Sleepy Fox Hollow Sitontik

AHHHHHh the moment has come! @Shivali @Tahani @Takiyok @Tomkin @Sos @Aningan @Tunerk @Currituck allllll are welcome however, but beware defensive due to young pups

The time had finally come, the soft spoken idea spoken of between himself and Shivali was coming to pass. Siarut had always thought this day might happen, but had always assumed it would have been after their father had passed. However, Sia found that he liked this much better. The last few months had been a strain on all of them, but now they were closer than ever. The Ateneq siblings had overcome so much, from pups to disapperances, and they had emerged stronger than ever. Ready to face the world on their own. With Takiyok's scouting ability they had found a place to call home, and Siarut was getting antsy just thinking about the prosepect of seeing the fridgid snows once more. 

Day was just breaching as he came to a stop in the first place where they had all been reunited once more. Slowly setting Tunerk down so as not to hurt the girl, Sia turned to look at Shivali as she to set Sos down gently on the ground. This would be their resting spot for the day. After some deliberation it was decided that they would travel mostly at night for the safety of the pups.

They had reconviened with Tomkin shortly after leaving Blackfeather Woods. The reunion was sweet, and Siarut found he had lost any anger as soon as he had seen that his younger brother was safe. They didn't have much time to linger as they had much ground to cover before day broke. Staying in Otter Creek had given them time to reaffirm their siblings bonds before taking the first jaunt over the mountains. Tak's guidance had been much appreciated, and Siarut was glad she had made this journey before them. 

"I think we have travelled far enough for the day." This was a good enough place to rest. The clouds were gathering abover their heads, still unsure whether it was going to rain. However, it would keep the sun's heat away for the day, giving the northern wolves slight reprieve from the unforgiving heat.

so their are 4 pups and 5 adults. I'm assuming we will carry most of them. I'm carrying Tunerk.

Even as tired as she was from already making this journey once, she was filled with excitement and anticipation that her family was moving to the place she already claimed in her head as theirs. She had no doubt they would all fall in love with Duskfire Glacier the minute they set paw there, just like she had. 

At Sia's words, she slowed to a stop and turned to do a quick scan of the group to make sure they were all there and then a quick scan of the surroundings to check for potential threats. She remembered this place well from her scouting trip. It had been the first place there was water soon after she had entered the mountains. She had warned her family of this and made sure they all drank their fill where otter creek ran and stopped to form a small pond a few miles into the mountains. 

To be honest, the pace was killing her even with being tired and thin from her recent trip, but she understood there were limitations to traveling with the pups, and she would never put them at risk. It just meant that she sometimes did extra patrols and other things to burn off energy. Right now, though, she was thirsty and tired. The rocky terrain they had just trekked through had done more than a good job of sapping her energy stores. 

As the other's settled down for the day, Taki trotted over to the water and greedily drank until she couldn't anymore. She then found a tree nearby the water and plopped down with a sigh. Her thoughts drifted to the older wolf she had met the last time she was here--the wolf who had spoken the language of their home, and she wondered if where she was now. Her mind soon drifted to the map she had in her head of where they needed to go. She mentally checked this map constantly, terrified of leading her family the wrong way or not preparing them for any difficult parts of the journey. As she lied in the shade, Taki started planning where they would go tonight when the sun set enough for them to move again while keeping an eye on her tired family.

She knew the journey would be long. Takiyok had made it with ease, traveling by herself for most of it. Traveling together takes more time and four puppies considerably slow them down. Their first day of travel through Otter Creek took more out of her than she anticipated, only continuing over a small mountain range (and small is surely an understatement). They afforded several breaks for the children and Shivali relished in them, too. Pent up anxiety over the last several weeks weighs heavily on her shoulders easily shine through but she focuses on the single task of putting as much distance between themselves and the woods.
 
Siarut decides where to stop and she releases a long breath, feeling her legs burn now that they’ve become still. She closes her eyes, lowers her head, and gently sets @Sos down at her feet. @Tunerk is collected and @Tomkin drops @Aningan off, and soon @Tahani lets Currituck go nearby, whom clamors close for a feeding. A fourth, unexpected pup is an added toll on all of them, more specifically her own children. For now, she has enough to give them but the new stress will catch up to her soon. Slowly, Shivali lowers to the ground while the puppies swarm upon her for a feeding—a little more cramped than usual—but she tiredly turns upward to the group.
 
“Can someone find an empty den?” she asks upon her siblings. If not a den, then somewhere to hide away for the day or so they stay. She can’t have any of the children exposed without them all there and in a place like this, she’s sure there’s got to be something to be offered.

The girl doesn’t really like being carried, giving a lot of protest at first. She’d had all this freedom prior and now she’s limited to this, dangling from Tahani’s jaws. She tries to sleep through most of it when she realizes struggling is futile. Sleep doesn’t come easy with the jostling but it’s the only thing she can do.
 
When they finally come to a stop, she’s placed near the white wolf offering her food too. She hesitantly clamors along the other three children, just slightly bigger than she is, and tries not to get in the way too much . As she stomachs as much food as possible, she releases and shuffles back, looking around the group with a little confusion and without the proper words to verbalize it.

Cameo.

Tunerk was amazed by all of her surroundings. She had not gotten terribly attached to the Woods, and their travels, to Tunerk, seemed natural to her. Sometimes Tunerk dosed in her relatives jaws, other times she was simply looking around. By the time they stopped, she was hungry; she scampered toward her mother, tail waving, and latches onto a teat. Even when the new cub stops eating, Tunerk continues.

tags for reference, obvs

it was taking a lot of effort for Tahani not to revert back to the absolute grump of a wolf she had been on her journey down. away from the shade of the trees, it was hot, and she was consistently cross, with the added burden of Currituck in her mouth. not that she didn't love the little girl--with all her heart, she did--but it was just one extra variable on top of everything else.

what kept her going was the prospect of a new, more suitable home, and Tahani was utterly grateful when they stopped in the mountains to rest, in a cool, shady hollow that was not as dark as the Woods but offered some comfort from the sun. Shivali began to feed the babes, and asked about a den; Tahani was happy to take up the challenge.

with quick, quiet words stating her quest, she trotted off from the group, enjoying the morning breeze through her pelt. this was the place where they had all been reunited, and her heart warmed at the thought, even as her legs yearned for rest. she padded around the hollow for some time, poking her nose here and there, looking for a place for the pups to take shelter.

finally, not too terribly far from their location, she found a hole between the roots of ancient trees--unbeknownst to her, @Moorhen had found this den moons ago, when a harem thought to settle here. Tahani stuck her head in, inhaling deeply and checking for any signs of danger. when none was found, she dug for a little while until she tired, having increased the size of the den enough for an adult and all the children to fit inside comfortably. Shivali and she could simply take turns watching the babes.

eyelids fluttering with weariness, Tahani loped back to her siblings, jerking her head toward from where she'd came. "den," she said shortly, nearly falling to the ground in her relief. she yawned, jaws gaping wide. "in the pine roots. you'll find my scent there."

Tahani was quick to take up Shivali's plea, which Siarut was glad for. He wanted to get some sort of perimeter estblished with Takiyok before everyone fell asleep. They wouldn't be around for long, but boundaries helped to keep unwanted predators at bay. 

When she returned Siarut nodded and made his way toward Shivali, to help her toward the den with the brood the surrounded her. The sun was making its way across the sky, and he knew the shadows would be making a quick retreat soon enough. 

should probably wrap this up cuz its gone on way longer than it should have lol

Taki rested while Tahani found a den for Shivali. She knew Sia would want her to help him set up some temporary borders soon so they could be somewhat protected while they rested here for the day. It wouldn't deter like the strong borders of an area claimed by pack, but that, in combination with with the patrols she and Sia would no doubt be doing, should provide enough of a defense so that their family could rest uninterrupted.

The uncertainty being on the move brought, was a source of major anxiety for Taki. When she made this journey on her own, she had only herself to worry about. Now she needed to help Sia keep the family safe, which was not an easy task while travelling, especially with young pups.

Tahani finds a den for them and she nods, slowly getting to her feet, dislodging those still eating. They can eat again when they’ve moved and can sleep without any further disruption. She leans down and picks up one of the puppies, allowing others close enough to scoop up the rest, and together they migrate the rest of the distance for a few hours of rest.