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+--- Thread: The Sunspire talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free (/showthread.php?tid=28298)
talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Rannoch’s Ghost - July 08, 2018
A new level of fatigue had begun to creep into Rannoch's bones. Remi, Deshyr, Wisteria, and Breccan could all now see, and although this was an exciting landmark for the father-of-four, it was also exhausting. He had never considered how much mischief his offspring could get into now that they had the ability to perceive the world around them.
Rannoch moved stiffly towards the river that divided the Sunspire's territory into two. Without much regard to the territory around him, the Alpha stopped alongside the waterway and began to lap at the surface.
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Wraen - July 08, 2018
Wraen had not seen much of Rannoch after his and Liffey's children were born, unless he was busy working on the borders (and there she hardly ever interrupted him), therefore it was a lucky thing, indeed, when she caught the new dad on his own by the river.
"Hey, she approached him from the side. "How have you been? How is Liffey and the kids?"
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Rannoch’s Ghost - July 08, 2018
At the sound of Wraen's voice, Rannoch lifted his head and his eyes brightened and caught sight of her. "Wraen!" he greeted as water droplets dripped from his chin. "It's been a while. he remarked and swiped away the remnants of his drink with his tongue.
"We're all great. The kids are growing like weeds, and just started seeing the other day. You'll have to meet them soon. he reported with a wagging tail. "How about you? Alls good?"
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Wraen - July 08, 2018
"Pretty much - yeah," Wraen replied after getting the small update on the little family and tucking the invite to visit them for the future. Puppies were more fun, when they were a little older. Two or three more weeks - then she would be able to help and give some relief to th exhausted parents.
"Bernard told you about the bear family we saw in the vale the other day?" she said. "But that is about all news there really is now."
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Rannoch’s Ghost - July 10, 2018
"Yeah, he did," Rannoch replied with an anxious lick of his lips, "I'm not happy about it." Rannoch associated bears with death, and he was unwilling to lose anybody else because of them. "I want them out," he elaborated gruffly, and looked at Wraen; despite his unhappiness, he knew there wasn't much they could do.
"Hopefully we can cohabitate with them. We need the vale for food, and I'm not willing to let it go so easily."
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Wraen - July 12, 2018
"Vale is big enough for both of us," Wraen replied, thinking that it was rather unlikely to meet the bears on their side of the mountains. While having little cubs, the mother bear was vulnerable as well, she therefore did not consider them as threats.
"Plains down there offer plenty of hunting opportunities as well," she offered, having hunted there very frequently. "And on the other side of the mountains - through the passage, there are plenty of unclaimed lands, which are also good for hunting. You can trust me on this - tested them myself."
"We will have options and will do well, even if Vale is not accessible to us for a while," she summarized.
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Rannoch’s Ghost - July 13, 2018
Rannoch did not contemplate Wraen's perspective for long—he had come to a similar conclusion when Bernard had told him the news. "Yeah, I just hope they don't come any closer," he grumbled.
The report of ample hunting grounds pacified Rannoch's previous concerns, and he managed to smile. "That's great news, Wraen," he breathed. "I know we've been keeping a relatively good stock up to now," at least, he hadn't heard otherwise, "But I wasn't sure if anything—besides the children weaning off milk—that have been affecting our stock."
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Wraen - July 14, 2018
"We will see, how it goes, when the time comes," Wraen replied and was about to say something more, when her intentions were interrupted by a spell of rough cough. Apparently she had not entirely escaped consequences of a swim in the lake. The signs had been appearing - the "itchy" nose and "scratchy" throat - but she had paid no notice to them, because they were mild and more prominent during the night time.
"Sorry about that," she looked up to Rannoch and smiled. "What I wanted to say is, that if we run low on food, we might have to move the families. Because there is only so much food we can bring back, if hunting takes us a long way away from Sunspire."
Rannoch has been "germed" (is that a real word?).
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Rannoch’s Ghost - July 24, 2018
"S'kay," Rannoch replied once his initial surprise had faded; he was oblivious to the germs that he had just caught. A gentle dusting of saliva had settled upon the bridge of his nose, and he swiped the affected area with his forepaw until the residue was gone.
When their conversation resumed, Rannoch's posture straightened and his ears pressed forward as he comprehended the news he had received. "I guess that's a decision we will come to when the time comes," he said. "Although I do love Sunspire, I will not let us starve because of my affinity towards the mountain."
A troubling thought overcame the Alpha suddenly, and he frowned. "Hopefully the children will be old enough to travel if it happens," Rannoch said. "We'll need everybody to be able to travel on their own."
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Wraen - July 27, 2018
"That is probably the wisest," Wraen agreed, because think as much as you might, there was no possibly safe way of carrying or herding all eight puppies for a long distance. They were very small, they got tired easily and they would be in a lot more danger outside Sunspire.
"Perhaps in the autumn - when the kids are adolescents and we can have them practice-hunting the big game," she added. "Herds will be on the move around that time as well - a great chance not to miss. But, if we decide to do so, it would also be wise to train them some self-defence in the meanwhile. Do you think Treason and Bernard would be up for such a task?"
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Rannoch’s Ghost - July 30, 2018
They were in agreement, and Rannoch did not anticipate that Terance would have any issues with what had been discussed.
The conversation shifted slightly, and Wraen discussed ways in which the pack could better prepare themselves. "Yes," Rannoch agreed, "It would be wise to prepare ourselves for the unexpected." When asked about Terance and Bernard's involvement, Rannoch nodded immediately. "I'm sure they'd be up for it."
"I think Treason should be included in that group, too," he added. "She's skilled, and we can learn from her."
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Wraen - July 30, 2018
"Well, in that case I leave all of the talking part to you," Wraen said. "I get along famously with Bernard, but I think that you can handle Treason better. Not that there have been any problems between us, but we are so different that it is difficult to find a common... tongue? Would that be the expression?" she chuckled, but could not come up with any better. It was true, while she had nothing against Treason and - perhaps - the guardian felt the same way about her, one encounter with her had been enough for Wraen to realize that they would never be close friends, or even friends for that matter. Professional acquaintances was the best she could hope for.
"While scavenging along the lake yesterday," she moved on to the next subject, "I thought it would be fun to take kids down there, once they are a bit older. Not only there are sandy beaches and shallow waters to play in, there are plenty of frogs to learn to hunt and keep it fun and easy at the same time.
I remember doing this, when I was very little. Did not catch anything then, I think, but hell of water, splashing and pushing Terance in the dirt. 10% of time anyway."
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Rannoch’s Ghost - August 02, 2018
Despite her phrasing, Rannoch understood what Wraen was getting at; Treason was difficult to read. He nodded. "I think that's the expression," Rannoch coincided with a wave of his tail. "But, yes, I'll talk to them both."
The next subject invoked a smile and a laugh from Rannoch. "You? Push Terance into the dirt? I don't believe it," he teased with a chuckle. "I like the idea, though. Maybe we could plan to do this when my lot are a bit older? Before the cold begins to return?" he suggested.
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Wraen - August 03, 2018
"Well... technically he slipped, but I helped him to go all the way down," Wraen replied with a sly smile. The circumstances did not really count, what mattered that he had been about to fall and she had taken the rare opportunity to pounce at him and push him all the way down.
"Certainly," Wraen nodded, though she was not so sure, if there would be many frogs to catch, when the cold rolled in. They had a tendency to disappear around that time. "Speaking of which - I do not think that I ever heard the magnificent legend of, how Rannoch came about? Since we are established pack for a while now, I think it is a high time we started to take notices of the noble history. Because - you know it is a matter of time before you become a grandfather and then you will be dead."
Will push this thread towards Wraen's Historian thread. Shower her with facts, Chan!
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Rannoch’s Ghost - August 07, 2018
"That was very kind of you to step in and help," Rannoch mused.
With the transition in their conversation, Rannoch found himself faced with an unexpected request. "Wow, haven't thought about that in a while. It's, uh, kinda dramatic," he prefaced with a chuckle. "I was born to the west of these mountains in Neverwinter Forest—I'm not sure if you know of it. My father, Scimitar, lead the pack alongside my mother, Eshe. I had a brother, Cypress." His heart twisted tightly; it had been some time since he had last thought about his family. "When I saw young, I was pup-napped by a man named Skellige. He was a dark man with white markings on his ribs." Rannoch still had nightmares about the Levithan. "He brought me to his pack and threw me into the ocean. It was a custom of his... a way of "blessing" me." He shrugged.
"Moons passed, and I grew. Eventually, I weaseled my way out of the packlands and tracked down my brother. When we reunited, he told me that a bear had killed our parents when they were out looking for me. I ran far away, outside of the Teekons. I stayed there a while and lived on my own. I nearly died. I knew I had to return to the valley."
"When I did, I tracked down my brother, Cypress and our cousin, Rian. Together, we created a pack for misfit yearlings and settled within the Vale. During this time, I met Liffey, and we hit it off." He smiled at the mention of his wife—she had entered his life at a time where he needed her companionship the most.
"Cypress went missing unexpectedly, and I went out to find him one night. While I was tracking him, a wolf named Vaati attacked and nearly killed me. Hydra and her sisters saved me and took me back to Moonspear."
"And... that's about the time we met," he concluded with a smile; this was his first successful re-telling of his history. Most times, Rannoch found it hard to reflect.
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Wraen - August 08, 2018
"Geez..." Wraen listened to Rannoch's story with wide eyes and mouth a little agape. He had not been wrong by telling that his past had been dramatic. Compared to his turbulent first year of life, hers had been a path with roses and daisies. Sure there had been hardships during the travels and hunger at times again, but she could not recall any bad event that would besmirch her happy memories of childhood.
"What happened to that pack with misfit yearlings? Was that..." Wraen closed her eyes, trying to recall the name of the wolf, who had been cornered and attacked on the borders many months ago. "...that Red... Redskunk - ? - guy from that pack too?"
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Rannoch’s Ghost - August 09, 2018
Rannoch nodded. "Yeah, Redshank," he replied. "I'm honestly not sure what happened to the group. I guess they disbanded after I went missing," he frowned, "Hydra let them all know what had happened but, I guess her word wasn't enough to keep them together."
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Wraen - August 09, 2018
"Oh, all right," Wraen nodded and thought that perhaps she had been a little too intrusive in the matter. Surely a near death experience at the paws of another wolf could not be too pleasant to remember. On the other hand - things you do for friends, eh?
She was silent for a bit, memorizing the bits and pieces of the biography he had told her and feeling that already the facts he had given her had been processed to become slightly different than they actually had been. A more dramatic scene there, some better lighting and colors in another place and had she been familiar with the concept of "soundtracks", she would have definitely added some piano or string quartet music as well.
"And what about your family name? Frostfurs? I know that - for example - my very long and complex one "Redleaf-DiSarinno" comes from two branches of large families. The latter is of my grandfather's and has been passed down for generations by wolves, who cherished Roman heritage. Therefore half of my aunts and uncles on mother's side are named in that fashion - Atticus, Crete, Athena, Atlantia, Sparta and Perseus," she shared the names of those relatives she had never ever met (and would not either, because they were all gone) that she remembered, feeling sure that there had been more.
"And then there is Redleaf part - my grandmother March Owl was born under a different name, but as a child she was abandoned by her parents and most of her siblings. Therefore in spite she disowned that family name and together with the pack she lived together then, created a new one. I think it had to do something with a maple forest they resided in. Therefore - "Redleaf"," she went on. "But one tradition she brought into the lines was naming kids after birds. Her own brother had been Osprey and she had a sister Peregrine. And in memory of them both, she called my mom and my uncle after them."
I am recounting history that I saw myself unfolding like 6 - 7 years ago! God, how time flies!
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Rannoch’s Ghost - August 10, 2018
When asked about his predecessors, Rannoch shrugged; those were memories that had been long lost because of his traumatic upbringing. Despite this, he listened to Wraen with interest.
"That's all... really fascinating," Rannoch replied. "I wish that I could tell you all about my family but, I'm afraid that I can't really remember. The only thing that really sticks out is my name... it was my grandfather's apparently," that much he could recall, "But, I... think... I forgot everything my parents had told me," he admitted; the details of his lineage had died with Scimitar and Eshe.
RE: talk used to be cheap, nowadays it’s free - Wraen - August 11, 2018
"Well, that's why we are here to make our own history," Wraen attempted to cheer Rannoch up, "and, if you ever feel like you need to be adopted - I think Terance won't object of adding you to the vast Redleaf-DiSarinno clan. I think that he will make a splendid dad and I will be a decent and stern mom."
She wanted to say something else, but an urgent call from the borders made her alert - she glanced at Rannoch to see, if he was coming, and together they left to sort out, whatever trouble there was going on.