Stone Circle Any way the wind blows

Finally.
Borders, though they were fresh and new, signalled what could be a new home. @Antigone had been amiable, more than that, a savior. Without her, she doubted that she could have gotten her children over the moutains, into this beautiful valley that sang of new beginnings. She glanced at the dark woman with a small smile and a wagging tail. She looked over her children, all acounted for, though Keoni still harboured a cold, it seemed.

She lifted her muzzle into the crisp fall air, a cool breeze sifting through her thickening fur a moment before her call rang out, clear and unwavering. As the last notes of her call fell prey to the breeze, her gaze drifted up to the sky a moment, clouded a solid grey and threatening to break any moment. Her fur was already embellished with hundreds of miniscule droplets of water, spitting rain they had trudhed through a while back. She drew her children close, but did not mind should they choose to be a short distance from her. She'd leave them to their own devices, unless should they attemp to wander away. 

Dates to Oct. 3-4 (?) Tagging @Steady!
Oops- forgot to tag @Nikai as well!

If you had told Antigone Demos that she would be quietly herding little pups this way and that after their mother (though they were some pretty well-behaved little beans, she had to say), she would have laughed in your face. She didn't, though, favoring small comments on their surroundings and keeping her golden gaze on the tiny roly poly kids as she followed their mother, leading her way to wherever she needed to go. Stone Circle sounded impending, and cool, and Antigone had nothing else to do before the sunset, so why not, right?

Nudging her nose at the pudgy butt of whoever lingered behind or toddled to far to the left or right, the young witch rolled to a quiet stop at Althaia's shoulder, returning her smile with a soft lilt of her dark lips. The sky had been grey and heavy for quite some time, and she and the busy mother both were glittering with rainwater and muddy paws - it had been a nice refresher, though now she loathed the walk back in the coming rain. As Althaia's summons rang out, the vamp at her side let her gaze drift over the children, watching them with tail lightly wagging, with her eye glancing for wherever their supposed company would appear from. Exciting, all this suspense!

The call rang out, and Steady was quick to leave the circle of stones and head towards the borders, a grimace on his face. He had left Silvertip Mountain, a mostly quiet mountain, for lands less occupied, and he figured more quiet. But, it seemed to be anything but. Still, he would not greet the stranger with hostility.

Or rather, family of strangers. His body language was tall and confident, though his tail waved in friendliness. He looked to the adults, first before his eyes moved to the pups. He could tell they had traveled, but why were they were. His gaze moved back to the two adult females. I'm Steady, Alpha here. Can I help you?  he asked.

Witch had been far from kind to the woman who'd helped her and her family across the mountains. Refusing completely to be so much as close enough to feel her warmth, the cream bundle traveled completely under the grey belly of her mother. There was a time or two where shed slowed, earning an unintentional kick to her rump to speed her forward- never once did she want to walk anywhere else, nor would she think she was annoying her mother, and should she be moved Witch shied away, avoiding manhandling and keeping to the shade of Althaia. Something was wrong with her sister, but what it was she didn't know- or have the mental capacity to care other than a vague worry. 

Tired and stumbling along, but still unwilling to be carried, Witchhazel was glad when they came to a stop. Her mother howled, and with the meaning behind it unknown, the Convel-Quinzel girl was thrilled to loose her own highpitched howl: one that was more akin to a strangled wail than a real call. When a stranger came to them, however, Witchhazel soon learned that the sound brought others: and Witch didn't like others. What few steps shed taken from her motherwas swiftly backtracked, falling onto her butt and pinning her ears against Steadys words.

Nervousness suddenly filled her as the figure of another approached, suddenly the stakes became known. Should this pack turn her away, her children's chance of survival would diminish. Then all too soon he was there, the supposed alpha.  Steady. Her opinion of packs had decrease drasticly. Yet she needed this to survive. 

She opened her maw, then closed it. This was the first time she had sought to join a pack. Truly sought to join on her own. "hello" she began softly, but a whisper. "I search for a home. For pups and my me. I-I mean...my pups and I." she faltered, stuttered, nerves showing. She continued speaking a moment later, trying to collect her selves. "I am a healer. I can hunt, I can pull my weight, Steady sir. I search only for refugee." she as already lowered, her argent daughter near, still lethargic and silent. Her stanch was one of utmost submission, perhaps learned from Moonspear and far more then she needed. But she was willing to do whatever it took to secure her children a home.

Her Hazel seemed fearful of Steady, backtracking quickly and falling on her rear. She seemed oddly fearful of strangers, and Althaia wondered why a moment. She snaked her neck to nudge her reassuringly, but focused her attention on Steady

Well, if they were anything, they were loyal to their mum. Keeping her eyes on the children (even with a mild wrinkle in her nose - your mom trusts me, you little wigglers) Antigone almost didn't notice the approach of who she assumed Althaia had called for; she was used to a succession of wolves before the Moonsister even appeared in the distance, so a lone wolf emerging was a little jarring. Culture shock, and all.

As he spoke, Antigone shook her head quietly when the man's gaze fell on her. She wasn't there for whatever this was, just as extra help - she would've been glad to tell him this, too, but Althaia spoke, soft and in obvious submission, and Antigone closed her parted lips. So, this was an important man? Well, she wasn't the one shooting a pitch. Instead, the young witch stood tall as ever and let her eyes wander toward the squirms of the children, keeping a special eye on the little one with the sniffles. Poor kid.

She was sick, with a cough and a damp, cold nose. But she knew nothing more about her illness other than the way it made feel horribly uncomfortable. Though still she took an interest, and a liking to the new strangers. She cooed at Antigone, the woman with such a dark coat very interesting. She would have liked her much more should she have been at full health, but she was still a distance from that. Her mother kept her irritatingly close,  stopping her from sniffing at the stranger that suddenly appeared.  But she wiggled free and cooed at him as she had cooed at Antigone on occasion, babbling softly as she watched him.

I think that the post order is Althaia, Antigone, Keoni, Steady, Witchhazel. :D

While he tried to maintain his composure and dominance, it was all lost once the dark pup came forward, babbling softly. His tail wagged more, and he dropped down to his belly, his chin resting upon the ground so that he could be level with her. He knew his size could be intimidating, but she seemed like a brave little pup. Hello, there, he said softly, smiling at her. For a moment, she was his focus. At least until, whom he presumed her mother to be, spoke up.

His gaze lifted to her, though it wasn't much of a lift, seeing as how she was submissive and her own body on the ground. As much as he had relaxed with the pup, her submission gave him more reason to be so. His gaze shifted towards the other, quiet female, who apparently didn't deem it important to do so. He raised himself so that his head was above hers, as he felt he had the right to do so, seeing as how these were his borders. Otherwise, he showed no aggression. At least not yet.

His gaze went back to the female who spoke, not having missed her words. He glanced around to all of them, before coming back to her. Where are you coming from that you seek refuge? Are you in danger? he asked. If someone was upset with her, and she was fleeing for her life, it was something Steady would want to know. However, the mere presence of the pups had made up his mind, no matter her reason for being here. You and your pups may enter under my protection, he told her. He pointedly left out the other female. He got the impression the requesting of refuge didn't include her anyways; but even if it didn't, he would not allow her entry until proper submission was shown.

He was kind. This she gleaned from his tone, the way he spoke to her pups. Jer daughter had been so bold as to approach, to her mothers nervousness, yet nothing had come of it. Steady was only gentle with her daughter. This caused some of her nervousness to evaporate, and when she spoke in response to his question, it was certainly more steady than it had been. She noted the way Antigone held herself with quiet dignity, for she would not follow them any longer. But she was beyond grateful to the woman, and one day she would repay her. Althaia owed a debt

" I trusted the wrong pack in which to raise my pups, a dark wood to the south of here." her thoughts flashed to her son, killed for a deformity she stubbornly believed would be of no hindrance. "My son was taken, my mate vanished, and I couldn't trust those around me. I fled." She relayed her story quietly, though her voice begun to waver as she spoke of Todd. She should have never mentioned him. It would be better to bury him, remember him still, but bury him in the back of her mind.

Then he allowed them entry and she smiled, small and excited. When she realized that in her nervousness she had forgotten to add her own title in her nervous state, she supplyed one hurriedly. "My name is Althaia. Thank you, Steady, sir. I can promise my loyalty to you." She said with a dip of her head, smile unerasable. Her tail lashed in happiness, she gathered her three to her, gently persuading them to stand before her. She introduced them with a nudge and a title, smile still on her maw. Nikai, Keoni, Witchhazel.

Permission to skip granted :D

Witch wasn't quite fearful of the dark man, but she was more cautious than any experience had given. It was short lived, however, as her mother touched her fondly and evaporated all doubt. Keoni went forward to the stranger, much to Witchhazel's chagrin. Whimpering softly, she took a step towards her grey sister, snuffling violently in the East Hollow alpha's direction. Her sight was not the best yet, but good enough to focus on his lowered face and coo softly in mimicry of her sister. The cream girl did not come as close as Keoni, staying within reach of her birth giver, but her pale blue eyes wandered to the blurr of landscape behind him. What was over there? Was that where they were going?

Noises were made, and emotions were expressed, but Witchhazel understood none of it. She only knew to stand tall and proud beside her brother as Althaia gathered them. At her nudge, Witch cooed again - this one much more warm and loving than the one Steady had recieved.

A lot had changed over a short time period, and Nikai had allowed it all to happen. He'd been rather docile, feeling the sensation of unsafety and keeping himself instinctively calm all the while. Now they were at these borders and there were strangers; Nikai felt bashful and he hid himself behind Althaia's front legs. He looked up from behind his mother's legs, his eyes, rimmed by white speckles now, turned up towards the stranger before them.

His attention turned from the pups to the mother, listening to her story. It was a hard one to hear, and he was sure a very hard one to live. He almost wanted to ask if she wanted him to go and fetch her son, but if Steady was honest with himself, he knew he didn't have the Warrior back up he would need for a task like that. He wasn't aware she meant her son was taken, and killed. I'm very sorry to hear that, he said softly. I assure you, we are a family pack, and we do our best to support each other. There isn't anyone here who would be anything but respectful and kind to you and your pups, he assured her. 

He gave her a soft smile as she introduced herself. Nice to meet you, Althaia, he replied. He looked down to the pups as she shuffled them to the front. Two girls, one boy. He looked at them, and saw his second chance. A chance to be the Uncle he wanted to be, to have them look up to him with love, not hate. He had gotten lucky with Adeline, he knew.

Pushing those thoughts away, he smiled to them, then turned his gaze to Althaia. Let's go find you a spot you all can rest, he said, motioning them forward. He would take them to the communal den, and let Althaia know she was welcome to choose one of the empty ones, or make one wherever she wanted. Then, he would leave her to her devices, and let her settle in. 

Last from me, unless he's needed further! Welcome to Easthollow!