. She was still trying to stick her nose into every crevice, and was quite dependent on Pangur to scout the trees for her, so she'd know everything about them too. This had been something like her job when she was still with her parents. She thought she had good eyes, and her parents did too, so they sent her away to sniff things and make sure that no one came in that wasn't supposed to. Thankfully no one ever did. Aisling wasn't the most threatening of wolves...

But this wasn't a job. She just liked doing. Poking her nose into holes to see what used to live (or still did live) in them. If she found something scary, she could tell Jayse or Borden. They could kill it or move it somewhere else. She'd feel useful. So what if she couldn't tear the head off a bear, or hunt very well, or really do anything well for that matter? She could fearlessly stick her nose into holes and report back and make someone else deal with whatever was inside of it! That was useful...Wasn't it?

The pale girl had her nose in a particularly small hole, when Borden howled. At the very same moment, something scratched her nose, and the small girl tumbled back, a squeaky yelp popping from between her clenched teeth. "Sticking your nose where you shouldn't be..." Pangur reminded her again. Running the backside of her paw over her nose revealed that no blood was drawn, but it still hurt. Scrunching up her nose, and rolling back onto her paws, Aisling sneezed, and shook her entire body, trying to regain what little composure she had. With all four paws solidly beneath her, and her nose not dripping with blood, she went on her way, taking her time through the trees that she could have easily named and told apart by now.

But she wasn't the first at the meeting. Ears twisting back, Aisling crept up towards Borden and Jayse, trying not to bring attention to herself in front of the other two females. Her tail curled near her legs and she looked utterly embarrassed as she stopped before them to tell them what she'd found. <b style="color:#75b0bd">"I-I found a hole...With something in it. It had sharp claws." Her eye twitched slightly as the pain crept into her nose again. <b style="color:#75b0bd">"It's near the tree with the branch with four little short fingers, and the really big rock." Glancing to both of her leaders, she then stepped back, dodging nervously around Vlar to sit a few inches ahead of Kauda. Despite her embarrassment for not showing up first, she still felt most comfortable near her friend Jayse...And Kiche...Wherever he was.

<b style="color:#75b0bd">"speech."

<blockquote>It was by mere horrifying coincidence that Kiche happened to be nearby when the eerie song ripped through the ominous composure of the afternoon. Immediately, he bawked, dropping low to the ground, his ducking to hide themselves from the torturous monster sounds that haunted this forest he was supposed to call home, now. It was those heathens he lived with. They were, as Aisling had informed him, howling. The very practice drove stakes into the aching heart of Kiche. In the dappled, rippling shade, the formidably sized creature cowered, whimpering a confused dissonance.

Instincts told him nothing, conveyed no message to his ears. What he heard was devil-music, deep, dark, and evil — not a call. Against his will, though, his legs were drawn towards the quivering note that hung stagnant in the air about him. Voodoo, devil-magic, murder, murder! Every ounce of Kiche's body screamed with paranoia, conjuring up images of ritual circles and chanting and bloodletting and death. Would they be sacrificing him? Aisling?

Oh Pangur. Aisling.

No matter what, Kiche had sworn to himself to protect that innocent lamb. She seemed to genuinely like these creatures, and perhaps that was very dangerous. Maybe she was nearby, maybe she was with the heathen who had howled. Thoughtlessly, the pace quickened, until his monolithic ginger body erupted onto the scene. His vision was assaulted by the disgusting apparitions that clawed at his eyes, for before him there were many heathens. Even though he recognized all but one, his heart still lurched, and the contents of his stomach threatened a revolt. But suddenly there was a flicker of a naively white pelt that soothed his hackles and writhing organs. Aisilng. He ran to her, immediately greeting her muzzle with a swift lick.

"Angel! I was worried!"</blockquote>

like my art? comission me!

<blockquote><i>OOC | no muse, new computer, weird keyboard, too lazy and busy to get into a template and table; just moving this thread along... so, I beg your pardon.</i>

The Grizzly Hollow alpha's brows raised at the sight of Kauda and the sound of her chirp-like greetings. He merely nodded, wanting to remain in the solemn ambience he had set. It wasn't long before a familiar howl resonated through the air. <i>Vlarindara was on her way.</i> Good.

The large ivory female placed a respectful "kiss" to his chin after she arrived. Borden successfully kept a smile from breaking his stern expression. As she took a seat, he couldn't help but be rather proud of her; she had come a long way from the wolf he had rescued from the Thicket. Jayse appeared moments later. His golden eyes were careful to take in her figure, to study the way she carried herself to his side. Thus far no one had said anything more... This, Borden considered, was a good thing. He wouldn't have to calm the pack or do anything out of the ordinary to gather their attention.

Then came Aisling, the third white lady of the Hollow. The leader listened as she stuttered, mentioning a hole or a burrow of some sort. <b>"I'll take care of it,"</b> he whispered before she stepped back. <b>"Don't... Don't worry about it."</b> He assumed it must have been some sort of mole or groundhog - something not much of a hassle - but nevertheless, he wanted to make sure she was alright. When Kiche finally stepped onto the scene, he swallowed. His first encounter with the male had truly been something else, but Borden was rather glad that he came. Their views were, no doubt, still very different, but he couldn't be troubled to wrangle with him any more at a time like this.

The Lyall waited a few moments before starting, hoping second after second that he would see Raigo's familiar form burst forth from behind a tree or from the brush along the river. Ten minutes slid past and he had no choice but to begin. <b>"First of all, thank you all for coming, I... I just wanted to call for a meeting to make certain that the pack had enough sets of eyes to help with the coming and going of Spring and Summer."</b> His paws shifted a bit nervously in the pine needles as he eyed the wolves around him. <b>"I trust you all to keep the territory borders well-guarded and to utilize any skills you possess to keep our pack safe, prosperous, and strong..."</b>

He paused to gather his thoughts but found he could not put them in order. He clenched his molars together but continued, either way, he hoped, they would listen. Any questions they had, he would be sure they wouldn't go unanswered. <b>"In the next few days I will be venturing to Mount Dire, to settle an old score. While I am away, Vlarindara, as appointed Second, should be able to handle any additional concerns should they arise."</b> He quietly glanced to Jaysyek before taking a deep breath. <b>"Jaysyek and I are also hopefully expecting new additions to the family in the next couple of months...."</b>

As much as he did not want to end on such a topic, a hint of a smile curled itself around his maw. He gazed to his pack once more, studying each of them before adding, <b>"If there is anything else that needs to be addressed, please feel free to speak now."</b></blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Apr 06, 2011, 04:15 AM by Borden.)

Well, what do you want from me?

Kauda was pumped full of adrenaline and it was all she could do not to jump up in down and wag her tail like a playful puppy. It was her first real pack meeting! Of course, there was the times when she was young in her parent's pack when they held meetings, but Kauda hardly ever went to those; she played with Kanaii and Makita in their den instead. Everyone else didn't seem very excited about it and Kauda wondered why? Vlarindara - Kauda recognized the large white figure immediately - appeared, her tail tucking beneath her and her ears flattening just a bit as she let her pink tongue slide gently across their leader's chin. It was a sign of submission Kauda knew, but she had never really saw the need to act scared around their leader. She never acted scared around Jayse, why should she to Borden? Curious blue eyes watched Vlarindara settle a bit away from both her and Borden. Kauda, not wanting to let Vlar feel left out, wanted to go and sit beside her, especially after her whole ideal between Vlar and Raigo in the forest. But, she remained still, her eyes moving to stare at her paws guiltily. It was when Jayse appeared. It was odd that Kauda had learned to trust Jayse so easily. Maybe it was the way that she talked to her softly, the way that she acted like she actually cared. It comforted Kauda. No doubt, the ebony female wouldn't be at the meeting (or apart of the pack at all) if it weren't for the kind white wolf. Despite how Kauda treated her so rudely when they first met, she definitely considered her a friend right now and she hoped that Jayse felt the same. Of course, Kauda couldn't blame her if those weren't her feelings. Kauda just barely kept from jumping up and sitting next to Jayse instead. However, she remained still, though she still shot Jayse happy glances. Kauda wanted to look absolutely professional at this meeting. First impressions meant a lot and Kauda didn't want everyone to remember her as the goofy puppy. She was the mighty yearling. The wolves weren't done coming, however. A familiar she wolf, Aisling, crept forward to the two alphas. Kauda let a bit of curious thoughts wander around inside her head. Why did Aisling want the alphas? The answer came quickly. "I-I found a hole...With something in it. It had sharp claws." Oh. A hole with something with sharp claws. That was a perfectly reasonable reason to need the alphas in Kauda's mind. Claws weren't her favorite things. The white female silently let herself sit a few inches away from Kauda. Happy to have an acquaintance near, since that was the best it got for her (besides Jayse), Kauda let a cheerful smile light her face. Kauda hardly noticed Kiche's words to Aisling or Borden's nod at her welcoming words. That was until Borden began the meeting. He spoke of a couple of pack things, but Kauda was still sort of taking in everyone here. These were the members of Grizzly Hollow. Her pack. Her home. And then, he spoke of Jayse and her ears perked up happily. Pups!? How cool! Truthfully, Kauda didn't think much about her future and pups and stuff, but she knew she wanted pups when she grew to be older. She didn't think about it right now either, but she did feel very happy for Jayse. Kauda would tell her friend that later, but she kept her mouth shut right now to finish the meeting. Her leader spoke of traveling to the mountains. Keep an eye out for any.. brown wolves named Makita or white ones named Kanaii. she wanted to say, but kept her mouth shut. Borden probably wouldn't really care. Letting out a silent sigh, Kauda wondered why she still thought about searching for Kanaii? He drowned a long time ago. Maybe she just couldn't accept that. Maybe her heart didn't want to let him go. Pack meeting well done. thought Kauda happily, letting Kanaii slip from her mind.

OOC: Bawwwwhhhgg! I'm back..kinda. >.O I hope1

As the various wolves filtered in, Vlarindara took note of Jaysyek's arrival, followed by Aisling and then another wolf she'd yet to meet, Kiche. It was...interesting seeing the smaller female who thought she saw things in the leaves of the forests, but it wasn't Vlarindara's place to comment on such things now was it? As amber eyes swept over the gathering, the white female couldn't help but feel as if they were missing a member, the seventh of their number, but not the weakest.. They were missing Raigo, though there was little she could do about his disappearance - she'd gone to hunt him down as best she could without luck of finding him. When Borden began to speak, Vlarindara turned her attention to the two alphas who were sitting beside one another and couldn't help but find herself proud to be a part of this pack. She was equally as proud that she had acquiesced her shaky claim to the larger male when Jaysyek had come along.

She nodded quietly when his request to ensure the pack borders and members were both reinforced and taken care of in the coming months - something she had expected to hear at this meeting. Perhaps with the strong markings from both alphas, herself and one or two other pack members, the lone, venturing wolves wouldn't dare step foot onto their territory, would they? It was the second thing he spoke of.. of leaving to Mount Dire to settle a score.. perhaps..the parting of the two wolves from the Midnight Plateau pack hadn't gone smoothly? Her jaws clamped down on a whine, an offer to go with him as an escort.. for company...She'd have to stay here with Jaysyek - if her guess was any good.. the other two females of their little band were young...and the male.. she knew as little about him as she knew of the birds that flew the skies.

Keeping her mouth shut had proved futile, however when he spoke of her being the appointed second and handling the concerns that might come up dropped her jaw, which she hastily covered with a sneeze into the dirt between her paws. As a result, dust and dirt flew up into her eye, prompting a large white paw to be lifted and rubbed against the side of her face to get it loose. Her, a second?! That was...It..How?! She knew nothing at all about how a pack worked! To say that she was shocked was an understatement, but... she couldn't turn it down in the least.. how could she? But.. how could they choose a wolf who spent over a month gone from the pack hunting down a ghost? It...was an honour...really. The white female shook her head, her overlarge ears flopping this way and that before her paw dislodged the dirt that she'd sneezed up into her eye.

The comment of pups made something within her gut curl happily, but she didn't mind it - she wanted to watch the puppies..care for them. Despite never having been a mother herself, she enjoyed the smaller creatures. Vlarindara waited until he finished speaking and had asked that questions be resolved now and remained quiet - she'd thank the alphas in private.. when the other wolves had left the pack grounds. It was...odd to think of her having the ability to help the pack in such a way.. but she knew that she'd do anything to keep any of the wolves safe - is that what it meant to be second? She'd...have to ask."

our dreams are
only begining.
dim now, brightning.

The next to arrive was Aisling, and a warm smile was hinted in the girl's direction. But it was clear something wasn't quite right, and brows wrinkled in concern. Something in a hole with sharp claws? Lips parted to ease the girl's concern, but Borden was first to respond that he would take care of it. That Jayse supposed would be best, and she nodded her head in agreement. Her unmatched eyes watched as the cream girl took a seat nearby. She wondered where Kiche was or where he had been since he seemed so close to Aisling. Like clockwork the ginger male seemed to realize she was with the small gathering and shot out of the shadows. Something stirred in Jayse how he only looked round hardly looking at them before clinging to Aisling's side. She was beginging to learn he was very different wolf, and she wasn't sure how she liked him so close to Aisling seeming dramatized. They weren't very simpatico. Aisling was easy going and upbeat. Kiche was Kiche. She had no idea what the dynamics of this relationship were, and for a brief moment how Borden would take his lack of respect, or well the notice to his leaders. At the time it didn't seem to bother her mate, and she pushed it out of her own head as he started the meeting.

Once he started speaking the pale wolf lightly nudged his shoulder for support. And the words of heading back to their old home brought her ears up, for this was news. He had sounded like he hadn't wanted too before, and now he was? She had mixed feelings with the issue, but would not stop him. One way or another it needed to be dealt with, they had both decided that. Shee sat proudly by his side, a soft grin encassing her lips when he spoke their news to the group. Gentlely she bumped him with her elbow, but held off any more public affection. It was time for the rest of the pack to speak.

Everyone wasn't saying much, but taking it in. Unmatched eyes drifted amongst the gathering looking for clues within. Kauda seemed rather happy, and Jayse made sure to give her a brief wink. She was thrilled to see the yearling thriving and hoped all was still well. Vlar her thoughts seemed to be her tasks ahead, and sneezes or something. It must be Jayse's turn. Whoo here goes.Taking a thoughtful look round, she said "Yes, hopefully in time there will be little ones running round, and I would like everyone to be involved with them. Before that time comes I would like to add another entrance to the den, and keep it tidy," she made sure to look to everyone then before she continued,"And I was curious if anyone was interested in getting a co-rank by chance?"

(This post was last modified: Apr 11, 2011, 04:50 AM by Jaysyek.)