@Liri Sorry it's a little late! Getting caught up has taken a little longer than expected!
The trip up the mountain had been as rough as expected. The backside of the mass was mostly scorched, with dots of new vegetation sprouting out here and there. Illidan had been able to follow along on his own for a lot of the way, but in some areas, the footing was too loose, so Kavik had picked him up and carried him, shaking off any offers from his healer to take turns carrying him. The weight of the boy was not much of a burden for him, and he knew she would be sore enough on her own trying to manage the rocky terrain on only three legs.
It had taken them almost two days to make their way up the mountain to it's highest point. The area immediately after the summit was so different from the side they had come, it was hard to believe it was the same mountain. As he looked out ahead of them, he could see miles and miles of coniferous forest and abundant plant growth.
Kavik had come to a stop shortly after reaching the top and looked around at the group; they all looked as tired as he felt. He looked to Liri and said,
"We should stop and rest here for a while before making our way down." The still had another set of mountains to trek after this one, and he wanted to make sure the group had adequate time to rest and eat.
Hello there, thought Thorleif as he trotted up to the cliffside. He glanced out at the forest, sniffing the air. "I like smelling," muttered Thorleif to no one in particular. Unable to fully comprehend distance and perspective, Thorleif began looking for fish in the terrain below. He chuffed and wondered if the fish here could sense his gaze and were actively hiding from him. "Hmm, these fish here are smart. Fishing might be more challenging here", he informed the group. "They are watching us, the same way we are watching them."
Thorleif squinted his eyes and slowly slunk away from the edge. He nudged a small stone and watched as it went tumbling down the edge. His eyes grew wide as he stone vanished into the ground far below. "By the Gods," exclaimed Thorleif. "This entire mountainside is imbued with magical powers! We must be wary, lest it makes any of us grow smaller as we get further away from each other. We should stick together."
Elixir always followed the band in the back, making sure there was no one left behind. Her legs grew tired about halfway up the mountain and started to shake uncontrollably as they neared the top. The feeling of fatigue was all over her body as she collapsed to the ground almost over dramatically when Kavik suggested they rest there. "Perfect" she mumbled and laid her head on her paws. Her eyes watched Thorleif as he walked over to the edge, her eyes grew wider. She knew he probably could have fell over but he was being careful.
A sigh escaped her as she closed her eyes slowly. Eating would wait until she could stand to walk around more. She heard Thorleif as he said we should stick together, stating what was obvious. Her eyes rolled as they were closed and after a few moments her breathing slowed and she was fast asleep. Soon she hoped they would be able to settle, somewhere like this, close to the stars.
@Corvus Vlad @Minori (not actually sure if she's caught up with them yet but just in case she has) and I think that's everybody
They had taken longer than expected to move on from the Emberwood, given that they had needed a rest after crossing through the Valley. The climb into the mountains was long and arduous; it wasn't long before the healer's limbs were trembling from strained effort. Her legs were growing stronger but the climb tasked her more than she was willing to admit. By the end of each day, it was hard to find the energy to patrol or hunt. At night, she collapsed into dreamless sleep at her mate's side, typically with Illidan somewhere close by.
The higher they climbed the more treacherous it seemed. The mountain side was slippery with loose rock and uneven legs - like Liri's - meant a possible tumble. Occasional foliage reached through the rock, struggling for sunshine, but for the most part the back half of the mountain appeared to be razed black by fire.
As they approached the summit, Liri stumbled to a stop on weary legs. She raised tired eyes to the horizon, the chocolate-colored optics widening at the verdant and prosperous view. The greenery promised abundant life and a thriving niche if one was willing to carve it out. The view alone almost made the whole trip worth it.
The fae made her way over to Kavik, seeking to stop at his side for a moment and touch her nose to his shoulder. Given that she had his attention, she gave him a small smile as if to ask Are you okay?
The rest of the wolves would draw her attention in a moment, she would check to see that nobody was injured before they searched for something to eat. For now, she sought reassurance over his well-being first. He was carrying much pressure on his broad shoulders.
Grezig was just as tired as everyone else and went off to a quiet corner when Kavik called for a rest. She huffed and stared with accusatory eyes at Thorleif as he muttered to himself like a madman. Gods. What she wouldn’t give to turn back time and never recruit that idiot into the group. She studied the russet wolf a moment longer, and then turned her head and closed her eyes, dozing off while there was time to rest. Somewhere between asleep and awake, she wondered how long the group would be wandering from here to there. Where was the end? Was it soon? Would they ever reach their mysterious destination, or be cursed to wander the wilds forever?
The boy was old enough to follow behind the group. They had gathered many new faces, but he had very little interest in knowing who they were. His only concern was for Kavik, Liri, and Grezig; they had tended to him the most, and he felt as though he owed them a considerable amount. He remained as close to the trio as best as he could without straying too far. The dark stranger called Elixir was a good and quiet sort of wolf. Illidan found that he did not have much of an issue with her. It was the strange russet-tinged male that seemed to drive the young boy mad.
The group plodded along – mostly silent – with Thorleif in the background talking to himself about fish and magic powers, but Illidan had found his wits end. The hooded boy gritted his teeth together while the wild hairs along his neck and shoulders seemed to rise and dance with his irritation. When at last he could not contain the urge, the boy whirled around with mad yellow eyes and barked at the male. “Will you shut up?!”
Not much had changed since the boy had found his father's battered form. He had spent more time on his own; he had learned that he was his own best form of company. Illidan had also learned that he carried a piece of Kierkegaard within him, bound by blood.
Mountains were new to Corvus. He was not a mountain man, feet calloused but not enough to stop his feet from aching after traveling for a while on the uneven, uphill terrain. The heat of day only further drained him of energy, his dark pelt absorbing the light and uncomfortably warming his entire body. Still, he did not complain. Never would he complain, even with the nonsensical ramblings of the russet agouti man he'd long since tuned out. How long had this group put up with him? Corvus would've chased him off ages ago. The boy whose name escaped him seemed especially intolerant of the madness and snapped. Big mistake, The mercenary warned mentally, sure that his anger would only encourage more blabbering from the crazed man.
The sparse, charred land was less than inviting; this place was not a suitable home. Still, the view was something to behold. He could see why some would enjoy living at such a high elevation. Kavik announced that they'd be stopping for now, and Corvus was silently grateful, moving to a spot separate from the rest to slide into a comfortable lying position―far enough so that any bickering that may ensue would be slightly more tolerable.
the reddish male did not seem particularly intelligent, and she wondered briefly at the probability of him plunging to his death. she moved near behind the pale woman, stomach heavy with uncertainty as she followed the patchworks group close behind Liri, the woman she felt most drawn to.
the boy snapped, eliciting a noticeable flinch from the fire-touched girl. he seemed too small to speak with the fire he did, and he unsettled her nearly as much as the dark man that had joined them recently. tension pricked her nape, and when they paused, she chose a spot slightly away from the others where she may keep the warrior in her gaze.
Having tired of her time in the Taiga and become both intrigued and annoyed by the man she had met earlier, she decided to entertain herself and track him. So she followed his scent, following it for a day or so before the sound of voices made her wary. The scent wad strong now and she continued forward anyway, happening upon a band of wolves that were enough to be a small pack.
Immediately she was on edge, scanning them all as she took on a defensive posture. Her ears went slightly back and she lowered herself ever so slightly, seafoam green eyes focusing directly onto Corvus for a few long moments before she chuffed to make herself known. She didn't speak, at least not yet not until she figured out what kind of group this was.
I'm going to go ahead and start the next round. New posting order. Anyone that didn't reply to the first round is still welcome to jump in at any time! :)
As Kavik sat down, he was, unfortunately, close enough to hear Thorleif's ridiculous ramblings. He gave a heavy sigh and shook his head. He was too tired to give the irritating male any of his attention, so he turned away from him to ignore him.
His irritation was soon forgotten with the soft nudge from his mate. He gave her a strained smile before nuzzling her.
I'm fine,
he said with a bow of his head.
I just need to rest for a little bit.
It was mostly the truth. His usual worries plagued his mind as always, but he tried to keep them to himself, not wanting to burden Liri anymore than she already was.
I'm good here if you want to go check on everyone else,
Kavik added a moment later. It was what she usually did anytime they stopped to rest, and he knew she wouldn't rest herself until she was sure no one needed anything.
When Illidan's harsh remark hit his ears, Kavik turned to him and took in his distressed posture. He gave the boy a soft nudge with his nose to soothe his frustration and whispered low enough for only Illidan to hear,
Just ignore him. That's what I do,
and gave him a one-sided smile. He understood his frustration with Thorleif, as he constantly felt the same way. Yelling at the idiot wouldn't help anything, though, and Kavik had found that the most effective way to deal with him was just to disregard anything he said; it was never of any importance, nor was it ever constructive.
Kavik moved his green gaze over the group as they settled down to rest. He also kept an eye on his mate as she made her rounds, making sure he always knew where she was. The scent of stranger made him whip his head in the direction it came from. Kavik quickly got to his feet, and when the unknown female made herself known, Kavik moved to put himself between her and the rest of the group. Her body language did not seem friendly, and he met it with a flag of his tail as he stood tall in front of her, clearly stating that she shouldn't move any closer. His emerald gaze studied the dark wolf before he finally spoke.
Why are you here?
Kavik asked sternly. Either the women needed help, or she wanted to cause trouble. He couldn't think of any other reason why a lone wolf would walk into an area where a large group of wolves had settled. Whatever her reasons were for waltzing up to him and his group, he wanted to get them out in the open so he could act accordingly.
Thorleif had no idea how long he had spent staring into the moss on the mountainside. It seemed like days, but in reality was only seconds. He pondered over the intricate complexities of life whilst reveling in what could be considered a zhen like state, when he realized that he had his mouth open. He had been collecting flies on his tongue. He chomped down hard, trying to eat them. Most of the flies had flown off, but some had flown the wrong way.
Thorleif hacked and begun to panic. He drooled and slobbered and rolled on the ground, hacking until two small dots flew out of his throat. Breathing heavily, he stared at the flies who had try to possess his body and had failed. Grunting in satisfaction and pride, Thorleif lowered his head, licked up the two flies, and ate them. It was clear this world wanted him dead, but time and time again, Thorleif showed that lady luck did appear to have a bias.
Kenkou stayed near the back of the group taking in the sight of the others. He missed the mountian air from his home but was also happy to be far from it. He watched as two of the others seemed to be annoyed with one another. As Liri as usual was worrying over everyone.
This was a nice change for him, and being near other wolves was something he has missed. For now he settled on the ground to enjoy the soft sounds of life. That is until one of them stated to cough and hack and proceed to eat some flies.
"You okay there?" he asked.
The healer would usually be smiling but it's obvious to her that Kavik is not as fine he claims - the strain of travelling and the stress of so many others to look after seems to weigh more heavily on her mate. Liri sighs, too tired to think how she might help him. There's not much to be done for him, the sylph gives him a quick kiss and moved on to any of the others who might have needed her.
It's Illidan who's grabbed her attention next. She's seen how intense the boy is; he keeps things bottled up and the healer can never tell if he's truly adjusting to his new surroundings.
There's a glint of concern to be found in her dark eyes, though it's for the boy she thinks of as ward or foster son rather than for the madman called Thorleif. She gives no rebuttal to Illidan for snapping at him; as she told Grezig, Thorleif would learn or he would leave. She offers no praise either, silently brushing the boy with comfort as she passed on.
The fae paused at her mate's side, preparing to curl up against him when the sudden approach of a stranger catches her attention. For a moment she's frozen as she watches Kavik intercept her, dark eyes locked on the girl with caution.
Liri can see the way the ebony girl's eyes find Corvus and she steps forward, hopefully catching both the stranger's and Corvus's attention. "Do you know her?" Her voice comes softer than Kavik's, curious and confident that the stranger before her won't act stupidly when surrounded and outnumbered.
assuming there's no posting order
The burning in his gut would not subside and so the child found a place where he could sit and watch the strange male with a youthfully intense glower. His brow was furrowed tightly over a pair of citrine eyes that did not stray from Thorleif. Though Kavik and Liri attempted to quell his sour mood, Illidan did not pay them much mind. The only thing that met the white female was a cross look, and he sighed softly to the dark man who had taken him under their wing.
When Thorleif seemed to find difficulty in a pair of dark bugs, the hooded child found a sickening hope wash through him. He waited while the other wolf choked and hoped that those two flies would kill him. Nothing could have prepared him for the hopeful thought, but he gritted his teeth against it and forced the image of his father to leave his mind alone for only a few moments. When Thorleif was able to cough the flies back up, Illidan snorted and lowered himself to the ground with disgust.
As she had expected she was instantly apprehended, by a male with fur as dark as night and eyes greener than the moss in her homeland. His posture was fierce, dominant and she immediately thought he was the leader here. She wasn't a fool by any means and she hadn't come here to fight, so she dropped her tail and kept her ears flattened lowering her eyes from the group. As soon as she had she heard a bunch of hacking, coughing and spitting coming from one of the group members and unable to help herself she looked up to see a male spit something out and then lick them back up again. Her nose wrinkled in disgust and she slowly turned her eyes back to the ground.
The next thing she heard was a female speak, asking someone a question assumedly about her. She curiously looked and saw a female speaking to Corvus, this time a wolf with fur as pale as snow but covered in scars. She looked fierce and beautiful in every way and instantly Minori found that she respected her, without even knowing the woman.She figured it was time to answer the question being asked of her "I don't mean any trouble. I met Corvus, Followed him back. Is....this a pack?" she gave the truth, that she had stalked the male all the way from their meeting place.
I was waiting for Illidan and Grezig to go first since Kavik did say same posting order, but I'll just go now since Corvus is the man of the hour, lmao.
He was about to doze off when Kavik's stern tone roused him. Looking up revealed that the alpha was confronting a stranger. The shadow got to his feet and approached the situation to surprisingly recognize the woman: Minori. How interesting. An amused curl of his lips formed into a cheeky grin. Liri had also stepped up and asked him if he knew her, but Minori spoke first, admitting she followed him all the way here and asking if this were a pack.
Corvus resisted the temptation to tease Minori, deciding to save it for later. Confirming what she said, he added, Yes, I met Minori while we were stationed in that forest.
He left out the part where she attacked him and they fought until bloodied. Details, details. Then, to Minori, he answered, We are a prospecting pack looking for a place to settle.
Grezig had stood back up at the approach of a strange female (strange as in a stranger). It was a black wolf with an odd grey mark over her eye—something Grezig had never seen before. The female was scanning the group, obviously nervous. Grezig did nothing, waiting to see what would happen now.
’I don't mean any trouble. I met Corvus, Followed him back. Is… this a pack?’
She’d met Corvus, had she? Grezig glanced at Corvus, trying to gauge his reaction to this situation. Corvus confirmed that they had met. A twinge of, what? jealousy? plucked against Grezig’s emotions, but she brushed it aside without giving it any thought. Stupid feeling, really. Still, she remained silent, wanting to know if this… Minori… was about to become another new pack member.
Elixir lifted her head as she smelled a new comer. She looked at the woman and then at her pack mate that had brought her back. It seemed true enough and seemed she was being truthful to them all. She was still wary but didn’t move from her resting spot as she was still tired and wasn’t of importance in meeting the potentially new member yet. Though she wasn’t going up to them she was silently watching and if needed she would help settle things down if it got out of hand.
small post about her watching the action. :)
New round; no posting order.
Most of what was going on around Kavik went unnoticed as he was focused on the stranger and what brought her here.
His mate's question reached his ears, and he looked to see who she was talking to. It appeared he had missed something between the stranger and Corvus, because Liri's words were aimed at the dark male. He silently watched the exchange between the stranger and Corvus, and when it was clear the unknown female meant no harm to the group, Kavik relaxed a fraction.
Corvus is correct. We are looking to start a pack as well as looking for a territory to claim,
Kavik said, his voice a little calmer than when he first spoke. His emerald gaze studied the newcomer for a minute before he asked,
Are you in need of a pack?
Her ears went up as Corvus confirmed that they had met and then turned to speak directly to her. A small bit of gratitude was felt that she hadn't been ignored. The news that this was a forming pack was obvious to her so she just gave a small nod, why else would so many be travelling together? Then turning back to the first male as he spoke, she considered the offer. She couldn't just jump head first like she had with Issun, she wanted to know about the place first. "I am. I am a mercenary, are you in need?" she asked hoping that the skill would gain her some respect enough to have her next questions answered. "Can I know a bit about your pack? I don't want to give loyalty to something I don't know about" she said this as respectfully as possible. Sure she was queen of attitude and didn't like other wolves but this was a business situation of sorts, she could be reasonable in these types of situations.
Elixir was interested in seeing what the new female could do for their pack. Obviously The wolfdog hasn’t done a lot for the pack just yet but she planned on it. With her knowledge of plants and the stars she could help them with herbs and navigation. Elixir opened her fiery eyes and lifted her head to see who she was.
If Corvus has brought her back surely it wasn’t by mistake, she had something to contribute. Her ears were perked but she could barely hear the conversation. The wolfdog came to her feet and trotted over she only stopped a couple steps away. She was still behind Liri and Kavik so she might have been hidden but was in hearing distance. It was exciting to have another recruit around to share everything they have to give with. The hopes of settling down soon were higher now that they were recruiting more wolves.
just wanted to point out that Hela's earlier post said "new" posting order, rather than "same" lol.
She can feel irritation bubbling under skin, she longs to shout out a "Quiet!" that might silence the hum of voices and activity going on around her. Liri blocks it from her notice, as best she can, focusing her attention on the newest wolf to enter their midst and only those that were conversing with her.
Amongst all the activity, Grezig's jealousy and Thorleif's ramblings and Illidan's irritation with the madman were forgotten, or went unnoticed. She nodded silently as her suspicions were confirmed - the girl did know Corvus - but Minori appeared harmless and her mate calmed.
"We have a need for followers of all types," she spoke up when the girl asked if they were in need of mercenaries. "As for our pack, it's more or less like any other - we planned to found it so we might find a home and start a family. We wanted a place where people would be heard and treated as more than a means to an end."
How many packs had she belonged to where she was merely a pawn? A soldier and a pair of fangs to fetch meals? Even to Aaron, she'd only been as valuable as her husband had been - her only worth the healing she had studied.
The fae wanted to found a pack because she wanted to inspire people. She wanted to give them a reason worth following; something to believe in other than climbing a ladder through ranks and filling caches and patrolling borders.
Hopefully her vision of making a not only a pack, but a family and a people, would be enough to sway her.
Grezig, at this point, was simply waiting and watching the situation. Minori was non-threatening so she had no reason to say or do anything. She listened as Kavik confirmed that this group was a pack in the making and asked her if she needed a place to stay. Minori’s answer—that she wanted to know more about the pack first before she made up her mind—struck Grezig as an intelligent thing to ask, and her jealousy of the woman lessened some, and became instead a small inkling of respect. It was the kind of question she could not remember asking the alphas herself at the time of joining them. She had asked those questions much later, when it made less sense to do so. Hmm.
Liri’s voice broke through her thoughts, and Grezig could not help the small smile that graced her lips at the last sentence: ’We wanted a place where people would be heard and treated as more than a means to an end.’
This was still a foreign concept to Grezig, whose natal pack had been utterly instinctive. All members, including the alphas, were used as means to an end. For Grezig, such a concept was not at all offensive or bothersome. She understood that doing this had value. Treating others in a pack as a means to an end allowed all members to be provided with food and shelter and protection, without the need for useless emotions. If a member was not performing up to par, they were demoted, or ousted completely. No hard feelings. But here… here, it was different. In this group, wolves cared for one another. It was still something that the earthen woman found… strange. Enjoyable, definitely, but strange all the same.
Thorleif sneezed hard, sending a half dead fly shooting from his nostril. He walked over to it, chuckled, then licked up the fly from the ground. He had finally snatched up the remaining flies. Finally, we're safe, thought Thorleif. He grunted in satisfaction.
He surveyed the area and noticed something different. Was that... a new wolf? He had no idea when the wolf had shown up, but Thorleif reckoned that by eating the flies, he had disrupted their spells over this new wolf. She was now free from the evil influences of the pesky insects.
He trotted over happily and said out loud, "Hello there!"
Her gaze quickly moved to the small white female, the one with a crippled leg. It wasn't that the handicap made Minori think less of her, it was just that....yeah it made her think the woman would be weak and easily overcome. That was up until Liri spoke and Minori's gaze quickly filled with wistfulness. "We wanted a place where people would be heard and treated as more than a means to an end." hadn't she begun to feel like a sort of pawn in her family's games before she'd been taken by humans?
She wondered if this was why the others followed Liri, not because of the strength of body but the strength of her mind and heart. "That sounds...wonderful" she said and gave a small sway of her tail about to ask for allowance into the group before the odd man came ambling over, enthusiastically greeting her. He reminded her of the really senile old man that used to live in her home pack, he'd ramble senseless things and try to eat the dirt, saying it cleared out the colon or something. "Hello..." she said warily, ears going back against her head for a moment. "I'd like to join you. I'll follow you and help protect everyone. If you'll have me.." she said and respectfully ducked her head.