Nova Peak children of the wild ones

Pack meeting. Round 1 ends on the 23rd, so round 2 will begin on the 24th.
@Bazi @Kaskara @Kieran @Tryphon @Pasha @Whittier @Swift @Jorunn

A meeting was in order. It had been awhile since the pack had truly gathered at one for information, and as Scimitar stood at the center of the rendezvous site his mate had chosen for their children, he bent his muzzle down to give Allure a gentle nudge as she chewed on a bone at his forepaws.
 
Lifting his muzzle, the Alpha summoned his pack mates to him – there was information to share and it would do the growing pups some good to become more exposed to these gatherings. Allowing his voice to fade to the sky, the wolf canted his muzzle as Allure’s own tiny voice echoed after him in an attempt to mimic her father. Amusement shone in his eyes as he dipped down, planting a kiss upon her forehead once more, before he swept down to sit, waiting for the rest of his family.

She held no homesickness to the den they had left behind. Instead, the girl was far too busy playing with her brothers, or exploring as far as any adult would allow to happen. Swift and Pasha were her favorite playmates, while Whittier was a far superior cuddle buddy. Today, she had managed to sneak a bone away from the grasp of her siblings, and for extra protection, the bi-toned baby was content to chew it at the paws of her father.

Only when he released a howl did she glance up, captivated by the sound. She had heard the cry many times from her parents – but had never been able to replicate it. Not to be outdone, the she-pup tried her own wailing howl – not nearly as strong or clear as her father’s, but distinct in its own way. Pleased, her tail thumped against the ground as Scimitar would deliver a kiss upon her forehead, and Allure happily went back to lathering her bone with attention.

He was collecting plants again when his father's howl went up into the sky. In most cases, this would have irritated the young Frostfur, who could not stand to be interrupted when he was focused on some task or the other. But he was a wolf and at least this time the instinct to howl back to the mountain patriarch, pinging his location not far from the center of the rendezvous site, won over. He tipped his head back and howled. It started out fine, but then moved into bizarre sound as one of the plants he had been holding slipped and stuck the back of his throat, causing him to gurgle, gargle and splutter before he coughed his entire collection onto the ground. He growled at this, and gathered them again before heading back to his father.

He did not go to Scimitar right away; he first made a stop at the rock he had chosen for laying his fresh plants on, and put his collection down. Then he ambled over, and sat down next to his sister with a sidelong glance at the bone she was gnawing on. Hmmm.

Though his first few days at the rendezvous site had been relatively... unpleasant (but only because he's a wuss), Whittier was beginning to grow used to his new surroundings.  It was far less comfortable of a place than the den he'd spent his life in thus far, and his siblings/cuddle buddies seemed to be around less and less since they were always out exploring their newfound freedom.  It was clear that he was not at all fond of change, but that had already been evidenced by his reluctance to be weaned, his reluctance to walk places on his own, and his reluctance to grow out of being a useless lump in general.  But, the boy was adjusting with time and slowly was evolving back into the loving, cuddly, gluttonous mama's boy his family was used to.

Surprisingly enough, Whit had not actually been napping when he heard his father's call.  He was between naps, doing what he often did when he was in such a state, which was search for a new place to nap.  Having not found anywhere yet that really suited him, Whit didn't grumble at all at having to abandon his task to waddle through the foliage until he found the patriarch.  His tail wriggled as he approached and settled down near his siblings.  Like Swift, his gaze settled on Allure's bone.  It was certainly a tempting idea to try and wrestle it away from her, but he knew better than to try with Scimitar around.  So, he began to look around for Bazi instead, hoping that whatever this was they were doing could involve some cuddle time.

Vague references to Jorunn here!

Bazi was still digesting her latest challenge - a fifth child - when Scimitar called the family to a meeting. She had accepted the boy without protest; the pack had a core of four strong adults, all capable hunters, and plenty of food to go around. Come winter, he might even be an asset.

The pack's mother was watching her children go about their business from her perch on a raised platform of earth, and only needed to walk a short minute before Scimitar, Allure, and Swift came into view. She nosed her formidable mate's cheek and took her place at his side, nodding at her son - he chose when it was time to be affectionate, and now did not seem the time - and stooping to fuss over Allure. Satisfied that the girl's ears were clean, she turned her attention to the roundest of her babies, dragging him in for the cuddle she did not doubt he would ask her for. They would not be babies forever. Not even soft, merry little Whit.

"You stole the thought right out of my mind," she murmured to her mate. There was a lot to talk about. So far, the threat from the south was not so real to Bazi as it was to Scimitar - she had been much too preoccupied to prioritize it. 

He had been content to be watched by his father, if only for the fact that Pasha could not help but take a particular interest in well, everything. The world around them was much different than it had been in days past, though he could not have figured why. Maybe it was simply the locale, though he was certain he had been here before. Maybe not though. He hadn't strayed too far from where everyone was, merely rolling about across the earth and probably trying to get himself extra filthy for an eventual bath time. He'd probably protest it a bit, but would eventually give in to the attention bestowed upon him.

The bone Allure had, like his siblings, had once held particular interest. But he would let her have it until she tired of it, and then he decided he would finish it off. Maybe another tug-o-war game was at hand with Swift, or perhaps he'd try and use it to fend off some cuddle attack from Whitter. No matter — something new was coming about. His father raised his head in a call and Pasha stopped his carrying on, listening with rapt attention. The nature of the call perplexed him, though he had just the inkling of an understanding what it meant. It was like being called home, only louder and longer.

And as his mother joined them, Pasha tried to imitate the call on his own.

Would it gather their attention too?

As usual, Kaskara was not very far from her brother and his children when he called the pack to him. There was a lightness to her step that brought her closer to the pack, a happiness she felt when she thought of @Kieran and the family they would start. They hadn't talked about it much, but she was excited for what the future would bring them. She approached the gathering place and found only her family there. No Kieran, no Aro, nobody else that was not related to her.

Kas nuzzled Bazi warmly, kissed each child's head, and bowed to her brother before seating herself nearby, waiting for the others to come.

Late! Wanted to give Kieran a chance to reply.. but they are on absence. :) Round 2 ends on the 31st.

His eyes drifted down to the boys – all keen on the bone their sister happened to come upon. Amusement flickered in his gaze, wondering if any would try to take it – he would not protect it for her.. if she was to learn to defend her place, she would need to do so by her own means.. and he did not feel it justified to step in to the small dominance tussles that occurred between his brood.
 
Pasha’s own cry echoed in to the air – drawing up the regal’s eyes. “Very good,” he murmured in quiet praise to the boy, his own muzzle tipping down to return the affections of his mate. He made no comment to hers – his silence was the only approval he felt she required.
 
Kaskara arrived, and he greeted her warmly with a nudge to her cheek as she moved lower than him… and then he waited.
 
And no one else came. “Where’s Kieran?” His gaze moved to his sister, wondering if she knew of his whereabouts. Aro and Tryphon were also both missing – the latter not surprising the male, as the boy had proved to be nothing but a flake thus far.

Sure enough, someone had paid attention to his call — Scimitar's praise put him on a temporary cloud nine, a beaming grin splitting Pasha's face cleanly. Now for whatever they were gathered for, well, Pasha could have really cared more. But instead he couldn't help but bound after his aunt as his father said something to her — again, he paid no mind to this or whoever was being spoken about — already trying to pull mischievously at her tail. In the process, he had no qualms about stomping over whoever was in his way (sorry not sorry Allure) or almost stumbling over the very ground itself.

Whittier was gratified when his mother swept in and greeting each of them. Patiently (but not so patiently) he waited for her to get done with everyone else so that she could lavish attention on him, which she did in time. Happily, he wriggled into her arms and plastered them with tiny kisses before finally curling up against her paw as though it was his own personal pillow.

He gazed with interest towards his father as he spoke to the crowd, but his attention was quickly taken by his siblings as Pasha began an attack upon Allure's tail. Depending on how this played out, it looked like there might soon be an opportunity for him to sneak in and snatch that bone away for himself.. Given Swift didn't get there first.

Hmmm. His focus was still on the bone. His parents spoke to one another and his ear flicked as he listened, but only half-so. He would tune in when they spoke of something more interesting to him, but for now it was his sister's prize that had the smallest Frostfur's attention. Even his aunt's affectionate greeting he paid no heed to.

His sister had already rebuked his efforts to claim something from her, and because of that he hesitated. But his boldness had yet to be fully tempered and so he made his move. Without warning, he darted in for the bone, seeking to grasp one end of it, and if he could, he'd take off with it.

Kaskara was surprised to find that Scimitar seemed to be over his anger at her. She promised to never leave the pups again, to protect them before Scimitar or Bazi, and yet that still seemed strange to her. She settled down nearby, watching the pups playing and waiting for Kieran to arrive. When he didn't after a few minutes, Scim turned toward her to ask where he was. She shrugged. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen him much lately." There was nothing wrong between them, if that's what he thought. She just wasn't the type of girl to need to be with her beloved every second of every day. They were adults and had varying duties to the pack. Maybe he was swept up in one of those and hadn't heard the call.

Purely content to gnaw at her bone, her ears would swiftly stir back to her skull, sensing the eyes of her siblings on her current prized possession. She stiffened, her eyes just barely glancing to them from the corner, though her teeth continued their gnashing.

Her father spoke, but she paid little heed to it.. instead, Pasha used her as a stepping stone to bridge the gap between their aunt and himself, and a tiny growl escaped her muzzle. During her moment of surprise, Swift took action and she felt the shift of the bone as his jaws grasped it. Indignant, Allure’s first instinct was to snarl, loosing her jaws upon the muzzle of her brother – yet something cowed within her, and instead, the girl shot her own muzzle down, clamping her jaws upon the bone and attempting to hold it to her. She was not done with it yet!

LOL.. next round ends on the 14th.

The kids began to bicker over a bone – and while keeping part of his sight upon them, he made no move to intervene. They would figure it out amongst themselves.
 
Instead, Bazi remained quiet, and Kaskara mentioned she had not seen him. Allowing a sight o release from his lips, he gave his muzzle a quick shake. They would have to continue without him. “I ran in to Blackfeather Woods’ Alpha the other day. There was a small fight,” he offered, holding back the bitterness from his voice.. or trying to. “She’s useless. And I informed her if they try to do anything to our members again, there will be repercussions.” He paused for a moment, shifting his weight. “Bazi and I talked. From now on, the members of Nova Peak will need to hold either the warrior or warden trade – our members will be better trained in battle.”

As expected, Swift made his move and thus all that the adults were doing was forgotten.  With a growl, Whit leaped in with a rather unexpected goal - to defend his little sister from her attacker.  With gaping jaws, he lunged (hopped) towards Swift, reaching out a paw to smack him in the eyeball while he attempted to clasp his jaws onto Swift's muzzle.

Meanwhile, Allure was efficiently trampled - a completely unintended part of his rescue, but a truth nonetheless.  Tripping upon her, he gave a little flail as he tumbled downward - unaware of whether or not any of his attacks against Swift had actually succeeded, but without a doubt in his mind that he was no longer upright as had been his intention. Obviously, it was the perfect display to accentuate the message his father was trying to give to his packmates - that all must be well trained warriors like the heftiest of his sons.

Kaskara didn't notice him, but this didn't stop Pasha. He moved on past her tail, somehow not stepping on it like he had poor Allure. Though the bickering over the bone gained his attention for a split-second, he didn't see the opportunity he wanted there. Instead he pawed at his aunt's side, pressing his little foot against her flank insistently.

Of course, being in closer to her and his father both gave him the opportunity to hear what the adults were saying and well, he wasn't sure what to make of that either. Something about trades, which at that present point in time didn't mean much to Pasha. He had the faintest of ideas of what warriors and wardens were — no doubt from passing conversations or stories — but they didn't matter to him.

Not yet, anyway.

His sister clamped down on the bone. He would not be able to steal it so easily now. He stiffened, compelled to make a fight for the prize, until his brother showed up and smacked him in the eye. His startled gasp caused his teeth to loosen on the bone enough that it was pulled free from his mouth. Then Whittier's jaws descended on his muzzle. Swift shook his head in an attempt to free himself, but was pulled down in an clumsy pile when Whittier went down after tripping on their sister. He growled, and quickly untangled himself from his siblings before stalking off with a scowl on his face.

Last post from me.

Pack meetings at Nova Peak were nothing like the ones she had lorded over at Swiftcurrent Creek. Here there were only friendly faces, most of them children, and only one or two that was not bonded to her by blood. It felt a little silly to declare that each wolf had to become a warrior or warden of the pack; the kids didn't seem to be paying attention, and most of the adults were already veterans of the fight. Bazi had a little shaping up to do, but the Frostfur siblings had maintained their physique. [i]They[/i hadn't carried four bowling balls inside the, Bazi insisted in the privacy of her own mind, surveying the children at play. Scimitar's run-in with the Blackfeather Alpha did not phase her; Meldresi had wandered far from home and had little to gain from meddling with Nova Peak. With any luck, she would simply.. go back to her own.

Bazi settled on her belly, then flopped onto her side to watch the Battle of the Bone unfold. She had no relevant information to contribute, and smiled up at her mate to indicate her belief that he had everything covered. "I think they get it," she mused. "We'll make fighters of them yet."

Little did they know that getting the family fighting fit would soon be the least of their problems.

Kaskara waited for her beloved in vain; something else was occupying his time right then, though he should have heeded his alpha's call to the meeting. Whatever was troubling him, Kas knew it was serious. Her attention turned back to her brother as he spoke of the blackfeather alpha and then of trades - everyone would carry the warden or warrior trade. This she could understand and nodded her agreement. She already held one, and soon she would hold the other. That left one more to pursue, and she had yet to decide upon the third.

Pasha had found his way to her side and he was pawing at her for attention. Her head turned toward him and she smiled, inviting him forward with a sweep of her large forepaw. She ushered him into the crook under her chest, between her front legs, so he could see his father and listen to his words. She nuzzled him briefly on the head before she looked up at her brother and his wife. "I would request to teach the children, if I may." She would not be their sole teacher, of course; Scimitar had as much experience as she. But she wanted to be involved in their upbringing, their training, especially in this.

Kieran made it breathless and panting slightly. In his maw he carried what had been occupying his time, at least part of the catch. Two dead rabbits plump from feeding getting ready for winter, lay in his maw. He placed them at his feet and settled near the back so as to not disturb those around him. He dipped his head to the two alphas and gave Kaskara a small smile, licking his chops of blood and gore. Kieran heard the ending of the meeting about the pups and he would offer what he could. Though he'd rather not teach warrior trades. It had been so long since he had taken up fighting so to speak. He did need to work on some trades though. He was getting up in years, before too long he wouldn't gain anything.

Whittier came to her rescue and Pasha had toddled off to entertain himself elsewhere. Her grip seemed solid – but when her larger sibling tripped and came tumbling down upon both her and Swift. Whittier was not the smallest of them, and wide-eyed, she seen her brother stumble, and with that, released the bone.

Luckily, Swift too released his grasp on the chewtoy, and while the wind was knocked from her the instant Whittier landed on her, she could see the ivory flank of her brother as he stalked off.

Aching, but resilient, Allure pushed her brother’s weight from her, untangling herself from him. Plucking the bone from its current resting spot, she nudged Whittier with her nose, dropping the bone down and coaxing it toward him – a gift for his heroic efforts!

Last post for me.

The pups stole the show, despite his message – Whittier had barreled in to his sister in an attempt to save her, and thwacked Swift pretty decently on the nose. Pasha had avoided the drama and sought attention from the adults instead, and while Swift slunk off to fester his annoyance, Allure had determined Whittier would be able to share her bone with her.
 
Scimitar gave a quick shake of his muzzle, noting Bazi’s words with a soft ‘hm’ in response. Kieran made it to the scene as soon as Kaskara volunteered her time, and he gave a nod. She would make a good teacher. “They should start soon,” he decided then, and with these words, the man settled down beside his mate to begin grooming between her shoulder blades. For the rest of the afternoon, the pack could simply remain gathered, and spend time with one another.
 
They were a small family, but a close one.

Whit scrambled back up onto his feet as quickly as he could as Allure and Swift untangled themselves from the puppy pile-up he had made. Disregarding what he might have done to his sister while saving her, Whittier turned to give his brother a defiant frown as the striped pup skulked off. It hadn't been a well-executed attack, but he still felt a twinge of pride for having successfully come to Allure's rescue.

Still oblivious to whatever unimportant sillyness his elders were discussing, the pudgy Frostfur turned to Allure with a smile. He plopped down onto his belly as she moved to set the bone at his paws, his eyes widening greedily as his tail began to beat a faster rhythm. Leaning down, he took one end of the bone in his mouth and began to cut his teeth on it, though after a moment he turned to aim the other end back towards Allure, hoping to share. It had been a valuable lesson for the pup - protecting others meant getting treats! And so he would probably spend the next few days lunging at random sticks and rocks in his family's path and then looking at them expectantly, searching for a tasty reward for his "heroism".