Asterr is home. ^^ Please allow for
@Ukko to post first. Afterwards, anyone interested in meeting him may pop by.
Minor PP.
It had been days since she'd left the safety of her home, traveling around for longer than she ever had before. There were a number of individuals that she'd met during her time away, some encounters having been pleasant while others simply were. Never had she expected to return with another individual in tow and yet, as she'd crossed the threshold, there was with her a stranger. Unknown by the wolves of Ryūjin, but not by her. She'd grown accustomed to his being there already, often having taken to seeking him out with her gaze during their trek. Every time she'd looked his way it had been to check the distance between them, but not been for the same reason as it should have been. She'd wanted to ensure that he was close, that Ukko had not slipped away while her back was turned. For even though he'd given her his loyalty, there still existed a hint of doubt at how true his word might turn out to be.
A few meters into the territory and she'd let out a howl, informing those within it of her return, but never had her movements stopped. All the while she had continued to walk, pace brisk and purposeful, tasting the air often. Recent traces of the scent that she'd been searching for had not been present, however, and it was then that she knew for sure that Noctura was gone. He would not return, she felt certain of it. It'd saddened her greatly, having eventually slowed until her progression ceased altogether. Never did she weep for him, the front put on being a brave one instead. She'd glanced around, attempting to catch sight of the dark male that had surely followed her. Pushing past her troubling thoughts, she'd offered to him a small smile, glad to be home despite all that had transpired.
"Welcome to your new home."
sorry for the delay. :( and crappy post.
The closer to the territory they got, the stiffer the large make became. His head lifted higher than what a subordinate should but he didn't care and Asterr hasn't seemed to complain. His tail rose above his spine but didn't complete an arch, but nonetheless a stance of dominance. She leads him all the way to his new home, makes a call, and continues to move without falter.
Uncertain what's to come, Ukko decides against leaving her side for the time being. Her body still reeks of the smell and, while he doesn't know much of the pack itself, isn't going to allow anyone else near without permission. As the wind moves, a gust of her aroma closes his throat, and he inhales a sharp breath to keep himself still while he waits for her next move.
The howl rang out and echoed in the cream's skull. It reminded Menta of the task she had decided was overly important - relaying the message from Heda to her dark leader, the latter whom she had not seen or smelled in days. And so it was with this false sense of urgency that the female wolf moved briskly towards the source of the howl, not paying attention to which pack members may also be nearby doing the same or truly any sights and smells around her.
Until she pulled up to the sight of Asterr and the dark shadow that lingered beside her. The sight of him was enough to jolt her into an unexpected and abrupt stop - he held his body posture high and dignified, declaring a sense of ownership and pride that didn't mentally go over well with the cream wolf. Menta had knownt that Asterr discouraged physical manifestations of subordination around her - something she had yet to truly accept for even herself, her body meek in anticipation of reuniting with thedark female - but the display still spoke poorly of the male to the ever obedient cream wolf.
Still, Asterr seemed patient and steady - that was enough for Menta to simply stand there and do no more, her golden eyes switching from cooly observing the male to lighting up as she moved it over to her leader. The Italian forced a smile and gave a couple wags of the tail, message and mission forgotten until there was an explanation. She trusted Asterr - she trusted all authority in general, in both positive and negative contexts - and knew there had to be a rational explanation for this stranger in pack lands.
Avannon paused Mid-hunt, the Dragoness's call ringing in her ears. She yelped happily, and bounded back to the camp, her tail slowly swaying behind her as she saw Asterr and Menta and- who was that? She froze in place her eyes taking in the posture of the Dark male. She sniffed the air, bringing in his scent and Asterr's all at once. He looked proud next to her side and Avannon knew Asterr was still coming off her heat, her scent having a toxically sweet aroma. She sat down a few feet away, blue eyes staring directly at the male. He was not acting subordinate, not very well at least, which made Avannon suspect something that she didnt want to voice out loud. She dipped her head finally, a small smile playing on her lips as she finally took in the familiar sight of Asterr, her leader, with relief.
The man with the constant voices in his head was laying in the damp spot he had been in ever since he had tried to take his priestess. Talking to the newer recruits had helped somewhat, but no one was able to get to him. He was closing himself off, hoping to starve without anyone knowing. His leg didn't hurt anymore, instead it was numb, and the wound that he had gotten from trying to eat himself was closing. But even with his body feeling better, his mentality only went backwards. That was, until he heard the call of Asterr. She was home, she was safe. If she was pregnant, he couldn't hear, but he hoped not.
He scampered up as fast as possible with a broken hind leg, tumbling a few times before getting the hang of walking on only 3 limbs. He limped to where the call had come from, but he was really slow. So slow, that a few others had arrived before he did. he passed Avannon and Menta, giving them both a nod without emotion on his face, until his eyes settled on the pair in front of him. It was a lone male, at least it still smelled like it, and his heart sank. This was the loser who had gotten the dragoness? Tears were welling in his eyes as he watched from a distance, hoping Asterr would notice both him and his broken leg. He wanted to get closer, to greet her and be happy about a new recruit, but with the voices it was impossible.
He limped further away, falling onto the ground as he lost his balance, and there he stayed.
It bothered her greatly knowing that Noctura had not returned home, a sense of grief stirring within her chest. It was her fault that he'd left them, and so she'd wondered if it was even appropriate for her to be sorrowful over his departure. Had she sought him out in the beginning, perhaps they'd never have been put into the positions that'd resulted in one losing a home, and the other a dear friend. It weighed heavily on her mind, but hardly could one have guessed it by bearing witness to her outward expression. For with her sadness there was also joy, her travels having resulted in her bringing home a new recruit. And though she'd acted with only the most selfish of thoughts in mind whilst accepting him, she still did wish for him to view the lair as itself as his home. It was her contentment with his being there with her that had allowed for her to wear a small smile.
The song of her return had resulted in the arrival of others, two familiar pale coats having eventually been noticeable. Upon seeing them, her smile had been capable of then reaching her eyes, a sense of home having surrounded her. Though she'd left without word of how long she'd be away, they'd not held it against her. She'd instead been greeted with happiness, which she had immediately believed to be a true demonstration of the bonds within the tribe. "You both may come closer," the girl had offered. A glance towards the male at her side has been tossed over, silently insisting that he keep still for the time being. "This is Ukko, and he will be living here as one of us," was her next statement, eyes being drawn back over to her followers. "Ukko, she is Menta, and she is Avannon." As each name had been spoken, she'd nodded towards the respected owner. It was her first time having ever formally introduced members of the tribe to one another, for doing so had felt both necessary and polite.
Hardly had she been granted the time to finish sharing pleasantries before Jolon had arrived. He'd said nothing, only stared ahead, and she'd felt the fur along her dorsal bristle beneath his gaze. Though fear could not be felt, anger could, and she was still quite disturbed by his earlier attempts at claiming her. Yet, when she'd noticed his limp as he'd started to leave, she knew that she could not abandon him. Despite his disobedience, he was still family, and so she felt obligated to assist in his recovery. Before that, though, an examination was necessary, and luckily for her he'd fallen whilst trying to escape. "Remain near," Asterr had voiced, her tone hushed as the words were meant for Ukko alone. No longer could she trust one of her very first followers, and so she'd await until she was certain that she was not walking forward alone before fully closing the distance between herself and Jolon. The smile that had been across her lips had since fallen away, replaced by nothingness, for she knew not yet how to feel.
Soon, there are two females that first approach. His guard doesn't change because they are there, though he doubts it is one of these two that have done wrong against the dark female, and he looks between them as they are introduced. Asterr introduces for himself and he holds Avannon a little longer if only to not be out done. His pupils narrow and he offers a swift flash of his teeth in warning. It isn't something that's long, however, as she breaks away to focus on her leader. Ukko's gaze lingers a moment before he glances away upon the sight of another.
The air changes around him and he looks to his charge for an answer and before he's able to receive a verbal confirmation, Ukko knows who is before him. His name is lost in that moment, but it doesn't matter, as the dark female steps forward he also matches. The first two new pack mates go temporarily forgotten as he hovers half a meter or so behind Asterr's shoulder. Dark orange eyes do not trail far from the injured male and there's an urge that wells up to put an end to the life if only because he'd now become a burden to their new home.
So sorry about the delay!
Permission was granted to come closer and Menta took it more as a request than anything else, her paws immediately taking a couple steps in response before halting again at the sound of someone else crashing in on the party. And crash Jolon did - the cream wolf watched in half confusion, half pity as the dark male nodded at her while he limped by to inspect the new stranger. The perceived disrespect that Ukko had shown to both lightly colored females was forgotten for the moment by Menta as her attention was on Jolon scampering away.
There was the noise and sight of him falling and the Italian's pity won over as she broke her passive observer role, trotting over promptly to where Jolon had accepted his physical state. She wasn't sure if he would be just as hostile in his embarassment as he had been last time - hadn't thought about it, just acted - but the cream was quickly close to the dark male with a sympathetic look on her face. How can I help? she asked quietly, aware that this was not the first time she had inquired about such a thing.
Avannon had waited for her leader's permission, and once it was given she moved forward swiftly her tail wagging like a pup's.Her whole body relaxed as she touched her nose to Asterr's Shoulder briefly her smooth voice speaking softly "welcome home" the words were filled with warmth. Her ears swiveled as the male's warning reached her, and she smiled softly, blue gaze meeting his "i meant no harm, merely trying to figure out who you are." she responded, completely ignoring his hostility.
He had hit his head, and was now dizzy, but at least the voices were quiet because of it. His surroundings faded, but he was still awake. He could hear them- could hear Asterr and the one who had claimed her coming closer, as well as one of the girls. Avannon seemed to forget he was here, as if he cared. He licked his dry lips, eyes only open a little bit as he lay there- half dead and broken. He wanted to chase away this male. He did not belong here, he was not family. He had to suffer! It was not Jolon speaking anymore after that, he couldn't think.
Asterr, kill me!
He yelled, voice a lower tone than he had ever talked in. He coughed, trying to curl into a ball, escape the pain that would most definitely come if Asterr was the one to show him mercy.
The sight of the male had made her undoubtedly cautious, though she knew he wouldn't try anything with so many others around—or, in the very least, she hoped that he wouldn't be that foolish. She'd found herself lingering close to Ukko as she advanced forward, never taking a step until he was felt at her side. The welcoming received from Avannon had been heard but not acknowledged due to her focus lingering on the injured man, wondering how severe the injury was, as well as wondering if she had the means to fix him. Of course, the answers she wished to received could never reach her if she didn't get close enough to inspect him, and so the distance between them had eventually been closed. Never had she reached out to touch him, though, refusing to do so for any number of reasons.
In spite of all the thoughts that swam through her mind, nothing had been capable of preparing her for what he'd requested: for her to kill him. At first, she was taken aback and truly shocked by his desire to die. That very same shock had quickly morphed into anger, however, a rare event taking place as a glare settled into her gaze. "You know very well that I am unable to kill you," she'd said in return, moving a step closer so that she might be able to hover over him. "You have wronged me, Jolon, and you will not escape the process of restoring your honour through death. You will live so that you might fix that which you have broken." The dragoness' word was final, her tone having left no room open for an argument to form. Just as she'd done with Gray, the girl would give to the hurt male an opportunity to restore himself.
Looking to Menta, she'd chuffed lightly to draw the other female's attention her way. "Have you any knowledge in the field of plant identification?" she'd asked, knowing that a certain one might need to be collected for her. There existed within her mind no memories of having ever harvested comfrey, and so she was certain that she was in need of some. "I will also need two sturdy sticks, a rock, and someone to assist in the relocation of Jolon." Setting the bone—she'd noticed earlier how odd the limb looked, and had quickly figured out that it was fractured—would be a crude task, she knew, but it would be better than the alternative of letting the injury go untreated until death came to claim him.
Even if Ukko is technically a member of the pack, technically the woman’s second in command, he can’t help but look at the scent as an outsider. He’d been here for only a few minutes, everything already disrupted by the broken male and Asterr’s care for him despite his wrongdoing. He stares down at the creature on the ground, writhing pitifully so much that the thunderous male can’t identify him as a wolf anymore. Wolves are proud creatures, even in their darkest time, even in their mistakes—Ukko never really lost sight of himself, even if he’d misplaced it temporarily—but he remains silent when his opinion might do more harm than good in that moment.
His plea, however, causes his fur to rise. His ears swivel forward and he stares intently down upon him. His fur bristles a little and his feet shift, legs antsy and agitated with the urge to rush forward and complete the task. Ukko swings his head when Asterr speaks, declining the request and then barking out questions and orders to the other wolves. Nothing comes his way, perhaps for the better, and he simply stands nearby as a guardian to the smaller wolf. Dark orange eyes move forward, glaring at the disturbed and broken male on the ground.
Avannon kept her distance from the crowd gathering around the writhing mass that was Jolon, or at least what used to be the male. She sat down, her gaze watching as he begged for death, ears swiveled to pick up Asterr's Response. Her body tensed as she watched Ukko's response to Jolon's plea, saw the tension in his body as if braced to lunge. Her fur rose instinctively, for jolon was more of a family member to her than Ukko, seeing as she had just met the brute. Yet she allowed her fur to settle once more, excercising her control over her emotions. Standing up she crept forward, still remeaining a few feet away as she watched the interactions between the three dark furred wolves, Her eyes wary and her muscles stiff.
He grunted as he did not get what he had asked for. He did not believe he would ever get her trust back- not even if he explained that he was only trying to protect her. He closed his eyes, the pain too much for his already weakened soul to bear. he blinked them open only when Asterr started requesting things- things that sounded like things to help her fix him. What if he didn't want to be healed- to be helped anymore? He was already in debt, why just build it up? Yes, she could save his body, but only a woman fond of him would be able to heal his soul.
He tried to lift his head up to look at Avannon, to see how she was feeling, but slowly began losing consciousness. The world went black as he fainted, the pain too much and tired of fighting. He would live, he knew, but in that moment he thought he was dead.
From this point on you can skip me since Jolon can't do much while unconscious XD
Assuming some things since Menta fell inactive, and also to get this moving along.
This is my last post since this thread has been active for a while now. One more post from everyone (Jolon excluded), and this can be archived.
Orders were doled out, but no one had acted upon them. Menta had seemed to of wandered away, distancing herself from the scene and leaving the girl to do her work. Having witnessed her doing so, Asterr was left to assume that she could not fulfill the request made. That left her with two others to work with, to command. Looking to Avannon, she'd motioned for the other female to approach her. Only once she was close enough would the dragoness begin speaking, delivering orders that, of course, she fully expected to be obeyed. "You will collect for me all that I need, is that understood?" she began, though the question was clearly rhetorical. "Two sticks and a rock. The rock must be small enough for me to lift, but large enough to have some weight to it." For what she'd need it for, she did not share. It was her responsibility to mend the broken, whilst all they needed to do was trust her judgement and knowledge. "I will need comfrey as well. It has broad leaves and small, bell-shaped flowers—you should be able to find it here within the lair. The flowers are not important, so do not worry if any are damaged during the extraction or transportation." Visibly, they were appealing, but medically? Useless.
The female had yet to be dismissed, though Asterr's attention did shift to Ukko. "You will relocate Jolon. I do not care how you do it, whether you try to carry him or drag him along, just be wary of his injured limb," directed the dragoness, shifting her gaze to look between the two. "At the farthest reach of the lair, there is an opening in the wall. That is where Jolon will be taken, as well as where Avannon will bring what I have asked of her." Looking to the pallid wolf, a nod was given, dismissing her officially so that she could carry out the orders that she'd been given. To the male the chieftess would then look, motioning towards Jolon whilst she waited to see how he might go about moving him. "Follow me," was all she'd said prior to moving forward, her pace slow. It was often that she'd look back towards the two males, ensuring that she'd not lost Ukko along the way, as well as that the limb she was to treat wasn't being damaged more.
Whenever they were to finally reach their destination, she'd await for her requested supplies to be brought, and would then dismiss the two of them. Should Ukko want to, he'd be permitted to stay, but little attention would be given to him as the girl went to work on Jolon's injury.
Avannon approached when told to, her nature being to obey without question. She listened silently her head ducked as she committed the supplies to memory. She guessed Asterr was making a splint of sorts, hence the sticks, maybe the rock was meant to persuade jolon not to move his leg, and it would somehow be attached to the splint? The weight would make it difficult and painful for Jolon to move his leg, maybe the pain would remind him to resist moving. As she speculated she remembered to listen to Asterr, multitasking was a skill she had among few others. Comfrey..she knew what it was but refrained from saying so. When Asterr was finished she sagged her tail a few times and stood " I will do my best to be quick" she replied and once she was dismissed she bolted off, glad to be away from the intense situation.
Asterr gives him instructions that, at first, he’s inclined to disagree with. Having already learned the negative information about the unconscious male, he’d rather leave him to rot, but he eventually kicks into gear. Uncertain how to really carry the male without further damaging his leg, he circles him once before just grabbing him by the scruff and dragging him the distance it takes to get him wherever the chieftess wants him. Picking him up over his back is impractical and the body is nothing but dead weight, surely to leave scratches and abrasions in the wake of his travel.