(See All?) Announcements
380 Users Online
Bing, Adelard, Google, Apollo, Matos, Juniper

Mirror, Sword & Shield — Wild Rye Fields 
Print · · Subscribe · 0 Loves ·
Played by PuppyThief who has 538 posts.
Inactive No Rank
Drestig Avalon
Backdated a bit to be closer to their return from WM which was late at night on the 10th.
MANDATORY PACK MEETING - @Askan @Phoenix @Icicle @Adelayde

Sunrise was always beautiful over the fields. In autumn its light had made the golden grasses shine, and now it glittered in the fresh snow. The king had no time to enjoy it though, his mind entirely too full of anxious thoughts. Taking time and thinking it all over had done nothing to ease his worries, it didn't change things. And it was high time the rest of the pack learned where things stood, he didn't want for anyone to accidentally make things worse; Or get hurt..! Agreement or not, he didn't trust Whitestone, and he wanted to protect his family at all cost.

So today it would be, as the sun cleared the horizon, he sought out @Jessie knowing that this what something they needed to do together. And together they went to the center of the territory, taking a seat in front of the pond, facing the woods. Face solemn and brows furrowed, Drestig shared a silent look with his partner, his heart heavy with what they had to tell. Then he leaned back his head and called the pack together, not for a hunt this time, but a meeting, their first official meeting, and it wouldn't be a happy one.

Word count: 203

"Speech" Thoughts.
Played by Alice who has 1,273 posts.
Inactive No Rank
Askan Selwyn
Becuffin gave me permission to PP a lil bit with Percy.

Askan snarled and dug his feet into the snow. He wasn't going to back down or give in, not when so much was at stake. Not when he'd promised that he would give this his all. Perhaps in the grand scheme of things it didn't matter all that much, that it might even be pretty inconsequential, but it mattered to Askan. There was no way in hell that he was going to lose a game of tug-of-war to a damn kid. Percy or no, she was going down. She was going to taste the bitterness of defeat one way of another!

With an ironclad resolve, Askan tightened his grip on the sturdy branch and heaved himself back a couple of steps, dragging Percy along with him. To her credit, she was holding her own, she wasn't making this easy for Askan. But as enthusiastic as she was, Askan was both older and stronger, it was only a matter of time before her grip failed and he could claim the title of victor.

Or at least that was the plan, till he heard a call ring through the woods.

Dropping the branch, Askan turned and stared in the direction of the summons, ears perked and his eyes wide. Drestig? To Askan's relief, the call  didn't have an overwhelming sense of urgency to it. The Rye King wasn't warning them that they were in mortal danger, or something of the like, but at the same time he wanted them to come to him sooner rather than later. It was important, it had to be otherwise he wouldn't have called for them like this. So what was it? What had happened? Askan couldn't help but worry, but as always he made an effort not to let it show.

"Come on kid, your dads calling."

And so, the two of them galloped out of the woods into the wide open space of the field. By the time the duo arrived, it seemed as though the Rye King and Queen had been waiting a while. They sat in front of the pond, their expressions grim and troubled. It appeared as though Askan had been right, something was wrong.

Rather than asking what was wrong, Askan simply nodded to his alphas in greeting and sat himself down. There was no point in asking, they would explain the situation when everyone was present. For now he had to wait.

[Image: kana_pixel_by_marthypie-dcn3i8m.gif]
[Image: se_sig_by_becuffin-dbuushz.png]
Played by Arya who has 292 posts.
Inactive No Rank
Adelayde Artemieva

It hadn't been long since the incident between her and the Whitestone wolves happened and her face injury had yet to completely heal. She feared it was going to scar up and she would be reminded of the attack constantly. The stinging cold wasn't helping the healing process as she moved through the deep snow of their southern pack region. Ade was adamant on staying away from their northern borders where it was more likely for her to run into another heathen from Whitestone. Though the talk with Askan made her feel safer and more confident with what she may become, she still held the paranoia that they were lurking in the shadows behind her.

Finishing up an early morning patrol of the southern borders, she was intending on seeking out Askan for a potential spar, but the call stopped her in her tracks. Listening silently, she could hear the urgency and solemness in her leader's voice. Taking off as quickly as her sore leg would let her, she let out a short howl to alert them she was on her way.

Arriving shortly after Askan and Percy, Ade dipped her head to the two alphas as she bumped the underside of Drestig's chin as well as Jessie's before moving towards the other pair. Ade smiled softly at the two of them before sitting herself aside Percy, giving her a light bump on her cheek obviously oblivious to the animosity the young girl held for her.
  
Played by Brian who has 77 posts.
Inactive III. Subordinate
Icicle Whitefang

The colorless wolf had been laying under a tree, thoughts swirling between the pack, his own position within it and the winter they were weathering out, Askan’s concerns had seemed to align with his own, which meant that maybe the others did as well. The pack might struggle through, but they would survive. A sudden howl caused Icicle’s ears to raise, Drestig was summoning them. STanding slowly, the large wolf gave his fur a good shake to dislodge the snow that had clung to his pelt before starting off toward the center of the territory that they guarded so preciously.

now, the wolf caught Adelayde’s howl announcing her presence, a soft snort escaped the wolf as he moved, seeing no point in it. Eventually, he came across his packmates, dipping his large head to everyone present before settling down near Askan, nodding awkwardly toward Percy as he awaited the news, he wasn't going to waste breath asking what was coming, judging by Drestig’s howl and the way he looked, it wasn’t good. A soft sigh escaped, though the news couldn't have been much worse than what he had faced in the past, he didn’t want such cruel fates to befall his new family.

Played by Staff who has 4,811 posts.
A lynx has left behind the remains of a deer. +5 Health
Played by becuffin who has 129 posts.
Inactive No Rank
Phoenix Avalon
from the darkness into the light, now is your time
Phoenix Avalon

Percy wasn't about to back down for any wolf, least of all Askan. He may have had size and experience on his side, but she made up for it with quick feet and tenacity. A deep throaty growl was offered around the oversized stick, leaning back with all her weight, but still she was dragged along. A wet sounding snort left her nostrils, smirk concealed by the taught line of her lips that refused to simply let go, and that was when it happened. She reeled backwards, only catching herself at the last moment as her tail waved high and proud. Her victory dance was short-lived, however when Askan pointed out that her dad was calling. So she hadn't really won at all. Well that was disappointing.

She followed close to the dark man's heels as they made their way to where her father was gathering the pack, settling herself easily by Askan's side. She had managed to school her frustration at the brown woman down to a general disinterest - at least outwardly, but when she dared to boop her, the girls head swung to click teeth somewhere by Adelayde's cheek, missing their mark by far but hopefully delivering a message that would save her words later on. Not for booping. She may have felt bad when she noticed the injuries the woman held, but she wouldn't let that show beyond a momentary turning back of her ears. Besides, she and Askan had been rough-housing. She was still high on the adrenaline. Who booped an adrenaline high pup?

She didn't stop to think what Icicle's awkward nod might mean as her firey eyes settled on her parents. So why were they here then? She had been enjoying herself.

[Image: alice_pixels_by_marinatedmermaid_db0ijia...bx39aw.gif]
Played by Lightning who has 727 posts.
Inactive No Rank
Jessie Tainn

Now that they were home, she could feel her anger returning to her. The longer she remained within Wild Rye Field territory, the more irritated she became. She made it a point to steer clear of her pack mates, including her daughter. When Drestig finally sought her out for what they knew was coming, she gave him a brisk nod, staying silent as he called for the pack. She did not want to reveal her anger to them, least they not come. She remained next to him in front of that pond and watched as they trickled in. Askan and Percy were the first to arrive. The Tainn offered a brisk nod to the two in greeting before turning her gaze towards Adelayde. The alpha surveyed the woman's injuries again as she made her way towards the pair, going over what they had learned again in her mind. We have to be more careful. We don't want another war. It was something different when it was the lore against a pack of wolves that did not belong in their lands, but it would be even worse to have two packs at war with themselves, especially at such close proximity.

After the other female said her greetings, she made her way towards Percy and Askan. Had she been in a better mood, she would have smirked at her daughters public display of animosity. All she offered was a wink in her daughter's direction. Icicle was the last to arrive, bowing politely. The mother nodded to him as well, impressed to see how much healthier he looked since he joined them. Once they were all seated, she allowed a few seconds of silence to pass over them before she finally spoke. Her voice was cold, "As many of you may know, we returned from a meeting with Whitestone Monadnock, our neighboring pack that we have had a few run-ins with a few days ago." She paused for a moment before continuing, "It did not go well. It has come to our attention that there have been some misunderstandings between our packs due to certain individuals and now there is a need to go over a few ground rules that should be followed until we say otherwise." Even though I thought this would go without saying. She looked towards Drestig and then nodded towards him. The woman did not want to go on a screaming rant with them and thought it best that he be the one to continue.

[Image: jessiehotei-greysig01.jpg]
Played by PuppyThief who has 538 posts.
Inactive No Rank
Drestig Avalon
You're all so quick! <3 No posting order for round two, just get 'em in when you can and @Jessie will go last again :)

 

He was pleased to see them all arrive promptly, first Askan and Percy, sending a bittersweet sting through the king's heart; So much strife… All he'd ever wanted for his family was peace. But as Adelayde joined them, it was clear that would never happen. Her injuries were looking better, but the marks were still clear on her face and it made anger flare in the dark man. He hid it as best he could, giving the girl a kind smile at her greeting, but within he was seething. What Craw's minions had done to the cheerful girl was savage, even if her injuries hadn't been severe, it was still bad enough to scare her from going out again. He was so indignant on her behalf in fact, that he shot his daughter a warning look for her rude gesture; Normally he found her spirit endearing, but the snapping teeth felt too close to home considering the circumstances.

His attention was on the issue at paw though, and once Icicle joined them, it didn't take long to get to business. Drestig allowed his partner to speak first, frankly not wanting to upset her more by messing up. She'd been cold and distant since there trip, aside from Sahalie's visit, and he knew she'd been thinking hard on their troubles. Moving straight to the point, as expected, Jessie laid out the facts with harsh honesty, but passed the stage before going into specifics; Leaving Drestig to start the reprimand. He hated being the bad guy, giving commands and chastising his pack members, his family. But it was part of leadership as much as everything else, and it needed to be done, for the best of them all. Ember eyes settled on Adelayde again, her marred face spurring him on; "We want to emphasize that the Lowlands are neutral grounds. As long as they're not threatening to cross our borders, anyone has as much right to be here as us and should be treated civilly!" His eyes moved over each pack member as he spoke, finally landing on Askan. The leader did not want to blame his second for acting in defense of the pack, but he couldn't ignore what the Monadnock leaders had said; For the best of everyone..!

Flashing his teeth in a cold smile, Drestig continued with a general warning, saving any further chiding for once the others had been dismissed; "These northerners cannot be trusted, but we want to avoid conflict. If you run into them, be polite, I don't expect you to roll over for anyone, but there's no need to be rude, hm?" One silvered brow quirked slightly, gaze again brushing Askan before falling on Percy, sitting proud by his side. Again the father felt his chest tighten, the words of those rock-bastards burning clearly in his mind. He swallowed, keeping his voice steady as he continued: "I want you to avoid going north as much as possible, and when you do go out into the Lowlands, travel in pairs if you can. That means always for you!" He made sure to meet his daughter's eyes cleanly, voice and face stern, he wanted her safe at all costs. Once that was settled he lightened a bit, raising his head to look out over all of them; "I don't want to cower or grovel for these pompous pricks, but I want everyone safe. That matters the most to me, so use your heads out there!" There it was. No doubt Jessie would find his words unprofessional, but it was important to him that they all understood, not just what was at stake, but his reasoning behind the orders. Then she could add whatever other commands she might find necessary. But first: "If you have any questions, let's hear, don't hold back your thoughts!"

 

Word count: 636

Thoughts ”Speech”


pride12
Played by Arya who has 292 posts.
Inactive No Rank
Adelayde Artemieva

Dismissing the snap of Percy's teeth purely as playful teenage retaliation, she was still oblivious of the disinterest the pup held for her. Adelayde returned a playful wink in Percy's direction before turning back towards the fiery child's parents. The Snow woman had a vague idea what this meeting was going to be about. The Rye wolf was positive it had to be about the meeting they had with the heathen alphas of Whitestone to try to smooth the tensions after she had been attacked. Still harboring hard feelings, Ade had recovered however, from the attack and wore her valiant smile despite what they did to her. She did it just to spite them.

Tawny ears perked forward, Jessie started the meeting first with confirming her thoughts on what this meeting was going to be about. From the look of them and the tension she could physically feel, she felt bad news coming. Again Jessie confirmed her dreadful suspicions before turning the lead over to Drestig. Heart sinking, she could feel her stomach churning with regret for even going out of the territory that day. If only she had stayed home, maybe they wouldn't be in a predicament like this.

If her own guilt hadn't been enough, Drestig eyes landed on her as he began to speak. Ears flattening against her skull, she solemnly listened as he reminded them the lowlands were neutral lands. If only that Craw could be reminded of this as he had strutted through them like he owned them. Shaking the anger away, she listened to her alpha as he continued on to tell them these northerners could not be trusted and to avoid them if all possible. Which was a feat Adelayde intended to follow as she was already purposely trying to avoid the northern lands because of them. However, what was to be said if the caribou herd traveled further north away from them? What if they had a run in again when it came to prey? It was already proven they would attack anything to get a piece of meat. Were they that desperate to risk war on a scrap of meat?

Drestig answered her question by telling them to travel in pairs whenever they needed to go out into the lowlands. Nodding in understanding, she glanced at the other for a moment before turning back to Drestig as he finished up by telling them to use their heads and be safe. He asked if they had any questions, she took a moment to ponder her thoughts before speaking. "Should we be worried about a raid from them as they seem to be desperate for any scrape of meat?" She asked, her feet shifting in the snow as she waited anyone else to speak up and voice their concerns. Had it just been her and Askan that have had run-ins with these Whitestone wolves? Certainly she would have heard of any other incidents, especially if had been as serious as hers.

Played by Alice who has 1,273 posts.
Inactive No Rank
Askan Selwyn

Askan did not flinch or otherwise make a scene, but Drestig's gaze was heavy and pointed and he couldn't help but feel as though his words were primarily directed at him. Civil huh? It wasn't as though he'd gone out of his way to throw his weight around and he'd never claimed that he or his pack owned the Lowlands, but he supposed with hindsight perhaps he could have been a bit more congenial. It was too late to worry about that now, he'd learned from his past mistakes and he had no intention of making the situation worse, lest his pack suffer from the repercussions.

At the very least, his alphas seemed to understand who they were dealing with. Askan had been saying this from the start, the Whitestone wolves were devious, haughty scumbags! Once again, the Rye King shot Askan another look before his gaze wandered to his daughter, Percy. No doubt the King was worried, as any good father would be, about the safety of his daughter. And he was right to worry, if the Whitestone wolves had no qualm about attacking Adelayde then there was no doubt in his mind that Percy would be fair game too. Not that Askan would allow that to happen, he tried to keep an eye on her as best as he could but she had a mind of her own and she was no longer the tiny pup she used to be. She needed space and time to herself. That wouldn't stop Askan from trying to keep her safe though, nothing on this planet would or could persuade him otherwise. So when Drestig commanded that Percy was not allowed out on the Lowlands on her own, the Yukon wolf wholeheartedly agreed and nodded along in accord.

Everyone's safety was paramount these days, it was important for all to remember that.

When Adelayde spoke up, Askan's ears twitched and he turned to look her way. He'd noticed Percy nipping at her earlier and wondered how the hell she hadn't yet worked out that the pup couldn't stand to be around her, let alone touched. It was clear to him, he knew Percy better than anyone else-aside from her parents- but Adelayde was strangely if not blissfully unaware. How typical of her. That didn't really matter now though, she was making a valid point.

"I dunno about that." Askan said, squinting in thought. "I'll double my watch, just in case."

[Image: kana_pixel_by_marthypie-dcn3i8m.gif]
[Image: se_sig_by_becuffin-dbuushz.png]