Dead Empress Backwater don't wanna cross a line

Pack random event: Dead Empress Backwater, a strong snow storm makes it hard to find your pack den.
Open to all DEB members. And as a note to all members for knowledge, as of this thread Clover will be stepping down as leader due to injury sustained in this thread. In the next few days Eros will be asked to step up and lead alongside Viorel.
Dawn, Blizzard Conditions
@Clover @Eros @'Vayko" @Oleander @Tyra

Their numbers had been growing recently, and Viorel had been pleased with the progress of the pack. He knew the cycles and that it may be that many of them did not stay once the harsh weather was over but it didn’t matter. More members now meant more paws to help in a hunt and guard the borders when they needed it most. He had been heading back into the territory after a night of tracking a nearby herd, the world beginning to lighten when suddenly everything began to get dark.

The hair on the nape of his neck stood up uncomfortably, yellow eyes scanning the darkening sky, rolling with threatening clouds. It felt like the temperature was dropping with every second he stood here and the leader knew he needed to get a move on. Just as he was crossing into the territory the wind picked up and snow began to fly, stinging his eyes and slicing across his nose.

Viorel grit his teeth before lifting his muzzle and sending out a call to check on the pack and their location and that they were somewhere safe. With the howl of the wind he wasn’t sure they would be able to hear him and began to move towards where he thought the pack den was. It was snowing hard enough he wasn’t even sure he was heading in the right direction.

Clover had been up before first light with the intent of foraging for any last remaining herb growths deep in the underbrush that had yet to die off from the wintery conditions. At first it had been a peaceful morning, but before she knew it the wind was howling in her ears and flinging snow into her eyes.

She thought she heard Viorel's call as she tried to find her way back to the pack den for shelter from the sudden snow storm, and returned with a strained howl of her own, her voice sounding faint even to her own ears over the wind.

Her paws took her forward to what she hoped was safety, but she let out a gasp as they almost slipped out from under her, claws scrabbling on something that felt suspiciously like ice beneath the layer of snow. In her desperation she lost track of where solid ground was, finding it difficult to see anything beyond her own nose.

A sudden cracking sound of branches snapping from above and to the side was the only warning she had before something heavy landed atop her, pushing her down through the ice into the freezing water below. Immediately her body went numb, but she fought her way to the surface, managing one gasp of air which she used to call out for help, hoping Viorel or someone else was close enough to hear her.

some fairy tales are more than true

Sage hadn’t slept well, tossing, and turning until finally she departed the den for an early dawn stroll. Absent-mindedly her paws took her down the familiar pathway leading to her fishing spot. The sun hadn’t quite peaked above the horizon yet, and still, she could see the frozen water. She wouldn’t dare touch it, not after being stuck out on the ice the previous winter. She needed to clear her head though, and that’s what fishing was for her. A way to escape the thoughts that ran freely through her mind like a broken carousel stuck on its loop. So she looked, and walked, and stared hardly at the frozen water. A break somewhere. That was all she needed. Of course, if it wasn’t too dangerous to reach.

The yearling didn’t notice the worsening weather until it was beating down on her pelt. She’d trekked some distance along the river now. Perhaps it was time to call it. She looked around herself, eyes squinting against the fury of snowflakes collecting in her eyelashes. She wasn’t sure which way home was, but hope met her with a distant call. Viorel. Then Clover, except, Clover didn’t sound as far. She couldn’t see where the shore began and ended anymore. Tentatively she stepped out towards her call, echoing out her own. Together they’d have better odds.

Sage froze at the sound. Her heart thudded widely in her chest. What…no… In an instant, she was blindly running towards what had sounded like a worse nightmare come true. Then a desperate cry for help reached her ears, and Sage veered towards the sound. Her paws skidded against the ice as she scrambled to get a grip. She slid, her own panicked cry echoing out in the air while she dug her nails into the cold surface. The yearling came to a wobbly stop and felt everything within her sink. ”NO!” The scream was followed by a wailing cry. Tears formed along her lids. ”NO! NO! NO!” She sobbed out, ”HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!”

Sage stood above the broken ice looking in desperately, heaving for air as adrenaline coursed through her. No one would make it in time. Clover only had her. Sage had but one choice, and despite every instinct she had telling her not to she dove in headfirst. You’re fishing…you’re just fishing…a really big fish. She told herself repeatedly as she paddled down into the chilly water. It was hard to see but not impossible. The water stung her eyes to the point she could barely keep them open. She just kept taking in deep strides down until...There. The girl reached forward to grasp onto Clover's fur.

With all the strength she could muster the Hervok propelled the pair upwards, struggling against the weight. She could see the light, It was just up ahead. She could see the break. They were so close…so close…Keep swimming. Sage kept moving, kept fighting, despite feeling like every inch they gained they lost another and sunk. She just had to keep swimming towards the light.

At last, she broke the water's surface with a muffled gargle. As she heaved them through, the cold wind felt like a slap against her wet skin. Her teeth clenched onto Clover tighter. She wasn’t going to let go, not now, not ever. She wasn’t letting go. She could feel her body hitting its limit. The girl helplessly paddled in place with a vice grip against the other’s nape. She couldn’t cry out for help. She couldn’t do anything, but not let go and keep swimming. Her paws smacked against the icy edges fruitlessly, her muscles spasming from the effort and cold.

"She speaks" She walks She thinks

Dead Empress Backwater

Eros had been prowling the territory's edges when the storm hit. He had turned inward, but rather than heading directly toward the den he continued in a sweeping fashion. Once the snow came, it was all at once. If others got trapped in the blind snows, he wanted to find them sooner rather than later. Especially his siblings. If one of them got hurt, or worse, because he hadn't paid close enough attention...

He heard his father's howl, faint but clear enough to be understood. Clover answered next, much closer to where he was now. Then another sound, a cracking and crashing that made his stomach drop without him immediately knowing why. Then Sage's voice rose up, wailing horribly and begging for help.

Adrenaline dumped into his muscles as he hurtled forward, flying toward the sounds. His shoulders checked trees and branches cut across his dial but he could not be stopped. Memory warned he was nearing the waters edge, but that was when he could see it; broken ice, his friend and mother struggling to keep their heads above freezing waters. Eros didn't think, he just continued to act.

He flew across the ice and launched into the water. The impact of his presence caused the ice to break further around them, water sloshing up onto the opalescent shelf in waves. He would close his jaws around the nape of whoever struggled most, pulling them toward the shore with all his strength. His powerful limbs struck out rhythmically and broke away at the ice standing between them all and safety. Ever watchful of them both, of keeping them above the water. They would not lose anyone, especially not to the fucking ice.

His bloodied paws touched cold silt; they were almost in the clear.

(This post was last modified: Jan 10, 2024, 12:16 AM by Eros.)

Oleander had been continuing to clear out the thicket near his mother's den when the storm had hit. Once or twice, he ran into Anatole on the way to the infirmary. Oleander could only stare as each went on their own 'merry' way. They would have another chance to meet again, he was sure of it. At the time, he had more important things to do. Quenching his thirst, stretching his legs, and recovering some hidden trinkets.

For a time, he did not reemerge from his little hideout. Though, when he did, his father's voice came through the winter wind. His eyes narrowed from the size of the snowflakes. One of his ears went to one side. Perhaps it was just a "status check." A role call of sorts.

Oleander waited in his shelter of entangled vines and dense, twiggy underbrush.

A scowl came upon his usually winsome face. Was that... Mama? He stepped out into the blanket of snow that had accumulated on his 'doorstep.' There was something that sounded like a cry, then another howl that followed it. One forepaw lifted as he stepped forward, surveying what little he could see of the forest.

"NO!"

His heart sank as his head turned to where the scream had come from. "NO! NO! NO!" He sprung into action. Now he too ran blind in the storm, barking as he went. He was on his way. His heart pounded in his ears as he ran, acid pumping in his veins until he could no longer run. His paws stamped at the frozen waterline as he came up next to Eros's trail of footprints. The sound of cracking of the ice and frantic commotion told him exactly why he had been summoned. Unable to tell who or what had been caught upon unstable footing, he whipped his head around. His brain kicked into overdrive, "DAD?!"

He looked to where he could see two pairs of tawny paws reach up from the water, daring to move closer but not by much. As tall and spindly as he was, a fourth individual would only make the situation worse. He also knew there would be a good chance that he would end up in the water and needed to be saved himself...

Fighting back the whimper in his throat, he called to them with wordless barks. Come on, you can make it!

they say pray it away, i swear,
OLEANDER VALLE
that I'll never be a saint, no way

Sonnet hated storms with a burning passion. When the flakes had started coming down she'd still been peacefully asleep within the pack den. However, as the wind started to howl and chilly gusts made their way in she'd quickly awoken. The girl made her way to the mouth, bracing her thin body against the wall. She listened to the distant calls, and...screams? The noise was so faint she couldn't be sure but the pup crumbled to her belly with a whimper. She didn't want to be alone again and big fat tears welled up on her eyelids. Would the storm eat them? Could the storm eat them? It wasn't like the awful rainstorms she hid from...no, it was worse.

Little Song couldn't see very far out due to the heavy snowfall, and in a rainstorm, she'd still be able to make out soggy wolf forms. As she hopelessly waited for them to find their way home, an idea struck her, the girl lifted her snout to call out wordlessly. Howling against the wind as loud as she could in an effort to be a beacon for anyone stuck out in the awful storm.

"Speak"

(This post was last modified: Dec 15, 2023, 05:09 PM by Sonnet.)

Tonight we make our dreams come true
**Sonnet hasn't spoken since losing her family.

No posting order! Hoping to get the next round up approx. December 28th

The Valle man had been making his way back towards what he had thought was the pack den, listening intensely for anyone who might answer his roll call. Clover was first, and then very quickly the things he heard sounded like something out of a nightmare. His co-lead’s call was panic, and then Sage screaming out for help, Oleander barking and then Little Fox calling out herself. He had never heard her make so much as a peep so far, so the fact that she was breaking her silence meant it must be an emergency.

Viorel’s walk turned into an all out sprint, squinting against the snow and gasping for air as the wind seemed to rip it from his lungs. By the time he got on the scene there were three bodies in the water and they were beginning to reach the shore. The leader pushed forward, the cold water stinging his paws and climbing up his legs, splashing against his stomach as he grabbed Sage’s scruff. Eros had a handle on Clover and they weren’t deep enough so that he couldn’t touch, so it was only a matter of getting them back onto the land.

Letting go only once he was sure that they were back on land he launched into orders, ”Eros, Clover, and Sage, you all need to be in the pack den to try to stay warm. Oleander you know what they need from the infirmary?” He didn’t wait to hear the answer, moving along beside Sage to nudge her insistently towards the den. They needed to get out of the wind and the snow.

Little Fox was the next voice to call out, and Oleander heard her in between his own barks. He fell quiet as Viorel emerged onto the scene, a dark shadowy figure in the flurry of white. There was no time to connect or even think. Oleander watched as the Leader made his way into the water. No hesitation. He grabbed Sage and pulled her closer to shore. Tail waving to and fro, he touched his nose to Sage's as he looked at Clover and Eros.

"Eros, Clover, and Sage, you all need to be in the pack den to try and stay warm," Viorel took command of the situation. Oleander's feet felt frozen to the ground. He jumped as his father gave him a separate instruction.

"Oleander you know what they need from the infirmary?"

"Y-yeah, I can check," he answered with an obedient nod. He exchanged glances with Sage as Viorel began to nudge her along. "I'll meet you there." Without another word, Oleander was gone, his ashen fur blending with the throes of the storm.

they say pray it away, i swear,
OLEANDER VALLE
that I'll never be a saint, no way

Your toxic I'm slipping under

With a taste of your lips, I'm on a ride

Vayko had been on the northern fringes of the territory following a stale but still present scent marking that indicated some deer had passed through. A pack hunt, with their current strength, would help feed all involved and the pups were reaching the age where they could participate more fully in a pack hunt. However, the further he got, the most the wind whistled in his ears and the more he became blinded by the heavy snowfall making his eyes burn from the exposure. The result had been him attempting to tuck against the tree and brace himself… until he heard his cousin’s call.

With it, there was a raised maw, a howled response that likely got lost in the wind as he began to try and make his way upwind to the call that had travelled across the land, buffering slightly from each powerful gust that caused a shudder to run down his spine, his nose twitching as he moved. His first thought was Clover, and then their children. He looked out, begging and pleading that the pups were all safely tucked inside the pack den… and yet knowing them, he knew the odds of even that were slim.

And so I tell myself that I'll be strong

Seri Donata

and dreaming when they're gone

Seri had been on his way to the pack den when the call rang out, a frown on his features as he continued to push through the wind. His fur was thicker, making it a little better for handling the winter conditions than some, but this wind chilled even him to the bone from a matter of minutes of being outdoors. He found Viorel just as he was tasking Oleander with finding what was needed. “How can I help?” He asked, his voice slightly elevated to ensure that he could be heard over the weather that had decided to settle in and rock the pack to the core.

Soft shivers ran down his spine, a worried expression on his features. Was everyone okay? Was everyone accounted for? “Do we have all the pups? Are they all safe?” He asked, squinting as he tried to see if there were any slightly smaller-than-adult forms like that of the children who had been growing up within the pack.