Wolf RPG

It was time for them to gather, so Dante raised his voice in summons, the tone still rough but restored somewhat.  Despite his absence, he felt the need for a role call, gaining an idea of who was still here and who had departed since.  Not only that, but there were things that needed said.

He had met with Lasher, but had decided to give no direction in that matter.  He would not do as the Caldera had done, and as he had done before, and declare them enemies based on his own personal vendetta.  His pack was smart enough to make their own decisions.  Yet he knew if an RHC wolf approached rheir borders now, and he found them, there would be no warning.  Junior had been like a sister to him, and those who harmed his family recieved no mercy.  He felt no need to give advance warning.  If they were smart, they should know what their actions had wrought.

Silently he stood, awaiting his packmates' arrival.

Blue heard the howl and lifted her downy head from where she rested it on her silken paws. Tilting her head, she yawned quietly and gently she steered the three little ones towards Dante. She was anxious for this meeting and a little nervous. Knowing that Lasher had spoke to Dante of Junior. She also was a bit giddy knowing that today they would tell everyone they were mates now. It was a strange feeling, and she felt like a young girl, it made her chuckle quietly under her breath. Making it to Dante she touched h00 side gently with her nose and moved past him to settle to her haunches beside him and she waited silently for the rest of their family to come.

Eilidh followed her mother and father toward Dante's howl. She knew how to follow the sound, but remained behind her mother's haunches the entire way. She had been thinking long and hard about a few things in her life, and she continued to think as they walked. Finally, when they settled down near Dante at the meeting place, Eilidh seated herself next to Blue, and leaned against her. It was hard work being the only princess of the pack! And the fire had scared a bit of life out of her, even if she didn't want to admit it and was working hard to get it back.

the call of the silver king rose, and lasher approached, having anticipated it. upon the borders was the man, but he gave a mere pointed look o'er the fragrant line, eyes lingering upon the shadows there, and came away when he was satisfied. now was the hour that dante would speak upon what he had occurred, and while he was happily giddy to speak of his new mateship to blue willow, it was overshadowed by his sorrow.

he came upon the small pack in the clearing, and gave gentle nudges to the trio of pups, a lick to blue willow, before settling himself.

He had been in somewhat of a fitful sleep when Dante's voice stirred him from the depths of a rather nondescript dream. Mordecai did not come around easily for once, groggily taking in the surroundings that engulfed him with slow realization. What had been a pause to relax and withdraw instead had turned into something of a nap. An unintentional one, he was willing to understand with something of a grimace pressing across his countenance; his legs were stiff from the position he had gone from lounging to dozing in. But he rose steadily all the same, a slow start dissolving into a steady pace as he made his way to where the familiar faces of others met him.

He offered them a wave of his tail, though in truth it was just as halfhearted as the minute expressions he found there. They had come through a tremendous lot in the days past, though in reality the time that had come to spread since then had turned more from burning salve to healing balm. The regime had changed and become routine, and the meeting he had felt coming was now upon them. His gaze roamed over the few wolves who had already come, but ultimately hovered on Dante's sterling figure with muted curiosity as he settled in beside his packmates.

Casmir tagged along, a little resentful that his mother paraded them like babies, but the feeling passed as his eyes settled in awe upon the regal Dante. his parents were leaders, also, and Eilidh liked to pretend she was a princess. Casmir harboured no such illusions. he wasn't a prince. he was a ninja. 

the ninja spirited over to one side of the clearing and pretended to hide behind 'Moldy-eye,' snickering to himself despite the lack of levity among his packmates.

Malachi paused at Dante's call, paw raised and nostrils flared to search the air. An impulsive motion, worried for the tang of blood or smoke. But the air only held the moisture of the morning rain, and the land lay quiet save for the echo of Dante's call. Slowly, Malachi lowered his paw and drew his eyes to the horizon. A dark figure cut across the Plateau from the outskirts - Lasher. Malachi traced the man's steps until he shrank from sight. Then, he turned his own paws from his worn down trail to follow the Beta's path.

The night of the fire. That was the last time he had spoken with Dante. Malachi had let his hope falter when they hadn't found him in the ashes, and disappear altogether when they hadn't found him at all. But Dante had returned. Like Tuwawi, and Njal, he had returned. And every time he thought of seeking the greyscale out, Malachi was met with the barren North, with sunken eyes and empty shells, with bloodied snow and the bristling of ember, and he turned away instead.

But his avoidance couldn't last forever. When Malachi came upon the gathering wolves, he settled his gaze straight on Dante's face. He searched for madness, but the greyscale sat poised at their head. A quiet hope lit his chest - one Malachi hesitated to take. The young man hovered before he dipped his head in reverence and drew near. One of the children skirted round Mordecai, and Malachi watched his gaiety with an ache. Drawing his eyes away, he offered Mordecai a soft smile, then set his eyes on Dante again.

Soon all were here save two, one of whom he had not seen since before the blaze. Determining that he would seek each out after, he appraised each silently before he began. The mood was solemn, not the greatest of meeting atmospheres but one that suited his own mood regardless. Casmir was the only one unaffected, but his mirth went unnoticed.

"I've called you all here to regroup, something I felt was necessary after what has happened." He began, the words falling easily as he looked at each in turn. "We've suffered a loss, but the heart of the plateau remains firm. I do not fear for our future."

"Some of you may have heard from Lasher that Peregrine and Fox are our enemies now. Like any outsider, yes, they should be kept from our lands. Certainly they are not our friends. But I will not order you further than that. The wolf they stole from us was not known to most of you, but for my part, I will not hesitate. Nor will I hold back should Saena come seeking aid if the Caldera looks to harm her new home. If you will follow me, then this is good. But if not, I will not hold it against you. After all, they are not our own struggles." He felt he needed to make this known. He had accepted Junior and Saena into his own idea of family, as had Blue and Lasher. But for the others, their family likely consisted of those in attendance here (he hoped, at least, for this). This was enough for him, and he wouldn't assign judgement on them for wishing to preserve their peace here.

"Also on the note of outsiders... please be wary. Both in encountering them here and in traveling. The south is likely best avoided. I believe the Caldera could see any interference by one of ours there as an attempt, by me, to start something. This isn't something I wish to do. Many other areas down there are equally unfriendly." He looked at Mordecai, sure the male remembered his own encounter. If they could refrain from traveling that far, he hoped they would. There was nothing down there they needed and the risk wasn't something they could afford.

"If any come here seeking me, call and I will come." It was his final point, though he doubted it would be necessary for those who it was intended about. They likely would find him personally rather than go through his pack, but he didn't wish for them to be spurned if they did. They would not deal with such denial well and he had no reason to hide from them. "If there are no questions, that is all I wished to say, at least of a serious nature." He paused to allow any queries to be put forth. If there were none, he would give one final announcement. One that he saved for last because it's intent was to bring excitement rather than worry. Better to end on a high note than the current one.

And it would have seemed that the meeting he had sensed coming on a proverbial horizon was more of a storm. A quiet and yet distant storm, one that with each and every strike of light from above merely cast light on buried questions he had. Though the illumination Dante provided was not great, he was able to piece together the reasoning behind Lasher's adamant decision to keep the Caldera at bay. Though his curiosity gave way to temptation to prompt for the true catalyst in affairs, Mordecai found his tongue stayed still. It was overwhelmed by a desire to stay out of it, as he had stayed out of much of the affairs that went on.

It left him with a moment of dismay, but even that was funneled elsewhere. Perhaps confusion intermingled there as well, but it soon followed suit. He had no qualms about staying away from the south, as he had not returned to his ventures there in weeks. Just as he would avoid the Spine — the events there unheard by him — and the Woods, the Caldera was surely added to his list. It simply was not worth the trouble and as Dante's gaze passed onto him, he nodded in agreement. Concern over where he would go would not be an issue.

Shame flooded her as the ivory she-wolf pulled up to the back of the group, her muzzle low and her eyes upon the cheeks of the Alpha. She had been slower than expected to arrive, and coming upon the grey man mid-word, she settled her rump to the ground. Ears pinned back, Siren hoped none would even truly notice her – a ghost among them.. only but a stranger.
 
She was uncertain of what Dante spoke of. The relationship between a pack that was unknown to her was briefly discussed, but the general gist of what she did take from the meeting was to avoid going southward of the valley – advice she could easily take, given she did not desire to stray too far from the Plateau just yet. She was still settling in, and did not desire to make tension with any of her comrades or neighbors.
 
Only seconds passed since she had come in, and then, just as quickly, Dante was seemingly ready to dismiss them. Embarrassment in the form of a blush would rise to her cheeks – she had arrived late, and, of course, missed everything. It was a wonderful first impression upon her pack mates, she was certain.

Harlyn was late to the show, but she stepped just as quietly and confidently up to the gathering as she otherwise would have.  Settling down beside Mordecai, she perked her ears to grasp hold of whatever it was Dante had been saying as she approached - something about Fox and Peregrine and a wolf that they had 'stolen'.  She glanced briefly at Mordecai, wondering if he understood the alpha's words, but gleaned very little from his face.  Hadn't they just seen Peregrine to extend to him a message of peace?  Who was Saena?  Dante would lead the pack to war for this wolf?  Her heart sank under the weight of trepidation and incredulity, but she remained just as stoic as ever as he continued. 

The alpha had little else to share with those gathered and though Harlyn was eager to remove herself from the group to collect her thoughts, she stayed at Mordecai's side, as usual looking to him for cues as to how to behave amongst the wolves of this pack.  Her pack, but only true as a technicality that was growing more and more detached by the day.

there was a quiet thunder in dante's voice as he spoke, but lasher agreed with the words said. there was no reason to involve the wolves of the plateau in a war with which they had little to do. he dipped his head in acceptance of the silver wolf's edict, but remained silent, though he noticed the consternation of a pallid wolfess toward the back of the gathering.

Malachi listened with ears intent, though Dante spoke of many things he didn't understand. With every new day, he felt less prepared to deal with the politics of these packs, and this was no exception. But the mess of this life was his life now, and the pack's concerns were his own.

His chest gave a sickening twist, and his gaze jumped to the children. Two at the front - he felt a rush of heat and his eyes searched for the last before he remembered the one breathing his presence behind Mordecai. But if the children hadn't been stolen, then who? Dante continued, and no one seemed curious to ask - or maybe they simply considered the answer a finality that could not be changed. Malachi felt a rise in his hackles, but he stilled his own probing tongue and willed his fur to lie flat again.

The man had seen the South not long ago, but he'd given little thought to the consequence of disobeying Dante's initial orders to stay out of that zone. Greater restrictions met him now, many of which he did not understand. In one punch, Dante identified the entire South as their enemies, and Malachi felt his gaze darken. A rival pack had been too much to stomach, but a whole region? If the Caldera was anything like the Sound, then for the sake of the children, he would stay away, lest he bring war upon their heads as he had at the Glacier. But if Dante rallied them to fight? Malachi could only think of the red woman and her child, of the wariness and life in them both. It had been easy to demonize the Sound with Caiaphas at their head, but when it came to the South and the recollection of his only memory there, Malachi just didn't know.

There were no arguments, not that he had expected much.  By giving them autonomy he allowed them to choose whether or not to involve themselves with the struggles of another pack, and if they had their doubts, they could act upon them accordingly.  He did not think that Saena's pack would be troubled by war, for surely Peregrine and Fox would be content to let them exist in their own northern lands, but should they bring trouble Dante did not feel in good conscience he could let her face the threat alone.  And furthermore, who was to say, if they sought to eliminate one part of their history, they would not turn to another soon after?

Impossibilities, he hoped.  Paranoia and worries that were far from the realm of truth.  But the only way to be sure was to wait.  His eyes traveled to the latecomers, relieved to see Harlyn looking well, his suspicions based on Mordecai's outlook confirmed.  He did not mind their arrival, simply glad they had heeded the summons and untroubled that it had taken them longer to arrive.  Likely they had just had farther to come.  He sensed none of the emotions that lay beneath, though Siren's demeanor did slightly less exuberant even than the first time they had met.

"Ok.  Lastly, I wish to organize a large hunt soon.  It is time some learned the ways, and all who want to participate are welcome."  He managed a smile at this, and turned his focus to the three youngest in attendance.  They were ready to run with them, but the larger the group, the safer the lesson would be.  "I have been tracking some movements, and as soon as it is opportune, we will gather."  He'd thought perhaps immediately following this, but another day or two might suffice and provide better timing.  The deer seemed restless for some reason and he knew they would have problems getting near such agitated prey.

That was the last he wished to say, and he turned finally to Lasher and Blue to ensure there was nothing they wished to add.

Harlyn's arrival at his side detracted his attention from the meeting for a moment, and he offered her a nudge. Though he had little idea as to where she had been, he was glad that she had turned up after all. It made things easier than seeking out where she would have holed up, perhaps rolling through another hateful migraine, and trying to explain everything that could have gone on.

And then Dante's voice gathered his attention again, ears perking briefly at the sound. He liked the idea of a hunt no doubt, some sort of routine to throw them back into the idyllic life they had been wrapping themselves in. While there had been a few herds out roaming, Mordecai would have been likely to admit he had not kept an eye on them closely. There had been far too much going on, and here his silence continued to hold as his gaze followed Dante's to the beta pair.

Dante apparently wasn't done with them yet.  He wanted to hunt together, everyone as a pack.  Just after telling them that he was prepared to go his own way to defend some other pack and leave theirs unprotected - at a time when they apparently had enemies to defend against.  Harlyn bit her lip as her mind continued to reel.  Again, she glanced at Mordecai in hopes of spying some clue as to how he felt about all of this.  And again, he disappointed by giving nothing away.

The druid sucked in a deep breath and willed her mind to quiet so that she could make it through the rest of the gathering.  She was so close to freedom, then she could allow her thoughts to go wherever they would.  For now though, the Cinderloch simply held tight to her composure and waited to hear if the beta pair had anything else to add before they left.

Malachi couldn't stomach the thought of hunting with his thoughts so thick, but it seemed Dante had considered this might be true of all. Though the news had not been that of imminent danger, Malachi knew from his time at the Glacier he couldn't take this current peace for granted. As far as he knew, he'd entered the pack at a lull in the storm. Last time, the storm had swept him clean off his paws. But that wouldn't happen again. He wouldn't let it. This time, he would be ready.

Even before Dante drew the meeting to a close, Malachi rummaged through his mental map of the Plateau to determine a sound spot to think. He would go there, once their Alpha dismissed them to their routine. Somewhere quiet and secluded - he needed time to himself. When their Alpha's attention turned to Lasher and Blue Willow, Malachi's gaze naturally drifted their way, though his ears were half-attent, and his mind was filled with where he would go from here.

She felt his eyes upon her, and it seems to burn her – guilt flushed upon her cheeks, and her periwinkle eyes could scarcely stay upon his cheeks as shame flooded her. Late to her first meeting! How foolish could she be?
 
Dante did not single her out, however, and she barely noticed the other she-wolf slip in to the meeting. Siren stayed in admonished silence, her ears perked forward as she took in the rest of what her leader had to say. He would hold a pack hunt – something she would find enticing had she not felt like a complete stranger among the group of wolves before her.
 
Attempting to hold back her nervousness, lest they find her even more foolish, the ivory female instead gave a small nod, knowing that no matter what, she would force herself to be there. She would overcome this sense of dread at breaking down the barrier of being the ‘new girl.’

Dante spoke about important things and Casmir was over there giggling and hiding in the bushes! Eilidh wanted to smack him silly, teach him a little lesson, but she remained seated between her parents. While she didn't understand everything he said, a few things were clear: stay away from outsiders and they would hunt soon. Eilidh was getting the hang of it herself, but she had never hunted anything bigger than a squirrel! She was excited to learn how to hunt big game with her pack's guidance.

Blue said nothing, just stood quietly listening. A hunt that would be fun, and the children would learn some new skills. How wonderful. She enjoyed a good hunt herself. She smiled to herself softly, wasn't it funny. She had first came to the plateau with very little hunting skills and preferring not to do so. But time had changed the black she wolf and she enjoyed htem now. Especially as part of the pack, it was such a bonding moment.

Dante waited, his tail waving slightly with approval, as Lasher announced his and Blue Willow's new status. He had wondered, with the male's free spirit, if they would ever term themselves official mates, but that they did gave him a deep sense of contentment. Something here was going right. Not everything was falling apart.

As he stood and waited for all to go their own ways, he marked those who he wished to speak with mentally. He would approach them soon, find how they were settling, how they were feeling, and what was going on. It was so easy to lose touch in a place large as this, and they were few. Cohesion was extremely important.

lasher took the previous moment to announce the mateship betwixt himself and blue willow. it perhaps would not be a surprise for any creature in attendance, but he wished to formalize their bond. offering a gentle lick to blue willow's cheek, he stood to his paws and motioned for the children to join them in their departure, bowing his head to dante before he moved off in the direction of the rendezvous site.

At least one of the beta pair had something to say, and once it was uttered, Harlyn found herself shocked. Lasher and Blue Willow had not been mates before? They had children together but only now had decided to truly committ to one another? Her gaze flashed across the faces of the young that had gathered. Their parents were not truly together for their entire lives thus far. What sort of parent would do that to their children?

It was the last straw for Harlyn. The pack had been excused and after a brief touch to Mordecai's cheek as her farewell, she turned and departed their company - the land altogether to be fair. Too consumed by turmoil over their irresponsible, naive alpha and his selfish, immature pack mates. She couldn't take it anymore. This was not her home and it had just become very clear to her that these were not her family.

Eilidh hadn't known her parents weren't official mates until now. Their love and respect for each other and the way they raised their children together made it seem something that just was. She didn't expect others to understand or even care, but she had two parents who loved her dearly. What was it to them that they had not been official until now? Eilidh saw the look in Harlyn's eye and wanted to growl at her, but moved off toward home at her father's touch. She had no right to feel betrayed. Eilidh turned her back on the other and went toward the rendezvous site, wondering what Harlyn's problem was.

Lasher's announcement surprised Malachi, if only because he had never considered the Betas to be anything but mates. Offspring sealed any pair's union, as far as tradition taught. No announcement was necessary but the bearing of pups: Lasher and Blue Willow had been bound to each other at the moment of their brood's conception, but it appeared the Betas only recognized this now. He couldn't deny the sure sign of affection passed between the lovers as they rose to depart. It was how he'd seen them approach one another since he'd arrived on the Plateau, yet he felt a stir of unease knowing they'd never considered themselves more than lovers until now.

But this practice marked just another difference between them, and Malachi withdrew from the others as they departed, feeling isolated and distant despite his proximity to the rest of the pack. He did not deny each of his packmates a small nod of farewell before he struck a path for a quiet spot away from the opinion of others. Ever since arriving in the Wilds nearly a year ago, he'd let himself be swayed by this voice and that, a wave tossed on the open sea. This time, he intended to make his decision by the tradition he'd been raised by, and let no one interfere with what he knew was right.