Swift River No Other One

This is set on the same day as Indru's return. I'd like this thread to move along fairly quickly, so if everybody could respond to this by September 4th, I'd appreciate it.

Gone Tomorrow

The rain had begun to let up as the pair made their way back towards the marked Swift River lands. It reminded Corinna so much of when Indru had first brought her back here after their reintroduction at Luna Hill. But how the circumstances had changed since then. They were hardly the same two wolves that they had been then, and yet they were not completely different. They walked side by side, much as they had then, though their pace was much slower due to Indru's injuries. The key difference was that this time, she held the power between them and it was with her permission that Indru was returning to the lands that he had originally claimed. The shift in power dynamic became even more apparent as they reached the physically marked borders. It was her own scent that secured them, and while Indru's had not disappeared, it was muted and long out of date. But the crossing of the borders hit home to Corinna that the tawny wolf beside her, the one who had haunted her dreams both waking and sleeping every day since he had left, was back. He was home where he belonged.

Of course, he was not returning just for her. So she made a direct path towards the heart of their territory. Normally the young of the pack should have been moved to a rendezvous site once they had been weaned, but with her being the sole protector of the youths, she had wanted to keep them in a place most frequently traveled by the pack wolves. Even if none of the others had been there recently, the place stank of Swift River, a formidable barrier to any predators who had in mind to feast on the helpless wolf pups. But a scented barrier was nowhere near as secure as the physical presence of a sitter, and as soon as the den came into sight, Corinna broke from her mate's side and ran forward, her face a picture of concern and worry.

On her elbows, the she wolf crawled into the den, tail flat out behind her in the entrance. Peering in, she took survey of the contents of the rocky hole. Three black noses, six ears, and 12 paws. All was right in the world. Breathing a sigh of relief, she pulled back out of the den and fixed her green stare on Indru. One of the last times that Corinna had seen him had been when she had been inside giving birth to the pups. During the time she was in labor and a few days afterwards, she had not let him come further than the entrance, her motherly instincts refusing to let anybody else come close to the three cherished lives. So really, she had no idea what her pups remembered of Indru. And in his present state, he didn't look anything like the father they might remember. So she had no idea what to expect. The best she could do was keep a protective eye on them, and be the shield and comfort her young ones would need when coming to meet this stranger. Voicing her concerns, Cori spoke up, "I'm sorry, but I'm not sure if they'll remember..." It was to be expected if they didn't, but she was willing to try.

Turning back around, the leader pushed her way into the den, careful to not hit her gray head on the ceiling. Stepping around the other two small bodies, she nosed Rihael, licking his gray head before picking him up by the scruff of the neck. Lifting him off the ground, she carried him outside, setting him in the den entrance. Repeating the process with both Kisla and Fenru, she finally emerged, set the last puppy on the ground, and stood up, green eyes surveying Indru. This was his family. This is what he had returned to. Hopefully it was worth the price of the journey. "Kids...this Dad." She had mentioned him enough, so hopefully they would know who she was talking about.

(This post was last modified: Aug 30, 2011, 09:25 PM by Corinna.)

<blockquote><i>Booooooored bored bored bored</i> was the sentiment that echoed in Rihael's mind, though he was hardly old enough to know what the word meant. Yet things had been quiet in Swift River, and so the eldest of the new generation of Tainns was holed up in the den, laying on his back, overlarge paws batting idly at the dark ceiling. The soft light of day filled their home, but Hael knew the rays that shone inside were just a sample, teasing him, of what was outside. Being in here made him feel so restless, though lately he had been weak, and hadn't eaten as much as he was used to...

...But no sooner than he could heave a sigh for the fortieth time that day, or flop over to his left to bug Kisla who he assumed was gently snoozing, a large shape and an overwhelming familiar smell blocked out the light from the den entrance. In came Mom, and Hael perked up, ears twitching slightly in disdain as her huge tongue swept across his forehead. <b>"Moooooom I'm <i>awaaake</i>,"</b> he sleepily whined, and was swiftly lifted from his comfy spot on the den floor and hoisted up by the nape of his neck. Instinctively he fell limp, and was carried outside, his newly-changed orange eyes narrowing as if in pain as he was brought out into the hot sunlight. Once his eyes adjusted to the light, however, he beheld the wolf before him for the first time as he was placed on the ground. Who was this?

The <i>totally</i> not tired Rihael tilted his head, blinking in the sunlight, as he watched the big wolf. By now he was accustomed to those larger than he was, but this guy was... special. Hael recognized his scent somehow, and he struggled to place it as he studied the wolf's face, his orange eyes... he looked kinda like Uncle Triell— different colors, though...

In his usual fashion, the oldest baby Tainn clambered to his feet, sauntering forward to meet this new wolf, though not with his normal fervor. His weakness didn't stop him from nosing around at the wolf's front paws, and at his knees, which he could now reach; his mind went crazy over the scent, and he nosed at the wolf's furry chest, pausing only when he heard—

—<i>"Dad."</i> Stopped cold, Hael stepped back a little, looking up wide-eyed at the wolf, really taking him in for the first time.

...Really? Was it true? <b>"...Dad?"</b> Rihael echoed, testing out the word for the first time. This wolf... now it made sense, why there was something that seemed so special about him. For a moment he was shocked, craning his head backward, suddenly feeling uneasy... but then, an overwhelming happiness filled him, and inexplicably, he found himself grinning ear-to-ear. Dad... Dad was <i>here</i>!

He threw himself into his dad's soft, strong chest, licking him and snuggling in so hard that it made his neck ache and smooshed up his face. <b>"Dad! Dad..."</b> He pulled back at last, grinning toothily, realizing that there was a matter of business that he needed to attend to:

<b>"Dad, I'm Rihael— you're my dad!</b>" This being done, Rihael glanced backward to check on his siblings and his mother, still smiling unfalteringly, blissfully unaware that he'd just completely stated the obvious. All he knew was that life was better now, now that everyone was together, and that Dad had finally come!</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Sep 06, 2011, 08:13 PM by Rihael.)

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<blockquote>Inside the den Fenru could hear Rihael fidget and twitch. Laying on his side, he merely sighed; these days seemed to <span class='word'>darkle</span> with each passing day, even in the middle of summer with the sun shining bright, things just weren't as they ought to be. If he felt any better than he really was, he probably would have rolled over and told him to quit it or plant a few paw pads in his brother's face. He was trying to go back to sleep. It wasn't too long after he had drifted off into slumber when he heard his stomach gurgle hungrily followed by someone shuffling into the den. One of his ears perked up and he wearily opened his now orange-tinted eyes. Corinna's scent wafted over him and he heard Rihael whine. By the time Fenru was about to look over his shoulder to see what the fuss was about Corinna gently clasped her jowls around his nape.

He blinked as he was set down beside his siblings, in turn, gazing up into the face of a tall, fiery-eyed man... whose eyes sparked a feeling of familiarity within him. He swallowed as his mother introduced him. <i>Dad.</i> While Rihael had practically sprung up to check out the tawny male, Fenru stayed put, though his tail gave a limp wag and a small smile curved up along his muzzle. Rihael glanced back and the youngest Tainn slowly rose onto his paws, simply wondering what his father thought of them.</blockquote>

Taekwondo (M, W, F) | Rapid-Response Day (Tu) | WoW Nights (F, Sat, Sun)

The stress the pack was under was fairly obvious to the rather intuitive youth. Corinna was strict with her words when she told them to stay in the confines of their den before she left every so often to hunt food, and Kisla was certainly not willing to bring the wrath of her mother down upon her.. let alone the need to worry even more for her three young children she had to leave unattended in order to feed.

Kisla had spent the day snoozing gently, every so often her eyes would flutter open to survey her two brothers near her before she would drift back to sleep in boredom. Her creamy paw would twitch with the anticipation of getting outside and running, of learning to hunt and scout the pack borders to mark them, but Corinna had firmly told her these lessons would wait for now, until the pack had become more settled once more. As her light dreams stirred back to wakefulness, Kisla heard the shifting of Rihael. Opening one darker green eye, the girl was about to lift her muzzle and gently clamp her jaws playfully to one of his swinging paws when the shadows flickered at the entrance. Peering to the direction where her mother entered, Kisla was greeted with a kiss on the top of her head. Her stomach gave a jolt, wondering if Corinna had a successful hunt, but she did not get to ask before the silver she-wolf picked up Rihael’s swiftly growing figure and carried him outside. Curious to what this could mean, the pale golden girl was next.

Placed beside Rihael in the damp ground, Kisla cast a short glance to her littermate before studying the stranger before her, wondering who their mother wanted them to meet now. Soon, Fenru was placed beside her and their older brother was already exploring the injured male. As Corinna’s words broke the silence, understanding dawned on Kisla. Rihael’s excitement was not shared by the youthful girl, and it seemed, Fenru. As the last born stood up beside her, Kisla’s shoulder gently touched Fenru’s, her muzzle shifting to tug playfully at his ear; an action she often did when she was uncertain about something else, she would always instead look for a distraction.

sparking up my heart

The walk back had been long and hard but Indru had never been more eager to make it. As they neared the borders his injuries began to become more pronounced as even though he was now over the worst of them he still had to heal, his ribs ached and his left back leg could not hold his weight as easily as it could an hour or more ago. The weakness angered him, especially when he was not only eager to return home (he would have run if he had the energy) but after seeing the state of Corinna he feared for his pups and being unable to provide for them as fully as he was able was infuriating. However Indru could take some solace in the fact that now the worst was over, it would not be long until he had returned to his former self.

As they walked through the boundaries to the heart of the den he was dismayed to find how weak the scents were in Swift River, Corinna's was strong of course, along with Triell, but the others (including his own) were lacking. It did not inspire a strong pack to outsiders, but at least it showed that there was some form of one. Hopefully that had kept them safe for now. Corinna broke away from his side when the den was in sight, rushing towards the place he had once slept each night, and he followed her part of the way before stopping a respectful distance when she dived into the depths. When she spoke to him he opened his mouth to reply but was unsure what to say and so nodded his understanding instead, hoping that he could change that soon enough.

One by one his children were placed in front of him, first the two boys, then the girl and Indru stared at them with awe, his orange eyes wide as he looked upon them. They are perfect, and briefly he raised his eyes to Corinna's before turning them back upon each of them in turn. Rihael — as surely it could only be him — was the first to respond once Corinna had introduced him and Indru watched him test the word and absorb the information with a smile, his heart pounding as he waited, and as the boy repeated the title Corinna had gifted him with back to him he felt his heart swell. As much as Indru wanted to descend on them all and cover them with enough licks, nuzzles and nips to make up for lost time he held his stance, not wishing the scare them. Yet he did not have to wait long until he felt their fur upon his as Hael charged forward and pushed himself against his chest and Indru dropped his muzzle to rest it upon the boys head and run it down his back, grooming him affectionately along his spine. Hael pulled back though and Indru let him, gazing back at the boy, matching him grin for grin, at his words he laughed lightly. Oh I know, I could never not know. You were named after my father. When his sons gazed turned Indru let his eyes follow, falling upon Fenru next who did not seem to have quite the confidence and sureness of his brother. The Tainn took a step forward, dropping his muzzle so that it was level with Fen's (which was not so hard now their spines brushed along the underside of his stomach). Hello Fenru, he whispered, struggling but managing to stop himself leaning forward to lick his muzzle and instead give him space. Keeping the same height he turned his gaze upon his daughter, who was already as beautiful as her mother, and watched her too before whispering much the same, and hello Kisla. Indru loved them effortlessly and with a fierce power he did not know he had and he would wait for as long as it took and do anything for as long as he needed for them to learn it.

Thank you for keeping them safe, and his fiery eyes met Corinna's again, his heart full with the love for his family, as he waited to let them all absorb the new changes that his arrival had made.

Gone Tomorrow

In all honesty, she had no idea how this introduction would go. As she picked up her three month old pups, one by one, her heart was hammering in her chest. Corinna had spent months dreaming of the moment when this would finally happen, and father and sons and daughter would finally be able to meet. She remembered her dismay the very first time she had brought them out of the den, hoping that would be the day that she could introduce them to Indru, but he had been gone by that point. So while delayed, this event had been a long time coming, and she wanted it to go as well as she had always hoped it would.

Before she had emerged with Fenru and Kisla, Rihael had dashed forward to meet the stranger. While their growth might have been stunted somewhat due to the recent food situation, they were still growing, and as Corinna watched her eldest son plow into Indru's chest, she knew full well that the older male would feel it. Over enthusiastic greetings and a completely lack of caution were simply Rihael's way, and it hardly surprised the knowing mother that her son would charge forward with eagerness. But his sheer excitement as the introductions were made brought a genuine smile to her face, and behind her, creme tail wagged early. Yes, this was a good sign. Indru's comment of the perfection of these three beings had filled the leader's chest with pride. Throughout her pregnancy, Cori had often commented on her inexperience on mothering. But as soon as the three young ones had come into the world, she had learned that it was not the same as inability. So Indru's comment only served as a reminder to her that while things were hard, they were not all bad.

Watching her family, the green eyed lady noted with some dismay the lack of reaction of both Fenru and Kisla. Both pups were less curious than Rihael, or at least not as bold in their expression of curiosity, but she had expected, well, something. Lowering her head, she nudged Fenru's cheek, using her muzzle to prod him forward. "It'll be alright, my little one," Cori whispered to him. Maybe it was because he was the youngest, but Fenru had a special place in his mother's heart, and while her own anger and frustration with Indru had not died away completely, she would not rest until her youngest son had also become acquainted with his father. "Kisla? Go on," she encouraged to her daughter, trying to break her from her distraction. She had warned Indru that it might not be easy, but she had not expected the difficulty to extend to her too.

Green eyes lifting, she met Indru's, and a brief smile crossed her lips. Nodding mutely in thanks, she turned her attention back to the three young wolves. Even if the presence of "Dad" made them feel uncomfortable at this stage, she wanted them to know that she was here, as loving and protective of them as ever.

when i look at the stars i feel like myself

His jaws were clamped fiercly around his kill, and they were starting to ache from the weight of it but did he care? No. He had snagged a beaver, a rather lazy, lost one, and could not wait to get it home to the young Tainns. He tired not to think about his own growling belly for his mouth was so wet with salivia it was starting to ooze down his jowls, but he was not tempted to eat what made him slobber. He could find something for himself later, and strode forward, toward home hoping to be met with happy faces. He wished he could get something more, do something of greater woth, yet in the end getting a meal for the pups and their mother was a start. Something he could do. Besides he felt much better that Ruiko had come back or at least for the time being, and was helping put things right. Sorta of. Triell really wondered if things would ever really be right when everything was wrong. Since helping Adonia figure out what had happend on the mountain he was starting to believe that chaos was life, and happiness was just something you might luck out on now and then.

Taking a gulp of spit down his throat he lifted his head up higher to manage the weight, and he proudly strode back to where the den was. He was in a decent mood, his tail casually drifting back and forth now and again he really didn't realize anything was different straight away. There was no breeze, he had to breath through his mouth, and the rain had soaked everything in it's perfume he did not detect Indru. First he spotted Cori outside, and his tail wafted a little steadier through the air happy she was there. He wonders what she is doing, and then his brows touched ever so wondering if she was coming or going. But his open lips rise higher deciding it doesn't matter, and his large paws continue to climb steadily over the ground, closer to the group. It is within the next two steps his heigth allows him to see another adult crouched near the children. The young wolf comes to a dead halt, his eyes flicker to Cori, the children and the back of the other male. Fear. Worry. Surprise. Wonder. Hurt. All come and go. He is sure he knows this wolf, but he can't believe it is his brother, not like that. He can never picture anything defeating Indru.

Slowly he sets down the beaver, and his tongue sweeps over his black jowls. He scrunches his brow, his eyes locked upon his elder brother, his heart seeming to pound harder in his chest. "Indru?" He doesn't mean it like a question, but he is unsure. If he believes it's Indru and it's not he doesn't want to feel that hurt.....not again. Losing someone once is enough, twice is a killer. Right paw lifts, and he breaths a deep breathe. He recalls the familiar, it really is him. Eye shift to Cori, wondering how she feels. He doesn't know, but she appears okay despite everything He is sightly hesitant to accept things, worried what will happen next. Worried for all their sakes. Triell realizes it doesn't matter, he has no control. Indru is home now, and maybe things will be set right.

(This post was last modified: Sep 06, 2011, 07:06 AM by Triell.)

are you with me through it all?

<blockquote>In those seconds that ticked by, Dad was all Rihael could see. He had never realized just who it was Mom had told them about or his significance; before this moment, he hadn't realized that he was supposed to have both a mother and a father, and the big males around him, Triell and Marsh, had almost, or so he thought, filled the gap Indru had left. But standing in his presence, and seeing the face that looked so familiar yet so new, the face reflected especially in his brother's, he felt he was beginning to understand. Of course, all this meant to the mind of a child was that he was very happy, and a warmth he didn't know but knew he could enjoy made his tail sweep behind him in a comfortable wag as he joined the ranks of his siblings once again.

Hael didn't notice that Fenru and Kisla didn't seem to share all of his enthusiasm; instead he stared shamelessly at Dad, watching his every move with fascination, not hearing the words he and Mom exchanged, but captivated at witnessing them talk. Something seemed wrong with Dad, was he tired? Maybe he was exhausted from walking around too much? He wondered about this as Uncle Triell came, resisting the urge to go and greet him and refocusing his attention on Dad. Hael wanted to take him inside and talk to him, care for him the way Mom had cared for himself and his brother and sister, and to tell him everything, like how big that spider he saw the other day was... but he knew he had to wait, and fought to stay seated obediently, sensing at least that this was a momentous occasion and that he had to be patient.</blockquote>

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<blockquote>Fenru froze for a moment, unsure of what to do, but snapped out of the paralyzing thought when his sister lightly clamped her mouth on one of his ears. A soft whine emitted from his throat when the patriarch drew near. The simple hello preceding the articulation of his name made the youngest Tainn tilt his head. He was glad "Dad" didn't draw too close nor kept his distance away from him and his sister. If he had merely said 'hello,' Fenru would have decided point-blank that the man before him would have to become his friend rather than the other way around.

His black-tipped tail waved about behind him when Corinna assured him everything was <i>all right</i>. Okay, then... Once he had pulled away from Kisla he leaned forward to take in Indru by scent, almost as if he wanted to memorize the aroma. It was earthy and nothing like what a Swift River wolf smelled like, but that wasn't something Fen was going to hold against him. After all, this wolf was no ordinary being... this was <i>Dad</i>. After a few more twitches of his nose, he took a step forward and beamed up into those rather familiar eyes. He was about to open his mouth when a stark black figure approached. His head turned to take in the raven-coated male but only for a brief second.

Without saying anything, even when Triell had sounded out a word that didn't sound anything like the word "Dad" at all, Fenru tip-toed over and sat down beside Indru's left forepaw and buried his face into his side. Whatever it was that Triell was questioning about Dad or whatever Kisla was unsure about, something about Dad made Fenru's chest swell with a wild mix of emotions. Just because Dad was back everything felt like things would much better than before... Better than he could have ever imagined them to be.</blockquote>

Taekwondo (M, W, F) | Rapid-Response Day (Tu) | WoW Nights (F, Sat, Sun)

The wolf she regarded now was to be dubbed ‘dad,’ and even at an age so young, the concept seemed to strange to the girl. She had heard stories of the male before her, and knew from these tales how fiercely her mother loved him; yet something did not seem quite right with the girl. If they were to be so anxious to prance at his heels and make up for lost time, shouldn’t she have been as equally excited? The exhaustion that emanated from her mother was not lost on the pup, yet her mind had not matured enough to completely grasp it. Because of this, she could not argue, and as her eyes sought out her mother’s gentle gaze, her ears preened toward Indru’s kind words.

At Corinna’s encouragement, the pale tawny girl rose now, her paws loping forward with a light hesitance. Rihael and Fenru were giving the regal wolf that was their father a warm welcome, and as she neared, Kisla bent her nose down to sniff at his paws, noting that despite the time that had passed, he smelled familiar. Canting her muzzle slightly, Kisla stole a quick glance to her father’s features, wondering what he thought of them as well. Were they what he expected? Was he disappointed in them? Did he not love them? With her lips tightly pressed together to keep this stream of questions from releasing, Kisla was about to study one of the deep injuries on her father when another voice filtered to the small group. Blinking, the girl jerked back, shocked by the sudden visit of another, and on noting the ebony pelt of her favorite uncle, her tail gave a quick wag as she hopped forward. Triell was back! “Uncle Triell!” Her squeal was high pitched, and as she bounced over to the front of her young uncle, the girl pulled back and pushed herself back up on her hind legs, her forepaws coming out to land on the young male’s chest as her tongue sought his cheek for a sloppy kiss.

sparking up my heart