Wolf RPG

Aventus had thought long on this, and decided it was the only way forward for him.

It did not have to be the only way forward for all of Ursus. He would leave the choice up to them. It felt like a lifetime ago that he had pined to return to this very valley, but now the familiar sights and sounds blackened the edges of his heart. Stillrift reminded him that no one was trustworthy. Tumbleview reminded him of his mother. Silverstone reminded him of his father. The previously well-maintained Rivenstone was overgrown and wild now. Mosskeep made him anxious about the future. A future he could no longer envision here, where danger seemed to lurk around every corner, where their enemies knew to look for them.

He could not be happy here any longer, and more and more, Avicus' offer appealed. To detach himself from everything he had ever known and follow her path was a tantalizing offer. It had certainly proven more prosperous than following his father into the arms of madness.

That was the purpose for his brisk call in the misty morning, summoning the few wolves who lived here to his side to talk.

Arielle had been sleeping somewhere nearby but was woken by the bruin-jaw's call. She didn't even remember falling asleep there. A rabbit carcass was laying next to her and she remembered grabbing it from a cache. She had been hungry at the time and exhausted as usual, so she must have just passed out on her way back. She felt sick now, and just the smell of the rabbit made bile rise up in her throat. She quickly left the area before she vomited. 

By now, there was an obvious roundness to her sides, and it would be clear to anyone who saw her that she was pregnant. She felt huge regardless of if she actually was. So she felt like shit on every single level. This was all kept to herself, though. She didn't want to give Aves a reason to feel worse than he likely already did. And the turmoil from her abandoning the bear was suffered in silence too. She definitely didn't want Aves to know about that. To everyone else she just seemed like she was sleeping all the time because that was impossible to hide.

The command in the bruin-jaw's summons meant that this was probably about his decision to leave. She wondered if Cyril would follow them? They had been working on the garden still, even if she had been scarce lately. Maybe they could have the same thing wherever they settled; it would be nice to have that to focus on. 

She silently took a seat next to her husband when she arrived, offering him small smile in greeting. Smiling was the last thing she wanted to do right now but she offered it to him so he wouldn't worry.

She shifted a little to find a more comfortable position and then waited for the others to arrive.

The smile he returned to his mate was tight-lipped and brisk; by now, he knew he was being a jerk, but didn't know how to be there for her. He didn't blame her. His insatiable lust for her in the weeks prior was what had landed them here, but that didn't make it easy for him to swallow, and it didn't make it easy to know how to behave around her when he loved her fiercely but resented what was happening to her.

He opted for saying nothing until Cyril arrived. He cast his eyes over the horizon for a sign of Pandora or Bernadette, but when he didn't see them immediately, he decided he didn't really care. Both had sequestered themselves away and become strangers. Pandora had done well with Ash and Abel, but one good deed could only carry a wolf so far.

Hello, he said quietly, glancing at Arielle and then away when another pang of guilt punched him in the gut. As you can see, we number few. With Arielle being... Pregnant... I fear we are not enough to hold the valley, defend ourselves, and provide the food we all require. It was more than that, but the rest, he left unsaid. Arielle already knew, and Cyril was not yet initiated. It would mean nothing to him that Aventus had cast his god aside and wanted away from it all.

My sister has a pack to the north, far from here. I plan to go there. Melancholy shone in his silver eyes and he ticked back his tattered ear. It was bittersweet to say it aloud. To be free from the bear, from his father's choking legacy, oh, what a relief! But this was the place of his birth and he had toiled much of his life to amount to something here. The notion of starting over was a bitter pill indeed. I will not force anyone to come with me, but you are welcome if you wish.

It made his gut churn to include Arielle in that rather than assuming she would come no matter what, but if she happened to be looking for an out, the least he could do was give her a painless one.

Aves didn't wait for anyone else once Cyril had arrived. He immediately went into why he had called for a meeting. He explained the practical reason they should leave, though she knew there was more to it. Cyril didn't need to know those things; they were mostly between her and the bruin-jaw, and the bear of course—she didn't want to think about that. She was surprised to hear him acknowledge the pregnancy out loud since it had been something of a taboo subject before now. He had, for the most part, left her alone in this; she didn't fault him for it, though, she knew he was not himself. He was struggling, and she hoped moving away from the valley would help him. 

He told them of his sister's pack. That was where he wanted to go, but he wasn't forcing anyone else. She didn't need forcing; she wanted to be wherever Aves was. When will we leave? she asked him. She figured he would want to go as soon as possible. She wanted that too, but because the journey would be more difficult, the further along she was in the pregnancy.

The fox-girl was slow to come to the call that echoed throughout their lands. It makes large auds twitch and swivel and her head perk up from the work she has herself buried in at the moment. Her poison are splayed in front of her as she organizes them — ruling out what’s still usable and what isn’t. A second later, she’s huffing out a breath and folding the rabbit pelt she usually keeps them in over the delicate leaves and flowers.

She makes her way towards the howl in a brisk trot — she doesn’t run — but she will at least attempt to hurry. When she makes it there, her paws slow to a soft stop. Their dark furred leader is speaking when she moves up to the group only catching the tail end of his words…

…pack to the north, far from here. I plan to go there. I will not force anyone to come with me, but you are welcome if you wish.

He head tilts as she quietly melts into the rest of the group. She hears the words — understands their meaning, but it doesn’t mean she isn’t a bit surprised by it. She rather likes the valley. What a shame. Still, that does not mean she wishes to be left behind. 

So after the dark coy looking man speaks up with his opinion, she voices hers. “I will come too.” Her voice is confident and smooth as she says so, elegantly dropping her butt to the earth and wrapping her tail around her ankles.

Pandora drew up while he was speaking. He fixed a flat silver gaze on her but said nothing. Aventus knew Avicus well enough to know she would not tolerate layabouts, so he hoped Pandora intended to be more involved in the new pack than she had been here. Aventus would place his recommendation behind Arielle and Cyril, but Pandora would be on her own in proving her merits to his sister. He glanced around once more, noting that Bernadette still had not shown her face. That was for the best, he thought. He did not want to bring her along. Her stunted legs and fat sow's belly would only slow them down, and he suspected she would do more to sully the reputation of Ursus in their new home than to benefit them.

He hoped Cyril would choose to stay, but understood the man's reluctance. A part of him was unsure as well. Suppose the price for entry was the termination of Arielle's litter? He did not want to think about that. As much as he didn't want them, the thought of their lives being the price made him feel violently ill.

We leave as soon as you have gathered what you wish to take. Meet back here when you are ready, he decided. He had only one object he intended to bring, and he had already unearthed it in the morning. It lay in the shade some short distance away and would be easy to grab as they departed.

Cyril would join them on the journey but had not committed himself to stay when they arrived at Aves' sister's pack. The bruin-heart hoped he would stay but understood if he wanted to find something else for himself. He had signed up to be a part of Ursus and now that wasn't an option. 

Pandora arrived as Aves told them of his plans to move. Arielle didn't feel as strongly against the woman as her husband did, though she didn't much care if she came with them or not. It would be nice to have another with them that had the knowledge of plants, though.

Apparently, the bruin-jaw was ready to leave now, giving them only enough time to collect what they wanted to bring with them. She wasn't surprised at his eagerness to leave; she knew what this would mean for him. She wouldn't delay things unnecessarily. I need a little time to go through my plants, but I won't be long, she told Aves. For now, she wasn't allowing herself to feel anything about the move; she only wanted to be supportive.

She would turn and head to mosskeep unless stopped, her expression carefully crafted so that nothing but acceptance showed.

she heard the call. of course she did. her head was always halfway out the hovel, awaiting for the bruin-jaw and bruin-heart to come, voice their verdict for her unborn children.

now they never would.

the wrinkles of her face turned deeper, her anger so potent it made her tremble. 

months and months, wasted as if time was air. and what had she learned? nothing. the manners of wolves, and not much more. was the bear even a true god, or merely an excuse for savageness?

bernadette bent her head and growled, deep sound rising from deep within her like an earthquake. then, a sharp pain in her abdomen cut it into a whine.

no, no anger now. she was swollen with life unborn, and she could tell from experience they would be out soon. her wolf-blooded offspring, finally an uniqueness produced of her own womb.

the beardog retreated into the darkness of her den, curled up within a corner stuffed with dried herbs and crude bonetotems. she would not leave. the wolves can come drag her out by the scruff of her neck if they so pleased, but she would not go of her own will.

their bear can smite her if she'd been too heathenous for its tastes - but she would stay, as the least she deserved was a set of living children, born into the darkness of the earth as their wolven nature demanded.

They needed time to get their affairs in order. That was alright. Aventus nodded once and hoped Cyril would go with Arielle after all, if only to give his mate some supportive company where he was failing. The wolves of Ursus dispersed to collect their things, leaving him standing along in the valley for a time with his face turned toward the meadow outside.

When they were all ready and gathered, sans the dog who never showed, Aventus led them from the valley with Relmyna's yellow-brown pelvic bone gripped tight in his jaws. He had the sentimental urge once or twice to look back, but stubbornly fixed his eyes on the horizon and never relented.