Wolf RPG

It took half a day to return from the mountain's looming shadow, which meant that by the time Njal returned to the perimeter of the territory, night had started to fall. The stars would not be out for a few more hours, but there was still a luxuriant array of colors to be seen above; dark and rich, caught against the drifting bellies of the clouds. The field where he stood had a pretty good view of the sky, what with the sparse trees - so as he marched, he watched.

The heat of the sun was still a very present thing and would linger with the light, perhaps even past dusk and in to the night. By that point Njal hoped to be resting in his den, but... Given what had transpired on the mountain, he had news to relay. That and he had been made absentminded by the conversation he had with Jace. As he departed, he had heard Jace call out one last time. The boy had pledged to never go near the warden's family, and while Njal trusted that, he was still apprehensive. Nothing could come between him and his family, nothing. If there was even a hint of trouble brewing near the creek, it was his duty to seek it out and eradicate it.

Perhaps he wouldn't sleep tonight. An extra patrol couldn't hurt.

Days came and went, with the sun moving across the sky, followed by the moon. It was as if they were chasing one another in a never-ending game of tag. Except in this game, nobody won, and nobody was ever tagged. The sun was now barreling (as quickly as the sun ever did) toward the horizon, and Fox had no doubt that the moon would soon come around the corner to try and catch the sun. It would never succeed (as far as Fox was concerned). Turning her attention to her paws that were laid out in front of her, she began to groom each one meticulously. She was not a prissy wolf by any means, though she did enjoy keeping herself clean.

When she felt she had cleaned the last of the muck from her paws, Fox shifted to her feet and set out to dig up something from the caches. Gone were the days of Ferdie bringing her goose gifts. She had never questioned his gifts or his motives. In fact, she had never even known that he had a "thing" for her. Fox had been oblivious to it. She was thick-headed, unable to pick up on subtlety the way so many others did. Perhaps if he had come out and said it, she would have responded much differently. Instead, she had only thought he was most loyal and only trying to impress her in an effort to boost his place in the pack.

Up ahead, she spotted a familiar figure. It was Njal, the only wolf here who had been here since the beginning, like her. Despite their occasional differences, Fox thought they got along well, and she started toward him at an easy pace. When she neared, she gave his shoulder a hesitant nip in greeting. “How is Tuwawi?” she asked, having not seen the pregnant Gamma since she had spread the news about Ferdie and Jace.

The sky was engulfed by a sublime shade of ochre, most of which petered out in to a brilliant gold-and-orange where the sun was situated. Even in its passing, the sun was a bright and brilliant thing. Warm and inviting. It was passing along the horizon line as he marched, but soon enough the light would be extinguished; making way for the far paler, enigmatic moon. There was still time for a patrol, yet with each lurch of his limbs, Njal felt himself pulled towards his den - until a figure materialized.

Emblazoned by the sunset, Fox cut quite a figure. The ruddy red of her coat was thoroughly highlighted, made metallic in some places that made her look robed in copper. A suit of armor for the days ahead, maybe. She greeted him with a bump and he, ever mindful, carefully bumped her back. His nose was extended so that he could greet her with it, sniffing at her familiar scent prior to nudging her own shoulder. Part of him was reluctant to speak about Jace as he had taken heed to the boy's warning - "...you go and tell her this soon, you may sign our death warrant.." - and thus when Fox mentioned Tuwawi, he was quick to grasp upon the topic.

"She is doing well. Although we do not know when... um, when things will happen, we think it will be soon. Maybe in the next few weeks," His face beamed with a smile, although the man's apprehension shone through it. He shifted his weight like a student standing before a stern teacher, both impatient and somehow afraid of the oncoming days. Children were coming - his children, their children - and they would make the pack stronger. But they would also place a bountiful weight upon him; or so he thought.

"I have been patrolling." He stated next, almost like an afterthought. Drifting the conversation away from his wife for the time being and in to more dangerous waters (at least in his own mind). The statement was rather bland, and gave no implications towards where he had gone. Njal was always patrolling, and everybody knew it. He was predictable, and the warden took comfort in that fact.

Fox smiled pleasantly, glad to hear that her pack sister was doing well. The new life would do the creek well, too. Fox hoped it would bring them together, these new lives. She was constantly searching for ways to make the pack feel like home to those who lived here. She may have been strict at times, but she felt she had put far too much investment into the creek not to be strict on those who lived here. Which brought her thoughts naturally to Ferdie and Jace. She had been near the Sunspire not days prior, and she had not been oblivious to their thick scents there.

“Then surely you have noticed where the outcasts have gone,” she grimaced, her eyes flashing to the mountain that loomed too close by. “Why would they choose a place so close? Are they really that foolish?” Perhaps they were. She could see no other reason why they would choose to settle so close to the pack that had cast them aside after their violent display. “You know we cannot just sit by and let them settle there. I had hoped they would move on peacefully, but it seems they plan to do no such thing.”

Over the past few months, Fox had learned a thing or two about leadership. One was to consult more often. “What do we do?” she asked, looking to Njal for advice. He was older, he had a family to protect, and surely he had some idea of what to do. Despite what so many others thought, she did not wish to off Ferdie and Jace. It would do her no good, and she really had no reason to unless they continued to crowd their space.

As much as he wanted to avoid talking too intricately about Jace, the situation with the inky youth was prevalent upon the creek wolves minds - so it wasn't too surprising when Fox brought up the boy. “Then surely you have noticed where the outcasts have gone,” It relieved him somewhat that the alpha knew of their whereabouts; he did not feel like a traitor to whatever relationship remained between himself and Jace due to this. He nodded glumly, saying nothing. The wolves of the Vale had been heated rivals after some time, and their disappearance meant that the soon-to-be Sveijarn family would have plenty of food to sustain the extra mouths. Jace threatened that; he was on the wrong side of the border.

When Fox pressed him for advice, the older wolf let out a drawn sigh. He looked up at the fading golden sky and thought quietly to himself for a moment. The creek came first. It always came first. His family, their home, everything was more important than his friendship - however strained - with the foolish boy that threatened it. Still, he did not wish ill upon him.

Njal settled back upon his haunches, sinking in to the warm soil. "They are a threat, and threats need to be taken out." But that was too harsh. He realized this once the words were spoken, and corrected himself. "Driven off of the mountain and made to settle elsewhere, perhaps. The wolves of the Vale were an irritation and they claimed the heart of the range - but Jace and Ferdie, they seem intent on settling on the Sunspire."

Attention drifted towards the oncoming darkness, where the mountains loomed in the distance.
"At least, that is where I found the foolish boy."

Njal's fur prickled a bit, for he still felt quite defensive after their brief but heated conversation. When he turned to regard Fox again, there was a tumultuous glow within his eyes - made more malevolent by the fiery sky. "He fears for his life, you know. I found him by accident and he thought I had been sent to kill him."

She observed him as he sighed, vaguely recalling the flutter of emotions she had felt upon first encountering Njal. She knew that if Tuwawi had not come along, she would have had him to herself. There was no doubt in her mind. That was not the way things had turned out, though, and so she wiped the thought aside. Fox had plenty of prospects now. Razo, Scimitar, perhaps even Cutthroat. She was not so stupid to count Peregrine in that list. Despite their flirtations, he was too involved with his family to be anything of value to her (at least in that department).

When at last Njal spoke, Fox's ears twitched. She allowed him to finish before fully processing what he had said. The Sunspire was too close, she agreed, and they could not be allowed to stay there. It was the last bit, however, that she found the most interesting. “Why would I waste our efforts and put your lives in danger?” she asked, not expecting a reply. As long as Jace and Ferdie were out of her home, she did not consider them a deadly threat... although if they settled on the Sunspire, they would be a different kind of threat. She would not let her comrades be driven from their home by outcasts.

“I would seek them out myselves, but I do not believe I have the temper for it. Should we send a messenger with a warning, or do you think they will be in danger? Perhaps a warning party,” she suggested. A display of power was always better than just frivolous words.

Her comment was met with a soft chuff, half amused by the concept and half incredulous that Jace could ever think that. Njal gave a subtle shrug while Fox spoke, and then settled in to plotting their next move - something that Fox already appeared to have thought about.

"Perhaps a warning party," and as she mentioned this, Njal nodded in agreement.

"A small party, perhaps. I can take a few wolves with me and venture up the mountain." He thought of bringing Bazi because of her relationship with Jace, but did not mention it. At the previous pack meeting she seemed eager to keep her mouth shut; or at the very least, not terribly enthusiastic. "We have a few larger wolves living here," granted he could barely remember their names. "I can take Scimitar with me on a scouting run, then report back." That was probably the best bet. Once they returned they could assess things again, add to their numbers, and perform a true show of force.

"That would be wise," Fox replied, thinking Scimitar would make a good addition to the party. "Don't get yourself—or anybody else—hurt unless it's necessary. I really did not want it to come to this, but they've put themselves in a stupid place. We cannot have them living there, and we are stronger than them." It wasn't entirely different from when Northstar Vale had been so close. The main difference was that the creek was now well-established in their territory and at the time, they had only just started to settle down. Now, the creek had a good chunk of long-standing members and several that were well on their way to proving themselves. Not only that, but with Tuwawi carrying children, Fox was less willing to take risks.

"I will be sure to send others your way if they seem like they would make good companions." Fox did not outright suggest Cutthroat, although he was on her mind lately. He was one of the potentials for next year, even if he did not know it yet. "And give Ferdie and Jace a month to leave. If they fail to do as much, we will have to take more... assertive measures." An all-out war was not something Fox wanted, but she knew it would be necessary if they refused to leave The Sunspire.

A month. The children of the creeklands would be born sooner than that, which would put them at risk from any sort of rebuttal that Jace could plan, if this went ahead. Still, Njal knew the value of their strength and he was not going to ignore his leader's wishes. He listened keenly until she was finished, then nodded in acquiescence. "It will be done." The beast rumbled. He then advanced upon Fox and gave her a small shoulder-bump in lieu of a fist-bump to seal the deal, and began to head out. A few steps in to his departure, the Beta paused and looked to the red leader. There was a confidence in his mannerisms for a brief moment, a flare of gleeful energy that he had not felt since his sparring days among the Kindred. The look was brief, and Njal turned swiftly again to begin his march.

If Fox had harbored any lingering doubt that Njal was loyal, it was quickly swept away when he spoke. He never questioned, always suggested, and remained on her side even when things were at their toughest. He did things in such a way that made her proud to have him among her ranks, and she was glad that the children of Swiftcurrent would be his this year.

He moved away after giving her a final shoulder-bump, pausing only to give her a fleeting glance. Once he was out of sight, she would seek out Cutthroat and make sure that Njal offered him a place to prove himself. Perhaps it would rid the young family's mind of thoughts that he was still nothing more than a captive.