Whitefish River the road goes ever on

Set during the journey of the Phoenixes! Am especially keen for Shreya to chat to those she hasn't met yet, like @Casmir @Desna @Chosovi @Laika @Gaia~

It was late evening but the sky was still bright blue in places, the low sun shining through clouds darkening for the night. Shreya, an old wolf, was among the nomads settling down on the protective banks of a river she didn't know. As they'd travelled onwards, the far-distant Maplewood now no more than a memory, she had decided not to ask Saena and Luke where they might be going, making a purposeful choice to trust her Alphas just as her subordinates had once trusted her. But she'd remained close to them along the way anyway, partly because if she brought up the rear she'd drop behind and get lost, and partly out of an instinct to remain close to her great grandchildren, Saena's three pups.

Right now, however, she left the little family to itself, and rested by the river, dangling her aching forepaws down over the bank so she could cool them in the water. It was quite a comical sight, given that her hindlegs were folded behind her. Ahh, said Shreya with satisfaction. The water felt lovely.

he had seen the woman once at Saena's den, but only briefly. they had settled for the night; Casmir had slipped into his familiar routine of patrolling the small area that they had chosen for themselves. he had taken his turns carrying each pup; returning little Laurel to the protective embrace of his cousin and her mate, the boy trotted off for a drink.

he saw the elder again, soaking her paws in the cool shallows; the Mayfair child hid a smile and approached to sidle alongside her, dipping his muzzle down to take a long draught. "how are you doing?" he asked kindly, once he had slaked his thirst.

Without withdrawing her forepaws from the water, Shreya turned her muzzle to regard the boy. So far, she respected him because he had height, youth and growing bulk — a good bodyguard for a caravan of vulnerable creatures. It's Casmir, isn't it, she recalled first off.

Stiff and sleepy, a little bit windy, but otherwise chipper, she replied, frank as ever. How're your spirits holding up?

he licked droplets from his chin. "my paws are sore," he muttered, settling into a passable imitation of the woman's stance and thrusting his own feet with a splash into the water, "and i keep wondering if they are gonna follow us. you know. Reek an' them all." Cas studied the woman -- Saena had singled her out specifically during their hurried meeting before they left the Maplewood, and he'd always wondered why, if it was a different reason than the fact that the old wolf hadn't wanted to move again. "i'm Casmir Mayfair," he introduced. himself, unsure if he had done so before. "you're Shreya, right?"

Laika arched her back in a stretched, tail curling in pleasure. She stood up full height again, glancing around the bank of the river to each wolf who was there. Her eyes then glanced at another male wolf who walked up to an older wolf. She heard the name Shreya, and Casmir and guessed those were their names. She eyes the female's position with her paws dipped into the water. She smiled and padded silently over. That wasn't such a bad idea. 

She tried to recall the last time she's seen these wolves, but she couldn't quite put a paw on it. Her own paws were pretty soar and heated and she stepped into the water a few yards away, letting the liquid flow around her ankles and cool her feet.

She nodded as this amiable Casmir Mayfair asked if her name was Shreya, but paused before replying to his musing. She wasn't scared of Reek — she was confident beyond a shadow of a doubt that the male would not hurt his own grandmother — but she knew what he meant. Reek's pack was allied with these threatening "Dragons" she'd heard of.

But before she could speak again, she was distracted by another wolf nearby — a female paddling in the river. Come join us, young 'un, she invited with a gesture of her head. The small girl looked younger than she probably was, but to Shreya most everyone was young.

I don't think they'll follow us, she theorised at last, moving her eyes back to Casmir's dashing face. For one, we would've smelled them by now. And for another, they've already won. If their numbers are big enough, they can expand into the Maplewood now. It's done and dusted, we've nothing more to worry about but the path ahead.

they were joined by another wolf, who seated herself in the water some distance away. Casmir had become innately guarded, but Shreya warmly invited the other to join. no harm in that, he decided. the elder's words rang confident and true -- he found himself nodding several times. "that's fair," he answered when she had finished. 

he flicked his paws in the water. "i hope we go all the way to the coast. my mom 'n dad have a pack there. we're family to saena -- i know he would fight for her if it came to that. and my dad has a friend further down on the seashore. another pack. they are close. so i think the coast would be the safest bet for us. friends and family." he trailed off, realizing he had been rambling.

Laika let a warm smile dance upon her lips as the older wolf - Shreya was it? - invited her over. Usually it was Laika who made the first comment, so it felt good to be relieved of that job for once. She padded softly through the water, trying to minimize the splashing. She didn't want to leave the water for it felt so good, but she didn't want to splash the wolves either. She nodded in in greeting to both wolves. "I'm Laika. Your Shreya, right?" She said then turned to the male wolf. "And I don't believe I know your name?"

Her ears pricked as the male mentioned that he and Saena had family down by the coast. She had no idea! It was amazing how little she knew sometimes that it was almost amusing. She also had no knowledge of where they were going, but from what he said, it appeared that they were going to the cost as well. Just to make sure, she asked, "Do you two know where the pack is headed?"

Once introductions were done, and they were confirmed as Laika, Casmir and Shreya — once of Phoenix Maplewood, now of the open road — the threads of the conversation were picked up easily, and Shreya listened with interest and contributed with thought. The coast sounds like a good idea, she agreed. Especially if there are friends nearby to protect us. Have you considered asking our Alphas? she put to them. It was, to Shreya, an obvious piece of advice. Want to know what someone's planning? Step one: ask them.

"Casmir," he answered tightly, though he managed a smile that was as charming as he could muster. the more he thought about it, the more foolish his idea became. he had left his family in a huff -- what if the Dragons followed Saena and her pack across the mountains, despite what Shreya said? was he supposed to go back to them with war possibly behind his heels?

"i haven't yet. maybe i'll mention it to Saena." his dad was the peaceable sort. hippie. whatever. would he even want to help? the stress of it all made the boy restless; he gathered himself to his paws. "i'm gonna scout a little," he mumbled. "nice meeting you both."


he set off then at a lanky clip, wanting no more than to be alone, even from the muddle of his thoughts.

Laika smiled as Casmir left, nodding a goodbye. She turned and sat down on her rump, tail twitched back and forth as she let her forepaws rest in the water. 

Her stomach heaved in a long relaxed sigh as the young she-wolf looked off into the distance.. They had travelled a good distance so far, and Laika could definitely see that the two wolves were right. They were headed towards the coast. 

sorry for the short post, I'm at a loss for words :D

:D

Shreya gave Casmir a friendly nod, and watched him go. She wanted him to stay, frankly, and didn't know why he'd left, but at least this way she could focus on Laika and look into her potential. So, Laika, she readjusted her position so she could get a better look at the petite female. What's your role among the Phoenixes?

Laika thought. "I guess I'm a hunter." She replied. "That's how I got into this pack." She smiled as she remembered her first hint with Reek. She had blown him away! Then, the petite female turned back to the older wolf.

"What's your role?" She asked. Shreya was a wise wolf and very important to the pack. She was sure the wolf did a lot of things. Her tail swished, dipping into the water to create a small splash.

A hunter? She nodded her approval — hunters were exceptionally important to any pack. As to the question, Shreya replied, my role is to pass on my worldly knowledge and advice to anyone who wants it. So far you seem like you've got your own young life under control, she shared her first impression of the girl. After Esaro and Grace, Laika seemed very well-adjusted. I hope you're ambitious...?

Laika smiled at the complement. It was nice to have an older wolf to talk to. "Yes, I'm quite ambitious." She replied with a sheepish smile. "I'm working very hard to get my rank up!" Laika figured that Shreya was already up there, but that made sense! Shreya was an old wise wolf with a very important role whose been working very hard to get where she is. Laika hopes she'll be like that when she's older.

Shreya blinked her marsh-blue eyes from the river back to this new hopeful. The old woman was, again, approving, and decided to give this young Laika a gentle push in the right direction. Not that she necessarily needed a mentor, of course, but all the wolves of this pack needed to keep their chins up and reach for greater things, and Shreya saw herself as someone who could remind them of this. That's good. Mind if I ask what you're doing to achieve a promotion? Maybe I can help.

Laika smiled and her tail wagged. She was glad someone was willing to help her reach her goals... Except... What were her goals exactly? She knew she wanted to get a higher rank, but what in particular did she have to do to get there? The two year old honestly didn't know. "Well, I guess I need to do something to catch Saena and Luke's attention. I need to stand out.. But how?" She looked up at Shreya. She didn't expect the female to know the answer, but maybe she could help her get to the answer.

It was a tricky one, there was no denying that. This was not a traditional pack situation, and their new Alpha Male remained an unknown. One thing Shreya had theorised about Luke was that it was foolish to question him, but she had no intention of going around telling everyone that. It was cowardly advice, and hardly a failsafe anyway. But if Laika here was a hunter, there was a bright path to promotion ahead even if she did one thing only: hunt. When the pack settles down for its next long rest, or even settles down for good, how about you head out and catch the trail of some larger prey? If you report to our Alphas that you have the location of, say, a deer herd, I believe that'll stand you in good stead.

Laika nodded as the female's words sunk in. "That's a really good idea Shreya! Thank you." The young white wolf was excited now, ancy to get going and hopefully settle down soon and find a prey trail. Little did she know, locusts were on their way to the Teekon Wilds, and that would ruin any immediate plans. 

Laika then decided to direct the attention back to the old wolf who had been so helpful. Laika wanted to know more about Shreya, and the best way to do that was to ask more questions. My, what would the world be like without questions? "So, where do you come from Shreya?" She asked with growing curiosity. "Did you grow up in the Teekon Wilds or did you travel here?"

She smiled faintly, and gave a nod of acceptance. It was nice to be of use, especially out here where simple physical survival was far more valuable than an old woman's advice. Shortly the conversation turned to Shreya herself, and she was content to oblige. For many years I was Alpha of an ancient but reclusive pack along the Colombia River. I came to the Maplewood to retire... funny how these things work out, eh? she quipped. Some retirement this was.

Laika couldn't help but stifle a little laugh. Shreya came here to retire, yet, they were on the move to a new home. "I'm sorry about that! If there's anything I can do for you, please let me know! You did help me after all." She told the old wolf. She tried her best to always be of assistance to others, and that was what she was going to do now. 

My apologies for short post!... Again!! :D

dw, I like a short post! ^__^

Shreya shared in the chuckle. She was fine with the irony, really, and had been rolling with the punches. She could hardly have stayed in Phoenix Maplewood alone, and had grown attached to the Phoenixes anyway. Well, I always appreciate a spare bite whenever you have one, she responded. So maybe in future we could go for a casual arrangement of sorts — I could share my knowledge of worldly things, in exchange for a bite of your latest catch? Though don't worry if you come up short. Frankly, I'm perfectly happy to advise ambitious young things for free, especially if it's of benefit to the pack.

Laika smiled, tail wagging once again. The young woman could hardly hold back her excitment as determination flared ever brighter in her chest. "Sounds good Shreya. I'd love to help out with that!" So the she-wolf took it upon herself to somewhat feed her packmate as much as she possibly could. Frankly, she looked forward to it. It was one of the greater responsibilities she's had in her lifetime and it would definitely be a challenge. She loved challenges!

Her tail thumped against the ground as she thought about it. She made a goal in her head to provide Shreya with a catch at least every other day. The white woman was probably making this a bigger deal of it than it really was but she wanted to do a good job at it. She wanted to please her.

He he.

End here? :)

She had to admit it: she was rather endeared by Laika's enthusiasm. But she reminded Shreya a little bit of Esaro... and so she made note of this for another day.

Well, we'd best get some rest young 'un, she advised, finally pulling her wet paws from the river. We'll be up and moving again before you know it.

Sure, I'll post my last one.

Laika nodded, holding back a small yawn. They had been traveling most of the day to get here, and she knew they would not stop here. She bid her goodnights to Shreya and padded over to find an untaken spot. Eventually, the pale wolf found a patch of moss within the reeds, slightly sheltered by the overhang of a bush. She flattened the reeds a bit before settling down with her head on her paws. She closed her blue eyes, trying her best to drift into a soft slumber.