When the sun rose in the morning, she nudged her children awake eagerly. The talk of moving had spread throughout the pack via a howl the night before, when she and Thyra had returned from their final move-in inspection and had found that the plateau could meet all their needs. They would have the one night to rest, gather their belongings, and when daybreak came, the pack began to move down the slope.
She brought with her a bone which Asvoria had left behind; a token she would place in the great cavern as a way to remember her friend, and should she ever return, it would be given back to her. She had had high hopes for their pack, but it had been more difficult than Solveig had ever imagined to not only found a pack, but to keep one together. In the end, she'd learned that a pack wasn't simply a group of capable wolves all recruited and gathered and thrown together- what made a pack was family. The wolves who came, and who stuck around even when things became difficult.
And now, as a family, they made the move to their new home.
It was noon when they reached it, having forded the river that separated the caldera from the forest, and settled in the meadow to give the children a break. The river nearby burbled happily, quiet and cool. The aspen that grew alongside the river rustled and rattled their bright golden leaves together, and in the distance, a herd of deer grazed in the meadow down the valley. Dragonflies buzzed, birds flew by overhead, to pick at spruce needles and pluck bugs from deep inside old growth.
She brought the wolves into the great cavern, hidden through a tapestry of vines when evening came. There, they could raise their voices together, and declare their new home together.
(October 09, 2023, 02:50 PM)Solveig Wrote: [ -> ]
When the sun rose in the morning, she nudged her children awake eagerly. The talk of moving had spread throughout the pack via a howl the night before, when she and Thyra had returned from their final move-in inspection and had found that the plateau could meet all their needs. They would have the one night to rest, gather their belongings, and when daybreak came, the pack began to move down the slope.
She brought with her a bone which Asvoria had left behind; a token she would place in the great cavern as a way to remember her friend, and should she ever return, it would be given back to her. She had had high hopes for their pack, but it had been more difficult than Solveig had ever imagined to not only found a pack, but to keep one together. In the end, she'd learned that a pack wasn't simply a group of capable wolves all recruited and gathered and thrown together- what made a pack was family. The wolves who came, and who stuck around even when things became difficult.
And now, as a family, they made the move to their new home.
It was noon when they reached it, having forded the river that separated the caldera from the forest, and settled in the meadow to give the children a break. The river nearby burbled happily, quiet and cool. The aspen that grew alongside the river rustled and rattled their bright golden leaves together, and in the distance, a herd of deer grazed in the meadow down the valley. Dragonflies buzzed, birds flew by overhead, to pick at spruce needles and pluck bugs from deep inside old growth.
She brought the wolves into the great cavern, hidden through a tapestry of vines when evening came. There, they could raise their voices together, and declare their new home together.
Quote:This is so exciting! *happy noises!* I remember the last time I moved. It was. A. Nightmare. So hopefully Gyr’s will be much better.
This journey was cold and long, however it was time we’ll spent with her Family of the Keep. She cherished every minute of this, she had followed along helping to make sure all these wolves were in a row. She had spent some time walking with her niece and nephews, they were so precious.
She had sat down in the field near the creek to let herself and her little snuggle bug eat something. All while watching the happenings of the pack. She examined his little feathers, some pin, some downy. She hoped that someday when it becomes hard penned he will be an able hunter. For now, she fed him like a mother.
After this she allowed him back up on her shoulder, tickling her ruff. This made her giggle. She took a sip of water, then attempted to dribble it on her fluffers beak. Small and slightly sharp.
Then a while later, she laid him in a makeshift nest of moss near her own bed. She laid him to rest for a while. She joined her pack, and howled gently…. She remembered Asvoria, whom she never met but hope to meet someday. If not in this life, then someday perhaps in another.
This would be the dawn of a new beginning for Gyr. A warm and happy one with her new family.
It phased Baldr very little to leave the place where he had been born. Having already come down to the plateau once with his big sister, he felt excited to move, and confident that there would be more adventures there like the one he'd had, chasing off a little family of skunks. Secretly, of course, he wanted to find them again- he was very curious to see just how stinky they could really be!
He dealt with the travel well, though fording the river took the last bit of his gusto and he was relieved to stop for a break in the meadow that marked the very beginning of their territory. There, he lay and lazily swept his paws at the grasshoppers that bounded all around him, and investigated a wooly bear caterpillar as it inched toward the shade.
Soon enough, they were on the move again- and he gawked in awe as the vines were held aside, and he was ushered within the great, stone cavern. Moss covered the ground, and grew up the walls, tangled with vines. In the centre of the high ceiling was a small hole, that let in a stream of light. It smelled as if the cavern had been empty for some time- but it would linger unnoticed no longer.
Like the others, he tilted his head back and blended his mellow tenor voice in with the others, to claim their new home.
the journey to the plateau from the keep is not a terribly long one and for this, rusalka is thankful. though the move itself does not ease all of the tension from his shoulders, still doing that dad/husband thingTM where he worries endlessly about the future though these things were largely out of his control.
he keeps close to solveig and ensures the children do not stray too far behind.
at last, they reach it.
home.
their raventhorpe.
rusalka itches to begin patrolling but resists as solveig leads them to a great cavern. his voice joins the others.
Thyra moved to shepherd the children, knowing the route well so that while their mother led, she could follow along behind and keep pace with whichever one of them happened to straggle or get distracted by something off the path. Given the fact that there were four children now, it was a bit more difficult a task than it had been before- though she found the slightly wilder child both adorable and amusing. Her younger siblings had been pampered since the moment they were born- Granite, she felt, deserved even more food and toys simply because he had gone without, for some time.
She was also excited to move to a new home- especially one that seemed so much more abundant in supply, and with the cavern for them to take shelter in, she felt it was perfect. The Keep had been a find stronghold for a while, but hunting and scavenging had been tough. The gyrfalcons had been occasionally a bit aggressive, and frightened the young woman on occasion.
She stayed with the children while they forded the river, offering help where it was needed though with four of them, it was hard to keep track. Baldr, at least, was fine- he'd made the trip once before, and seemed to know the way.
With the others, she would lend her voice to the call, establishing their new home in Blacktail Deer Plateau.
Vaettir followed with everyone else upon moving day.
The journey was short, all things considered.
But she was silently glad, especially as she was an aging woman.
Solveig pulled them into a cavern upon the Plateu, and with everyone else's song, Vaettir's own rose to intertwine.
The night before, a howl went out.
And in the morning Hljordfel was abuzz. Moving day!
Granite, still a newcomer, stayed on the sidelines like the weird kid who was always picked last in dodgeball. He was unhelpful and aloof but enviously admired the camaraderie of the pack and their excitement.
He didn’t really know why they were moving. Or where they were going. But Granite didn’t really care. As long as there was more food, he would go with them. Now, Thunderdome was but a distant memory.
He took his place near the caboose and trailed the rest of the wolves, a small bone from breakfast clutched in his mouth.
Their childhood within the Keep had came and gone in a blur.
Leifa stuck herself between the strong bodies of Solveig and Rusalka, eager to forge the way to their new home. Though she would miss the cliffs of their old stomping grounds, the steadily worsening weather and chilly air had been beginning to take its toll on the young girl. Besides, she had been itching to see someplace new!
The river was a challenge she hadn't anticipated, though an encouraging nudge from Thyra set her paddling in the right direction where she eventually joined the others as they continued their journey.
As they rested in the meadow, the redhead took it upon herself to check in with her brothers and parents, and with Greyfalcon with who's companion she gave a friendly sniff. Granite she gave a wide birth for now, resuming her spot at the front of the pack as her mother led them into a cavern.
She would then press her pelt to the warmth of Solveig as her song would join the rest, excited for what the future would bring.