Swiftcurrent Creek Fear of Sleep

Open to anybody

Radiant hues of a summer dusk streaked across the sky like great paint strokes upon a dark tapestry. The sun settled into the west, nearly falling beneath the distant mountains, and cast dark violet shadows onto the creek's familiar plains. Tuwawi strut along the water's edge, a half-eaten piece of a brunette female grouse nestled betwixt her fangs. The evening's pillage had gone well. A bramble of blackberries had led the matriarch to a late-season keep of ground fowl - a perfect pairing for any wolf - and she thought the rest of her feathered meal might make a good play-thing for the pups.

It would be night soon enough, but for now the sky was only beginning to darken. The colors caught his attention as he slipped across the lands, but Njal's mind was filled with more important thoughts than simply the sky above. His travel - no, his search - had ended with a bitter failure. He had passed in to the territory and avoided his family and his responsibilities for a short span of time; selfishly, perhaps. Now, with the familiar river being his favored path, he headed towards the den. The beast did not make it that far — catching sight of Tuwawi in the distance, who seemed to be in good health and pleasantly occupied by something. As he drew nearer he caught sight of the pheasant in her jaws but said nothing. He traced her outline with his eyes, and as the light cascaded in brooding purples and oranges across the flame of her back, his gaze softened.

The majority of her slow waltz was uneventful, her pensive gaze tracing the sandy loam on which she tread, and it wasn't until a familiar glint of granite platinum caught the peripheral of her vision that she looked up. Njal, an ever present and unmoving figure in her life, stood in the distance and the silence that they shared was sublime. Their brief conversation from the other day was at the forefront of the ember's mind, as were the worries of threats beyond those that were canine, yet her spouse's gentle expression seemed to melt these worries away, as he often did. How she loathed for him to be away so often — usually at the command of Fox or Bazi, but sometimes by his own volition — but, no matter her objections the outcome was always the same. Her words rarely changed the stalwart mountain's path, and this fact she had learned to live with and love.

She looked to her mate with a coy, half-lidded glance, inviting him over to enjoy the soft babbling of the creek and the crooning croaks of nighttime frogs.

They shared a glance that was brief, but spoke volumes. With a chorus of night critters to welcome him, Njal came upon the woman; she stood as a beacon to him, always, with her light leading him on. The grizzled man, stern as he often was, took careful strides as he approached her. Not out of any sense of fear but one of calm. With all the confusion happening among the creek wolves, they could linger here together in silence... And it would all melt away. Njal pressed his nose against her cheek once the distance between them was nullified, inhaling the warm and inviting perfume which hung about her neck; it had changed little since the birth of the children. He detected a subtle sweetness which brought the smile out of his eyes and on to the rest of his face - thinking of their daughters and sons.

And this thought, echoing within the vastness of his mind, brought forth the remembered conversation. The creek would always be here - the wolves, their family, they would persist somehow. But the safety of their children was the most vital thing on his mind now. More essential than his devotion to his leader, wherever she was; more important than his attachment to Bazi or Danica or any single wolf; and more significant than the adoration he held for the land itself. The two wolves watched the river flow in silence, then. Tuwawi watching the fluid for a time, with Njal peering around the curve of her jaw - seeing nothing, really. But he did eventually pull away from her, watching her features as he suddenly spoke. An attempt to sound placid resulted in a low rumbling voice, spooking the nearby frogs in to silence: "What do we do?"

The quiet moment was cherished, and Tuwawi's eyes shut peacefully at the touch of her husband's maw to an umber cheek. They had been together for so long that these exchanges had become second nature, but never were they dull or stale. Even though the seasons came and went, Njal was always there for Tuwa to fall back on and her true trust laid with him... and him alone. Not Swiftcurrent, nor Kindred, nor Tartok, could rip the northern's wife from his side, and even though she felt duty tie her to the creek's many responsibilities, there was little holding her to this place as everything turned to ruin.

Two members of the creek Tuwawi barely knew had been captured, and Fox's inexperienced hand had left her dead or indisposed somewhere in the wilds. Bazi, equally fatigued by the constant state of turmoil, issued commands to the subordinates... but what wisdom did she posses to back up her instructions? Scimitar and Jace had fought... but why? Their burly comrade had a taste for action, Tuwawi had noted, but she wasn't fond of his rash decisions. Altogether they were just a hodgepodge, with Njal and herself at the core.

What do we do? he asked. Tuwawi hummed a pensive note, lids lifting and gaze becoming sharp. Could they leave? No... it wasn't possible for two adults to carry four puppies who could barely walk. What if Fox returned? What if she wanted war? What if their alpha left forever? Could Tuwawi trust Bazi? Trust Scimitar, Danica, or the others? Did Fox ever had the intention to protect her subordinates? There were too many variables.

Plus, as Njal had informed her, there was a cougar in their midst.

She sighed in a defeatist way, saffron shoulders rolling as her eye line watched the shimmering river travel south. A fished surfaced, licking a dragonfly from the water's crest. Eat or be eaten... that was the way the world worked. Tuwawi's gaze lifted to distant, unnamed peaks in the North. She was a summer wolf by birth, unaccustomed to traversing craggy mountain sides. But she could adapt. But their children... the children limited their options for travel. "I'm not sure," Tuwawi admitted, but her eyes suddenly became sharp and hungry. Like a small flame, a wanton desire emerged and her voice became firm and resolute with ambition, "all I know... is that I do not want to run below Fox any longer."

As her pronouncement met his ears, Njal gave a subtle nod of acquiesence. The loyalty he held for Fox was nearly insurmountable, but she was absent now. Her choices had led the creek wolves in to a strange and dangerous situation - and for what? To prove who had a stronger will? Njal had defended her as best he could, followed through with her orders, but there was only so much aid he could give to the young leader. In discovering that she was in fact gone (without a trace despite his greatest efforts in the contrary), his mind had churned out all sorts of scenarios; everything led back to the Sveijarn family, though. What would happen to them? I won't let anything happen to them, he had decided - even prior to their birth, Njal was devoted to their protection. There was only so much of Fox's antics that even her most loyal of followers could put up with.

"I'm not sure," Tuwawi responded with the briefest of looks, and in her gaze Njal saw the answer that neither of them wished to voice. "All I know... Is that I do not want to run below Fox any longer." That much they could agree on. Everything depended on how the next few days panned out, but... Could they really put their children at further risk by waiting? The warden sighed as softly as he could, wanting nothing more than the peace of the moment to continue unabated. The sound of his breath was enough to spook a flying dutchman in to skittering across the river shallows, leaving behind a trail of tiny ripples - something he caught in his eye, but paid little attention to. If Fox was truly gone, someone would step up to take her place. Surely those that would follow her had already felt their loyalties splintering, as he did. And would he choose to follow the replacement? The man shifted his weight, his tail dragging against the grass as it dusted across the tips of the reeds; he was undecided and nearly overwhelmed with the choice that lay before them.

"Fox is gone." His gloomy voice did not hold the ambition of his wife, hardly igniting with the same fire. The mountain did not like to make rash decisions. "This place is unsafe, it is leaderless, and I do not think I can follow another child." But if the two lovebirds were to depart then... They would be akin to children themselves, setting out to make a new home, a fresh start. Njal had never led before - his tenure as Beta had lasted for such a brief amount of time - and he wondered, silently, if anyone would deign to follow them.

The mountain turned to regard the flickering flame beside him, lazily reaching out to nibble at the crimson fur at the base of one ear; affection shared with her, and her alone. "We might have to wait for the children to be bigger and stronger, so they can travel. Or... I could speak to Bazi. Since she is the only leader left." Still, he held his doubts. Bazi had been thrust in to an Alphaship because of Fox's absence, and while he believed in her abilities and was justly loyal to the girl, it was a lot of responsibility. "Maybe she would lend us aid in finding a safe place to move. We wouldn't keep any of the creek wolves after the trip came to an end - I do not want to weaken them in any manner -" Njal pulled back slightly and watched Tuwawi's gaze, searching for answers, for some kind of response. "But without help I don't think we can do anything yet."

'Fox is gone.'

The fire in her eyes faded as Njal reminded her that Fox was not present, vanished during the raid on Sunspire's borders. How was it even possible? "She could come back," Tuwawi reflected in a quiet voice, unsure if their president was merely injured, hiding out, or worse. No one had found their young leader yet, dead or alive. The fiery youth was a beacon at Swiftcurrent's helm, though her bold and fickle nature often let the pack into danger. The cougar, Jace and Ferdie's banishment, their desire to rid the mountains of Sunspire... and what was it all for? Surely, Fox must have acted to protect the pack; but to Tuwawi, their alpha's actions did little to benefit the rest.

Tuwawi's flinched, but Njal's careful grooming eased her. 'This place is unsafe, it is leaderless, and I do not think I can follow another child,' her responded, referring to Bazi's potential acquisition of the alpha slot. As their beta, she was the natural shoe-in, but like Njal, Tuwawi had her doubts. How shrewd Bazi had been at the hasty banishment of Ferdie and Jace, when Tuwawi had expected her support. The pallid female was a wildcard. She liked her enough as an individual - the two of them got along smashingly well, bonding over the vices and trials of womanhood. Bazi was her most common visitor at the den, and a skilled outrider for the pack. But as their sole leader? Tuwawi did not want it... but neither did she want to usurp the position. Insurgency wasn't her style, especially if it would hurt someone she had grown close to.

The responsibility and power of leadership often changed a wolf. How would Bazi act in the spotlight? If they asked for her aid like Njal suggested? Would they be deemed traitors? It was that uncertainty that burdened Tuwawi's image of Bazi. "Mmm," she hummed as her mate spoke, "I agree."

Waiting for their children to grow strong enough seemed like a gamble. As parents, Njal and Tuwawi were the only wolves alive who could guarantee their children's safety. "I fear if we wait too long, we will miss our opportunity. Or worse," she said, echoing her mate's unspoken fears. "I cannot predict how Bazi would act, but I think she is the only one we can ask. The others... I do not know them well," and what sane pack members would willingly escort their own off the territory? They didn't have many friends amidst the ranks... which was another pro for moving out of the creek. "I want our children to enjoy the world around them. Even if Swiftcurrent starts healing... it will be a long while before things are right again," she thought aloud, casting a pensive glance to her husband, sitting down.

"Perhaps you could talk to Bazi about it? I can scan the North. I'm fast. The children can eat meat now... they should be fine without me for a few days," she suggested, cupping her ears towards Njal, interested in his response. Tuwawi was loathe to leave her babies... but a mother had to do what a mother had to do, and Njal was a better bodyguard than she. But what if it all went sour? What if Bazi rejected their inquiry? Tuwawi could barely predict their future.

No manner of careful attention could ease the tension that Njal felt. He did his best to alleviate that which plagued his wife, but nothing could ease his own nerves at this point. There seemed to be only one way out of this entire situation — but did they dare to leave this all behind? The creek had been their home. They had both done their best to keep it safe and strong. While Tuwawi pondered, Njal did the same.. But his thought varied now, drifting to the memory of Lethe, to her demise and burial. Were they effectively burying a second leader now? He did not wish to give up hope for Fox's return, but he knew that following the girl was out of the question at this point. Following anyone seemed.. Wrong, now. If they wanted their family to survive and flourish, the two new parents would have to take things in to their own hands. "I fear if we wait too long, we will miss our opportunity. Or worse," Njal was silent as his flame spoke, but found himself agreeing.

"I want our children to enjoy the world around them. Even if Swiftcurrent starts healing... it will be a long while before things are right again," Tuwawi commented, and Njal found himself agreeing wholeheartedly. They were thinking the same things, sharing the burden of worry when it came to their children and the pack. Despite the situation, Njal felt a sudden ease within his soul. They would survive; he knew that instrinsicly. Together they could weather any storm. She sat next to him now, and while Njal was quite silent, he knew that words were not necessary — until she mentioned the North. He turned to regard the river as she explained what was one her mind, and then looked to her when he was ready to speak again.

"When I was looking for Fox, I explored in to the north and saw distant mountains. I did not think she had made it that far, so I turned around." But those mountains, as distant as they were, could prove to be the family's sanctuary. "I will talk to Bazi." The man agreed, and once more pressed his nose in to his wife's scruff, tasting her scent and warmth. "If she truly is our friend, she will understand our unease about staying." But even as he spoke those words, Njal felt his stomach begin to twist in a dull knot - there was always the chance of rejection. If they angered Bazi, there would be no going back.

Last post for me :-)

The two reclined, watching the last bits of golden sun flit along the water's edge. Slowly, sulfuric reds and oranges became a cool, downy mixture of cerulian and lavender as the valley cooled after the head of the long day. No stars peeked out from behind their shrouds, but already an impatient moon had risen early in the east even though the sky had yet to darken completely. The summer days were long, and the nights were short; but soon everything would change as the valley was thrust into winter - another reason why, if the two Sveijarn wolves decided to depart, they needed to act with haste.

Tuwawi's shoulder pressed against Njal's as they met common ground with their ideas. He explained the rising peaks which had teased during his rescue mission. "I will travel there. Scope it out," she affirmed, reflecting on just how long it had been since she had traveled outside of Swiftcurrent, let alone outside the familiar valley home to the wetlands and meadows.

'I will talk to Bazi. If she truly is our friend, she will understand our unease about staying,' he said. Tuwawi nodded in agreement, though she was not certain if the white woman would be as rational as he hoped. Njal's wife was then cast into silence as the weight of this decision, and their future actions, rested heavy in her breast, her heart grim.

Tuwawi let the minutes tick by, enjoying the last of the fading sun and her mate's company, before she rose to her feet. "Let's head back to the den. I should eat before I leave..." she said, however say goodbye to the kids was what she meant. Just the thought of parting from them, for even the briefest time, was already proving to be difficult.

Exit Njal!

They would be parting ways once more, but this time it was not Njal that would be travelling. He would stay close to the children — perhaps call for Bazi once his firey wife had departed for her journey. They could talk in the company of the babes, something that had not happened often enough. It seemed as if the birth of the kids had changed a lot, but... At the same time, they had barely altered anything. Njal was still diligent in his duties, and his loyalty to the creek wolves had only recently waned. There would be trials and tribulations ahead and he knew, somehow, both himself and Tuwawi would survive them; however, he worried for the smaller of the Sveijarn.

Tuwawi lifted to her paws and began to stride towards the den, her voice quickly intoning her intentions - "Let's head back to the den. I should eat before I leave..." - and he was swift to accompany her. They walked in silence together, each feeling the pressure of the decision weighing upon them. He reached for her as they walked, eager to soothe her, but Tuwawi outdistanced him by a few steps. Njal did not close the gap as they made way towards the den until she passed inside, and even then he only sat at the mouth to wait, and to guard.