Phoenix Maplewood and way down we go

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granted, their numbers were too few to properly secure the maplewood, not anymore. nor were there numbers large enough to be constantly hunting within it; and thus the thick scents that permeated the wood could have gone unnoticed for longer than the sterling leader would have liked. soft steps took her between the familiar trees, tracking all the intermingled scents back to where they were the strongest. 

perhaps it was the fierce will for something to burn for that shot like adrenaline through her veins, perhaps sheer territorial nature, that had her seek out the hornet's nest instead of attempting to be diplomatic about the situation. it was what had her dare stride nearer and nearer the cluster of scent - the musky scent of honey and milk and pups among them - with tail held high and gaze molten. she called, a single, clipped note that burst through the trees, grating against the stillness.

rip your amdassador trade :P JK <3

The tone that permeated the air pulled at Siarut's core, and he could feel the anger that it stirred. A palpable energy flowed through the man at the unfamiliar call originating so close to the group under his protection. His green gaze narrowed, searching for the source until he landed on the silver streak that was much to close for comfort. 

His large frame carried him closer to the woman intercepting her before she could penetrate their group any further. "Leave." Common fell from his tongue just to be sure the woman would understand.The ice bear had no patience for pleasantries, this woman would get one warning from him or she would face the consequences. His hackles bristled, and he held his tail high, with his ears pulled forward and his teeth barred, maybe the woman would get a hint. He could feel the wolves nearby, his wolves coming to his aide should he need it.

LMAO

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icy apparition took form before her, long steps carrying him near. molten gaze burned through him hawkishly, meeting his poisoned green one in stride. hackles bristled at his audacity, and her own tail pulled higher, crown lifting. "you are in our hunting grounds." lips pulled back from her fangs, rage filling easily the numbness and holes where shame and guilt had burned through in the past few days.

"you will leave, now." a demand, curt and collected, lips pulling back soon afterward to match his own. wounds tugged and throbbed where scabs had barely began their work at holding them together, but she didn't care, not when all she had left was threatened by the mere prescence of the group that lingered somewhere behind the male, surely hunting the prey they did not have enough of.

[size=10.5px]Unsure if this is a pack thing?[/size]

She's still injured - thanks to the arrogant hazel-coated male she recently tumbled with - though not so much as before. She's peppered with violent bites and gashes but tapeesa ventures back into the world in shifts, bringing back the odd bite to eat. It's midday when she blinks open silvery eyes, finding her feet to stare into the reaches of the forest for whatever unseen force caused the empath to stir. It's then the call comes, entirely too close and demanding from the tones of it. 

With a soft bark that might wake any who missed it, tupilaq falls in line with them as she follows - unsurprised to find nanuk already facing the southern. Uki falls back somewhere behind the Ateneq family as it converges - a silent specter to whatever was to unfold and an extra set of fangs should they be needed.

Shivali is somewhere between reality and slumber when the call is made, instantly shaking loose and snapping to attention. Her heart jumps up into her throat as she tries to look around for the children should they have scampered out of the den, but she doesn’t want to draw attention to their sanctuary with the stranger so close.

Her heart thrums heavily in her chest as her lips peel back, stepping closer to Siarut. His defensive nature causes her feathers to ruffle and her thick fur fans out. If there is one of them, there are many, and Shivali isn’t certain they can take them on in their state. Anxiously, the woman licks her lips and though she only understands the gist of what’s being side, she tries to garner attention. “Only passing through,” she tells her as best she can without much use of the common tongue, glancing up at Siarut to better clarify.

Hunting grounds? He glanced around looking at the territory that surrounded his family. It was possible that they were intruding, but her attitude had pissed him off. She mimicked his own offensivness, and was glad to see Uki out of the corner of his eye. Shivali's reaction surprised him, and he looked at her as she spoke. Taking her lead he nodded, signalling her words were correct, and he further elaborated. "We are passing through. We won't be here long." 

He would not leave, his family needed to rest. She might be a pack wolf, but she stood alone. Her call, and Uki's bark should have called others to her side. He uncurled his lips, but remained taut with protective agression. Siarut thought the answer enough to calm the woman. They didn't linger near her family, they had respected the borders of her home, and they hadn't sought to claim this land as their own.

this can be a pack thing or not lol up to what people want to join

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two more appeared behind the male, similarly coloured and built, and taunt with protectiveness. protectiveness they had no right to feel, not on their hunting grounds. the male deflated somewhat, and so did she, though posture remained stiff with dominance and tension. "no." had the pack been healthier, had her black-burning anger been doused, she would have sought compromise; she knew well what it was to be a pack without home. 

"you won't remain here any longer. we have mothers too, mouths to feed, and you will go now or be chased from here." rationality burned alongside destructiveness, and she was unfaltering in her demand

throws gas on the fire

he was close enough to the maplewood that he'd heard dawn's call, and the sound of it made his ears swivel in some alarm, his paws carrying him into the trees. then voices, most of them unfamiliar, and he broke into a fast trot, not bothering to conceal the sound of his body crashing through the underbrush. aditya burst onto the scene, a few tail-lengths away from dawn, hackles rising immediately in instinct while he struggled to keep his face calm.

"who are you?" he asked the pale trio, then swung his head to look at dawn, though fixing his gaze near the tip of her left ear (still totally unable to meet her eyes, fully). "what's going on?" the scent of milk was in the air, and he rose slightly on his toes, looking for the young that surely were nearby.

what was this? a stray family, camped out in the maplewood? in normal circumstances, he wouldn't have begrudged them the forest; they had the plains, after all, and their territory was vast. but with eight mouths to feed and not enough hunters to do it, they needed the trees to themselves; they were faster, more nimble than deer under cover, able to slink through the woods more easily.

Aqakuktuq was headed for a familiar stream she'd been to just days before when an unfamiliar call sounded in the direction of her pack. Confused and alarmed, she loped back to the temporary campsite, slowing to a trot when she saw the others gathered. They were facing two southerners―pack wolves, clear from the scents mingling on their coats. Wait, were these wolves from Morningside? Sunny's pack? They came from the direction she distinctly remembered him describing, and this was the same forest she'd met the boy in. These wolves, however, did not appear as friendly as he had been.

The fisherwoman came to a stop next to Uki behind the others, not wanting to become too involved until she could get a grasp on what exactly was going on. She caught the tail end of the rusty agouti male's question, but that was precisely the question she was asking, herself. Siarut and the silver woman were both on edge, and Aqakuktuq hoped that a fight would not break out for both sides' sake. If it came down to it, though, the Inuit would fight for the pack she pledged to. But for now, she observed the situation behind a cool mask. All the while, a raven watched from the safety of a high perch, wise enough to stay out of the wolves' business.

Taki had been patrolling and was far from the sound when she heard it. Immediately she started towards where it had come from, urging her legs to go as fast as they would carry her. The sound was unfamiliar and sounded too close to where the pups were, which sparked a protective flame inside her chest. 

Fueled by her rage, she shot through the trees like a white bullet until she reached the others. Shiv and Sia were there among some of their new recruits, and there were two hostile looking strangers. Taki came to a stop on Sia's other side. Ears flat and lip curled, she let out a menacing snarl and tensed for an attack.

sorry to hold this up, with all the players getting involved I wasn't aware it was my turn

Tapeesa doesn't understand the words said between the two groups though her eyes flick between each wolf as they speak, as if tracking their movement through the air. Despite the fact that she doesn't speak the common tongue, the words are not hard to understand. It seems that even though this pack understands their plight, or perhaps even understands that they're intending to move further north soon, but they will not allow the group of travelers to remain on the neutral territory all these southerners seem so inclined to remind them of.

Uki is vaguely aware of the fisher woman, for once lacking the immediate presence of Pesi at her side, moving to her side. Indeed, Tupilaq can feel the rest of Siarut's followers gathering at her back. They outnumber the duo before them - for a male approaches spewing questions though Uki remains focused on nanuk and the unfamiliar she-wolf - but there's more where these two come from; they're not likely to win in any fight.

Tapeesa does not understand what the silver woman before them says, but she can sense the threat in it. The berserker shifts, waiting for some sign of what comes next. 

if she was not glued to @Spiritwalker's side, it was aditya's.  he had been absent lately; some kind of invisible rift had settled in morningside and although it was larger than she could possibly understand its effects still concentrated in her with perhaps a deeper recognition than she should have.

when aditya went on excursions, she was always frightened that he wouldn't come back.  she slipped from the territory unnoticed — or so she thought.  she had not traveled but half an hour when @River arrived at her side and together they traversed the wilds.  too-small and either blisfully unaware or just unconcerned with the dangers that the open and unprotected lands yielded, she toddled after the leader's scent.

when she arrived on the scene the emotion was what hit her first.  she pressed up against river, both of them thus far unnoticed, as the tension hit her like a sack of bricks.  it reminded her of when daddy died — fear gripped her chest as she pulled herself from river and threw herself between the two estranged spouses and the traveling band as she cried, a-a-di-daddy!

He'd noticed the adults weren't around as often, had sensed the tension within the pack as his sister had. Unlike his sister, he saw it as a great opportunity. His excursions were frequent, but he was careful; only when his mother was asleep and the other adults were off moping or whatever did he slip past the borders. Today was one of those treasured occasions, and with it came a surprise.
The young Corten found himself equal parts concerned and excited to have found Kitten wandering outside the borders, same as him; protective instinct stirred within him, but his youth ultimately won out. It was all very exciting, after all. At some point, his sister had caught the scents of Aditya and Dawn— River, being preoccupied, was a bit slower on the uptake.
When he did catch on to the scents' new status as Thing of Interest, he was quick to involve himself fully. Ears pulled forward, nose to the ground, he noticed something strange even before the siblings just sort of, uh, walked right in. Strange scents— and then, oh, look— strange wolves to go with the strange scents! His hair stood on end immediately, the tension in the air hitting him like a ton of bricks. He realized at once that he and his sister had no place there— but when he turned to Kitten, she was already flinging herself in the middle of it.
Kitten! He scrambled after her, deciding to put himself between his sister and the strangers. Fear lifted the hairs along his spine, and he shivered, but found himself frozen. He didn't know what would happen next— what was supposed to happen next. But something would happen, he was sure of it.

Panic had been sitting in her chest since the moment the stranger approached but she was heated and so was Siarut. She doesn’t need to understand every word out of the strangers mouth (she might have understood more if they’d slow down a little) to know they are in danger. They can’t stay any longer in the maplewood at this point, regardless of what happens. Their safety has been compromised with the pack wolves aware of their little band. The pack wolves are outnumbered at the moment but they’re healthier and have others to come to their aid.

Shivali is about to open her mouth and say something, the new male speaking up over her. One ear flicks back to acknowledge a new presence in the form of her sister and the one with the pet bird. She doesn’t do anything else to include them, focused on the pair ahead. Her chest tightens and she feels her feet wanting to flee, but not wanting to expose her children to threatening wolves she doesn’t know. Nervously, she licks her lips and looks away and toward Siarut and cringes at the anger on his face.

“Let’s just go. It’s okay, we need to get the children out of here,” she pleads to her brother, hoping to pull him out of his stupor. The journey has been hard on him, on all of them, but he’s been coming undone and it makes her stomach churn. She wants it to be over. Quickly, she turns to the pair to see two children step up—young, older than hers, but still babies—and she sighs, swallowing a hard lump in her throat. “Please,” she begs, before turning back toward the pack wolves. “Nightfall we leave,” she says with uncertainty, her confidence in the common tongue of the wilds apparent. “Please, we travel from far,” she adds, looking toward the brute that is much calmer than the female, hoping he’ll see how ragged and tired they’ve become and little of a threat are to them.

a lot to respond too lol.... im sorry if i ignore you! lol

The woman was being unreasonable, they would not be here long enough to deplete there resources. A few days at most. He couldn't begrude her for wanting to provide for her family, but at the expense of his own? It angered him further. The arrival of the male did nothing to deter him, Siarut flicked his olive gaze at the man. "What's happening? You're packmate has no compassion for a weary family." He growled at the man before turning his attention back to the aggressive woman. 

He couldn't see Aqakuktuq arrive, but he felt Takiyok take her position by his side. It made him more confident, she would have his back. 

Taking a moment to glance at Shivali, he could see the despear in her gaze. She was begging him to leave, and he wanted to comply. He weighed the pros and cons, he so badly wanted to test the woman's resolve. Looking over his shoulder, Sia knew that they could take them, but there were unknown numbers hidden in pack territory which could spell tragedy. 

The arrival of two youngsters was what finally brought Siarut out of his stupor. He could see little Sos or Tunerk in the same place. Looking at Shivali, "And if they return with more before the sun has set?" Siarut shook his head, "We will leave now, knowing that this land is hostile and the owners calous and heartless." He hissed at the two packwolves before them, and glancing at the pups that had crashed the party. He committed their scent to memory, "We will not forget your insensitvity." It was a promise, he would not forget. Why alientate wolves that might have helped should they have asked, with eight adults they could have shared portions of their hunting with the pack wolves as payment for their stay. Now these wolves had put themselves on the hostile side of a soon to be neighbour. "Go get the pups. Take whoever you trust, the rest of us will make sure they do not follow." 

rip timelines.....

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the pale wolves grew steadily in number, and yet her resolve was steadfast. the crashing of underbrush had her hackles twitch, but a curt twist of her head found the familiar pelt of Aditya, voice breaking the tension with who's and what's she did not answer immediately, at once relieved and made tense by his arrival. molten gaze shifts from the olive-eyed leader, falling on the woman that speaks pleadingly. 

despite herself, the fires blazing in bronze optics falter and fade, and a moment passes in thought before she dips her head in assent, making to ignore the sun-touched man who can not meet her eyes. "until nightfall." she reaffirms, firm, though the softness vanishes upon the arrival of Kitten and her littermate. she moves forward at once, standing over the girl and hanging her head low over the boy, stiff and tense once more. the olive-eyed man speaks again, and her eyes grow sharp once more.

"think what you want of us," her voice is low, hard.  "but don't pretend that you would share your territory with another pack when your own was in need."  there was threat buried in his words, but the civil part of herself that had helped broker alliances had her bite her tongue, murmuring low over the pups. "River, Kitten, go back to Aditya." she ushered them back towards her mate him with guiding pokes of her muzzle, gaze lingering still over the polar wolves, not at all comfortable.

no words were exchanged before a cry met his ears, and the warm brown form of kitten appeared, rushing to stand between the two factions. hot on her heels was river, looming protectively over her. "mithra! merbani!" he snapped, sharper than he intended as fear pulsed through him. it was an already tense situation, and the pups' presence here made his blood pressure skyrocket even higher. "kya--"

then a kind-eyed female was speaking, in a language he didn't understand, before addressing them in broken common tongue. he softened, giving her a nod, but before he could affirm his former mate's judgment, the burly male spoke up, tone full of acid. he fixed his stare on the stranger, eyes firm but understanding.

"not callous, but pragmatic," adi responded, voice floating coolly across the way to--hopefully--caress the ivory wolves' ears and soothe the flames of conflict. "we, too, have many mouths to feed. if the times were better. . ." he sighed, blinking slowly at the sharp-tongued male. "forgive us, bhaiyya. we safeguard these woods not to hurt you, but for our own health, our own lives."

he then turned to the female who had spoken, his face sincere. "i am sorry," aditya murmured, feeling helpless. then he cast his eyes at kitten and river, a stern look blooming over his face. "stand beside me, bachchon," he commanded, but his voice was not as sharp as before, his speech to the male having quelled the surprise upon seeing them here.

Skipping Aqakuktuq with permission.

The addition of two unknown pups briefly caught Taki's attention, and she looked at them with concern before turning her gaze back to the two packwolves in front of them. She studied both wolves, waiting for any signs of aggression, but so far, it seemed like it was mostly a hostile exchange of words with neither side wanting to concede. 

Her sister's pleading cut through Taki's anger. Shiv was right; they needed to just take the kids and leave, even though it would mean moving them in the light of day, which would prove dangerous as well. They didn't have much of a choice, though, as staying here was sure to bring unwanted trouble that their exhausted group didn't need.

She was relieved when Sia told Shiv to gather the pups so they could leave. She was following his lead on this, so if it had turned into a fight, she would have been right there with him, but she was thankful that it didn't seem to be going that direction. 

She stood like a wall next to her brother and glared at the two strangers as they tried to justify their reasons for forcing a group of road-weary wolves with pups out of what was technically unclaimed territory, and unless Shiv needed her to help her with the pups, she was staying in that exact spot until they left this place.

The tundrian does not understand what comes to pass as more terse words pass between them, though eventually word of it reached her pricked ears in the northern tongue and a seething ire stirred in the waif's silver gaze. These southerners were all so hypocritical with their so called "neutral" lands. When alone they claimed that no one had right to it but in groups, they claimed it as their own. 

As nanuk's command falls on her ragged ears, she stirs, hesitating just a step closer to the Ateneq family. There's willingness in her moonlit gaze - whether ordered to go with Shivali and protect the children or stay with Siarut and make sure they're not followed; she will perform either task without complaint.

All it took was a few sharp words, and a wave of resentment and spite rose up in the young Corten. Both adults had been absent lately, and neither was his parent— he didn't have to listen to them. He didn't expect Kitten to follow him, but he glanced at her and tried to catch her eye anyway, at least so she'd know it wasn't her.
Then River took off running as fast as his little legs would carry him, giving the adults a wide berth and not slowing for a moment. He'd spent a lot of time running outside the territory recently; beyond the physical benefits, it lent a confidence to him that was definitely misplaced. Wherever he was going, he wasn't going to come back until he was ready— not that it would take long.

exit river!

Siarut changes everything, deciding they’re going to leave now. The instruction to pluck her children from their current safety doesn’t settle well with her. Her eyes dart away briefly, looking toward those in the background and (very briefly) in the direction of the den. She snaps her head back around when the woman speaks, giving them until nightfall. A lot of the rest goes over her head and she steps back, smoothing out her fur but she does not go right for the children. Instead, she anxiously looks between the wolves on either side. They linger longest on her brother should he take their small generosity to at least gather themselves. 
 
Shivali takes several steps back and looks to whom she’d gather, needing only an extra mouth between herself, Tomkin, and Tahani. She keeps her distance from the den in the meantime, waiting for the final word. When one of the children dart off, her gaze flickers in that direction, though nerves keep her planted firmly in place.

The children left at the insistance of the woman, following the male as he left. He spoke an unknown language in segments, Siarut would have wished to learn had the situation not been so tense. Siarut narrowed his gaze at the woman, "You don't know us, and what we would do if our roles were reversed." Right then and there Siarut decided that they would not be the same as these wolves, judging without questioning. "We will be gone by sundown." 

Siarut looked at Shivali, "Rest with your children. We will not be here much longer, we will leave much earlier than expected. Just after midday, before they had time to return with more." The pale brute would not trust these wolves, he would give everyone time to rest, but they would not wait until nightfall to leave. Siarut waited until the woman left before gathering everyone to explain his desire to leave this afternoon.

i think thats the last for me

they are upset, and they are upset with her.  river runs away (and his eye catches hers; somewhere she knows at least that was not her fault) but she remains glued steadfast to aditya's towering limbs as they depart.

she does not reply, does not care to exchange more words. especially not when river runs like an absolute idiot, and she is left to push her muzzle to kitten's shoulder in brief comfort and wordless message - stay here - until she is off after the boy. 

his trail weaves and bobs until somehow he's given her the slip; she seeks to track him further until realizing his trail veers in the general direction of the plains - he must have gone back the way he came. she cannot run after the boy when the pack remains to be made wary, and so with foreboding she leaves the scent trail and returns the way she's come, only to disperse back to the plains as the two groups part uneasily and with lingering tensions that mean that now, at least, they are enemies.

nothing was solved, no minds were changed. and it turned out that the situation was destined to take a turn for the worse, for just as the packs seemed ready to go their separate ways, river took off running, inexplicably. dawn went after him, and he stayed near kitten, hovering protectively over her. when his ex-mate returned minutes later sans the boy, he sighed, shaking his head.

"let's go," he said to the girl, giving her a gentle nuzzle to the shoulder. aditya was angry with them both for straying into something already fraught with tension--but how could she have known? pups were going to wander; that was part of their blood.

another sigh escaped his lips as he began to make his way out of the maplewood, keeping an owlish gaze on kitten at all times. add the group of pale wolves to 'things that keep him up at night.' the list could hardly have gotten longer.