Dragoncrest Cliffs everlong
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#1
All Welcome 
please let @Ephraim post first :^)

The rainy trip from the Taiga to Drageda's borders is just long enough for Étoille to start to think. He's holding onto his confidence that heda will allow the boy to stay -- when has he asked for anything, after all. But there are the other children and certainly that carries a degree of protectiveness with it (hell, he feels it too.) And Furi had left, and though he is not familiar with the concept of natrona he has the sense that Drageda does not think kindly of leaving, especially like that, with no warning. 

Still. The situation is the situation. The boy will die if not helped, and Étoille simply cannot stand for that. So he quietly carries him until they reach the border, and then gently places him down. "This is Drageda," he tells him, "and my name is Étoille." He does not press for the boy's name yet -- he does not seem to be up to talking much at the moment, and more pressing is getting him somewhere dry and a decent meal, in his opinion. With that the titan lifts his head and calls for @Thuringwethil.
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#2

The trek was long in the mind of a pup. He drifted in and out of a sleep-like stupor while cradled in Étoille's strong muzzle. When he was awake he drank in the sights and did his best to banish memories of the thunderstorm, but any time he closed his eyes, he remembered the dark clouds, the brilliant flashes and the heart-stopping crashes of the sky. It kept him from truly falling asleep, but they reached their destination and Ephraim couldn't have described how they got there.

There was something familiar about the air here and his heart leapt joyfully. It smelled like home, the salt tang of the breeze and the musky scent of seals. It didn't look like Ankyra Sound, but the familiarity was enough to relax him somewhat. Ankyra Sound. He had never been hungry, tired or sore there. Only happy memories. Étoille placed him on the ground and Ephraim managed to get to his feet, having recovered enough energy for that, and glanced back at the masked wolf.

What now? his beady eyes seemed to ask, but the introduction was more important. "Ephraim," he replied succinctly in a voice still soft and hoarse from all the screeching he had done the night prior. Then he looked back to the wide unknown ahead. Drageda. A word he might have associated with enemies, once, had they not left the sound before he was old enough to understand that there had been a rivalry between the two packs.
what do i do after all this survival?
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Ooc — Kermy
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#3
Calls to the border tend to come in waves so it does not surprise her when she hears Étoille call for her. The brute has already brought her one wolf of Trigeda some weeks ago and perhaps he’s run into another, or at least someone suitable for Drageda, so she attempts to manipulate the way she walks to make it as smooth as possible. Her shoulder still hurts from the bear attack but the scab has covered it nicely though she still walks with a slight limp, she’s felt more like herself the last few days as she remains on the upswing as long as infection doesn’t settle in.

When she approaches, the day damp from heavy rain the last few days, she is surprised to see a waterlogged child that the steltrona has brought to her doorstep. Dark eyes watch the child for a moment, considering her options. He is too young to turn back out into the wilds without a parent, as Koume had once, and not old enough to pull weight as Furi had at the time, but she does not react right away. Her eyes trail away from the kid and over to the masked scout, one brow quirking for an elaboration.
Trigedasleng · Common
all that wanting, all that aching, all that capacity for love:
it never belonged to you in the first place
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#4

He is not expecting the boy to name himself, but he accepts it easily. Ephraim. Heda arrives quickly -- Étoille straightens and lowers his head respectfully, feeling a twinge of something close to nervousness. "I discovered the child lost in the rain," he explains, jumping right to the point. "He does not know where his family is. In his condition, I feared leaving him alone would spell his death." He does not know, of course, of the boy's origins, the irony in his winding up so close to his birth home, born of their enemies. All that matters is the now to him. "I will see to his health and wellbeing," Étoille adds, putting to words what he assumes is obvious just to be safe. There is, of course, a question underlying: will heda allow Ephraim to stay (or will Étoille face reprimand for bringing him here, even if he does stay). All he can do is wait for her answer, taking a step closer to the boy somewhat protectively.
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#5

When the second wolf appeared, a dark beast reminiscent of his encounter on Easthollow's border, Ephraim's first instinct was to sink low to the ground. He replayed his memory of that event over in his mind and though he was too dead on his feet to really feel it, he could only hope not all dark wolves were like Valette and Stark. His limbs shook with the effort of holding him in a crouched position but he didn't dare to lift his head or shoulders, expecting that he would be turned away just like his family was before.

This time he didn't have his strong, stoic father or his cunning mother to offer their skills in exchange for his life. He had only himself and that was pitifully little to offer. His eyes skimmed over Thuringwethil's chest, half desperate and half afraid, as Étoille spoke over his head.
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Étoille explains the situation and Thuringwethil nods once, looking back to the kid. She steps closer, slowly, and sniffs in his direction but she only notes the overwhelming scent of rain and the scout. The boy can’t be much older than her bunch, either. “All right,” she says after a moment of consideration. If one of her own had gotten lost at this age, she’d only hope they’d been taken care of too—something she wouldn’t have considered before—and offers a gentle invite of her nose.

“What is your name?” she asks, giving him a chance to answer before she turns back to the brute. “Have @Rose or @Portia look him over,” she adds, waiting for the two of them so she may accompany them wherever Étoille would take him first.
Trigedasleng · Common
all that wanting, all that aching, all that capacity for love:
it never belonged to you in the first place
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#7

Grateful, the steltrona dips his head. Hopefully once Ephraim is returned to optimal health they can see about finding his family -- but if for some reason that isn't a possibility, Étoille is good for his word, and he will raise him as a part of Drageda. And in the meantime there are plenty of other children for him to socialize with -- les petits are about his age, no? 

He doesn't answer for Ephraim, giving him the space to speak for himself (but ready to step in and answer for him if he's too exhausted). Instead he contemplates the medics -- Portia has a litter of her own now, he knows, and he's unsure if she'll take kindly to him bringing a strange child to her.. but on the other hand, she has experience with children. Does Rose as well? He actually doesn't know. Hm. "Portia," he decides after a fashion -- if she turns them down they can find Rose after. He lowers himself to murmur to Ephraim, "I am going to pick you up again," mostly for the sake of saving time, and goes to gently lift the boy by the scruff again and make for Portia's den with heda.
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#8

To his absolute surprise, the dark haired she-wolf didn't tell him that he was a burden and needed to leave. Instead she asked his name, to which he haltingly answered, "E-Ephraim. Ijlefur." Someday he would get that damn pronunciation right. For the first time since the storm his tail musters a short and hopeful wiggle. He missed the hell out of his mama and papa but at least he wasn't going to starve. At least he wasn't dead like he would have been if sturdy Étoille hadn't found him.

"Kay," the boy agreed as Étoille stooped to lift him once more. His limbs curled into his body as he was hoisted. At this level he could take a better look at Thuringwethil, a dark and foreboding woman who seemed similarly fierce to Caiaphas. He took some comfort in that and his tail wiggled a little again. He didn't have his mother or his siblings or his father here with him but here was someone who kind of reminded him of her. It would have to do; he couldn't find his way back even if he wanted to.
what do i do after all this survival?
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#9
A little light shines when she directs a question to the child. She alters her demeanor to something more relaxed but her tail remains curved and waves over her spine as he offers a wiggle of his own. His name isn’t something she’s heard before and she doesn’t take the pause as a whole name, only nodding a little once Étoille steps up to move them along.

“My name is Thuringwethil,” she introduces just before the boy is picked up (unaware Étoille doesn’t even know her name). “But you can call me Heda.” From there, the dark woman walks alongside the duo toward Portia’s den.
Trigedasleng · Common
all that wanting, all that aching, all that capacity for love:
it never belonged to you in the first place
Did someone say plants?
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#10
portia was outside her den, children tucked away inside sleeping with dalia. of course, she preferred to be with them at every waking moment-- but they were passed out, curled against one another, and she was only a few feet away and dalia was fully capable. they were safe and protected and if anything went wrong portia was right there to help them. 

of course, she wasn't expecting so much company today. portia had expected heda to drop by for a visit-- and though she was not the closest with etoille, she expected him eventually as well, since she herself had visited his and wildfire's litter a few times now. her ears pricked, and she watched them approach, etoille with a gift of sorts in his jaws. giving her commander and the steltrona a respectful dip of her head, portia glanced towards her den once before looking at them again. "i'm afraid they're sleeping--" she began, only now noticing that what etoille was carrying was not a gift, but a child. her brow furrowed as she overlooked them, but only briefly. soon her expression turned into something much brighter. "and who is this?" she purled, raising herself upright.
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#11

For a moment he doesn't process heda's introduction. How many months has it been, after all, with him giving up on ever learning her name? But here it is, not even for him but for his ward. Thuringwethil. Four syllables and his worldview shifts, just slightly.

He does not have time to dwell on it as they move towards Portia's den, though he is clearly distracted when the woman first greets them. Gathering himself he gently deposits the boy, nudging him to go to the medic, and explains, "this is Ephraim. I found him lost in the rain -- I believe he needs to be looked over." He pauses, then shuffles his feet, a little awkward, and adds: "Apologies for the sudden intrusion." She doesn't look put off by Ephraim's presence, which he takes as a good sign... but nonetheless.
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#12
Just the one cameo post from me, hope you all don't mind.  ;D

Well, he had been napping, until a litter-mate delivered a swift kick directly between his eyes.

He woke with a start, and squinted his stormy eyes to at the blur of his sister's hind paw that'd been rudely shoved in his face. Dacio clumsily swatted her away before wriggling his little nose and scooting away, eager to be far from the bundle of siblings that saw fit to assault him even in slumber.

The grey adult lay close by, and he blinked grumpily up at her to see what she made of the other cub's rudeness. No intervention came, however, so the only boy huffed his discontent and set about looking for his mother, who would surely provide the attention he sought.

With his improved eyesight, Dacio scanned the cave for his piebald parent and whimpered softly when he couldn't see her. He pulled himself onto his paws, and his attention was immediately drawn to the den's bright entrance as he heard, for the first time... voices?

He dared to venture closer, just enough to peek outside to see his dam and a pair of other wolves, though he wasn't brave enough to step beyond the safety of his family's hollow. And so Dacio dropped his haunches to watch and wait, greedily drinking in the sights and new sounds of his expanding world.
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Thuringwethil. He was never going to get that name right. Fortunately, the dark-haired woman had something of a moniker that was far easier for him to repeat: "Heda." It would be some time before he came to know the significance of her title and comprehend it. That she led more than just this pack with that name was a grand thing beyond the understanding of a pup his age, who came from a culture very unlike Drageda's. For now it was just a name that he would know her by, like Étoille, who hadn't known her true one until just then.

They came to a place that smelled of milk and warm bodies. Ephraim was whisked away into his memories for a spell, remembering a time when his world had been a soft blue glow with the same scent around him. That was before bears and foxes and storms showed him what a frightening place the world could be. Stationed outside the den entrance was a woman whose colourless fur was patched with black and his soft yellow eyes met her green ones for just an instant. Her voice was soft and comforting, perhaps the first truly soft sound he had ever heard in a woman's voice—both Caiaphas and Thuringwethil possessed a quality that was stern even when gentle, the mark of leadership—and it sent a tingle up his spine.
what do i do after all this survival?
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#14
Last post for me!

Portia comes out to greet them before she’s called and Thuringwethil smiles, nodding once and waving her tail. Her dark eyes turn back to the mouth of the den to see the little grey boy she’d spent time with a few days ago. If she grabs his attention in the moment, she offers him a funny face, but otherwise she turns back to the other wolves. Étoille is quick to offer explanation and she doubts the new (again) mother will turn down the child in need as a woman with a big heart.

“I’ll leave you to it,” she tells them. “If you need anything, call for me.” With that, she bids the three of them farewell with a final look upon Dacio as she turns and retreats back to her children, thankful they’re safe within their borders.
Trigedasleng · Common
all that wanting, all that aching, all that capacity for love:
it never belonged to you in the first place
Did someone say plants?
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dalia merely rested as the babies slept. her eyes were typically closed but she sat upright, sphinx-like as she kept guard. they were easy enough. of course, the sound of one of the pups stirring awoke her, and when her bi-colored gaze fluttered open, they rested upon a grump looking dacio. she blinked back at him, not understanding what he so well desired, only to watch him begin to toddle of the the den-- very sassily. this pleased dalia, a bit, seeing that-- dacio truly was his mothers son. she eyed the other two babies before shifting to move after him, but saw he stopped at the dens mouth. she could watch him from here-- so she stayed put.

portia's attention, of course, turned to her own baby for a brief second, her tail tapping against the ground as she viewed him with an absurd amount of pride and joy. he was beautiful, and oh so handsome! and adventurous! ah! out coming to see what his mother was doing. portia cooed gently to him just to keep him still, before fully turning her attention back to the child etoille had brought to her. she frowned a bit at etoille's explanation, heartbroken to hear about the poor soul. but she quickly shook her head. "don't apologize-- it's not an intrusion, hun," she said, giving heda a dip of her head goodbye, smiling at the woman's interaction with her son. then she raised herself to come closer to the poor child, who peered at her with a wide, dandelion gaze-- ah, that's what he needed. her heart melted, and to the boy she said softly, "my name is portia, i'm going to make sure you're okay, okay?" she smiled down at him. he would be fine, she was sure, but looking at him now was devastating. poor thing looked exhausted. she'd get a more full check up in-- but first she looked to etoille. "did you get him food or water?" she asked him, and depending on his answer, she called to dalia to bring out those(if he had not gotten them already). "dalia-- he'll need some dandelion and a poppy seed, i think might do him some good." and so dalia disappeared back into the den to get what she had been instructed to get.

i read some of ephiram's previous threads-- i think he's just in shock/tired? pls lmk if there's anything else portia should notice!!
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#16
sorry for the holdup -- last from me unless im needed!

Heda (Thuringwethil? No, it's too weird) takes her leave, and Étoille shoots her a grateful look before turning his attention fully to the medics, too focused on Ephraim to pay much attention to the presence of the infant. It is easy to relinquish control to Portia although he stays close as a comforting presence, shaking his head non at her question -- he hasn't had the chance -- watching Dalia go to retrieve whatever it is that Portia has prescribed. With little else to do Étoille settles down, waiting for either further instruction to assist or to take Ephraim to Hougeda to rest when Portia and Dalia are done with him, quietly grateful for the ease in which he has been accepted into everyone's lives thus far.
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Heda departed, leaving just Étoille and the soft-spoken healing wolf. Ephraim's attention drifted up to his savior for one instant, then swung back to Portia when she rose from her station. Again she uttered soft words with a matron's gentle hush and Ephraim's whole body seemed to relax of its own accord while a tingle crept down from his scalp. His eyes were wide and wary on her but she assured him in that soft tone and he allowed himself to be inspected.

All the while, Portia muttered questions to Étoille and commands to the other, a freckled grey female watching over the den. Ephraim's eyes lifted to watch her go, off to fetch her mother's necessities, and then they flicked back to Portia's black-patched face. "Was a big rain, really loud," he said, very quietly, a breath above a whisper. "Ran fast." As if to emphasize this, he curled his forepaws and winced—they'd taken one hell of a beating from his overnight flight.
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idk if theres another poster before me... sorry for the delay huff. we can wrap this up if need be.

portia just nodded sadly to the poor babies words. while dalia was off, there was nothing more to be done, so portia ushered him closer, quietly, hushing him sweetly and moving to curl him closer with her paws. she'd groom him gently, just between the ears, if the boy would let her. if anything, she'd decided, he just needed a bit of love and reassurance right now. and sleep. the poor boy needed rest.
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