Thicket of Secrets crying on a saturday night

harper

OOC here!

Spring would be here soon. Despite the layer of snow weighing down the branches of the thicket's crowded trees, and the air so cold it stole her breath, Harper could sense the changing season. This winter was the longest she had yet faced, and the only one that had truly threatened her life. It had left her hungry and weak, shoulder blades and hipbones sharply visible beneath her thick fur. But the chocolate she wolf knew it would not be long before the snow melted and life returned to the world. Maybe only another month.

Harper just hoped she could survive until then. It was a wonder that she had lasted this long, when before she had always had others to rely on for food and safety. Some nights she fell asleep unsure whether she would wake up with the sun again. But just when she believed that all of her strength had been sapped from her, she found the energy to keep moving. At times the only thing Harp could fully understand was simply walking forward.

Harper slid down to sit, resting her small thin shoulder against a tree trunk. The forest she found herself in was beautiful, even in the dull gray shades of winter. She could not imagine what it looked like during the warm season. A sigh slipped from her maw, a swirling, pale vapor. Her body trembled sightly with weakness as a hunger pang strangled her from her belly to her throat. She would have to get up soon and continue toward the pack she had been tracking, but a short rest would be all right. Before she realized it, the small female slumped down to the earth, her face between her paws, the shock of bright blue disappearing as her eyelids fluttered shut.

(This post was last modified: Mar 03, 2014, 11:59 AM by Harper.)

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Iopah had been following the brown female. Slipping silently after her through the thicket. Each paw placed carefully, although there was little need with the pillow-soft snow in the forest.

This was not what she had expected to find today. She had hoped for food, a meager rabbit or an abandoned carcass, not a lone female wandering ever closer to their borders. She was too slight to cause trouble, but every step that brought them closer to the threshold of her home made her eyes narrow. The search for food sometimes yielded unexpected results.

It was possible she wanted to join them. And Iopah had to suppress a sigh at that thought. They had trouble feeding the family they already had. There was no need to take in a half-starved female. Particularly one not old enough to know to call for an audience with the resident pack. Iopah watched her slid down and paused, letting her off-white and gray blend with the forest. The female looked around and Iopah waited dispassionately. Maybe now she would howl?

Her expectation was cut short as the wolf laid down and . . . slept? Iopah continued to stare, then flicked her gold gaze left then right, as if looking for someone else to confirm the sight. Granted the Thicket wolves were not typically aggressive towards loners, but there were much safer places to nap than this. Iopah shook herself heavily, not caring for silence any longer. The one-sided game had ended anyways. She strode forward, stopping a few lengths away, and cleared her throat loudly.

"That is hardly a safe place to sleep."

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(This post was last modified: Mar 04, 2014, 03:52 AM by Iopah.)

harper

Harper had not expected to fall asleep, or even to lie down. Then again, she had never been in such a pathetic state. Too hungry, heartbroken, lost and exhausted to know what she was doing half the time. Suddenly a harsh noise was pulling her out of an uncomfortably light sleep, followed by an irritated, female voice.

Harp's eyes opened slowly. She peered up at the pretty, pale she-wolf who stood above her, her scent like that of the nearby pack. Harper realized that she had made a mistake, possibly a terrible one. Her ears pinned back against her head and she stood slowly, keeping her body slightly crouched to ensure that she stood lower than the other female, and tucked her tail tightly against her emaciated belly. She had not meant to trespass, she should have been more aware of her proximity to this forest pack. But there was nothing she could do about that now.

I am sorry, miss, said Harper. I didn't intend to come too close to your borders. My name is Harper Saeda... I was going to call for someone, before... before I fell asleep. She blinked slowly, taking silent deep breaths through her nose to steady her nerves. Still, she continued to tremble, anxious and afraid. Perhaps the pale-furred female would laugh at her, turn her away, even kill her. No pack could handle more members in this weather. But Harper had nothing left to lose.

(This post was last modified: Mar 06, 2014, 12:05 PM by Harper.)

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one more round (1 post from you, and then 1 post from me) and then we can call for Nina and/or Hollow?

Up close she was thinner than Iopah had realized. Gold eyes caught on shoulder blades and softened. Two years ago this was her. Iopah's inspection was cut short as Harper climbed to her feet. Those same shoulder blades stretched as she crouched and Iopah glanced away. Her gold eyes found some inconsequential thing to study. "You needn't crouch so before me."

The words were spoken in the same impassive tone from earlier. But when Iopah looked back from the forest her eyes were sympathetic. Words tumbled from Harper's chocolate mouth and Iopah listened quietly. At the speech impediment her ears perked forward, not as a gesture of aggression, but one of mild curiosity. It mattered little to Iopah. Many things could cause a stutter. She was understandable, that was all that mattered here. So many smooth-tongued wolves lied as easily as they breathed. If Harper's words were truth, then her stutter was irrelevant. And from her embarrassed nature Iopah was inclined to believe her.

Iopah nodded at the name and the explanation. Then watched her shake. From the cold? In fear? She hesitated, there were few things she could do, could say, to put Harper at ease. Words often failed her; Things came out harsher than intended, meanings lost in translation. With an exaggerated sigh Iopah plopped her hind end on the ground. This is where Iopah should have given her own name. It burned on her tongue, but there was something else she needed to say first.

"You are looking for a pack." It was a statement and not a question, but Iopah followed it up with a definite head tilt. Silently asking if it would be contradicted. Or perhaps expanded on. "This winter has been harsh. A pack needs to have capable members to survive."

She let that statement hang in the air. Iopah knew she would be calling for Nina or Hollow shortly, and she had only once seen the Thicket leaders turn someone away. Hopefully this girl would be able to contribute.

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harper

sounds good to me. :) sorry about the ew post.

Aware that she was groveling, Harper was happy to relax, though her ears still touched her head, tail hanging limply at her heels. She was embarrassed of her overly submissive display. It had caused the still-nameless female to look away from her, after all.

The other woman seemed to soften ever so slightly. It was not in her tone, but in her demeanor so that Harper just barely took notice. She did not like being pitied, but in her ill health she must have the appearance of an oversized, starved rat, and it was probably difficult for any but the coldest individuals, not to feel just a bit sorry for her.

The pale she wolf offered her a chance to explain why she needed a pack, and what skills she could bring. The questions came as statements, but Harper caught on to their meaning and she was eager to answer, her blue eyes brightening, excited.

Yes, she began. I have been alone for many weeks. I'm a hunter, that is why I survived for so long. Even so, she should have passed away by now, taken by the winter, but she kept this opinion to herself. If your pack accepts me, miss, I will happily hunt for you. And do whatever else is needed. Her ears lifted slightly, eager for a response.

(This post was last modified: Mar 06, 2014, 05:14 PM by Harper.)

I don't mind if you change Harper, I'm probably going to be lazy and not edit Io's post. Also I'm replying here so that if I re-read this in the future I'll know why it doesn't match.

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For a second Iopah wondered if she would have to pose her questions more directly. Iopah often used gesture and body language to communicate what she didn't say. Miscommunication happened sometimes. She was pleased with the understanding that brightened Harpers face. As she began to speak Iopah nodded in understanding. The admission was clear from the narrowness of her face, the gauntness of her frame argued her point effectively enough. There seemed nothing to say to the first statement.

She is a hunter.

Iopah's eyes flicked over her skeletal frame lightly before returning Harpers gaze once more. Had this been any other season, or any other winter for that matter, Harper's claim would have been laughable in her current condition. Only in a winter like this could a capable hunter come to resemble Harper. This, more than others, was a winter that a wolf survived, not thrived in. Idly, she wondered what constituted 'many weeks'.

She laughed softly. "Wolves hunt much better in packs than they do alone." It was true. As swift and sure as a wolf would be alone, they needed brute weight to take down much of their prey. The synergy of a cohesive pack would either save or fail that pack in a winter like this. She sighed, she could find no fault with her. She did not have the authority to turn away a loner, that responsibility was saved for @Nina or @Hollow . But that didn't mean she may not discourage someone who did not have her families best interests at heart. It was time to turn the show over to them. Proudly raising her head she called for her leaders. Her voice high and melodic, requesting an audience without any urgency in her tone.

Gesturing subtly for Harper to do the same, Iopah lowered her stance slightly. Her ears gently curving downward as she settled down to wait.
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I pm'ed both, but probably only need one leader.