Lost Creek Hollow underneath the black locust tree

i have no idea what i'm doing; i guess this is claiming thread #2 aka let's get semi-acquainted and get shit done yeah.

tagging: @Luke @Viggo @Harlyn @Riordan @Andalusia @Arabella @Eshe @Bhreac @Valtýr

Their ranks had steadily grown in the days that came to pass.  The world beyond the sprawl of the mountains to their west may as well have been long forgotten by that point — though truly, it wasn't — and the swell of the warm summer day was nearing its peak.  Mordecai had pulled back from the patrol of the borders, confident in their numbers and bodies to maintain it.  It gave him time to explore the intricacies within the hollow that he had previously passed by.  It was a respectable woodland at first glance, lush and dense.  But it was not without breaks in the canopy and overgrowth of its own.  Truly he began to see what Harlyn saw in the territory, and the potentials therein inspired him to discover what secrets it may have had.

As he neared the rushing waters of the the falls, his gaze was drawn upward by the climb that was there.  Of all the things locked away in the region around him, a waterfall was one particular feature he had scarcely seen.  Sure, the rivers rushed off edges in the terrain here and there, but where this particular water source came from baffled him as much as it did intrigue.  Still, he hadn't come there to explore where such a mysterious feature spouted from.  Mordecai was curious of the wolves that had come to join their original band of four, and with his muzzle reaching skyward away from the falls themselves, he rallied the wolves to him.

william elliott whitmore — field song

In hearing another howl, Eshe threw her head upward to call back in turn. She then moved in the general direction of said call, her nose giving her a better path to take than her ears the closer she came. Her tail waved behind her as she thought of meeting this wolf, an unfamiliar voice over all. Perhaps this was the second leader she had only heard of. Even if she met him with everyone else, that was still cool with her.

Halfway there she crashed into @Bhreac, and her tail waving. "Time to meet the big guy,"—oblivious that Bhreac already had. The duo moved together, in sync like they always had been. Thick as thieves. Forever.

Eshe moved through the lush foliage, bounding over things when necessary but otherwise crashing relatively recklessly through the underbrush. The land was green, everywhere, and with loads of vegetation that could afford to be bowled over. The leaves of the Hollow veritably overflowed above them into a sea of different shades of green and the wind made them ripple in waves. It was all very lovely... and very, very different from the Canyon. It was a big part of its appeal, actually. She lowered her head as she came at last before the leader, moving to bump her muzzle beneath his chin in greeting, mindful of her place beneath him at least. With the others, she'd have to figure out her place among them.

Presently she tested her own sister, moving to throw her body weight over her shoulders and grab at an ear. Typically Eshe was meek and content to mind her place, but a lot had changed, and she had to figure out where she was in this change.

Even Harlyn had to admit that when she, Mordecai, Luke and Andalusia had started on this endeavor, she had not expected the success they'd been blessed with so soon.  It was to her another affirmation from the gods that they were doing exactly as was intended, and there could be no greater thrill to the devout druid than that.  It both bothered and excited her that there were still those in her pack that she had yet to meet, and each day that passed, she hoped to come across them so that she could get to know them, welcome them, and most of all make them feel like they were truly home in the Hollow.

But there was a great deal still to be done that kept her distracted from that ambition.  The borders felt to her to be quite secure, and so she had left that task to the others of her pack who she knew continued to work to strengthen them.  Instead, she took to scouring the Hollow and the fields beyond to begin stockpiling her medicinal herbs.  Winter was coming, and to many in the pack, that meant hunting and making sure the caches were well stocked.  For the healer, it meant making certain she had enough remedies and medicines to keep her family well cared for no matter what befell them during the long cold.

It was during this task that Mordecai's call sounded through the shrouded canopy overhead.  Though she had just discovered a patch of yarrow that she wanted to begin to collect, Harlyn was eager to abandon it to join him.  When she arrived, she did so just in time to see Quill - No, Eshe - and Bhreac greeting the handsome alpha.  Instantly, her posture changed as she approached - no less friendly and welcoming than she ever was, but with pride and confidence in her place amongst them.  She strode past the two females to take her place beside the Ostrega, nosing his cheek in greeting as an equal before looking to the others with a smile and a wag of her tail.

Bhreac had turned tail to head toward the summoning howl as soon as she heard it, and almost as soon as she'd turned she ran headlong into her sister. Nipping Eshe's ear and carrying along behind her as the wove through the trees, seeking out Mordecai. She didn't bother to mention she'd already met him, too busy picking her way to the forest after her sister. It looked nothing like the place they'd grown up, but for a split second it felt a little comfortable, a little familiar. Running after a summons at her sister's side — Bhreac smiled feeling a fleeting sense of content before they reached the waterfall in the clearing, and reality struck again.

It wasn't bad, though. Just different. She gave herself a little shake, following closely at Eshe's flank as her sister approached Mordecai, clearing her head. Her ears laid back and she dipped her posture a bit lower, mimicking all of her sister's actions before settling down beside her. Almost instantly Eshe slung a leg over Bhreac's shoulder and mouthed at her ear. With a quiet yelp Bhreac threw her weight against Eshe, trying to knock her over.

A second wolf whom she'd not met entered after, seeming perfectly friendly as she approached Mordecai. She assumed this was the Harlyn that Eshe had mentioned to her, and so dipped her head in polite acknowledgment, knocking her shoulder against her sister's.

After months of travelling in land unclaimed, Andalusia itched to explore a place she wouldn't just probe to leave behind. The world offered its sights and wonders, and proved a constant draw. But for all the marvels in the world, there was something in a nomad's life that refused to settled with Andalusia. She yearned for a home beyond the open road, as much as she longed to run to the horizon, to the land where eyes couldn't reach. Though far from her siblings now, and farther still from the land of her youth, every day she spent in the Hollow made her certain this was where she would stay. If not for the draw of the landscape, then for those who would call this home with her.

Even without their claim announced, their numbers already teemed. They no longer remained a quartet of migrant travellers. They were a pack through and through, rooted to this place as firm as the towering trees that anchored the land. As Mordecai's howl cut through the breezy summer air, Andalusia revelled in the echo of the summons before she lifted her voice alongside Quill's, a short song, and one lifted more out of pleasure than confirmation she was on her way.

Andalusia let the dying echo lead her, with the scent of others who had raced to the meet before her. The rush of the falls filled the otherwise silent atmosphere of the wolves who had gathered, a boast of power and awe. But Andalusia found her gaze drawn to Mordecai and Harlyn, and she approached them both with the respect due any Alpha: with body lowered and ears drawn back. Yet in her nudge to both she offered affection beyond what her posture could say. A smile rested light upon her lips, and as she drew away, she let her ears stand upright, and her tail sway a loose and gentle rhythm at her hocks. She turned a glance to Quill and another she'd yet to meet, and offered them both a nod, and their playful interaction made her pause. With every scent and fresh recruit, she held the secret hope she would one day turn and see her siblings barrelling toward her through the dense trees. Their presence wouldn't change much, but that didn't stop her from wanting them with her now.

But she'd seen no reason to hope they would show up in the Wilds again, and she would not put stock in the potential of their arrival now. Andalusia flicked her gaze back to the helm before she turned to their surroundings and scanned the forest for any signs of the others.

assuming stuff like a boss because my joining thread ain't over

Lost Creek Hollow was the name of this place, the one that Bella hoped she could make her home forever and ever because, once upon a time, she had been vanished from a beautiful place like this and she knew she would never see it again, her family included. She felt alone and betrayed, and her only wish was to belong somewhere.

The male that had accepted her recently had become Arabella's favourite wolf on earth, because -besides knowing little to no one else- he had been kind and encouraging. Two things that Bella admired in people. And he was calling for her. A howl, like a song, rose in the air, and Bella soon found herself walking towards the singer.

Tucked inside the forest, little light upon it, was a bewitching scene, unlike anything Arabella had seen before. Waterfalls, many of them, splashed down rocky walls, and just like Mordecai, Arabella wondered where the water came from. But that was a question that would find an answer another day. Another story to tell. Today, she would meet her new pack-mates, and it made her nervous.

Arabella was a shy female, not accustomed to meeting others, specially in large groups. But for some reason, the girl felt welcome to the reunion. Besides the handsome Mordecai stood an equally-attractive female, who Bella supposed was his mate, and who clearly was the boss beside him. She was smiling at the females that gathered around them, and so Bella did just the same. Not looking at anyone in particular, and surely not saying anything. She just sat down like everyone else, happy to finally feel in company.

Months slipped away as the height of summer came and went, each day no more remarkable than the next. Luke had departed, as lone wolves did, leaving Valtyr to wait, and wait, and wait... until the youth had practically forgotten what he was waiting for. Survival consumed the lone wolf, but he never meandered far from the eastern claim. The Sveijarn was a patient creature - or perhaps he simply maintained the vice of sloth.

Valtyr snapped to attention when a baritone howl sheared the forest's silence. It was as if he had woken from a reverie with a start; was the future finally to be in motion? The man swallowed a hard lump in his throat, a sudden and unexpected anxiety brewing in his gut. Without dwelling too long on his inhibitions, the young blood broke into a coltish troit towards the group, calling to the party as he moved.

Now more than a year, the late bloomer's northern blood ran strong. His reedy frame had filled in, tall figure evenly made with a slim cut more refined than his sire's. A deep chest provided Valtyr's lungs ample space as he marched while athletic, fire-orange legs were both spry and robust. His brackish, sandy pelt was short with the season but it would undoubtedly thicken when the frost arrived.

Strange scents grew stronger as Val drew near until he, eventually, entered the waterfall glen. New faces dotted the idyllic scene, but the loner couldn't help but notice all but one were women... Bronze eyes scanned between slender figures of ivory, slate, sand, gold, and umber. The were all hot, he thought to himself.

Smokin' Hot.

The youth loitered uncertainly, graze drifting back towards the central pair. The man must be Mordecai, thought Valtyr to himself... but where the heck was Luke?

*bats off Valtyr* all dem girls r belong 2 luke. LMAO

Luke was a considerable distance from Mordecai when his howl went up. He had been scouting the area for more recruits and was starting to build a mental map of the surrounding areas. Though his strides were long and quick, by the time he arrived a group had already formed around the soon-to-be alpha. His gaze drifted over each of them. To his surprise and delight, there were two females gathered that he had yet to meet. Newcomers, he presumed. But to even further surprise and delight, he spotted the rust-dipped yearling he was not sure was even still in the area.

The blue-nosed wolf headed straight for him, skidding to a halt and colliding shoulders with the male. He grinned broadly at him as his tail whipped the air. He said nothing, but his expression and excited manner spoke for itself: he was glad to see him here. Luke looked then to Harlyn and Mordecai, dipping his muzzle as he took a seat, before his warm eyes moved to the other faces.

Sorry for the delay here, I was waiting on a couple of others to join! But since it's been a few days, I'm gonna go on. If you haven't replied yet, feel free to jump in on this late. ;) No posting order, just post post post!

tagging: @Luke @Viggo @Harlyn @Riordan @Andalusia @Arabella @Eshe @Bhreac @Valtýr

They filed out from the forestry around him, leaving a prideful swell to spark in his chest. It was a long lost feeling that had previously perhaps never genuinely been his own, but this time it certainly was. He greeted them warmly and happily, eyes seeking out the warm embers of Harlyn's own as she joined him. They lingered and acknowledged one another until it seemed that no more would join them. Or at least, right then and there.

Mordecai allowed them to settle in and down, before pushing ahead to address them. "It would seem our numbers have grown as of late, and for the better," he started off, searching for the direction he desired to take things. "But there is still much to be done to solidify our claim. Our borders must be maintained, our caches built; and to do these things I suppose it would favor us to gather and become acquainted." A faint smile came to his face then, as his intent was to bring them together to finally see one another face to face, as one, as the pack they were becoming.

Her eyes perused the crowd. Even after many arrived, one was notably absent. Her heart quivered weakly within her... but her sister knocked sense into her mind. Eshe glanced at Bhreac, before looking back to Mordecai who had now begun speaking. There were others among them... the young Valtyr, the blue-nosed Luke, Andalusia, Harlyn... the last of which came and moved past them, friendly but yet withholding a greeting toward them. Eshe was not deterred, she moved to nose the woman, too, who had let her in the ranks at all to begin with. Arabella she had not yet met... but she also did not yet know Valtyr. The others she knew by chance... and hopefully in time she'd know them better.

The alpha male spoke now. She agreed with his words and looked to the crowd. Get to know one another hm? Her eyes again sought @Riordan but when he could not be found, her mind leaped to another male consistently within her mind... the handsome Scimitar, who she missed more than she liked to think about. The Moors, she decided, were undoubtedly upon her to-do list.

She supposed she best appease the alpha and her own desire to get to know her packmates. She volunteered as tribute, spinning in a small semi-circle and grinning to the lot of them. "I'm Eshe, hi." ...Well, for now, that'd be it then. She looked to her sister, a prompting look on her face.

How much can I type with one hand? Time to find out.

He had been lurking by a rabbit's warren when he heard the summons, but wasn't inclined to seek out the source quite yet. His hungry belly urged him to linger, to prowl and bait the rabbits, until one foolish creature sprang out of the hole. As it tore away from him, Riordan charged - he managed to clamp his teeth upon a hind leg and, with a wrench of head, snap it. Thus when he arrived from out of the shadows, it was later than the others; the rabbit still hung fresh from his teeth, carried almost like an offering. Riordan perused those that gathered before him as he placed the rabbit down, pinning it with one paw. It surprised him that so many would heed the call - but excited him as well.

When Mordecai spoke, he commanded Luke's full and undivided attention, save for the quick glance he gave to a new male as he approached the group. The white wolf's tail drummed the ground behind him as he listened, his head bobbing along with each point. This gathering was just another item checked off on the list of things to do before they could consider themselves official. His paws itched then and there to dig caches and subsequently stock them with as much fish as he could catch; in tandem they itched to add more of his scent to their borders, and pull in any passerby's that could be persuaded. In short, he was eager to work, and spoke up to take on some responsibility. "I will see to the caches," despite his statement, there was a look on his face that remained open to his leaders' suggestions if they preferred he focus his energy elsewhere. But, as he considered himself a to-be fishkeeper, he thought this would be appropriate.

One by one, more and more wolves filed in to greet them and each other.  Harlyn smiled at each, her heart trilling with excitement when she spotted each of their faces.  Some she did not recognize, though she already was familiar with their scents from having all spent so much time working on enforcing their borders.  All except one...

Harlyn was distracted momentarily as Luke approached, only to veer quite suddenly to greet a young wolf whom the druid did not recognize by face or scent.  She canted her head lightly as she watched, curious, until soon enough it clicked.  This must be the young wolf Luke had invited to join them all those weeks ago.  Harlyn wanted to join her blue-nosed friend in greeting the boy and welcoming him home, but she remained seated.  Now was not the time, but soon enough, it would be.

When it seemed like they'd collected all that they would, Mordecai began to address them.  She gazed quietly at him for a moment, giving him her full attention.  It seemed this was a meet and greet type meeting, and Harlyn smiled warmly to show her approval.  She looked then to her pack as one of their newer recruits - once known as Quill, but now called Eshe - as she introduced herself and then looked at her sister.  Or at least, the wolf Harlyn assumed was her sister.  She had heard of them all from one source or another, whether she had actually met them or not.

Luke was next to speak just after another joined them with a fresh kill in tow.  She gave her friend a grin, knowing well his ambitions as part of the pack.  She decided then to take her own opportunity to speak to the group.  "Since I haven't yet met everyone here, I'd like to introduce myself," she said confidently with a gentle smile, "I'm Harlyn Cinderloch.  I'd also like to let you all know that I have spent most of my life as a healer and naturalist, so if ever you have any ailments or find yourself injured, please call on me.  My door is always open to you all."  She cast a sidelong glance at Mordecai as she finished and flashed a smile before looking back to the rest of her family.

Arabella smiled to each one of the wolves that arrived in response to the new Alpha pair's summon. It was tranquilizing to see how many wolves joined the meeting, more than enough to make the sylph feel safe again. They were almost an army. And although introductions weren't Bella's favourite moment, she was looking forward to meeting the members of her new family.

Mordecai spoke to the group after the last one arrived, and then his partner introduced herself as well. Bella took a mental note on seeking Harlyn later to talk about becoming a naturalist as Mordecai suggested, already eager to take upon her studies.

With a smile across her face, bella looked around at all the wolves that listened attentively at their new leaders. Not one to seek attention, Bella preferred introducing herself to her pack-mates on a more private environment, so she did not feel rushed to speak just yet.

tagging all remaining active members — let's finish this up for that sweet exp lmao
@Arabella @Luke @Harlyn @Andalusia @Riordan @Eshe

Some of them were keen to introduce themselves; some were similar to Mordecai in the sense that they were quiet, and names necessarily did not need to go with faces. He knew most of them that were there, but others weren't too difficult to put a name with a face either. They mingled briefly and without discord — a very good sign indeed. The Hollow's numbers had bolstered exponentially since their initial claim and though in its infancy, things were still bound to be shaky at best.

Yet at least in that moment, things were going rather swimmingly to his surprise. He did not mingle for too long, instead dispatching himself after some time to pursuit other things. The borders needed to be tended to and with a successful headcount set, he would see after them with a renewed sense of direction.

perfect; last post for me! :)

When his druid companion introduced herself, the blue-nosed wolf expression immediately felt a bit silly. He had completely forgot to introduce himself to the group in his excitement and eagerness to get to work. So, when Harlyn finished speaking, he took his chance to make ammends for that folly and introduced himself, speaking of his trades as an outrider and gamekeeper, and inviting everyone and anyone to hang with him because he was cool like that. With that out of the way, he bowed out to start scouting for caches as he said he would.

Last post too :)

The only one who seemed to find the idea of public speaking appealing besides from Mordecai and Harlyn was a funny looking wolf. He was funny because his nose was blue. Like, literally blue. And if bella wasn't imagining things, she could swear she'd seen his tongue to be blue as well. Was he some sort of alien?

Bella smiled at him, she appreciated that he was so open to invite everyone to just hang out with him if they felt like it. Bella thought he was really cute, for some reason. Even with his blue nose and tongue. Wait. Was that a blue paw pad??

Bella, in the end, didn't say anything about herself other than her name. She still hurt about her past, and the memories were usually day-ruining.

As everyone left eventually, Bella departed as well to find something interesting to investigate. There were many mysterious things in this forest to sit idly staring at eachother's faces awkwardly.

Andalusia stood quietly by as each introduced themselves in turn. When her time came to speak, she gave her name, but offered little more than that. She knew her ambitions, and the pack would see them in time through deed, not word. It would be a while before she struck the road again, anyway; the pack remained in infancy, and her efforts would bear greater fruit here. Luke appeared a keen outrider, so she would tarry her own desires and commit herself to strengthening their claim, for the good of those here and still to come.

This land held secrets of its own, and staying was no sacrifice. Andalusia itched to explore the hidden parts of the Hollow they'd yet to venture through, and fresh energy filled her. So once small talk came upon them, Andalusia dipped a short farewell to Harlyn and her uncle before she slipped away from those still gathered. The falls drowned the chorus of the woods, and Andalusia broke into a trot. She needn't travel quicker; for as long as she remained in the Wilds, this place was home.

More began to share their names and passions and Harlyn was pleased to hear them all. She wanted all of those in her pack to feel welcome to pursue whatever trades their hearts desired. There would always be work they needed done more than others. When it came down to it, there was no denying that a hunter was more vital to the survival of a pack than a storyteller, but Harlyn would always appreciate the value of each. 

The pack began to disperse and Harlyn too decided to head back to work. Turning North, she would eventually slip beyond the borders to do some hunting in the downs that laid at their doorstep.