Swift River these times of disaster

ooc. This is a mandatory pack meeting regarding Indru's absence. Everyone needs to reply by Thursday, September 9th.

And so his scent had begun to fade. The burly tawny wolf had stood, almost mesmerized at the end of the familiar trail, his gleaming amber eyes straying to the distance that had seemingly swallowed his brother. The Tainn brother hadn’t seen Indru in a week – and while he normally wouldn’t have thought much of the random disappearance, as before the pack move the two brothers had been well known for their day travels.. his brother had never strayed so far for so long, especially after he had become responsible for the pack. Motionless, Ruiko stood at the borders of land he did not recognize, and while he ached to continue forward, leave behind these troubles and find his brother and best friend, he knew he could not leave them behind. Niija could not handle it alone.

Reluctantly, and not without a few glances back, the brown wolf made his way back to Swift River. The trip seemed timeless, and no sooner did his large paws fall upon the claimed ground did he instantly move to the main pack den. It was here, in the evening sun, that Ruiko Tainn lifted his muzzle to the sky and howled a beckoning for his family to come to him. Worried over Indru’s missing presence, the hefty male knew they would need to discuss the matter.

(This post was last modified: Sep 12, 2010, 01:58 PM by Ruiko.)

Kenai had noticed his brother's disappearance, but hadn't had the guts to grapple with it. He still hoped and prayed that Indru would return, but with each passing day his hopes dwindled a little more. Ruiko had left earlier that morning and only now did his brother's heavy steps reach his ears. Only moments afterward, Ruiko's howl sounded loud outside, and Kenai let it die away before he emerged from the family den. Kenai, lowest wolf of the pack, slunk over to his brother's side, tail tucked and ears slid back, to lick his brother's chin. With Indru gone, Ruiko would most likely assume the role of leader.

Kenai's yellow eyes shone in the sunlight, worry clear in their amber gaze. He sighed softly and took his seat a few yards away from Ruiko, sure to keep his gaze below Ruiko's chest. He settled himself down on his belly and waited for the rest of the family to join. He hoped that Kinis would sit with him, as Kenai never liked to be alone during a pack meeting. It made him feel naked.

Being someone that wasn't particularly astute, Spooks only vaguely noticed the fact that he hadn't seen the leader of Swift River for a few days, but chalked up Indru's absence to leadership duties, which understandably kept one quite busy. Indru wasn't capable of bilocation after all. The yearling had recently chosen a cozy den burrow beneath the large roots of a tree a few feet from the river and was now languidly curled inside his new home, head half-sticking out to peer at the gurgling river through bored eyes.

The stillness of the day was interrupted by a summoning call, and Spooks almost hit his head on the roof of his den as he sprang up at the sound. That sound didn't sound like Indru's though. An perplexed expression pasted onto his face, the monochrome male padded out of his den and headed towards the main den a short distance from his location. A pair of large tawny, golden-eyed wolves greeted his sight - their appearance very much like Indru's. They were likely Tainn siblings as well, seeing as Swift River was mostly composed of the same family. Eying the dominant one of the two with a curious, but adverted gaze, Spooks lowered himself slightly and dipped his head as he went through the motions of customary respect before taking a seat a decent distance from the two already present.

Borlla happened to be rather happily settled within the boundaries of Swift River. She was fast asleep within the den of boulders, skinny tail draped happily over her nose, while her curled up limbs twitched as she dreamed. In her dreams, she was in a different world. She forgot about things that were happening in the real world. It was nice...Seeing as Indru had gone missing.

And she woke up, nearly deafened by a howl from Ruiko from very nearby. Was she supposed to come? Her eyes, beginning to change, looked around the empty den. She felt a pang of sadness, and remained curled up for a moment, sniffling, trying to get herself together, unsure of why she was really crying. Mommy and Daddy were gone...And now Indru, too. It wasn't fair. Was Ruiko going to leave next? Was that why he was calling everyone? If that was why, she didn't want to come.

Her chin dropped to the floor again, and she feigned sleep for a moment, before curiosity got the best of her. Sliding from the den, she looked about, bounding in a random direction, hoping to find Ruiko. Thankfully, she located more than just her brother, and sat down nervously a few yards away, just in case she needed to make a quick escape due to tears or her overly loud mouth.

Lurking until the end of July - Please PM/tag me to get my attention

Why was everything changing so much?

Kinis had obediently plodded towards Ruiko's summons, hardly one to rebel against such a thing. He did not have far to travel, having lingered near the den, but even so there were others who had gotten there first. Since there were only four, Kinis' choice of sitting companion was easy; he hardly knew the alien Spooks and Borlla was an easy 'no'. Ruiko was the important one here, so needed his space to be dominant and central and stuff. As such, the little boy made a line for Kenai, his friendly older brother who was fast becoming Kinis' favourite brother. His initial idolisation of his parents had been transplanted onto Ruiko and Indru, but with the latter's disappearance, Kinis' trust was being shaken. Who would go next? It seemed just as unlikely for Kenai to leave as himself, hence his choice.

Curling up against Kenai's warm, soft chest fur, Kinis growled slightly out of unrealised frustration. It was soon quieted by his contentment at being so close to his brother. Though he undoubtedly had many, many questions, he knew better than to interrupt or undermine Ruiko, and decided to hold his tongue until his oldest brother had had a chance to explain.

What was there to explain? Indru was probably dead, or as good as dead, same as Mother and Father, same as the siblings who had long gone. Everybody died, it seemed, and now was the time for it. They didn't come back. Kinis' only comfort was Kenai's past assertion that they still loved him, in their own fleshless way, and though he dipped his head in quiet, sad acceptance of the situation, he tried his best to open his heart and offer his missing family silent, ethereal love.

<center>
<i>at least... that's where I'm supposed to be...</i></center>

light up, light up as if you have a choice even if you cannot hear my voice I'll be right beside you dear

Ooc: I'm in love with this family <3 Bic: Normally, Torla was one to tackle things head on. If someone was bothering her, she’d confront them. If there was a question in her mind, she’d ask it. If she was feeling ill, she’d go find the right herbs to make herself feel better. So the fact that she hadn’t mentioned Indru’s longer-than-normal absence was quite unusual. It wasn’t that she hadn’t noticed... in fact, she started counting the days on the third he hadn’t come home. Four more had passed, and still no sign. Ruiko calling their family together wasn’t the most promising of occurrences, but Torla had no doubt that Indru was alive. She hadn’t mentioned his absence because she wanted to feel like there was no need to... like it was no big deal (because it wasn't, she told herself again)l, and he was coming home as soon as he was done doing whatever it was that he did. It would be impossible for them to lose another family member. That would just make fate cruel... and she didn’t believe life was that sadistic. No, Indru was alive, he just wasn’t at home. She could at least deal with that fact. The girl sifted through the trees, wandering toward the dens at a steady pace. As she approached her gaze flickered over the figures already settled in front of her older brother. Several of her other siblings sat attentively and silently. Oh so silently. She paused on the threshold, as if barred by all the nervous energy clouding the clearing. This haunting silence only caused her own nerves to spring to life, in turn making her stomach do a complete flop. “Stop it,” she told herself firmly, shaking her pelt and the feelings of unease along with it. She wouldn’t give in to this sense of dread that everyone shared. “Hello Ruiko, everyone,” she greeted with a respectful dip of her head and tail to her brother, and then a glance to everyone else. Her words felt out of place and unwelcome in the silence. Instead of saying anything else she gave into the quietness, moving over to sit next to Borlla, pelt brushing hers as a sign of comfort. Everything was fine. Just fine.

The soupcon of the deer she had eaten earlier still lingered in her mouth. The taste of fresh meat, all raw and bloody was heaven. And best of all, she did not have to share it with anyone. Since Indru wasn't around, there was no one to boss Ioni around, what she should and shouldn't do. The huntress of the night crept around the forest, not really caring where she was going or why. It was near middle day, and after a successful hunt she was starting to feel slightly sleepy. Her dreams of a rest vanished with a voice cutting through the silence like a knife. Irritation sparked Io's fur as she recognized Ruiko as the owner of the howl. So, did he think he was entitled to call pack meetings now? Annoyance flashed through her body, but she did not let it get the best of her. Instead, she merely turned and headed towards the pack camp, where the howl had come from. It took her perhaps ten minutes before she saw the clearing. Emerging from the shadows of the trees, she stopped momentarily to look around. She had gotten here slightly before everyone else, but watched from a distance as they emerged, one by one. She saw their reactions as they entered, until she saw him.

Her golden eyes were set upon her brother, standing in the middle of the pack camp. She strolled confidently forward, not caring to bow before her own sibling like the previously disgusting behavior shown by her brother, Kenai. "What's the matter, brother? Did you lose something?" she questioned, her voice dripping like honey from her mouth, words laced with fake concern. Oh, she was not stupid. She knew what this meeting was most likely about. No one had seen their brother, Indru, for a long time. They were worried, she could tell from the expressions on their face. Ah, but they had no need to worry. Soon a new, stronger alpha would take Indru's place. In face, Ioni was perfectly happy to take his place without the need for bloodshed. Out of all her siblings, Indru was the only one that stood in her way to be Alpha Female. Ruiko was no match for her. He may be a male with brawns, but she had brains, and she could easily beat that fake alpha-wannabe. "Or have you decided to finally take what is not yours?" she growled to him, golden eyes glimmering in the sunlight. Her voice has been too low for other wolves to hear, only her brother if he was listening. But without waiting for an answer she turned and walked away, head held high, to sit on the outskirts of the clearing, next to her siblings.

<b>ooc. CLOSED TO OTHER MEMBERS FOR NOW.</b> It's going to be easier for Cheshire and I to role-play the rank challenge out without waiting for rounds. Second round of the meeting will begin shortly and then everyone will be free to post here. :)

No sooner did his request die down upon the winds that one of his brother’s emerged from the den. A large wolf – Kenai was hunched low as was a common posture to him, and Ruiko’s features softened momentarily as the male licked his chin. Bending his muzzle down slightly, Ruiko gave a gentle nip to the tawny wolf’s cheek in greeting, his own tail giving one sweep of a wag before stilling.

As Kenai pulled back to take a seat, others slowly began to come forward. Ruiko stood solid where he was, his eyes scanning each arriving wolf before giving a small nod of greeting to each individual. The dark wolf with strange white markings was unfamiliar to the second, but he paid little mind to it for the moment. He smelled of Swift River, and it was clear that Indru had likely accepted the boy before disappearing. Borlla and Kinis were next – the curious and hesitant sight of them enough to stir his heart with regret at the occurrence for this meeting. Would they panic before needed? Indru was out there.. they would just need to find him. Torlla was next upon the scene, and Ruiko kept his stoical silence at hand, offering his younger sister the same nod he had every other individual.

As his eyes glanced up to see Ioni standing not far off, the tawny male had decided enough had shown to begin the process of the meeting; who would stay behind to protect the lands and pups and who would go ahead with him to search for Indru. The other Tainn brother had strayed off the borders of Cedarwood Forest, and while he was farther than Ruiko had truly explored, it did not mean he was simply going to let his brother vanish without trying to find him.

Yet as he was about to voice this announcement to the group, Ioni slithered forward, her muzzle lifted in pride and rebel. His own wolfish brows arched in dark amusement to this rising challenge, and at her words, the brawny male allowed his gleaming eyes to follow her. He had certainly heard her; and while her actions were enough to warrant what was about to happen, it was her words that had sealed the deal of her fate.

Her first mistake was when she pulled to walk away. Easily, the male could have swiped at her then, his large paws overthrowing the feminine two-year old with little fighting experience, but he was not such a coward. Instead, a rumbling snarl issued his first warning, and his paws danced with a fierce grace as the male rushed to her side; plenty of time for her to see he was coming. His ears smoothed to his brown skull; his tail curling tightly to his side as he took on the natural defences of a challenged male. Coming up to his sister’s side, the male rolled his shoulder out harshly like a freight train to strike her down, one cream paw lifting to curl along the underside of her own nearest to him and pull; he was going to knock her flat on her face, where she now deserved to be. With jaws agape, the male lowered his muzzle to protect the flesh of his nape.

(This post was last modified: Sep 10, 2010, 09:21 PM by Ruiko.)

The combination of his snarl and his heavy foot steps approaching easily made Ioni aware of his threat. Glancing over to her brother, Kenai, she winked at him, as if to say 'This is how you do it'. When she could nearly feel his hot breath on her she leaped, extremely agile for a wolf her size. However, he had been coming at her full force. While she managed to escape being knocked down, he was able to set her off balance. His shoulder thrust into her hip as she lifted off, as well as his paw grabbing one of her back legs. This caused her landing to be slightly awkward, spraining one of her front ankles. But she already had an adrenaline rush that made her forget the slightly pain in her ankle. She watched, amused, as he lowered his jaws to protect the soft flesh of his neck. Did he think she would really kill him over something as simple as this? Immediately her instincts kicked in as she raised her tail, curling over her back in a proud dominance display. She curled her lips back to expose her teeth, returning his original snarl with one of her own. Ioni had never showed this display of dominance before, but she had seen Indru do it enough to be able to mimic him.

Her golden eyes swiftly took in his stance. He was quite a bit bigger than her, as he was more mature than her. She still had some growing to do, but by how much she did not know. One thing Ruiko lacked was brains. His brawn, oh he had plenty of that. Strutting himself like he was God of the wolves or something. But Ioni knew she was smarter than him, he just would never admit it. "Tsk, do you think Indru would approve of you picking on your younger sibling?" she questioned, knowing perfectly well he would approve. Damn Indru, always wanted to be on the top. He only secured the place because he was mommy's little angel, as well as being a year older than her. "Or do you think you can do it because you're brother's little pet?" she growled, hoping to get under his skin. She knew he had a temper, everyone knew it. Ioni realized she could easily get under his skin at times, and other times he managed to hold his cool. Would this be one of those times he would let his temper get the best of him? Most likely. He already had charged at her when she merely held herself with pride, not dominance.

Deciding enough was enough, Ioni started to run towards him, tail flying behind her like a banner. When she was within muzzle range she leaned forward, jaws gaped open as if to attack. She hoped to fool him, for before she even made contact with him she leaped away, far to his side. As soon as all four paws touched the ground she sped by his side, lashing out with her jaws as she neared his rump, hoping to grab his hips and set him off balance, or at least cause some minor wound. As soon as she got past his bulk she turned around on her back paws to face him again. Her muscles were tense, and Ioni stood on her toes, ready to dash away the moment he came close again. She lowered her head now to protect her neck. As well, she lowered her tail to rest in a normal position, hanging to the ground, but slightly tucked near one of her legs to avoid him grabbing it. She was ready for the next round.

She was quick – and while he hadn’t forced her to the ground in submission just yet, he did feel a swell of pride as she stumbled. Had he known he had sprained her ankle the large male would have felt a trickle of regret – he wasn’t out to hurt his sister, he was simply showing her the place she was meant to be in the pack. Yet it seemed Ioni was the opposite of this; the she-wolf spun, facing him now. Raising himself higher; the hackles of the male’s pelt bristled dangerously, his teeth bared in warning should she continue. His flash of dominance was shown with a lift of his muzzle and tail now, and it became quite apparent by her words that she was trying to flesh out his emotions and feelings. She was attempting to make this a very personal thing, and while Ruiko knew Ioni was going to be quite the contender as she grew older.. she was still very inexperienced.

He spoke nothing to her words, and instead remained still. Only when she rushed him did his tail sweep back to his defensive posture. He moved with her, turning with her as she did, yet her agility manoeuvred the attack to land, her jaws raking part of his hip. Droplets of blood pooled to stain the gold of his fur, initiating a snarl to pool from his gaping jaws. She stilled now, in front of him once more, and it was Ruiko’s turn. Rushing forward, the male lifted his muzzle, his jaws seeking to enclose around her own snout to prove his dominance over her. Again he barrelled to her as well, hoping to use his body mass to push her back and down.