Grizzly Hollow stormborn

RE: Grizzly Hollow, a pair of tornadoes has touched down in your territory. 
Pic of root nook
@Veho, anybody else welcome too!

The sky that day had taken on an ominous tinge as banks of billowing clouds formed overhead, a stark contrast to the clear, brilliant blue of that morning. The clouds did little to quell the stifling afternoon heat, and Oula could only hope that the darkened heavens would soon let loose with cooling rains. Though her pregnancy had been rather uneventful so far, a bit of nausea and discomfort her only real complaints, just carrying around so much extra weight was quickly getting old and the warming weather was not helping the tundra-born female. Oula couldn't imagine getting any larger around the middle than she already was, and could only hope that meant the pups would soon arrive.

Knowing her cubs would be ready any day now, Oula took care to stay within the territory. It wasn't a terribly exciting prospect, and she expected today to be a rather uneventful day of tending to caches and checking scent markers. As pattering noise fell upon the forest, Oula sighed with relief. But relief turned to disappointment as she realized that rather than rain, hailstones were pelting her in the head! Growling she skulked onward, ears folded protectively against her skull. 

Just as soon as it started, the hail stopped and the forest grew utterly silent, as if all the air had been sucked out of it. Oula finally stopped in her tracks, her mouth set in a hard line as she surveyed around her. Such stillness signaled nothing good, and whether it was another predator in the vicinity or something else she wasn't sure, and wasn't going to stick around to find out.

A pain pulled in her gut as Oula turned back towards the territory's heart. The quiet was short-lived as a wind kicked up behind her, seemingly urging her faster as bits of twigs and cedar needles pelted her backside. But it was the sudden, deafening roar like that of a waterfall that pushed the woman into a run. The cedar boughs overhead swayed violently, dust and debris flying freely through the air in gusts that tore through the forest in one direction then the other. 

Oula broke into an all out sprint as she tried to escape the storm that was ravaging the forest behind her. A strong gale tore the ground out from beneath her paws, and for a moment she had the sickening feeling of flying before she landed heavily on the ground. 

Again a pain rippled through her but she couldn't worry about it at the moment, her only goal was to find shelter. Still on the ground she rolled to her belly, hunkered down low against the squall, sage eyes desperately searching for anything she could hide beneath. The best, and perhaps only immediate option was the space beneath the roots of a fallen tree. On knees and elbows she crawled into the little crevice, wedging herself in with back facing out towards the world and bracing for the worst as the storm rumbled through the cedarwood.

The pain returned, now a deep ache that she couldn't ignore. She hoped that her fall had not injured her yet unborn children, and the worry only increased as the pain persisted. She couldn't help the whine that seeped from her maw as the roof of roots shook overhead and rained loose soil down upon her, her ears folded flat against the deafening noise of the forest being torn apart all around her. 

Finally she pushed against the sensation, there was nothing else she could do, and almost all too easily she felt something slip out behind her. Of all times! Her heart hammered as she curled to check the little life that had emerged at what could possibly be the worst moment possible. The pup's little limbs waggled in protest as Oula did the best she could to clean her child off, protectively tucking the girl up against her stomach and sheltering her against the storm with her body. The second cub took a little longer, the worst of the gale having passed before he joined his sister, both hungrily nestled up against her belly.

Oula had expected the third to be just as quick as the first two, but despite her persistent pushing it seemed they would not budge. She was oblivious as the winds finally died down and some semblance of calm returned to the forest. A sharp pain lanced through her as she tried to shift into a better position, her dry tongue flapping out of her mouth as she panted.

(This post was last modified: May 02, 2016, 03:48 PM by Oula. Edit Reason: Typo )

The storm had come out of nowhere.  Such violence was uncommon for so early in the year, often reserved for the blanketing humidity of the late summer.  It had caught Veho completely off guard, thinking it only a spring shower when the sudden wind picked up.  Screaming, howling, it reminded him of storms back on the plains of his youth.  Panic swallowed up the grey wolf as he glanced around for anyone, any pack mates.  Where were they?  Were they okay?  A howl went up, trying to alert others to the sudden violence, but all his voice was lost to the screaming heavens as mother nature bore down upon the hollow and the pack that took its toponym from it.

Veho called again, lost in the thunder of his own heartbeat as the forest creaked around him.  Branches snapped and fell, and suddenly the alpha was aware of a hot streak of pain across his face.  A large branch lay only inches away, and it dawned on him how fortunate he was one of those twigs had not taken his eye along with a bit of flesh.  Unable to do anything also against the raging storm, the wolf was force to take shelter in the only area he could find.  The large rocks near the river were not much, but they at least buffeted the wind, and allowed the male to wedge himself beneath until the storm screamed its way past.

As soon as it had started, everything had stopped.  The air was eerily still – not even the birds chirped or the squirrels called as the forest and its inhabitants warily tested out the peace that had settled.  The wolf waited several minutes before shoving his snout out, testing the air.  Not a single drop of rain fell.  Ears swept back again, and his face followed his snout, and eventually, the wolf slowly pulled himself from the shelter entirely too small for a creature of his side.  The granite crags scrapped along his his limbs, across his tail, and for a moment he could only stare outwards in some measure of shock.  For the most part, the forest stood unharmed – leaves were down, as were dead trees and old branches were snapped and fallen.  The silence remained for several more moments, and eventually, the birds resumed their songs.

It seemed to snap Veho out of his trance and he lifted his nose to the wind, trying to scent anyone nearby.  His heart lurched in his chest.  Where was Rook?  Where was Oula?  Were they okay – had they been able to find shelter in time?  What about little Pip and her family, what about the yearlings, Tomen and Nineva?  For a moment his heart seemed to stop altogether, his mind providing any and all possibilities of what might have befallen his pack, his responsibility, his family.  All of them swirled around him like the dark clouds that had blanketed his forest only moments before and his ears strained as he listened.  Life, all around him – but was it his pack?

All at once, the wolf realized he needed to act.  His heart cried out for @Rook.  Rook, his darling, his heart, what had happened to the boy with a blue eye and a heart entirely too large for his body.  A moment later, his mind skipped to Oula – his partner, a worthy woman.  Oh, he so respected her, admired her, he did so love her, if in an entirely different capacity than the heart he had for Rook.  But who did he find first?  Rook – the wolf had been drifting away, what if he hadn’t gotten to shelter in time?  Oula – heavily pregnant with their children…and that was his doing.  He’d asked this of her.  If anything had happened to the bright woman, it would be his fault that any sort of harm had befallen the woman.  His mind was made for him, and he knew he had to find the other alpha first, that she was his responsibility.  As long as he found her alright, he would go for Rook after, and once those two had been seen to, call for the rest of his pack.

The wolf set himself a steady pace, nose to the ground as he tried to find any hint of his packmates.  Eventually, he did come across Oula’s trail – and fresh!  His heart skipped a beat and the medicine man picked up the pace, his legs racing across the wet forest floor.  Soon, soon, he’d almost bolted right by the little cove the woman had found for herself.  He slammed on the brakes and whirled about, flinging mud and debris before he found his footing and whipped over to the opening.  Veho had to halt for a moment, tell his heart to settle, insist his mind clear – barreling in like a panicked youth would serve none.  He was still a medic, even if his role had been served as alpha in recent months.

Swallowing down that lump in his throat, he gathered himself and ducked into the small hiding spot – there he found Oula on her side, and clearly in a great deal of pain.  Ears flipped backwards as he whined softly, fearing the worst.  She had been caught out in the open during the wind, something had fallen on her, or perhaps she’d fallen on something, or--  Before his mind could get away from him completely, silver eyes caught something small and moving by the woman’s side.  “Oh.”

The single word fell from his lips, momentarily stunned by the small little lifeforms nestled at their mother’s side.  Two pups, fat and wriggling, already cleaned by their dam and pushed into the correct position.  Safe. 

That certainly explained the pain, he thought in a daze, silver eyes only flicking back and forth from his partner to the two little ones at her side.  Boys?  Girls?  Did it matter?  No, he thought, feeling his heart swell as he ducked down, crawling a little closer.  His belly dragged across the the mud and dirt, and he gingerly reached out to touch his nose to Oula’s muzzle.  Are you alright, he wanted to ask – but that seemed to be a stupid question.  She was clearly in some sort of pain, and rightfully so.  If only he’d had something with him!  There were plenty of herbs back in his cache, for pain, for bleeding, for any illness she might be feeling.

“Oula,” he sighed, tail swishing behind him.  He had to do something.  Something.  “You are doing so well.  I am so glad you are safe.” With any luck, the worst of the weather was over, and they’d only have to deal with the birth of Grizzly Hollow’s newest members.  “I have things, plants – had stored them for this.  For you.  I can go get them.”  But he didn’t want to leave her alone. “Tell me what you need.”

@Veho

The Whitebark woman was aware she was in a vulnerable position, and the little lives that suckled at her breast even moreso. She initially didn't recognize the figure that scrabbled in the earth and muck behind her. Oula's limbs tightened protectively around her brood, who squealed in protest of being jostled, entirely oblivious to everything but their immediate needs of food and warmth.

Her white-ringed eyes rolled towards the shape silhouetted in the light, her neck craned behind her and lips peeled to reveal fangs in an expression that proved she wasn't afraid to use them. But the familiar voice triggered memory, and the feral sheen to her sage gaze faded, leaving just the raw distress behind them. This wasn't how she imagined things would happen, and it seemed like disaster was only managing to compound itself. 

"Veho," She whispered as she leaned into his fleeting touch, teeth gritted against the pangs that rippled through her. "Something's wrong," She swallowed around the thick lump that had formed in her throat. A first time mother, this was all new and unknown, but she could still tell that this wasn't how it should be. Her thoughts drifted towards the worst case scenario. Perhaps one of the pups had been hurt after all? Or perhaps it had been doomed from the start. There were only so many things medicine could fix. "I don't... I don't know what. It's like its... stuck. The storm threw me, I don't know if... Maybe-" She couldn't even say it. She didn't want to say it.

That morning had been perfect for a playful romp at Frog Chirp Creek. With @Tomen at her side, the pair had prevailed over the frog forces of the north and returned victorious. Of course, the sky didn't seem to agree with their assessment. Pip expected the pretty blue sky to stick around all day, but dark clouds gathered quickly overhead and with them came a stiff wind that had an air of electricity to it. Nervously, the young wolf looked to her partner and quickened her pace as a sign that they should return to the den sooner rather than later. Weather was coming in fast. Life on the shorelines of Bella Coola had taught her fast weather was never a good thing.

Pip could hear the curtain of rain up ahead before it finally pummeled the pair of them as well. Soaked through quickly, the little female chirped as she broke into a lope, anxious to get back home now. She froze when she heard a thunderous crashing wave on the shoreline as she'd been all through the forest and knew for certain there was no shore and no ocean. Chirping in warning for Tomen to take cover, she dove behind a boulder and plastered herself against it while a horrible roaring wind tore up the ground around them. Debris pelted at her head, joined by a driving hail that left Pip shaking in fear.

An ocean storm had nothing on this monstrosity!

Just as soon as the gale had come, it was gone, leaving behind a swath cut through the forest of downed trees and cracked branches. Rain still pelted down, but with far less intensity than it had been. With the rogue wind gone, the hail ceased as well.

Pip stood straight, staring around her in shock at the destruction left behind. She wouldn't have thought anything could uproot a tree, but there she was staring right into the innards of one. Wide orange eyes turned to take in Tomen, assessing him for injuries to reassure herself that he was well. They were lucky, she realized. So lucky to have missed the heart of the wind's path.

Perhaps it was the way one's senses were intensified following such a disaster, but the sharp scent of blood was unmistakable. Concerned for her packmate's Pip chirped at Tomen and took off to hunt down the source. What if @Yvly was trapped under a tree or @Veho had been speared by a projectile branch? What if @Amaryllis had been thrown about in the gale or her siblings were hurt in some other fashion she couldn't come up with but imagined was brutal and painful? Panicked, she panted wildly as she ran until she found another partly uprooted tree. Veho's and @Oula's scents were clear now that she was so close. With Oula so close to term, Pip knew better than to crawl her way into the no doubt small space beneath the tree. Instead, she chirped to alert to their arrival as she blinked away rain from her eyes.

After checking in on Prudence early that morning (who didn't need his help nor protection in raising the tiny floofs which were beginning to hatch now, some of which he had stolen glances of when the little owl wasn't busy tutting at him) Tomen had met up with Pip to continue some merry torment of the locals up at Frog Chirp Creek, as they had so aptly named it. He hadn't paid much attention to the sudden onset of clouds, not being afraid of simple storms, but something about Pip's demeanour had flicked a cautious switch. The weather worsened far quicker than was normal, so maybe it was something to be worried about... and not wanting to cause Pip any undue stress, Tomen had hurried along beside her, hoping that, if it was going to be bad, @Nineva was somewhere safe.

It was soon apparent that there was nothing ordinary about the storm that day.

Huddling behind that boulder next to Pip, Tomen's fur whipped back by the freakishly aggressive wind and soaked through by the wall of rain which had passed over them, he stared wide-eyed at the forest he barely recognised in its current thrashing state. What was going on?! Mind frantic with worry for the others in the pack, for poor tiny Prudence and her clutch, the yearling himself was fine, and nodded briskly at Pip when her eyes found his, I'm okay, water droplets flicking off the end of his nose with the jerky movement.

And just like that, she was off again, and with a squeak Tomen leapt after her, only then noticing the hint of blood in the air. His heart fell out the bottom of his chest with dread. Unable to do anything other than chase after Pip, the simple act of running helped to calm the dark boy somewhat, for it felt like progress, like doing something - and as the silent woman led them to where Oula and Veho's scents were freshest, Tomen's eyes finding the frame of the older man, he felt more grounded. They would know what was going on.

Heart beating from his thinly-contained panic, Tomen stepped closer to Veho, then to where the leader had been looking, and saw Oula laid there looking uncharacteristically distressed - and his own anxiety kicked up a notch as a vague understanding of what might be happening struck him. "Veho," he urged, taking a shaky step away from Oula, instincts telling him to give her lots space (not to mention the look on her face), "what's going on? Is she okay? Do you - does she - can I help?"

The thought of that swirling, windy force passing over here while Oula laid there immobile... it sent fresh shivers down his already-soaked and freezing spine.

   

At least she still recognized him – at least Oula was still capable of clear thought, of forming sensible sentences.  It was some tiny breath of relief.  She was not so far gone there was nothing to be done – it was no normal situation, but it could be worse.  It could be worse. 

Of course, nature has a lovely sense of irony – he needn’t even say the phrase out loud, and a moment later, the woman informed him that all was not okay.  It went from ‘not so bad’ to ‘it’s definitely worse’ in a matter of seconds, and Veho cursed under his breath at his own foolishness.  Why did he think that?  Of course it got worse!

“Breathe,” he reminded her, his mind racing.  The last thing his partner needed was for him to start panicking.  Claws kneaded into the wet earth as he quickly racked his mind through his catalogue of herbs back in the medical den.  Before he could announce his plan, a chirp made him aware of someone else nearby.  The grey wolf shimmed backwards, head rearing up as he realized Pip had brought a friend along, as well.  Deep breath, he told himself.  The younglings didn’t need to see him fall apart, either.

Completely forgetting about the bloody streaks across his own face, his hindquarters, he gave them both a brief once over.  Deciding the pair looked alright, he bobbed his head.  “Oula – the pups,” he huffed, glancing briefly over his should, “seem to have a very strange sense in timing.  I have plants, for this.” The pain, and the bleeding. “Pip, you know where the cache is.  I need you to bring the sweetgrass.  Shouldn’t be anything else that looks like it.”  Long, green stalks – one of the only things that wasn’t a flower.  He then turned his attention to Tomen.  “I need you to find your father.  Make sure he isn’t injured – and then I need him here to keep watch so I can help Oula.”

This was a vulnerable time, and should someone sneak up on them – it was unlikely Veho would notice before it was too late.  With tasks assigned to the two younger members of the pack, he turned, shimmying his way back into the entrance of Oula’s small den.  The small break had cleared his mind by a degree, and he nudged the woman’s snout gently.  “This is going to sound counterintuitive,” he murmured, “but stop pushing, at least for now.  Straining will not allow the pup to readjust and--  And it will hurt you, too.”

@Pip's turn?

Oula did not like this, she didn't want to be the damsel, the victim, she hated feeling helpless, and hated that there was next to nothing she could do about it. The raging winds and now her own body ensured she had little autonomy in the situation. She desperately wished there was something she could do, some action she could take, for her sake, for their childrens'. She wanted everyone to make it out of here alive. So when her partner suggested she breathe, she had half a mind to snap his whiskers off. What good would that do her, was she not already breathing?! Instead she huffed a slow breath through her tightened chest, having to admit that perhaps Veho did know what was best here. 

As it was, breathing was just about the only thing she could manage at the moment. Her flanks were seized in straining aches, muscles beginning to cramp as she struggled against herself, she hardly had the capacity to even give her pups the full attention they deserved in their first moments in the waking world. Somewhere beyond the little root-bound hovel she heard squeaking, pawsteps, small voices and worried questions. The pack. Some of them, at least. But the rest, were they okay? Something pulled, telling her to stop, and she winced as she leaned back down, cheek pressing into the dampened soil. 

Soon Veho was back with a soft touch and a softer word, yet still the clinician. "Mmhmm," She sighed, even without Veho's advice that she stop pushing, her stamina was growing thin and she had already relented, trying to catch her breath. "I'm just... I'm glad you're here." She said softly.

With an intensity that didn't sit well on the young female's face, Pip listened to @Veho as he mentioned his cache of medical supplies and sweet grass. Yes, yes, she knew it. She was nodding as he spoke and darted forward to give one quick, reassuring lick to the end of his nose before spinning about and racing off as fast as her legs could carry her.

Pip had never been of use before. There had never been a time where a life relied on her abilities as a packmate. Had she been asked if she were capable, the sea wolf would have shook her head; no way was she skilled enough to save a life. But then again, she never imagined it could be as simple as being a runner for supplies. This - she could do this. Her previous injury was fully healed with only ugly scars to tell the tale of her fight with the beaver. An occasional twinge would fire up her leg, but she refused to let it slow her down now. @Oula was counting on her. So was @Tomen and the rest of the pack because Oula's pups were their future!

Despite her soaked fur, she didn't feel the cold bite of it as she raced through the rain. It had picked up again, as had the wind, kicking leaves into her eyes from fallen trees in the area. Her reprieve within the medical den was short as she quickly located the sweet grass. It was aptly named and even blind, she could have located it by scent alone. Uncertain of just how much to take with her, Pip scooped up nearly the entire stock - as much as she could shove in her mouth - before running back.

By the time she returned, the little wolf was trembling with exertion and cold, but her orange eyes were vibrant with the hope that she made it in time. She chirped with her mouth full to signal her return and dumped the load right at the mouth of Oula's impromptu den. Her eyes -for once not avoiding his gaze - searched Veho's for how else she could be of service.

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

If anyone not already in this thread wants to be bumped into by Tomen as he searches for @Rook, feel free! You can PP him asking if they're okay and telling them where to find Veho. I won't post again until/if Rook does, so skip me for now <3

No matter how Veho felt internally, from Tomen's point of view the man seemed entirely in control - and, at that moment, it was exactly what the boy needed. Feeling more grounded already, just in the comforting knowledge that there was someone older and wiser who had a handle on the situation, Tomen listened to Veho's instructions with utmost sincerity. Unsurprisingly, the leader's priority was that his partner was attended to (Tomen had almost thought 'mate', but had no idea if that was technically appropriate, considering... well, considering everything) and Pip was tasked with the effective retrieval of the necessary herbs. Tomen was glad he hadn't been asked to do that, because he knew where the den was but didn't know his sprigs from his spruces, and would have been no help there.

Instead, he was to find his father. The anger which had once consumed him regarding his dad had long since subsided - he was, after all, currently happily taking orders from part of the reason he'd been angry in the first place - but he couldn't help a small twinge of... something at the command. More like a of course he needs to be taken care of than anything, because today's Rook was a far cry from the decisive, powerful father who had once hung the moon in Tomen's eyes. These days, he was just a bit, well, pitiable. You couldn't stay mad at someone like that.

"No problem," he said, head bobbing up and down with conviction, not wanting Veho to have to worry. Pip had disappeared to do her part, just as he would do his, though he worried for her being out in this alone - just as his mind flitted anxiously on @Nineva. He could think of a few likely places his father might be lurking... though with the storm, perhaps he'd taken shelter somewhere? He'd search anyway. Although Veho's attention turned immediately to Oula, Tomen hesitated, before adding (and sounding a little more confident than he felt): "If the wind lets up long enough you should call for everyone, let them know what's - what's going on. If I see anyone else I'll let them know where you are."

And with that, the runner did what he did best, and ran.