Cedarwood Forest if i lose myself

OOC: For @Yvly but all welcome.

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With clarity, Pip remembered standing on the shoal with gentle waves sloshing against her submerged legs as she waited with her muzzle hovering just above the surface. She hadn’t had much luck that morning, but the small female refused to come home without something to show for her time. The pack had few rules, but the most important was to always contribute. Even one as lowly as her was meant to pull her weight.

Just before chaos struck, her patience and perseverance paid off and she landed herself a wriggling, meaty salmon. With her head held high until to keep the fish from escaping her crushing grip, Pip made her way back onto the beach in time for the terror. Her pack scattered from the beach at the sound of roaring thunder and the odd rhythmic pounding of wind.

With her catch still in her jaws, Pip raced after them. It didn’t strike her just how serious the situation was until she heard her father yelling to run. It was then that Pip abandoned her catch and ran for all that she was worth.

A nasty fly bit her hind leg as she dove for cover. Though she knew the chaos continued, it seemed dull to her ears now. And what was the high-pitched ringing sound? Concerned, she lay down to give herself a moment to rest and found her head was far heavier than it should be.

With far less clarity than catching her fish, Pip recalled the strange creatures on two legs setting a thin rock beside her. She hadn’t the strength to snap fearfully at their hands as they gripped her fur and pulled her onto the slab. Her vision went black as she was lifted up and she thought mournfully of her wasted fish.

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Pip woke slowly. It could have been minutes or hours until she was finally able to open her eyes and longer still until she was able to stand. She wobbled unsteadily on her paws as she cast around the small clearing for any sign of her family. By the time she was able to take a few steps without the sensation of falling, she had determined she was very much alone.

Anxiously, Pip opened her mouth and let loose a soft chirp that could barely be heard. With her tail firmly tucked between her legs, she continued to cry out in that manner until her throat felt hoarse and sore.

Where is everyone?!

For once Yvly's being gentle xD

Unlike the previous day where the sun had been out and shining down among the cedars, today was colder and the clouds blocked out most of the sun's rays. But with the good came the bad, and so the tawny female took to wandering near the edge of pack territory, slinking back and forth in an arc in the hopes the sun would fully emerge. However, it seemed for the nonce, that was not going to happen any time soon. With a huff, she directed her paws to take her over Grizzly Hollow borders. She didn't feel much like going far, so she told herself she would stay within the cedarwood forest. It wasn't a very nice day to go exploring anyways.

Her decision to go beyond pack borders seemed fruitful when a soft chirrup reached her ears which she could only assume to be from a form of small prey. At least she could bring something back for the pack cache... when she decided to return. Stalking forwards, tawny ears rotating to catch the myriad of the chirps emanating from a clearing up ahead. But, it seemed another had gotten there before her, according to the scent of wolf that drifted in the air. Yvly paused on the edge of the clearing, ears now pulling back, dark amber eyes surveying the area until they fell upon a wolf only slightly smaller than herself, bearing hues of red, dark browns and black on her pelt. She watched silently as the female seemed to stagger around, releasing the chirps that she had been hearing. Curious.

The tawny female let out a soft bark to announce her presence to the smaller female, hoping to stop her anxious warbling as it was starting to annoy her. She moved forwards at a slow pace, making sure her posture was purely neutral. Neither of them were on pack territory, and she was sure if it came to the worst she could take her on. "Hello," Yvly said softly, canting her head to the side as she stopped a couple of wolf lengths away from the smaller female. Unsure of how to act further, she stayed silent, waiting for the other to respond.

367 words

Yvly Doramor

imagine we are higher than the arrows,
casually we're breathing with the pharaohs,
tragically we fall just like the arrows.

The yearling was beside herself, anxiety quickly leading to a full on panic attack. Her chirping grew more and more insistent when a soft bark sounded behind her. Already, Pip knew it was not a familiar bark. She knew the calls of her family like the back of her paws. Immediately, she quieted and hunkered low to the ground. Her ears lay flat against her head, tail tucked firmly against her belly, and the commissures of her lips were peeled back far as she began to pant heavily. Burnt orange eyes darted quickly away from the female before her, pointedly fixating on a small stick pointing out from the cold snow.

Pip angled her body as far from the stranger as possible without making it look like she was trying to escape from them. The last thing she wanted to look like was prey.

She dared to glance at the tawny female and took note of her posture. The lack of aggression was a small relief, but the young one knew how quickly wolves could become frustrated with her for being unable to answer questions. Without her siblings to speak for her, she was at a complete loss on how to communicate. How she wished she could apologize for being there, beg to know where she was, to know where her family was. Even the mere thought of being unable to find them had tears coming to the young wolf's eyes. Not even a whine could pass from her lips; such a sound was not even strong enough to register as a pip from her jaws.

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

Pip is pulling at my heartstrings <3

In response the smaller female became silent, her body seeming to fold in on itself from... fear? Yvly glanced at herself, brows knit in confusion. She didn't think she looked threatening at all, but then again that was compared to the bulkier wolves her size and larger. Perhaps she needed to show that she didn't mean any harm whatsoever? Looking back at the other, she took note of the way her body was angled away as if mere moments from darting away, as well as a tear or two welling up in her burnt orange eyes. Leaning backwards, Yvly slowly bent her legs at the knees, letting her own body sink down until she was practically laying on the ground. She didn't quite know how to react to this silent and crying female, but maybe if she made herself look the least threatening as possible would help.

"Hey, it's okay," the tawny female murmured softly, ears flicking forward to catch any sound the smaller female may make. So far there didn't seem to be any intent on her making a noise other than the chirping before. "My name is Crystal," she continued in the same quiet voice, dark amber eyes softening as they scanned the others body. She didn't look emaciated, but there was room for a bit of filling out. "I won't hurt you, I promise." Nose twitching, Yvly could smell only the other's own scent, as well as a faint fishy smell. There weren't many streams filled with fish in the cedarwood forest, so that meant she wasn't from close by. Well, if the other female needed a friend, she would try her best to fill that role, no matter how crazy it sounded in her mind.

289 words

Yvly Doramor

imagine we are higher than the arrows,
casually we're breathing with the pharaohs,
tragically we fall just like the arrows.

OOC: She's such a weenie, amg.

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The dark fur along her back bristled briefly when the female moved, but Pip found her head lifting just the slightest when she saw the other wolf laying down rather than coming closer to berate her for being there as she had expected. Though her nostrils still flared, the little wolf's breathing became less erratic and more regular. She flinched again when the wolf spoke, but was far less reactive than before. Her ears even flickered forward for a moment before laying back down against her head.

Crystal. That was a pretty name. Better than Pip.

Though Pip knew promises like the one the female offered could easily be broken, her gentle manner made her hopeful enough to start slinking forward. The young wolf slowly dragged herself through the snow, limbs quaking with every movement, until she was close enough to Crystal to reach her muzzle out and lick quickly at the female's chin before tucking her own back against her chest. Her body was still held stiffly, but her tail now lay against the inside of her thigh rather than being firmly pressed against her pale belly.

In the only way she could, Pip opened her maw and chirped softly in greeting.

Well this weenie is too adorable for her own good

If Yvly was surprised when the smaller female began slinking towards her it didn't show. She kept still, letting the other crawl over the snowy ground and lick at the underside of her chin. It may just be the strangest thing to have happened to her, but she swept away the awkwardness like dust under a rug. Compared to how the russet female had been crying out and quivering like a leaf, this was a step in the right direction, even if she still acted like she was going to be eaten any second. Yvly could relate to that. Her siblings had been pretty rough when she was younger but that just helped her build a strong outer shell that it seemed, this strangely silent female was wiggling past.

Tawny ears twitched at the chirp she received from the other female, dark amber eyes gazing curiously at the lower part of her face as to not scare her away by looking directly into her eyes. Yvly now had to rule out that she was not speaking simply because she was too afraid to do so, but maybe in fact it was because she could not. Though rather than outright ask if she was a mute, the tawny female decided to not ask it at all, instead she would just go with it and see where it lead her. "You'd fool a wolf into thinking you're a bird with that noise you make," she said with a smile, hoping to prompt the other into relaxing, or at least returning a smile. Actually, a wag of her tail would do. "I need to know what to call you. How about... Squeak?"

279 words

Yvly Doramor

imagine we are higher than the arrows,
casually we're breathing with the pharaohs,
tragically we fall just like the arrows.

OOC: Subconscious self-defense tactic. Be adorable and no one will want to bite you. <3

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'You'd fool a wolf into thinking you're a bird with that noise you make.' Pip lifted her head at that comment and gave a shy smile in response along with a hint of the tip of her tail moving. As a matter of fact, it was how she'd been named. Her mother had thought the sound was like that of pipping birds before they hatched from their shells. Egg, she'd been called sometimes, whenever she was being particularly shy. Pip wasn't sure if she'd ever come out of her shell. It was a nice reminder of her family, even if they weren't nearby that she could tell.

When Crystal asked what to call her, Pip actually dipped her nose with her mouth parting slightly in silent laughter. She would truly answer to anything directed at her - even dirty names. But Squeak wasn't bad. Feeling a bit more comfortable around her now, the little wolf reached out to nip the tawny female's nose with affection.

Behind her, a laden branch heavy with snow bent enough to allow the snow to thump onto the ground below. The dull noise had the little wolf jolting violently, head whipping around to find the source of the sound. Again, her small body began to quiver and she leaned into her new companion for support.

There were so many trees here! So many places for danger to lurk. Pip was used to the open beaches and shady crags of stone covered in lichen and algae with sea spray constantly in the air and on her tongue. Here, she could smell the wet and rot beneath the snow and the sharp sting of the cedar trees surrounding them. She longed to hear waves crashing along the shore and heard only the suspicious dripping and creaking of old trees.

I just want to grab Pip and never let her go <3 xD

The tawny female's tail thumped on the snowy ground behind her when the wolf whom she had just christened as Squeak smiled shyly. Another step in the right direction. A few more steps and Squeak would be well on her way to making many friends in the future, unless if aeromancy had something to do with it... too bad there wasn't more sun. Lost in her thoughts, Yvly blinked confusedly at the affectionate nip to the tip of her nose. She'd had different means of affection placed on her, but usually it was on the shoulder. Never before had it been closer to her face, and while she didn't mind, it was a strange sensation. She could get used to it though.

Barely flinching at the sound and movement of snow thumping onto the ground from a heavily laden branch nearby, Yvly was more concerned when Squeak jumped up abruptly before leaning into her side, body quivering like a leaf in strong wind. "Hey, hey... It's okay," she said soothingly, bending her neck to gently nuzzle at the top of the smaller female's head. She usually wasn't so nice to others, but Squeak seemed defenceless and really, only a heartless wolf could possibly ignore a wolf such as her when she was in distress. "Just some snow," she added, muzzle pointing in the direction of where there was now a mostly bare branch and large mound of snow. The way she reacted made it seem like she hadn't ever seen snow before. Now that she was on that topic... "You're not from around here, right?" Yvly asked, making sure it was a simple 'yes' or 'no' question that could be answered with a nod or shake of a head.

289 words

Yvly Doramor

imagine we are higher than the arrows,
casually we're breathing with the pharaohs,
tragically we fall just like the arrows.

OOC: She may be okay with that so long as Crystal keeps away all the bad things. <3

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Crystal's gentle words had a comforting calm about them that invited Pip to trust her as readily as she did her littermates. In truth, the little russet wolf was closer to no one more than her brother and sister, but given time, she imagined she could be just as happy to be around Crystal as she was with Blitz and Niq'x. Just in the way she moved so slowly, spoke so quietly, and took the time to assure her that she wouldn't be hurt was far more than a lot of her packmates ever did back home.

Pip's new friend bent to nibble the fur on her head in the way a mother would a pup and found the yearning for her mother was lessened by Crystal's presence. The yearling followed her elder's gaze and finally took note of the branch now cleared of snow that had been there before. How could she survive in a place like this when simple, normal things terrified her?! How did she tell what was danger or prey or this awful snow?

Crystal's gentle question earned a vigorous shake of Pip's head. Certainly not! Her home was beautiful and had vibrant skies and brilliant ocean, sand and sea spray, gulls and crabs to chase for fun. This place had snow and dark skies and trees everywhere she looked! Slowly, the little wolf stood and looked around her in all directions again. Crestfallen, she knew she couldn't even tell which direction to even start heading to get back home.