Red Fern Forest There's gold in them there hills

Fool's Gold Chasm claiming (?) thread! Situated at 36.76707, 127.89843

Well if you wanted honesty that's all you had to say

The weather had begun to warm, no longer biting into the very marrow of his bones and threatening to freeze his balls clean off. They could all feel it in the air, the coming of spring, and he could feel his skin practically vibrating with the implications. No, not those implications, you dirty minded boys and girls, but the implications of more food, of not waking up covered in a foot of powdery white bullshit, of feeling more himself. They’d eaten their fill on the herd they’d been following before deciding to head south-east, down into the foreign forests below out of the openness that the lowlands had provided. Soon, they wouldn’t have to worry as much about food because the forests would be much more lively. Plus, it was an area they’d yet to explore, the hopes of finding a hint of their families still a possibility in the back of his mind.

So, they’d set out about a week prior.

After 7 days they’d come to what seemed to be the edge of a vast forest. It was covered in a thick blanket of snow, but even he could tell that in the coming warmer months it would be teeming with life, a welcoming atmosphere to him and his merry band. Off in the distance to the east he could see red-tipped mountains shadowing the horizon, the red clay laden hills tracking their way into the edge of the forest they’d come across, leaving the snow beneath their paws an interesting mixture of red and brown. Various streams cut across the landscape and more than once they’d had to pick their steps carefully to avoid falling into an eroded hole in the earth.

He had half a mind to head closer to those mountains calling in the distance, but as they went he could see the ground sloping upwards, blocking his view. Continuing forward, he very nearly missed the crevice that was carved into the earth, the entrance blocked by a large mound of snow. He looked over his shoulder at the wolves he’d come to call friends, their breaths causing fog to spread in the air like clouds. “Anyone wanna help me dig this out? Feels like somethin’ interestin’ is in here,” he asked with his typical grin.

Ashbash 2016 - Ian Schneider 

Spring was on the horizon. Saga could feel it in her bones, and in the way that her muscles seemed to ease with the pleasent warmth. The real thaw would arrive soon, and with it, the forest would wake from it's slumber. Small animals would emerge from their burrows, and larger creatures would begin to drop calves, or fawns. Everything was still up in the air, as far as what the weather change would mean for their little group, but if they did choose to make something of this, then the promise of new life could sustain them through the summer, and if they were lucky, into the fall as well. If not, then the Tainn was at least certain that she could get by on muskrats, and hares just fine.

The last few days were spent trekking over strange, red tinged landscapes, all of which begged to be explored, but at the pace they'd been travelling, there simply wasn't time. She would be back though, to see all of the things she'd wanted to see, and do all of the things she wanted to do.

Saga came to a halt beside Hudson, noting the crevice only once it had been pointed out. Huh. The woman found herself squinting into the partially blocked entrance, trying to determine whether there really was something interesting hidden within or not. "I swear to the Gods, Hudson, if there is a bear in here.." Her nose had already confirmed that there wasn't one.. but honestly, finding a scentless bear wouldn't be the weirdest thing that had ever happened to her.

Throwing caution to the wind, the woman began to dig.

Sága is currently travelling with Huddy, Aubine, Adelard, Rhaegara, Riven, Maugrim & Hrun

When Maugrim and his brother had arrived in "Ruins of Wildwood"—a name he was starting to doubt, since that pair of women had been  quite unbalanced—he thought their travels were mostly over. How could there possibly be more land. He figured at some point the land would just end like it did in Mosquito Bay. But on they had trudged, in the footprints of elk, deer, anything big that they could catch on the wind. And it had lead them all here: a forest.

This forest was nothing like the Thicket of Secrets, though. The trees were older, the wolves were able to walk between them without being ensnared by all manner of vegetation. Still, there was a darkness, a curious stillness over this side of the mountain that hadn't existed back west. Maugrim was not sure what to make of it, but honestly surrounded with a considerable band of wolves it felt unnecessary to worry about it so much.

Little ferns brushed past his legs now as he trotted up to see what Hudson had discovered now. A cave? Interesting. Being able to take some shelter in these chilly, snowy times would be nice, instead of having to scratch out a place every night. The woman—Saga—seemed a little nervous that this might be the den of a bear in hibernation. She seemed to have her wits about her, Maugrim liked that in a broad. Neatly he picked his way over to her side, shoving her lightly with his shoulder, "Don't worry, I'll protect you." Then he, too, began to dig.

Rhaegara was still not quite sure where she fit amongst the group, but she was happy to follow along and be an extra set of paws. She hummed softly as she followed along, hearing Huddy’s question as she looked at the crevice that the man had discovered with a soft frown on his features. Her tail wagged softly in agreement with Saga’s words. If there was a bear in there, she was going to leave them for the metaphorical wolves. That was just the way it was. She was a survivalist and an individualist first and last. She would be there for them, but if it meant clear death on her part, then she wasn’t going to take it.

Sorry, Huddy.

She snorted softly at Maugrim’s words and rolled her eyes. “Come now, us girls can take care of ourselves.” She found herself teasing with a smirk. There was no need for the boys to do any kind of protecting. They could take care of themselves. Rhaegara would even argue they could take care of themselves better than the boys could possibly take care of them. Still, she moved and started to help dig alongside them. “If I see a bear, you better hope you can run faster than me.” The words fell as a tease from her lips.

Riven hadn’t known what to expect with these new wolves, but he was happy he’d gone with them in the first place. They were fun, and he felt safer and more comfortable here than he’d felt in a long while. And it was this budding loyalty that made him find the courage somewhere within himself to approach the four that were currently digging out a cave.

The boy picked his way over to the others, hesitant at first, but then a bit more bold as he settled up to the other side of Hudson so he could start digging, as well. “We could probably chase a bear together, right?” he offered the others, a small smile settled on his maw.

Maybe they could, maybe not. But Riven had faith in his ability to sprint away from danger, so it wasn’t that big a risk at the moment. Besides, something about these wolves made him want to be braver - like maybe he really could face a bear, if he tried his best and had them to turn to.

(This post was last modified: Mar 06, 2021, 02:43 AM by Riven.)

For the most part, the Gerau siblings took up the back or near-to-the-back of the traveling party. Adelard usually had eyes for only his sister, Rhaegara, Saga, and Riven, wanting to ensure their safety above all else. Hudson, he was sure, could hold his own. As for the other two - Hrun and Maugrim - he couldn't be certain where or how to gauge them in terms of status or rank. He kept his distance and to himself, only speaking in wordless sounds to his littermate every so often, or whispering to Riven when engaged in passing. At the very least, Adelard was grateful for the warming weather (even if he was only vaguely aware of the hormone-driven annoyances that would soon come with it).

The trek was everything that he had needed - a test of mental stamina and physical feat - as they passed through foreign forests and strange streams. So, as Hudson spotted a distinct nook in the snow, the masked male simply stopped in his tracks.

One by one, the others chimed in: Saga's worry about bears, Maugrim's and Rhaegara's assurances, and Riven's never-failing optimism. Adelard glanced to Aubine, tail low and head level. He knew by instinct that she wanted to run, to scout out some potential borders if this was going to be the place where they set down roots.

(This post was last modified: Mar 18, 2021, 05:14 AM by Adelard.)

heat stroke, bring the fire
ADELARD GERAU
black smoke, I take it higher

Aubine took everything in stride. She was easily back at home in the midst of others and she made sure that her brother saw and felt it. She delighted in Saga's company as they traveled and spent most of her time gladly walking alongside the rest of their little pack (which had grown by two since their elk hunt and the addition of Riven). As per usual, though, she and Adelard slept away from the group and kept to themselves at night; their relationship was healing as the days went on but, somewhere deep down, she knew he would never forgive her for relinquishing her place as their parents' successor. They could only hope their parents would be fine in the years to come...

As the group came to a slow stop, Aubine's tail lifted in a tentative wag. She had been walking a few paces ahead of her brother, but while her eyes had been glued to the place where Hudson wanted to dig, she quietly ducked down and circled around to Adelard's side. Badgers and wolverines were one thing; bears, on the other paw, were beasts that were not to be messed with. She knew this from experience. At first, she let out a low half-growl that ended with something like a yip. A sound that was meant to soothe the tension that was rolling off her brother's shoulders and onto hers. He could take on a bear... but, she would rather have his protection and companionship for other things if Saga was well-guarded while they dug out a den.

She took a step forward, leaning her flank into her sibling's side for assurance. "Have we arrived?" she asked, beating her tail into Adelard's hock, "Adelard and I can do a quick look around? Assess the place and report back?" Her tone was hopeful, eager to let Hudson and the others know that they weren't dodging the initial task of digging. She just wanted to further ensure the safety of their group while most of them had their eyes, ears, and noses in the ground.

so I risk it all just to be with you
AUBINE GERAU
and I risk it all for this life we choose

Well if you wanted honesty that's all you had to say

Saga, who’d been close to his flank the entire trip, pulled up alongside him. She breathed out a curse against him, threatening him with repercussions if there was a bear or something inside and he gave a rumbling hum and a playful nip toward her cheek. Honestly, he’d grown very fond of the woman. She was wit and sass, but also a listening ear and a kind soul. She seemed to understand his moods, the ones where he just wanted to be left alone, or the ones where he was a bit annoyed for no apparent reason, or the ones where he was feeling especially sassy and playful. She took them all in stride like no one besides his sister had before and he’d found himself leaning against her more and more, grateful that they’d stumbled across each other’s paths on the lake.

Maugrim pulled up next to her to help with the dig and Hudson didn’t miss his playful gesture toward the silver women, earning a side-eye from the salt-and-pepper Macieo but he was quick to shake it off. Saga wasn’t his, but the possessive, dominant side of him didn’t want to see things like that. Hrun, Rhaegara and Riven were quick to join as well, Rhaegara’s words earning a grin from him. ”Better hope I don’t use ya as bear bait, first,” he retorted teasingly.

An aud flickered back as Aubine spoke and Hudson paused in his digging, turning his head to look at the siblings. They were a good pair of wolves, he’d come to find, though their relationship felt...peculiar. He didn’t know much about their past so he couldn’t piece together why they acted as they did, but he wasn’t nosey enough to pry anyways. They pulled their weight and weren’t horrible to be around, which was enough for him. “Go for it. Gotta make sure our big furry friend in here doesn’t have friends,” he said with a smirk and a nod before turning back to his work.

Several minutes later they had finally managed to get the snow out of the way enough to move into the space. Hudson gave himself a good shake, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he panted from the exertion but he continued forward anyways. He could smell better that way anyhow, pulling in the scents through his nose and the scent glands on the roof of his mouth. The Macieo couldn’t smell anything other than wet stone and perhaps some lichen, but he inched forward carefully despite this fact. He moved around a slightly risen slab of stone in the entryway, finding a vast cave to his immediate right. The man paused, silver gaze squinting in the low-light before inhaling deeply and giving a deep, rumbling bark. If there was anything living in there, especially another predator, it would surely make itself known after that.

But, after a moment, nothing happened and he was assured that nothing harmful to them was tucked in the depths. “C’mon ya buncha babies, there’s nothin’ here to be afraid of b’sides me,” he called over his shoulder before clambering down the slightly slick but stable rocky slope further into the cave. “Shit it feels good in here,” he admonished as the temperature rose several degrees due to the insulation the stone provided. In the winter he suspected it would feel nice and refreshing from the summer heat, but in the winter when it had been below freezing often, it felt like a nice warm blanket.

Ashbash 2016 - Ian Schneider 

Rhaegara could not resist simply rolling her eyes at the very notion, a soft snort guiding her way as he teased her. “You wish you could use me as bait.” She was a sassy one at times like these. Still, after enough digging, there was a lack of bear scent that she noted. Still, she didn’t hesitate to let the man go first. She was a survivalist, and if he wanted to leap into the unknown without requesting backup go with him, then far be it for her to stop him from doing so. She waited until she heard his call out to them before she made her way into the cave, watching carefully where she put her paws.

He was right, it did feel good. Her pelt was naturally thicker, making it easier for her to deal with the winter weather, but fuck if it wasn’t still cold out there sometimes. She said nothing, simply looking around with a mild glimmer of amazement in her eyes. “It feels almost… homey.” She commented idly. It reminded her of the pack den back home, before everything had gone to shit. It had that warm feeling to it and she yearned for more.

“I’m surprised there’s nothing down here to be afraid of… I would have scooped this place long ago had we found it before now.” She commented again as she looked around, sniffing around the ground to see if perhaps there were any faded scents to explain why it was so empty to begin with, but she found none. It almost felt… perfect. She wasn’t necessarily thinking about the implications of her statements, simply stating her observations as they arose.

A lot seemed to happen all at once, but that's how these things worked. Maugrim shoved her lightly, and proclaimed his intent to play knight to her damsel in distress, which Rhaegara was quick to counter. A playful smile passed over her maw, and she added in her own, "I don't know Rhae, if he want's to get eaten by bears in our steed, then maybe we should let him."

A little banter passed between Hudson and Rhaegara, and Riven's question was nearly lost,  but she made sure to throw him a quick, "Definitely. The bears wouldn't stand a chance." Adeline and Aubine offered to have a look around, and then a few minutes later Hudson was pushing his way into the cave. Saga chose not to enter until he scoped it out on principal, but she kept her ears forward, just incase anything answered his bark. When the inky wolf finally called up to them, egging them on, she couldn't help but throw in another jab, "You know, I think i'd rather take the bear..."

Her eyes took a minute to adjust to the low light, so her nose set to work. The cavern had a damp, stony smell, but there were hints of vegetation and iron as well. When the dimly lit cave finally came into focus, she found herself agreeing with Rhaegara. It did have a homey quality to it. "Perhaps we should scoop it up." Her words weren't exactly serious, it was more of an idea she'd thought aloud without really considering, but the further she moved into the cave, the more probable it seemed. At least they'd never have to deal with another winter like the one they were having.

Sága is currently travelling with Huddy, Aubine, Adelard, Rhaegara, Riven, Maugrim & Hrun