Bramblepoint the soul felt its worth
1,002 Posts
Ooc — Houkie
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Master Medic
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#1
All Welcome 
Today Raven ventured into the neighboring forest to seek pine cones, specifically, in order to harvest whatever sap they might contain. She intended to store it to be used as an adhesive. Truth be told, she didn't know if the scaly objects contained any of the sticky fluid. She would hopefully find out soon.

As she bumbled through the forest, she couldn't help but think of Wildfire and her sister's allergy to pine cones. Luckily, neither she nor Nightjar had ever shown the same vulnerability. It left the black she-wolf wondering about how that worked. Was the sensitivity genetic? Had either Peregrine or Fox ever exhibited a similar allergy? If not, where on earth had it come from?

She found a copse of conifers and beneath them lay a veritable spread of cones. Raven began to sniff along the carpet of pine needles, enjoying the spicy fragrance as she began to gather the weird, overgrown seeds into a pile. She was very glad she didn't share her sister's anaphylactic response.
swing life away
73 Posts
Ooc — Katie
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#2
This looked a lil lonely so I hope you don't mind me! :)

She needed to escape.
 
A mixture of debilitating sadness and anxiety had seated itself inside her chest. She felt its presence like a giant weight that was crushing her lungs; she couldn’t breathe, so October bolted from Neverwinter Forest that day. It was all she could do to salvage what was left of her sanity.
 
She ventured south through Firefly Glen before stumbling across woodland she was entirely unfamiliar with. The trees there were nothing like they were back home, and she found the sensation of the carpet of pine needles against her paw pads peculiar. Still, it did her a world of good to be out and about for a while. She was freed from the burden of grief and uncertainty, if only temporarily.
 
A quiet rustling sound from somewhere up ahead drew and interest and she moved towards it, curious to learn its source. Through the myriad of trees she could make out the figure of a tall, dark wolf that for a moment she prayed to be Rickon. Her scent, of course, spoke otherwise.
 
In an attempt not to startle the stranger with an abrupt appearance, October shuffled her feet against the ground and chuffed softly towards the other. She lingered a cautious distance away but tipped her ears in the sooty female’s direction.
[Image: caretaker.gif][Image: chronicler.gif]
1,002 Posts
Ooc — Houkie
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Master Medic
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#3
Thanks for rescuing it! :D

Once she sorted several specimens into a pile, she sat down and regarded them almost warily. The scales were both hard and sharp, so if she tried to pry them loose with her teeth, she would surely cut her lips, gums and the roof of her mouth. But how else could she break them down to collect the sap presumably trapped in their centers?

It was as she pondered this dilemma that a soft woof caused her yellow gaze to flick upward. She stiffened slightly as she eyed the pale she-wolf. Raven wasn't a socialite and while she wasn't exactly afraid, she was fairly wary. And she always felt a little awkward when approached by a stranger.

Not one to excel at small talk, the yearling glanced down at the pine cones, then up at the stranger and asked, "You wouldn't have any bright ideas on how to crack these open, would you?"
you can't wake up, this is not a dream
205 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
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#4
-barges in?-
It was best to keep busy – that, at least, was Allure’s new mantra.

She had checked on Cypress prior to leaving the forest, ensuring him she would return within the day. From there, the black and white Frostfur had crept over the borders for the first time since returning with the news of her father’s death. Nothing could settle the feeling of despair in her heart – but she would do her best to mask her complete failure of the situation at whole.

She heard gentle voices and paused – while once more she might have even considered turning away completely. But the scent of Neverwinter Forest pulled at her nose, and curiously, the girl continued to lope forward, coming upon two she-wolves – one as bright and beautiful as fresh fallen snow, and the other as sleek and dark as a quiet night.

She could only gather the one who held the scent of her pack was October – a girl she was unfamiliar with spare for name alone. Drawing forward, the Frostfur tipped her muzzle with a casual greeting, her aqua eyes falling upon the pine cones gathered at the others paws. “What do you use them for?”
Are you deranged like me? Are you strange like me?
Lighting matches just to swallow up the flame like me?
Do you call yourself a fucking hurricane like me?
1,002 Posts
Ooc — Houkie
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Master Medic
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#5
Since October went inactive, I'm gonna PP her to the fringes so we can continue. :)

Before the pale she-wolf could answer her, another lithe figure slipped onto the scene. Raven felt her muscles tense slightly, though neither of the strangers appeared threatening in any way. Her yellow eyes traveled from one to the other, noticing how the third figure was sort of like a mixture of the other two of them. That thought quirked her lips into a small smile, which grew a little more at the friendly curiosity.

"I'm hoping there's sap in the center," Raven explained, gaze still drifting between the pair. "I want to collect it for medical purposes." She paused, her attention shifting down to the small pile of cones. She singled one out and nudged it to rest between her forepaws. "I'd prefer not to—" A sudden thought hit her and she cut off mid-sentence.

With a thoughtful look on her face, she began scanning the ground for a nearby stone. As if abruptly remembering she had an audience, Raven then froze and peered up at the other two. "Do you see any rocks? I'm just going to try smashing one to see if it's even worth my while to try opening the others."
you can't wake up, this is not a dream
205 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
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#6
October fell silent upon her presence, and the girl wondered if the pale she-wolf was pitying her, given the recent events of the pack. She gave her a waning smile, but was pulled in by Raven's words, her ears cupping forward now. "Oh, hm.." she trailed, blinking her bright eyes as the other began to look for a rock. Her own lithe form loped forward, her gaze drifting from the dark-furred beauty to sweep her gaze upon the grounds. "What does sap do?" She paused, glancing up to the stranger and giving her a half shrug. "We don't have anyone in our pack with medicinal knowledge," she explained, as if she had been too nosey.
Are you deranged like me? Are you strange like me?
Lighting matches just to swallow up the flame like me?
Do you call yourself a fucking hurricane like me?
1,002 Posts
Ooc — Houkie
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Master Medic
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#7
Before either she-wolf could offer a reply, Raven spotted a branch that had fallen off a nearby tree. It was thick enough that she could possibly use it as a makeshift sledgehammer. When she bent down to pick it up with her teeth, she bobbed her head as if in acknowledgement. It was definitely heavy enough, if a little unwieldy. With it clutched in her jaws, she turned back to face her audience, then positioned herself just right to bash the pine cone with the broken limb.

She missed the mark on her first try, though she hit the target on the second. The pine cone smashed into bits, little brown scales flying into the dusting of snow on the ground. Raven relaxed her grip, letting the branch slip from her maw and clatter at her feet. She brushed it aside with a swipe of her paw, then lowered herself to the ground to begin nosing at the remains of the pine cone.

"Dang," she commented quietly, then looked upward at—well, she hadn't gotten her name yet. "Sorry," Raven said first, though she figured the stranger understood the delay in reply, considering her mouth had been otherwise occupied. "I was hoping there'd be sap in the center but it looks like I'm out of luck." She began pushing herself into a seated position as she talked, a skein of disappointment in her voice. "I was going to collect it to use as an adhesive for bandages and the like."

Considering the experiment a failure, Raven had no intention to continue. But she wouldn't take off without introducing herself properly. "I'm Raven, by the way, from Redhawk Caldera." She licked her lips and glanced at the paler woman first, who introduced herself as October from Neverwinter Forest, then apologized and said she must go. Raven nodded her head in farewell, watching October depart before her yellow eyes tracked back to her remaining company.
you can't wake up, this is not a dream
205 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
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#8
It was certainly a sight to behold -- the dark girl was intent on her mission, and wielding a large stick, she began to wreck havoc on a pine cone. Allure watched with mild fascination and apprehension, almost half expecting the stranger before her to miss her mark and send the pine cone directly at her face instead.

But her target was on point, and when it smashed, the she-wolf was quick to investigate - all the while Allure studiously took notes. There was disappointment -- and even then, the Frostfur was confused how the other would have transferred the sap home -- would it not be easier to collect pine cones and smash them come time of need?

Raven of Redhawk Caldera, she introduced herself as, and one ear flickered in mild disappointment as October excused herself -- and while Allure would have joined her, she felt it rude to depart so swiftly. "Allure, from Neverwinter Forest," she offered, not daring to mention that she had once lived within the Caldera.. or her opinion of what it had been like. Indicating her muzzle down to the smashed remains of the pine cone, the girl arched her wolfish brows. "You have impressive aim."
Are you deranged like me? Are you strange like me?
Lighting matches just to swallow up the flame like me?
Do you call yourself a fucking hurricane like me?
1,002 Posts
Ooc — Houkie
Midwife
Master Medic
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#9
She smiled a little at the compliment, her eyes dropping to the sprawl of brown scales surrounding her. "Thanks. I've never done that before," Raven replied. "It's a bummer that there's no sap inside them. I really thought there would be." Her lips pursed as her yellow gaze lifted again. She peered in Allure's general direction, careful not to make direct eye contact for any length of time.

"I think I've heard of your pack," she murmured a beat later, trying to place the name. She gave up after a moment; there was no use sifting through her often terribly memory. "That's kind of a unique name. Neverwinter?" Her brows arched curiously as she pictured a warm, tropical forest of some sort. That didn't make sense, given their environment and its climate, unless... "How far away is it?"

Not far, it turned out, though far enough that Raven would likely never venture there at the risk of getting lost. Raven asked Allure a few more questions about her home—it wasn't a tropical forest, after all—and when Allure excused herself to join her recently departed pack mate, Raven gave the pine cones one last mildly crestfallen glance before moving back in the direction of the caldera.