Fallen Tree Cove if it ain't love

RE: Draven you venture too close to some nesting swans. 
May 18th, Patchy Rain nearby, 58F/14C, 2PM

The thunder storms of the week prior had given way to overcast skies and patches of rain that came and went but never lasted as consistently as when the storms ravaged the lands. Taking advantage of a break in the precipitation Draven wandered from the medical den. He knew his leg was healed enough that he could probably join in the others in the communal den but his heart was not. Soon people would begin asking questions about where he was from and what had happened to bring him here and he could not answer those yet.

So he did his self appointed duties in silence and in solitude. Nobody had ever explicitly told him what was expected of him, probably because he had been injured, but he remembered enough from his mother's pack. The yearlings were expected to aid in the child rearing, a task that daunted the Lagina. He was appreciative of everything Namid and the others had done for him but he had no idea how to look after a pup, particularly ones with a happy family. One thing was for sure though, he would do everything in his power to make sure their childhood was better than his own.

He often thought of them, the daughters of the alphas, but he had not built up the courage to visit them or their mother yet. He felt a nagging suspicion that he should bring them something, it was the least he could do considering everything they had done for him. The problem was he wasn't sure what to bring, every time he had meant to bring a small meal he had neared and been able to smell fresh meat. It was obvious the other pack members were taking good care of the new mother. Draven had also considered bringing something from the medicine den but had no idea what was appropriate or even helpful.

This was what he pondered as he strolled along the shore of the lake. For once it wasn't frustration with his leg, or anger with Gent or mourning his family. The yearling was slowly healing from his past though some scars would never fully knit together. Preoccupied with his thoughts Draven did not notice how close he was wandering to where a pair of swans had taken up nesting. The sudden hissing was enough to break his daydreams though and he suddenly stepped back, blinking in surprise. White wings beat the air in warning as the bird hissed at him once more, slowly approaching. Yelping in shock at what he had done Draven scrambled backwards once more, now what had he gotten himself into?

OOC: How can I not reply to this thread? :D

If the youngest Vuesain prince had begun to dabble in the duties of a guardian before; well now he had just about taken it up as an occupation. The sudden appearance of the little siblings Ma and Pa had talked about had certainly shaken up his world. The protectiveness he normally felt toward his family and villatic home now extended to the tiny helpless lives nestled within. And boy were they helpless. His mind strained to accept that he had been so small and wrinkly; and not just him, but his parents and everyone at some point. So weird. 

Obviously he had to help protect the two new sisters of his, and the boy would have been lying to say that this patrolling thing didn't make him feel more like the grown-up he wanted to be. Maybe he couldn't fight off most things by himself, but he sure could sound the alarm and strengthen the borders as a warning. Ma barely left the den anymore; how would she know if trouble was coming? He simply had to help out. Especially because his wayward brother was gone again, right when he was most needed. Maybe something awful had happened this time, but the remaining prince couldn't help but suspect another desertion. Al would not be welcomed back so openly again; at least not by him, not unless something terrible had happened.  

The tawny yearling lifted his head from its lowered position; clearing these troubled thoughts out for now. This was the part of his route he took most seriously; the lake. This was where the true danger lurked. He no longer avoided it so strongly; or trembled at its edge, but underneath his facade the boy was still very much traumatized. Cernan furrowed his brows as he left the shade of the pines and stepped out onto the rocky beach. If he could act determined; serious and unafraid, it sort of made this bit easier. Even his tail hung more tensely behind him, as if offering its silent support. 

The banner fell to his hocks in the next moment though, as his golden eyes flicked up toward a distant but unmistakable scene; one that chilled his spine before his brain could even form the foul demon's name. The dark boy's cry filled his pinned ears as he recoiled from the approaching monster. Right then it hardly mattered that it was Draven that was in peril, or that Cernan didn't know him very well. He was a pack mate; a kid just like him. Fear latched onto his chest with a ferocious grip, and his fur stood on end. The unfolding drama was all that the lake child could see. Adrenaline broke through the terror and shot into his legs; suddenly propelling the youth forward toward the impending disaster.

His lungs burst with a desperate command. "RUN!" Cernan bellowed; his adolescent voice surging down the shoreline much faster than he could hope to, and with a force that betrayed his own fear. He could only hope the other boy would turn toward him, so that they could flee together, away from this thing and get others to ensure its swift death. There was too much going on to bother calling the pack in the moment. First Draven had to get away; and deep down the pudgy youngster dreaded that he would have to intervene to make that possible. If it came to that, he wasn't really sure if he could. 

(This post was last modified: Jun 06, 2016, 01:44 AM by Cernan.)

Draven is bad at following directions

Draven had been so focused on the beast in front of him that he had not even realized that he had a spectator. As he frantically moved backwards the yearling completely ignored the ache in his ankle, it was healed enough he could walk and even run just fine though he did suffer from the occasional throb if he stepped the wrong way. The rocks beneath his paws were slick from the previous rain, blunt claws slid across their surface without finding any purchase. He had only moved back a wolf's length or so and the swan continued to advance, flapping its wings and hissing when Cernan's voice broke the spell.

Suddenly the green eyes blinked in surprise and the dark head whipped towards the sound, for a moment not registering what had been said. Then the swan hissed once more and lunged forward and Draven realized what the command had been. Leaping out of the way just in time the beak ripped out a small chunk of fur from his tail but luckily did not land the blow fully. The way towards Cernan was too steep on the wet rocks and the yearling glanced around panicked looking for an easier path.

The sound of beating wings behind him propelled him forward without much thought into the movement. Jumping upwards his front paws landed firmly on a higher rock, but his lower legs still dangled in harm's way. Scrabbling to get into a safer position his lower limbs flailed in way that might have been considered comical if the situation had been different. It was pure coincidence that one of his back paws kicked the swan firmly in the side of the head, sending it reeling backwards.

Finally he heaved himself up onto the boulder, taking the moment to turn and look below. The swan was advancing again, more angry than ever after receiving the blow. Looking back towards Cernan Draven cursed as he realised he had moved in the opposite direction of where the other boy was.

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

OOC: I'm so sorry! Didn't mean to let this die! D: - Behold, Ernie trying to be brave: 

Draven had heard him, but the distraction of his sudden command only put the other boy in further danger. The swan lunged, and Cernan's heart jumped. He saw the other child's form dance away just in the nick of time, and managed to skid and slip down almost onto his chest from the slippery rocks underfoot. A grunt left his lungs and he squinted to see Draven's attempt to flee, in the opposite direction. The pudgy prince stumbled forward over the treacherous shoreline, enraptured by the horrid events unfolding before him.  

The other yearling had decided to take refuge on a higher perch, but had only partially succeeded. The demon bird was closing in, surely with the intent to kill. Cernan's adrenaline soaked mind wasn't really thinking straight either. Again he lurched forward, trotting quickly and clumsily toward the battlefield with a nervous whimper. This time his legs refused to go any faster, any closer to the obvious danger. He saw the gargantuan bird fall back, only to rise again with freshly renewed rage. Draven had bought himself just enough time to scramble to safety; well, relative safety. Swans could fly, nowhere was safe from a swan. For now though, the big rock provided a decent barrier. 

The young Vuesain's wide gold eyes turned then to the shoreline, where the second swan was still guarding its nest, but watching its accomplice intently. They couldn't stay here; it wouldn't be safe for anyone, and certainly not puppies. A particularly angry hiss returned the boy's attention to Draven's predicament. The white beast had waddled right up to the rock, threatening a grisly murder should the swarthy boy even think of coming back down. Cernan swallowed hard and licked his muzzle. If he could get Draven down from there, they could go and get the pack and have the despicable creatures killed.

A slow realization dawned, and the youngster slowly lowered his head. A single paw crept forward, then another. In a moment or so the pup was trotting, wondering what the hell he was thinking. The swan by the lake rose, prompting him to veer closer to the tree-line as he advanced. Two swans was many more than he was comfortable with facing. Cernan's mouth was running dry, gold eyes locked squarely onto the first feathered attacker. Just... just have to make it look at me... he thought nervously, as his paws slowly turned to heavy rocks. He had faced a bear before and won, but that was with the whole pack. It was less comforting than he wanted it to be.

His scruff bristled, almost electrified by the fear and tension. Head low, he drew into the animal's space, step by step. Everything inside of him screamed to retreat, until the boy could push his body no further. The spasms of his heart filled his eardrums, outmatched only by the sound of hissing and beating wings. It took only a breath for the monster to notice; turning suddenly to face him and lowering its own skull toward the earth menacingly. Cernan felt his veins freeze. With a hiss, it charged. His courage evaporated like a water droplet on sun-baked stone, and the much larger youth whirled backwards, stumbling away in blind and absolute panic. 

They were so much faster than they looked. His tail plastered itself to his belly as he fled, aimed straight for the trees. His spine tingled with the anticipation of being caught, but the blow never came. When the wing-beats and the hissing sounded further away, he turned back, slowing to a stop and cowering in the shade of the pines. The demon was heading back toward Draven; his work would be undone. "Hey!" Cernan called, both to the boy and the bird. "Run for it!" His tone was more commanding this time as he stared up at the boulder, in total contrast to his posture. A frustrated and terrified whine pushed past his throat and somehow his feet began to move. This time the swan was wary, and veered sharply around to bob its head and hiss at the stupid young wolf. Oh god, he was flirting with death here, wasn't he. The Vuesain boy began to back slowly away, his nerves totally frayed. The swan would not focus on him for long. 

(This post was last modified: Sep 16, 2016, 12:59 AM by Cernan.)

No problem! These poor boys are traumatized now

The swan had been directly under his boulder, hissing and the sound of air beating against its wings had Draven frozen in fear. He could climb higher to the next boulder but that would put him back in the eyesight of this demon bird, right now plastered against the rock behind him he was hidden. He certainly couldn't go down though so he didn't have much of an option at this point. Taking a few deep breaths in an attempt to slow his wild heartbeat a desperate whine slid from his throat. Still he turned away from the ledge and prepared himself to jump up to a higher vantage point slightly farther away from his attacker.

The boy had been so distracted by preparing himself that he hadn't noticed the absence of hissing or threats from below until Cernan had yelled. Green eyes flashed as he assessed what had happened, the swan now lay halfway between where he was and the trees where the other boy's voice had come from. He could run that way and risk getting assaulted or he could try the other, a long stretch of beach with no possible cover. The problem with that was that the bird was much faster than him, much much faster than he was and it wouldn't take long for the swan to catch up.

It took only a second since the shout had gone before the dark child leapt from the rock and stumbled onto ground below, ankle throbbing. Draven ran as quickly as he could, directly towards the trees. There was of course still the swan to worry about which now stepped directly into his path. Without time to stop or even really think about what he was doing the Lagina boy lowered his head and closed his eyes, making direct contact with the swan's chest. Both went reeling onto the stones and without hesitation or looking back to see what was happening behind him the child took off for the trees once more.

OOC: Let me know if anything needs to be changed!

This time he garnered much better results. His gaze tore itself from the demon bird to see Draven plummeting to the ground and charging for the trees, although slower than he might have without his bad leg. Cernan was frozen as the vile white creature turned, charging its original target and flapping right into his path. Oh god, what was he supposed to do now? The indecision lasted only a breath, before the other boy braced himself and plowed right into the threat. The mess of wings and furry limbs cascaded over the rocks, the swan seemingly stunned enough from the impact that it landed no attacks.

Thankfully and perhaps wisely, the dark-pelted boy continued his flight almost before Cernan could blink. He wasn't far from the tree-line now, but the monster was already on its feet again. Damn!The prince unlocked his joints, finally freed by the knowledge that they could probably escape in the more difficult terrain. He veered back and over, following the edge of the forest as he surged after Draven and away from death. His tail hid itself against his stomach less than majestically as he sprinted forward; all the while watching the other boy and cursing his injury. "C'mon!" He urged, galloping into relative safety and watching them both over his shoulder. If that bird didn't give up he was afraid that he'd have to face it in combat, and the prince wasn't sure that was really an option.

The swan was much less feverish in its pursuit the further it got from its mate, though, and didn't seem intent on chasing the predators all the way into the woods. It slowed to a menacing walk with that snake-like head bobbing up and down just outside the shaded canopy. He hated watching it, hated seeing it at all really; so it was a relief with the accursed thing finally decided it was done harassing them and started to waddle away. It was then that Cernan's lungs rattled in a quiet, irritated growl that he hoped it wouldn't hear and take offense to. He turned toward the other kid, jaws still open as he panted from the exertion. Sprinting wasn't something he excelled at. "We gotta have the pack take care a' them," Cernan rasped, shaking his head and neck like he'd been in the water. "You okay?"

(This post was last modified: Oct 12, 2016, 12:06 AM by Cernan.)

Draven didn't need to look back to know that the swan had gathered itself and was even more hell bent on attacking him. He could tell from the beating of wings and the hissing that filled the air only a second or two after he had managed to send it head over feet. Not being able to bear a glance backwards to see how close the beast was he just pushed himself faster, doing his best to ignore the shooting pain in his ankle. Sprinting straight past Cernan and into the woods the yearling could still hear the wild pound of his heart in his ears.

It took the Lagina boy longer to stop than the other and when he finally did slow he had to double back so he could meet up. Ribs aching with the effort it took to pant and attempt to slow his breathing Draven couldn't speak at first. Instead he stood silently staring wide eyed at the swan as it wove its way back to its mate, bobbing its head along the way and calling out. The very sound of its voice made the dark yearling cringe away. Instead he just nodded towards Cernan to answer his question though he wasn't sure that being okay was really the truth.

His ankle throbbed mercilessly even without any weight on it and Draven knew he should have Namid look at it sooner rather than later. A sudden chill ran down his spine and his whole body shuddered as his adrenaline began to subside, "Have they always been there? Does the pack already know about them?" Sure Cernan had said they would need the pack to take care of them but maybe they had been peaceful up until this point. The thought of either of the pups getting injured by one of the devils made Draven's stomach flip-flop with unease, what had he started now?

His golden gaze was drawn inevitably toward the boy's injured ankle. It was obviously causing Draven a great deal of discomfort, and for a moment Cernan wondered if running for his life had only made the wound worse. Ma could probably tell them, once they got back anyway. Despite the bad paw, his age-mate still at least tried to seem like he was okay. Cernan accepted the answer, still occupied with bringing his own pulse and breath rate under control. The prince's rounded ears pricked to catch the next unexpected string of words. There was a question in his eyes for a moment, but he understood it on his own rather quickly. Draven couldn't know the history the dang birds had with the Cove, at least since he and his siblings had been around.   

"Not these ones," he answered quickly, pausing to pant some more. "There were some last year, that Nate got rid of. One chased me and attacked Neha." Cernan's voice was heavy and serious. He wouldn't forget the horror of that day any time soon. "These two are new," the boy added bitterly, staring once more toward the wide expanse of Lost Lake, the view now broken by trees and shrubs. His expression softened a little as he regarded the swarthy yearling and his favored leg. "We should go tell them." He took a couple of steps in the direction of the den and shifted his eyes back toward Draven, mostly curious if he was going to follow and if his bad ankle was even going to allow it. The question was written on his face. 

Just a fade out post from you I think :) Feel free to pp Draven going back with him

There was questions in Cernan's eyes when Draven spoke about the swans but the yearling was too distracted by the pain in his ankle to dwell on it. Every second the throbbing seemed to grow worse and he subconsciously shifted his weight off of it and onto his other three paws. This seemed to help slightly but the pain was still very much so present. All of this was forgotten at the mention of one of those swans attacking Neha, for a moment he saw red and it took restraint to keep himself from going back out there himself. Luckily the golden eyes of the other were directed towards the nest and couldn't have seen the way that the dark hackles raised along his spine.

Just friends he reminded himself once more, obviously he was just mad because the demons had attacked one of his friends. Anyone would be upset by that right?

Composing himself as Cernan turned back towards him Draven nodded at the suggestion that they should go tell the others. Letting the other take the lead the yearling fell in behind him, wincing when he stepped down onto his injured leg. Shuffling slightly in an attempt to find the least painful way to make his way back without not using his leg altogether he offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile at the questions in the Vuesain's eyes. The Lagina had too much pride to do anything differently, he could make it through the woods on his own.