Wolf RPG

They were being a touch selfish with their children. Or perhaps they were just inexperienced parents and therefore not quite sure of the timing of things. Either way, they knew now their den was too crowded for all of them. There was much need to leave this birthing den in the past with their infant weeks and to move on to something they could grow with as quickly as they were growing up. He and Tonravik had scouted. They'd found a prime location that would serve wonders for them in the upcoming winter months. For all of them. There was plenty room there for their family and their extended pack family. They could finally, truly exist as one familiar unit.

They corralled the kids. Tonravik in her way and he in his own. Together they managed to wrangle up the boys and herd them in the direction of a their new home. It was... a permanent field trip, so to speak, but a necessary one. They traveled the distance between the whelping den and their new location in the heart of the Spire. It wasn't so far off from their previous location, but the earth here was different and deceiving to the eye. Gone was the soft earthy dirts of their former home. Instead there was a considerable amount more of fallen rock and chiseled stones that provided more nooks and crannies to make a home in than met the eye.

Iqniq led them to the top of the rocks. They were warm underfoot thanks to the steamy river that ran underneath this space, but not unbearable. Comfortable. He yipped to summon them all forward so he and his mate might explain what was happening here. He felt they needed words for this, but knowing Tonravik, she likely had something different in mind. Either way, they were both on the same page as to what would be happening. Now it was just a matter of making it happen.

Tonravik kept to the rear of the group, nipping at heels when one lagged and keeping a general watch to keep them on task. They were easily distracted, young as they were. She inspected her four growing sons who traveled well, sniffing around with them from time to time, until pressing them to move on. Her mate was more patient than she, though they got the job done in good time working together as they did.

Upon arrival, she moved beside her mate and turned to face the lot of them. A cool autumn breeze ruffled her furs, and she nosed her mate, looking to the gang of boys before them they had produced. They truly had grown, and as they proved, were still growing. This place was spacious; it offered views of the open-sky, but also had plenty of cover. Tonravik waited 'til they settled themselves before doing anything else.

Adventure! The eldest pup was quite the handful to keep track of, keeping Tonravik busy as he had to be everywhere. "Where goin'?" He would ask, only to get a bland answer in reply from Mother. Obviously, she was not going tell him, no matter how times he asked. He was certainly a headstrong thing but after a while (and maybe a narrow escape from a stern nip from Mom), Atauaserk ran ahead to walk with his father.

When Atatak pulled to a stop and called for the others, the fast growing boy surged ahead and set to explore this place, eyes up and nose in the air as he wandered around the new den. What was here? What were they supposed to find? Anything? "Why rock warm?" He quipped, two toned eyes finding dear old dad and mom as he indicated the ground.

Slowly, Sitamat was becoming less and less resistant to change. Weeks before, he would have had to been dragged kicking and screaming from the whelping den to this new place. Now, however, the youngest happily followed along with the rest of his family, curious as to where they were going. It was strange that they were all going together, and that whenever one of the pups were distracted they were redirected on course. Sitamat was puzzled, but he followed his parents nevertheless.

He wasn't as excitable and energetic as his eldest brother, but nor did he placidly remain by his mother and father's side. The boy trailed slightly behind, stopping every so often at a twisted tree root or upturned rock, inspecting it curiously before being urged onwards again.

When they seemingly reached their destination, Sitamat cast a glance around the open sky, glancing once at Iqniq in confusion. Atuaserk voiced one of the many questions swirling in his mind. Why were the rocks so warm? What were they doing here? The alpha pair settled, and Sitamat took this as a cue to not go any further. He reclined obediently — falling onto one of the flatter rocks with a soft thump — and sniffed around his forepaws at the grass that poked through the ground. A beetle crawled leisurely up a single blade before the cub quickly caught it between his teeth, entertaining himself while the rest of his brothers settled.

He was not at all concerned. He was excited. The world was not big enough for the fox, who could not wait to leave the den and had been gradually testing the limits to how far he could wander from it without invoking his mother's wrath. Despite this, he did not stray far from the group like his siblings, for he did not want to miss out or be left behind. Besides, their parents were quick to keep the pups corralled and moving.

Like his brother's, he had a hundred questions dancing on his tongue as they arrived at their destination, but the warmth of the stones held his attention and kept him from speaking. He sniffed, licked, and pawed at them, having never experienced anything but an icy touch from rocks. It did not alarm him. Rather, it invited him, for he was a creature that loved a warm touch. He sank to his belly, spread eagle upon the stone. He glanced around, finally settling his blue eyes on his parents with question.

Going away was something that Malrok very much enjoyed. It meant adventure, exploring, excitement! He stuck mainly to his father (for whatever reason) and followed closely at the red wolf's heels. While his brothers meandered, Malrok remained in line, needing few reminders from Tonravik that he was supposed to stay with the group. He plodded along quietly, happy to take in the sights while looking forward to where they were going.

What were once blue eyes were now a vibrant orange, almost matching the color of Pingasut's coat. These red-orange eyes scanned the horizon, seeking out whatever destination they were heading toward.

The pups all toddled along and eventually made it to the location he'd scouted out with Tonravik some time earlier. He led the way and Tonravik picked up the rear, nipping and herd any of the stragglers so they would not wander off on this particular family outing. This one was important. This one was a bit of a milestone where the kids said goodbye to the confines of their little den and would be met with their first taste of independence.

Standing on the stone, Iqniq turned his gaze to met Tonravik as she guided the last of them up onto the rocks. Ata was filled with questions. Sitamat carried the same questions in his eyes, but did not voice them. Ping seemed to like the cozy rocks. Malrok was curious, but quiet. "I suppose we'll just have to find out, won't we?" he replied to the question about the rocks being warm. That curiosity would lend well to discovery via outriding when the kids were older, but for now they could be content to explore the range of their home. There were still many secrets they had yet to see.

"This is going to be our new sleeping spot," he announced instead, explaining briefly what would be happening here. "Only this sleeping spot is not just for us, but for everyone else too. So we can all be a pack, be a family, to each other." He glanced towards Tonravik. Too many words, yes, he knew, but hopefully this answer helped still the many questions running through the boy's heads. "Let's invite them, shall we?" Without leaving more space for inquiry, Iqniq lifted his head and called for the rest of the pack.

The spider had kept a sullen solitude against the borders of the vast territory. Not much could satiate the odd feeling that attempted to lure the Eta from the Spire. It was as wide paws attempted to cross the threshold of the borders that the very faint echo of a call rose up from the interior of their fortress. Fiery eyes narrowed against the horizon, proffering a very large sigh, before turning on heel and rambling to those that summoned. 

The scene appeared as ground-eating lope quelled to a lanky trot. The leader pair stood with their get. Head lowered in respect, ears slicking back and tail ever neutral at hocks. Little was given as a greeting, unsure what sort of call this was having entered the meeting first, it seemed. Instead, focus raptly traveled from one youth to the next, studying each with a blazing intensity. Only when every little subject had been imprinted to memory did focus dawdle to Tonravik and Iqniq.

His ears turned to his father first, and then his head. He was attentive, despite the plethora of new sights and smells that demanded investigation. The coziness of the warm rocks aided that, as he was quite content to sit where he was, at least for a little while. His father's announcement that here among these comfortable stones would be their new sleeping spot came as a welcome surprise. "This is best day ever!" He blurted out, as his white-tipped tail danced back and forth. The second announcement that their new sleeping spot would be shared with their packmates tickled the fox even more, and he was quick to incline his head and add his own soft, almost feminine howl to the Spire king's.

A pack member he did not recognize was the first to arrive, and Pingasut's eyes, which remained blue and showed no signs of changing, swept to him and became fixed there. His ears were pushed forward with interest, and his mouth was quirked into a smile.

Close behind Aasivak was the Beta herself, her large paws carrying her easily into the heart of the territory. Her alphas' voices (and those of whatever children had joined them) had beckoned her and so, she was here. Upon arrival, she noted his presence and that of the pups' before her eyes went to Iqniq and Tonravik. A pack meeting? With the kids? She fought the urge to snort and frown, hoping that was not the case. In truth, she didn't know what the call had been for, though she supposed they'd find out soon enough.

In the mean time, the pups galloped around in a manner that she was not particularly keen on, their high pitched voices making an ear twitch. With all her distaste towards children, Nanuk would never harm them or let harm come to them by other means. Her leader's children were very much her responsibility, even if she preferred not to be around them.

He frowned. He wanted to know now, though his father was moving on to another topic. His petulant argument would get him nowhere so instead of voicing his disruption, Ata made sure he would remember to ask Atatak about it later. His eyes, in the middle of their shift to a color that matched his father's eyes, examined the ground for a moment before his frown disappeared, ears perking to listen. New place to sleep? He looked around again, taking in the large and expansive area.

Yes. Yes, he liked that idea. His mouth opened to state this but Ping beat him to it. "Hey!" He yapped, moving to pounce on his smaller brother. "I was say that!!" Teeth would have reached for his brother's ear too, had his father not started howling. Immediately, the call resonated in his chest, his own voice joining in instinctively.

Right. With that out of the way, he went back to trying to get the fox lookalike to wrestle with him. Minutes later, he was interrupted yet again by the appearance of other wolves. One, he vaguely remembered but the other was totally unknown. Pulling away from Three. the eldest brother approached the gangly male with puffed up fur and stiff legs, demanding with a little growl: "Who you?"

Malrok observed. He listened. And when the time was right, his voice joined that of his parents'. It was instinct to howl along with them, his small voice drowned out by the larger, deeper, stronger ones. It was small, but it was there. They were inviting the rest of the pack, the rest of the family. Malrok still wasn't quite certain what that meant, but like all things, he would ask if it didn't make sense sooner or later.

When the first other wolf arrived on the scene, Malrok walked toward her with confidence in his step and curiosity in his red-orange eyes. Unlike the demanding and somewhat aggressive Atuaserk, Malrok simply canted his head and awaited her response, whatever it was to be.

Tonravik watched the cubs respond positively to the news, seeing none have more queries once their father explained what he would. She had no useful contributions except for her own howl that joined in with the voices of her family. The eldest son was quick to combat the third-born, which came of no surprise to her. The others were more or less behaved... Two subordinates came quickly, and she did not doubt that others might still soon come. Her eyes expectantly looked to the horizon, though when her cubs approached their newest recruit, Tonravik focused upon them.

Their curiosity was interesting. No doubt they would come to know this male more in the coming days, particularly if he desired to sleep among them. Their growth and development would be structured by the pack as a whole now, and her sons personalities would truly turn into what they would. But for now, they were who they were. They were no longer completely useless as they had been in her time alone with them, when they were blind, deaf, and dumb, and so she enjoyed them.

Her brother had yet to return, but she knew how long the journey here had been in the first place. Iluq worried not, knowing that in due time her brother would arrive to them again. In the meantime, Iluq did what she could to acclimate to the place... she wanted to learn its routes and paths less traveled. A howl distracted her from that idea, and she moved from the outer reaches of the Spire into its inner-sanctum. Her own howl sounded off to alert them of her approach... and also to remind the outside wolves that there was a pack, here, with a good, strong number. 

Upon immediate arrival did the pale northerner note the warming rocks beneath her foot. Instinctively she recoiled backward and sniffed at the earth, associating the change with danger. She had never before experienced such a phenomena, and she stared alertly at the earth as though it might explode or drop beneath her. Neither of these things happened, so she placed a paw gently upon the earth, testing it with a wrinkled muzzle. It smelled fine, not dangerous. Like water and rock, if anything, but still unlike all she knew. 

But they would not be summoned here if it meant death. Of course she did not know her leaders all that well, and she did not trust blindly... ah. Another's approach was all that it took to encourage her from her place. She had met all here but the black bear, the cubs, and the dark male with long legs. It was the former who held her attention for the longest time... if only because already, the icy-eyed wolf knew precisely who the other was to her. 

Big sister. 

The muddy-eyed wolf held a command similar to their own mothers. There was no questioning it. The yearling looked to what that sister had built for herself here, and her eyes lingered enviously upon the red male. Iluq knew that when she earned the name, one day she would seek to create her own family as Tonravik had... her eyes looked to the sons of her sister, her nephews. 

Iluq had heard little of her sister other than she existed, and her name. That they had different fathers she did not know; even if she did, it would not make a difference. Blood meant nothing. It did not further strengthen the bond that existed within the already impossibly strong bond there was. She supposed, in a way, she did blindly trust. Those of Tartok had earned it. 

The Anneriwok minded her place, though tested the rank of the new dark male whom the cubs confronted. She passively confronted him in the subtle lift of her head, silvery eyes holding fast to his cheek before she decided to approach him, and sniff at him with ample interest. The whole situation intrigued her, and she sought to kill two birds with one stone.

The howl roused her from whatever little game she was investing herself in. Which for Echelon could have been any number of things. But today she had set to tormenting some poor creature that had gone in a burrow with no exit. While not some expert hunter, she had set to digging and digging into that hole that for the most part, did not want to relent in give her an inch. Roots of tall conifers prevented her from getting too far, so that conjoined howl may as well have been a reason for her to stop her furious slaughter to nowhere.

She abandoned the site altogether to lope easy along the incline, making decent time towards the locale they had all been summoned to. It seemed like some sort of standard rally to her, so Echelon did not come with the haste that a threat would have generated. If anything, the threats that had been apart of their foundation thus far had gone quiet. For any other would it would have been relieving, but she relied on the spice of life to keep her interest in it. Above all else, she was a defender to their cause.

Echelon found the group easily within the next few minutes, weaving her way along a rocky path. She too, arrived to the rear of the group with an uneven lash of her tail. There were a scattered couple of faces that did not spark complete recognition within her, but she saw past them to the litter that played between them and their leaders. The puppies had grown quite a bit since she had last seen them, though her eyes hovered over Atuaserk before shifting curiously to Tonravik and Iqniq.

Renewed, rebuilt. That's how the Pale northerner felt now after weeks of hard work in the Spire. He'd come back with little attached to his bones, but his determination had earned him back almost all of what he was before the storm.

It felt like home, the spire. Every corner of it appeared to be custom-made for a group of mountaineers like the wolves of Tartok were, and the magic that kept to it's core was ever so intriguing.

The caretaker had kept his close distance with the Alphas and their children ever since he'd been granted permission to interact with them. It was the place he had to fill in the pack. So when they called, not too far away from the birthing den, Aariak was quick to catch up with them, expecting no less than to find the boys in their first, and most probably permanent field-trip. It was about time.

Aariak had once or twice come across the warm rocks. Part of the magic and mistery of Sawtooth Spire. But he'd never actually come to get a close inspection of them. It was strange, feeling such warmth beneath your feet, so he too was cautious on his approach, sniffing thoroughly and testing several times before finally taking the first rela step on top of one of them.

When he felt safe, his fiery eyes turned to his superiors, and inspected the rest of the attendants. Two were particularly interesting. The first a male, tall and thin, but mostly creepy. And the other, and what was even more captivating to the young male, a female of pale coat and icy eyes. An introduction was definitely in order.

But before.

"Your dreams are coming true..." he mentioned with a grin, coming closer to his Alpha and friend, Iqniq, the wolf on fire. The father had mentioned before that he wished to show his kids the world, and strolling through a local wonder was great start.

Their voices lifted as a family and fell, fading into the wind. A couple voices replied, informing them of their approach. The pack was coming. He was thankful for it. One by one they emerged from the shadows of nearby trees. Some were cautious as he expected them to be over this place. The earth here was unlike any he'd encountered before. Warm stones? If this place had not existed, he'd not have thought it to be a possibility. Still he waited and idled himself with watching his children interact with new faces.

Aariak's voice caught his ear. Iqniq grinned. His head bobbed in a nod as a warm sound escaped him. "Mm. For now." They were fortunate in this moment, but he was not foolish enough to think things would stay this way forever. He'd enjoy this reprieve while it lasted, but he'd not grow lazy or forgetful of his continued personal training lest the day come when his vision for their future was challenged.

He waited until he felt all who wished to come had arrived. Their number was strong. This pleased him. His gaze slipped to meet with Tonravik's. A shared look and then he parted his lips to speak. "Thank you for joining us on such short notice. As you can see, the pups have outgrown their den. Tonravik and I have decided to relocate here and will be making this area our more permanent place." He glanced at her and paused, waiting to see if she had anymore to add before continuing.

"We'd like to invite each of you to join us here, if you so choose." No wolf was under any obligation to do so. He would not question their preference for or against such a thing, but most of their wolves had no official residency. There were pups, yes, but the rest of them had not been forgotten. They were all family here even if it were not through bond of blood.

Tonravik watched as others arrived. Her gaze fell to them as they came, a certain degree of fondness held for each in the level that she knew them. She was resolute, otherwise. Her eyes fell toward the most unfamiliar face to her—Iluq—and lingered there. Her mate had told her how twins had joined them, and one went to return to inform the other branch of their survival. This was a good idea to her. There was something familiar to the alpha female in the other... but nothing she could put her paw on, and so, her gaze drifted toward Aariak as he approached her mate. The alpha female herself took a moment to interact with her pack mates entirely, separating from her cubs side and investigating the spider briefly with sniffs and a stiff posture. Iluq, too, she did this too, before moving on to familiar faces.

She moved firstly to her aokkatti, moving to nip her roughly. It was good to see her. Now that her cubs could not be literally eaten by Echelon, she wondered if she would see her more with them. If her Beta could handle it, surely her battle-buddy could. Echelon would teach her cubs plenty about the world, and about instigating it into motion. Then Tonravik moved toward the pale Aariak, her tail loosely waving. Her appreciation for him had grown tenfold. He was a good caretaker, and she entrusted their cubs in his care plenty of times. She acknowledged him fully now, moving to push roughly against him as she moved past him, tail waving and ears erect. There was no Kapvik to be found, nor the other newer male, Savik. Perhaps they were together and would arrive late. But there was Nanuk, and she moved to nip at the woman's face. Tonravik could sense the others curiosity... and so resumed her station beside her mate, satisfied with her intrusion of others personal space. 

This was her family. Even the Anneriwok were her family; they had chosen to join them, and released their past life to enter this one, to become. It pleased her greatly. There was only one face she missed in the crowd, and it was a wolf she had seen in passing but knew ran with them. Perhaps he would arrive later. When she returned to her mates side, this was what she thought of as she stored their individual scents to memory. And she was proud. Her prediction had been correct: they would survive. And they were stronger for it, better for it. The storms destruction of the Spine had been more fortuitous to she and hers than she could have ever imagined.

As her mate quieted, she broke her silence. "We are all family, and our family grows. They in size," she gestured to the packs sons, "Us in number. This place is good." she nodded, and as she looked 'round at their faces, Tonravik decided she would not mind to see any one of them come first light, or to rise with them when the night sky came. They were pack. And so, she fell back to her silence, watching to see what it was they would do.

First to garner attention was that of a little brazen beast of needle milk teeth and sharp eyes. A pleased stare crept along features, looking down sharply-cut nose at the little lion puffing up chest. Silence met the demand for a short while, gaze sifting over every little feature that was fresh, new, and devoid of life's hardships. Once, so long ago, the spider had been just as daring and bold. Muzzle poised down towards the pup, speaking a murmured replied. "Your worst nightmare."

An assortment of wolves arrived to their leader's call, fiery eyes raking over each one before settling on just one. A paler female with a scarred eye that bore the color of ice and snow. Her features were square and rippled in strength that suited the bear-women the Sawtooth collected. There was little doubt her design was structured on force. The emotion she wished to convey was met with a darkening of eyes, inky features submerging into a dangerous glare. Any warmth the little Spire progeny had created was eroded with a stony stare. Instinctively the spider shifted into his bear-like beta before the brief threat was tucked away into memory for later. Tonravik's approach and the fire alpha's words took precedence. 

While the announcement resounded into the silence, there was no worry of the Eta selecting prime real estate. The notion of living near, around, or in the vicinity of others was not an option. The inky wolf appreciated silence, introverted nights alone, and the company of the stars. Ears swiveled faintly, having nothing to add and, thus, remaining silent within the presence of the rest.

Tonravik moved towards her and nipped; Echelon welcomed it with a wave of her tail. The swishes were brief as her aokkatti moved onward, leaving her to take watch of the cubs that ventured out. They were bolder this time than the last to some degree, though the instigator was out in full force, having already beelined for Aasivak. She paid little to the exchange there as Iqniq spoke of why they had gathered there.

And what he said left her with mixed emotions. She, like the aforementioned spider, was often keen on sleeping alone and out in the open. Only the worst of winter nights had forced her to hole up or freeze. But at least it was an open ended offer — she would keep to the openness of the mountain range until she decided otherwise as well. Had the cubs not been apart of that, she may have considered otherwise as she was not one to necessarily pass up being close to her aokkatti. But Echelon remained undecided about them and their potential. Her youth, she did not remember or care to and perhaps in some sort of convoluted way she wished for them to remember theirs.

Curiously as Tonravik's words faded out, she watched the others and gauged for their reaction.

The Spider's presence next to her was acknowledged with the flick of an ear and a sideways glance. His companionship was a curious one for her, but welcome all the same. The child went ignored for the moment as she greeted Tonravik in kind, her tail waving behind her a time or two. The Alpha female moved on to the others and with a nudge to Aasivak's shoulder, she slipped away from him to greet her red furred brother-in-arms. A friendly rumble came from her, shoulder meeting his in normal fashion. Teeth nipped at his fur, clipping near to him before Tonravik returned to her station.

She stepped back now, ears perked now to listen to what was being said. The invitation to stay in the den with the Alphas' family was made and once upon a time, she might have outright declined. Her ability to live in solitude was forged by strength and force of will, but she also knew the requirements of her rank and status within the pack. She would need to find a happy medium between sleeping in her own den and here. A simple nod signaled her acceptance of this, remaining silent otherwise.

His brother chose a new target after pouncing on the fox and joining in on the howl. He watched curiously as One demanded an introduction from the sooty male they had never seen before. Meanwhile, Malrok approached a white female; another new face. He chose to remain where he was, observing these interactions and swivelling his ears around to catch what was being said. He could not imagine any of the pack turning down a chance to roost among the warm rocks, but apparently that was an option.

Iqniq explained that this place, as he'd agreed with his mate, would serve the pack as a communal den-site if the member wanted it so. They agreed that the pups were ready to move to a bigger place, and the caretaker shared that thought. The place, oddly warm seemed like a good place to den. It would be favorable in the cold days of winter, and it was conviniently placed in the core of the territory marked as Tartok.

This place was, indeed, good.

Aariak nodded agreeing withthe leadership trio on taking this place as his denning site. There was actually not a single reason not to want a den in this place, but surprisingly some of the other members were hesitant to join the movement.

Aariak looked around, wondering whether any of them would turn down the option.

He held the wolf's eyes, his attitude brazen and bold. He was certainly the fearless one of the four young prodigies but that did not mean he was foolish, either. The line of his mouth pulled into a thoughtful frown as he eyed the man, his response touching some deep, primal thing inside him. Growling again, Atuaserk had half a mind to attack his legs but the approach from his mother stayed him from such course. Instead, the brown child backed up, paws carrying him backwards a bit until he stood off to the side of Ananak, farther from Ping now.

Glancing at the others that arrived, Atuaserk gave them little attention, instead watching the one that had called himself a Nightmare. In time, understanding would come, but his young mind only comprehended so much. Nightmares were bad things and while other children would grow fearful of bad things, the eldest child simply found challenge. Whether or not that was a displaced feeling, only time would tell. For now, he stayed silent as his shattered eye color strayed from target and instead looked to Mother and Father as they made their announcement. A tiny snort came from him. They were gonna let a Nightmare stay here? All the more reason to puff up his chest and stare hard at the male again.

It didn't matter to him what the other adults decided so long as they knew they were welcome to join them if they wished to. This space was not reserved for his immediate family, but for all of them as a pack. Preference as to where they lay their heads was entirely their choice. He knew some were not overly fond of children, but Iqniq knew those same children would eventually grow into adults. They'd either be run out or become tolerable enough to sleep near. Only time would tell.

That said... there was really only one thing left to do. "Now who wants to find out why the stones are warm?" It'd been the first thing he'd wondered upon finding this place. Since the business portion of this gathering was out of the way, now they were free to explore this new area together. Iqniq lingered, waiting to find out if there were any takers in this expedition so that he might lead a group down to visit the steamy underground river.