Two Rivers Isle i knock the ice from my bones

@Devin <3 successful hunt roll

 

The sun had begun it's descent into the skyline letting Arturo know that evening had settled over the Teekon Wilds. Already, the sky that stretched vast and unending over Two Rivers Isle was painted with the pastel colors of sunset: beautiful but the mobster's attention was not on the beauty of the bleeding sky horizon but instead on the groundhog he gave chase to. He'd spent all day exploring this particular territory, enticed by the two rivers that surrounded it, acting like a barrier, a forest mixed with pines, cedars, dogwoods and sentinels at the southern edge of the territory provided ample shelter it's hills were bare but there was green returning to the earth and it didn't take much imagination to know that they were lush in their peak season. Mentally, he eyed it as a potential territory to claim when ever life came back to the Teekon Wilds and forming a pack was not a fool's plight as it was currently. He'd been exploring the forest in the territory in depth when he'd stopped — abruptly — having caught the scent of a groundhog. He breathed in the scent deeply, a slow rumble in his stomach and saliva pooling in his mouth as he lowered his head and let his fiery orange-red gaze sweep the skeletal bracken covered ground locking upon his prey when he saw it: almost hard to discern from the bare brown of the dogwood trunk it dug near expect Arturo had seen it's muscles moving, had heard the furious raking of it's claws against the earth.

Arturo's breathing was steady, heavy as he chased after it, pushing himself further and faster as it tried to throw him off by weaving haphazardly through the trees, but it had been some time since he'd last eaten: perhaps a day or so and the gangster was not so easily dissuaded. The odds appeared to be in his favor Arturo thought as his teeth latched around the little beasts' neck and he gave a furious shake of his head, ignoring the groundhog's squeal of protest. It snapped beneath the force of his jaws and the thing fell limp betwixt the Fearghal monarch's jaws. Saliva dribbled unappealingly from the corner of his mouth at the anticipation of dining ...it wasn't much of a feast and it was only fit for a poor king — but that was what he was now, these days. A begger king, but by necessity, of circumstance forged by mother nature's own hand. It would not be forever but it was the truth for now.

He loped easily through the forest, panting around the groundhog clamped betwixt his jaws with the intention of taking it deeper into the forest, to it's heart where he intended to enjoy his meal and the sunset in conjunction to one another.

Thanks for starting! I would've replied yesterday but my cousins house didn't have wifi.

Devin walked along the forest, searching for prey. She had come far to get to Teekon, somewhere new. Finally somewhere new. No more listening to grandma or working for anyone but herself. While that seemed pretty exciting for the yearling, as independent as she was, she unconsciously came to Teekon hoping to find her father. She had always been able to count on Arturo. He'd backed her up when she'd been in trouble and helped her. Though she hated needing people, she needed her dad. 

She crossed a river onto an island like area with a large variety of trees that probably looks good in full bloom. Swiftly she strode through the brush, hoping to find some signs of life. A low growl rumbled in her stomach, only reminding her of her hunger. She would have to stop after a bit longer, she was so hungry that she'd lost a lot of energy. Her ivory paws began to move slower that her normal stride and her breathing was heavier. This famine was rough and wherever she was there didn't seem to be many packs or other wolves for that matter. That's when she caught onto a scent. A wolf had passed down here not to long ago, possibly in pursuit. It smelled familiar but she was too caught up in following it to match the scent to any memorable face.

Devin soon came upon another wolf, who'd caught a groundhog. Eyes widened, a light purr emitted from her throat. Could she take it? Maybe he'd leave scraps behind? She scanned over the scene trying to strategize a way to get his kill when she realized something. This was her dad! Arturo! She's found him! Tail wagging slightly she walked calmly from her hiding spot she barked to get his attention. Hey dad. Nice catch. She smiled, waiting for him to notice. Hopefully he'd be willing to share with his daughter.

It was no problem at all! <3

The light purr akin sound did not go unnoticed by the svelte coywolf whose eyes narrowed, a low warning growl rumbling up the strong column of his throat, attempting to otherwise ignore the presence of whatever stranger had decided to creep upon him. It was a time for generosity, but his generosity came at a price. Nothing was ever truly free and this was something of a creed that Arturo clung to: and upheld himself to, as was only fair. There was something to be said for the type of “gentleman” that the Fearghal monarch was and it was a simple yet powerful word: dangerous. It took a certain level of cunning to be the leader of a gang, after all and such was not something that Arturo lacked. Perhaps the bark to garner his attention should have brought with it a familiarity but it did not — at least, not immediately. Arturo's pace slowed to a cease and gently he laid his catch across his front paws, salmon pink tongue smoothing across his chin and jowls to clean it of the blood that had dribbled down his chin. The words, the praise was undeniably strange to be falling from a stranger's mouth and only then did Arturo look at her, his head snapping in his direction like a whip, lips parted with his sharp question upon his tongue.

The words died in his mouth, never to fall from his lips, instead a very different one wrenching from him in a choked noise, “Devin?” The coywolf demanded. Yet, there was no mistaking her. For a bizarre moment he thought he was staring at a younger version of his mother, except Devin was too sylphlike, looked too much like him in the face to be Boadicea (and for that Arturo was forever grateful). And then realization truly sunk in and though he desired to close the distance between them and embrace his youngest (his baby) he refrained. Devin, out of them all, had been most like Arturo and he respected her want for independence and space. For a wild moment he struggled between the rush of relief and the flood of dread — not unfamiliar to Arturo for he'd felt the very same things when he'd been reunited with Cearney. While his children were his entire world and he was happy to see his second daughter here, too, he also feared her presence. Green had begun to return, yes, but there was no telling when it would be enough to warrant the return of the herds and he did not deign for his children to know the never-ending hunger and suffering that he had endured during the previous month: that he battled still.

His previous moments of selfishness were lost, abandoned as he gazed upon his youngest with all the affection and love expected of a doting father. “Are you hungry?” His paternal instincts were not something he could turn off and it was only natural to want to provide for his daughter, despite that she was long past the stage of needing him. “Here,” His head lowered and he nosed his stiffening kill towards her, licking his chops once more, head and fiery gaze lifting to regard her carefully, looking for any signs of physical wounds. “You can eat.” Even if it meant he wouldn't.

Can I just say I love your writing style! It's so unique and beautiful <3

Devin grinned when her father realized it was her. It had only been for a second that she'd thought he might not recognize her. But that feeling of fear had dissipated with his funny choked sound. Devin? Arturo managed, he seemed in doubt for a moment but caught on. She noted his hesitance to embrace her. She was glad that he respected her lifestyle wishes, but at the same time, she longed for the comfort of her father. She looked him over for a second, recognizing how hungry he looked. This was hardly her father that she looked at. He was so skinny, when he used to be so strong. She looked up to him still, but she could tell he was weakened.

The white thief rushed forwards, stopping at her father's side and rubbing her head along his dark colored flank. I missed you. She said, almost inaudible as she was smothered in his fur. She stepped back when he spoke again asking how she was. She was bombarded with love and concern, and it made her scowl. I told you I don't want all of your concern. I want you to treat me like an adult because I'm pretty much an adult. She said, sternly but at the same time with respect in her tone. She knew he would probably never stop caring for her, but she could still try. And so just to please him, she allowed him to check her for wounds or injuries until he was satisfied.

I'm ok dad. But I'm hungry. We should share it cause you look hungry too. She said, staring up at him yet glancing towards his groundhog, drool threatening to fall from her mouth. The food called to her like a plant calls for the sun. She needed it, so without further ado, she squatted around it and dug in. He scooted over to leave her dad a spot along the carcass, tail wagging as she sunk her teeth into the delicious red meat. Each time she swallowed she could almost feel the energy coursing through her blood. It was only then that she realized how hungry she'd really been.

omg, thank you so much. your compliment made my night! <3

 

The grin that his pallid daughter gave him was one to out match the devil's own, and Arturo felt a swell of pride midst the warmth and emotion that rose in his chest, up his throat where it caught. For a moment, the Fearghal was overwhelmed with it, struggling with all that he wanted to say. Cearney's appearance had been enough to bring the king to his knees but it was Devin's that was strong enough to break him. He had thought, speaking his goodbyes to Bain, Devin and Cearney (for Bowie had already left Quicksilver Hollow at that point) that he would never see them again. They had outgrown their need for him as Arturo had outgrown the Hollow. The legacy he'd created there would always live in his mother's shadow and thus it had been time for the Fearghal to move it elsewhere, to build it back from the ground up, ungoverned and free of the warrior queen's shadow.

Arturo had allowed Devin to make the decision to approach him and the moment the gaunt coywolf felt his daughter's head press against the fur of his flank — so quick that it would easily be missed if his daughter had not been paying attention — the Fearghal monarch let out a single, quiet sob. Letting them go had always been apart of the growing up process but he would never stop being their father and he would never stop loving them as his children. Arturo struggled to understand what to do with the overwhelming feelings that consumed him. Someday, he would have more children, but for now Devin and her siblings were all he had and thus the subject to all of his worry and affection.

“I missed you too, little dove,” Arturo whispered, barely managing to hear her words muffled as they'd been by his fur. Devin's scowl reminded Arturo that he was probably being too suffocating for her liking but in that moment he hadn't — and didn't — care. She could live with it. He'd been reunited with his daughters and that was something that Arturo intended to treasure. It was a mystical thing for him to wrap his mind around after admitting to himself of the very real possibility that he would never see them again. “Adult or not you will always be my child.” He reminded her softly, not taking her words to heart. Arturo had no qualms with treating her like the adult she was — but sometimes he still saw his children as the mewling infants and curious pups they'd been. Devin didn't understand because she was not a parent, and Arturo didn't expect her to. Perhaps, one day, she would come to learn why he (and no doubt Duana) had sometimes struggled with it. He didn't focus upon that thought long, though. Instead, he was silently thanking whatever deities would listen that he was so fortunate to have been reunited with not one but two of his children. “Someday, when you have kids of your own you will understand, Devin.”

She spoke of sharing the meal and was patient enough to let him inspect her to assure himself that she was alright and whole before she scooted aside, a silent gesture for him to join her, yet the gangster did not. Everything he did, he did for his family. Instead, he reclined back upon his haunches watching her eat. Part of him wanted to gorge himself on the half she was clearly attempting to save for him, but he would put her before himself as he always had. As a father was expected to. “Do not worry about me, little dove,” Arturo attempted to assure her. “You eat.” He reiterated, his deep timber forged with a subtle assertion. He didn't want any arguments: he wanted her to eat until her hunger was salved and if there was any left for him he would eat and if he didn't...it wasn't as if it would be the first time he'd went hungry.

Devin rolled her eyes at her father when he spoke again. Of course she would always be his child, she just didn't want the smothering that came with the title. He brought up having kids of her own, which was something that Devin didn't think about much. Kids of her own. Having children seemed like a hassle, like something she didn't want to deal with. But she would learn as she grew up. Like her father said, she didn't know what being a parent was like. She didn't know the joys of raising a child and watching them flourish. She didn't think about it, but she really was still a child. There was much she didn't know yet.

Her father allowed her to eat, not joining in. She wished he would've, it would've made her feel better. But he was such a good father, she knew he would trade his health for hers any day. She continued to eat, white downy tail wagging slightly behind her. She glanced up at her father as she ate, her previously clean mouth was now smeared with blood. She was a messy eater, she didn't care. She flashed Arturo a confused look and asked through red flesh, Are you sure dad? Cause I saved this part for you. She really felt quite bad not having him eat beside her, and she wished he would. She sat back and nudged a bit of the remaining groundhog towards him.

Devin's eye roll did not go unnoticed by Arturo and for a moment it occurred to Arturo that in just the brief time he'd been away from his children — specifically Devin herself — he'd forgotten how utterly agitating and frustrating that simple gesture was. To Arturo, he saw it as a gesture of rebellion, a dismissal of his words of wisdom. His “wisdom” was not always right — and sometimes his children did know better than him — but the insubordination, while not unexpected, seethed just under the surface of Arturo's skin where it could not be eased. Yet, with a remarkable amount of willpower — found simply because he did not want to ruin this reunion — he took a deep breath and let his irritation slip from his grasp as if it were smoke. It was surprisingly easy, though he offered his youngest a look that stated his lack of amusement. No matter how trying Devin and her siblings might have been — and were they ever trying — Arturo couldn't love them any more. Surely, there was nothing more powerful than a man's love for his family...for his children. They always made the test of his patience worth it, at the end of the day (and let's be honest Arturo deserved what his children could give him).

Devin's concern for him was warming, seen as, perhaps, touching to the gangster king and yet, despite how his stomach rumbled as his fiery red-orange gaze swept over the meal, the scent of blood enticing his temptation, he resisted. Her muzzle was ravaged in blood when she lifted her head from the groundhog. A gruesome sight upon his beautiful daughter, that with a blink took him back to the first time he'd seen her eat regurgitated meat before the memory was gone with the next blink. A feeling of nostalgia washed over him, though he was not sure why his level of sentimentality was so high as of late. He had been a constant and never ending presence in his children's lives from the moment they were born until the moment he spoke his goodbyes to them, despite that he had never taken Duana as his mate.

For a long moment Arturo simply studied her, canting his head ever so slightly to the side as he deliberated. He did not want Devin to worry after him — she needn't. Letting himself starve in favor of his daughter's hunger being sated was an easy decision to make but he considered how it might affect her. By now, he was weakened by the famine, his svelte appearance made more gaunt still by the lack of sustainable food. “You finish. I will eat then.” He assured her. It wasn't particularly a lie. He would eat...simply it might not be until the morning. That was just the odds. Thus far, they'd appeared to be in his favor for the most part but Arturo didn't put much stock into luck, nor was he so arrogant as to blindly believe that his good fortunate would continue until the famine was gone.

Devin noticed the way Arturo looked at her. He hadn't been very pleased with her eye roll, that was evident by the sour glance he gave her. Yes she would never escape the joys of being someone's child, not till the day she died. Arturo would always love her, that was sure enough. From the day she was born he'd been there, and now as she ate at a year old he was here too. While the presence of her other family members was bothersome to Devin, her father's she didn't mind. She felt safe, not judged around him, where the rest of her family would've scoffed at how unladylike she ate. She had never wanted to be a lady, and her father knew that.

Devin's doting father insisted, so she continued to eat. Luckily they were coy wolves, and she was rather small, so she needn't eat as much as a pure blood. She'd left the front legs, neck and head for her father, but scarfed down the rest with heart. She was tempted to continue eating a bit more, but she couldn't go on without being sure Arturo would be alright. His health was very important to her, especially now that she found him, she didn't want to lose him again. She sat back and licked her muzzle clean the best she could. Alright, I've finished. Please eat dad, I'm full I promise.

It seemed the two Fearghal's had reached a stalemate, neither one wanting to let the other go hungry. The difference, Arturo would argue, was that he had a duty to ensure that she did not go hungry; whereas Devin held no such duty for him. He was her provider — not the other way around. Fiery orange-red gaze studied her apprehensively as she sat back and began to clean the blood from her muzzle, announcing that she was finished. Arturo hesitated,visibly. He had little choice to believe her, in reality. It wasn't as if he could force her to finish eating the groundhog. Besides, she was more like him than he'd ever wanted to admit and in this he knew that she would simply refute his attempts, deflect him. There were times for insubordination and there were times when it wasn't acceptable and in which the gangster would not tolerate it. If he wished to press the issue he could have easily by asserting his dominance, providing the command of a father wouldn't have worked. It was a silly thing to fight over. A trivial thing, even, in normal circumstances. Yet, circumstances had been far from normal since his arrival in the Teekon Wilds.

For a second, Arturo half had the mind to lie to her: to tell her that he was not hungry but it would have been feeble and he held no doubt that Devin would have seen right through him. “Very well,” The melanistic coywolf agreed, eventually, and stepped towards his kill and tore slowly at the flesh, resisting the urge to wolf (heh) the remains Devin had left him down. He did not wish to make himself sick and also did not particularly want Devin to know just how hungry he really was. So hungry he wagered that he could eat a whole moose calf by himself. He ate another bite, as slowly as his first. He regarded Devin once more giving pause long enough to swipe his salmon pink tongue against his chops and ask, “What will you do now?” Before he returned to his meal, ears cupped forth in his pallid daughter's direction to display that he was being attentive.

Very well. Finally her father had given in. With a proud smile she stepped back and allowed him forwards to the kill. He tore into it, but slowly. The normal gusto of a hungry wolf seemed to be pained. He was holding back so as not to worry her. Devin wasn't a fool, she wouldn't fall for these silly games. She knew that he was just as hungry as she had been, but they shared a stubborn will and she knew she couldn't sway him any further. He looked up to her, his tongue swiping across his bloodied muzzle as he prepared to speak.

What would she do now? A good question. He returned to his meal, but ears remained attentive to her. Devin really didn't know where she'd be going. Not many packs were fond of coywolves, so joining one would be hard. She also didn't really want to join a pack, she wanted to travel and see things. But she was hungry, and even her efficiency at thievery wouldn't sustain her famished stomach forever. She thought about traveling with her dad, but that would defeat the whole purpose of branching out from her family and she didn't want to prove her family right. She didn't want their love and care, right? Well of course she did she just didn't like to show it. So what would she do?

The Fearghal's daughter was about to say I don't know, but she took a moment to think. If she said that, her dad would worry for sure and that was not what she wanted. For his sake, she would pretend that she had a plan. For his sake she would lie. I'm going to the coast. I heard there's more prey down towards there. And I've never been before. What about you dad where're you going? She turned the question back to him, she was still quite worried about his own health. Hopefully what she'd left for him to eat would be enough to satisfy his stomach. If it wasn't she wouldn't know, knowing Arturo he wouldn't tell.

A sage nod was given when Devin admitted that she had intentions of going to the coast. It never got easier, Arturo realized, as he placed the icy feeling in the pit of his stomach to be a mixture of anxiety and dread, sorrow, perhaps, at knowing that yet again he had to part ways with her...as he had Cearney. They were adults now, all of them, and he — as he'd said to Ambrosia — had to let them make their own paths in life; but accepting that was easier than actually facing it. He'd done it once with the same feeling in his stomach and now he had to repeat it. How many times would he part ways with them until his belief became true? That he would never see them again. Duana and him had done the best that they could, to raise them to take care of themselves, but the worry never really went away. Every fiber of Arturo's being wanted to ask her to stay, but unlike with Cearney he did not bother the attempt with Devin. He knew her too well.

He ceased eating and took a step back, having only taken a few bites. The knot in his stomach prevented him from eating anymore. If he did, even to keep up the appearance that he wasn't struggling with saying goodbye to Devin again — perhaps a last time — he would throw up what little he had gotten down. Perhaps to a father that did not love his children as endlessly as Arturo did this would be easier: but his children had become his world from the moment they'd entered it, four wailing little newborns. They were the only good thing left in Arturo anymore and he knew that. His reputation as a ruthless gang leader was proof enough of that.

“I hope you're right,” Arturo murmured. What he'd seen of the Hinterlands thus far there had not been a territory left spared by the swarm. “My intentions have not changed. I plan to build my empire and reputation in these Wilds,” He informed her, knowing at he did not have to tell Devin that she was always welcome when he eventually put his plans into action. “but not a fucking thing can be built in these Wilds as they are now.” It would be some time until they were restored and the prey returned and Arturo knew this. “I have to find a pack, for now,” Although as slow going as that was he'd probably survive the famine before he actually found one to take him in. “I am loathe to do it, to degrade myself to the role of subordinate.” Arturo admitted to his daughter; but the famine had seen that there was no room for pride and that if he did not stifle it, it would be the death of him. “but my survival instincts have always been stronger than my hubris.”

Arturo have his daughter a nod, to say that he understood. He didn't show it, but knowing him he wanted to offer for her to come with him. But he knew her, and he respected her enough to make her own decisions. That's another thing Devin had always loved about her father. He'd always treasured them and treated them like they were angels, but he'd respected them and themselves. Where a normal father would have forbade her to go on her own, Arturo let her in silence, and trusted her. Hopefully she was making the right decision. He finished eating after a few bites, but Devin wouldn't be able to get him to suffer down any more.

She nodded, for his statement was true. These wilds were barely wilds anymore, and hardly anything would be able to survive starting fresh. Her father's empire would have to wait. The pale female knew that giving up his own legacy and become a subordinate pack member was hard for him. Pride was something she'd gotten from him. In all honesty if she was a male and shared his appearance, she could be a younger version of her father. If she indeed went to the coast as she'd stated, she'd probably have to join a pack as well and... Follow orders.

The thought put a sour taste in her mouth, for she'd left to become her own wolf, and was now becoming just another packy. But like Arturo, survival was more important than how you survive. I guess I'll be doing the same. But I hate it. Unlike him, her vocabulary was a bit more simple. She didn't like using long words, instead she used a universal slang. The main reason she'd taken up speaking that way was to piss off her family, but it had since stuck with her. She glanced up towards the sky to find the sun was gone, and all that was left was its afterglow, a reminder that the sun would return hours from now. But until then, the mystic dark would settle in upon this isle and shift it to night.

She returned her crystalline gaze back to her father and sighed. Well, I guess I better go. I prefer to travel by night when it's less hot. Devin said she was leaving, but did not leave quite yet. She would let her father make the first move. After he said his goodbyes, she would disappear and become a phantom in the night. However she felt better after this encounter. Knowing that her father was here in Teekon gave her courage. If she ever needed him he was only a howl away. Hopefully, she didn't really know how big Teekon wilds was, but she'd surely see it all.

feel free to post once more or simply archive as is. :D thank you for the thread! <3

A soft snort left the Fearghal monarch as Devin came to the same deduction that he had: that she, too, would have to lessen herself to a subordinate (less than a princess of his empire) and join a pack and that she also was loathe to do it. It didn't surprise Arturo to hear it, but it only solidified his justification that even without him Devin would be alright. She was just like him: and that knowledge worked to soothe Arturo's worry slightly; her and Cearney both. They would be alright because they were Fearghal's; because if anyone hurt them they would have the Family to back them. And if anyone hurt his daughters Arturo would be out for blood, there was no doubt. “That is a good idea,” He did not want to say goodbye to her, not truly, but he couldn't keep her here any longer. It was a struggle, to encourage her desire to find herself, to follow her own path in life, but to also want her to stay as his heir. One day, one of his children would have to take over the Family.

“Stay safe, Devin,” Arturo told her with all the sternness of a concerned father, her hatred of being smothered by affection be damned. “If you ever need anything, you know where to find me.” He had taken a bit of a nomadic life style, but soon, he would begin searching in earnest for a territory to build his empire. Already, he'd taken a liking to Two Rivers Isle but there were many territories within the Hinterlands he had yet to explore. “Good luck, little dove.” He added, closing the distance to brush his muzzle against hers in a gesture of farewell before he turned and with a last look over his shoulder headed back upon his original path: towards the heart of the Isle's woodland.

Thank you for letting me adopt Dev! I'll thread again with you anytime, and if ever Turo is about to start his own pack, pm me and I'll try and get Devin there <3

Devin was a bit prideful when her father said her idea was good. She wasn't one to seek to please. But when her father was proud, it made her feel pretty good. He had no idea how much he had really shaped her into who she was. She liked to think she was her own mold, but really she had always wanted to be just like her father. She admired him more than anyone else, and like him for her, she would do anything for him. This whole goodbye part was hard, but she trusted her father to be strong, he wouldn't die on her, but she would still worry. What if the next time she called for him, he didn't come.

He told her to stay safe blah blah blah, smother smother. She pretended not to care, like his words bothered him, but she flashed her father a grateful glance. That glance showed it all. She really loved her dad. Yeah yeah I know where to find you dad. I promise I'll call if I'm in trouble. She said, watching as he strode towards her. In that moment she was no longer on her own. She was a pup again, and her father's watchful gaze would protect her from anything. He brushed past her muzzle affectionately and said his goodbyes. When he could no longer see her face, she closed her eyes at his touch, she'd forgotten that she'd missed the safety a father's love provided.

I love you dad. Before he could say another word she was gone, her white pelt becoming another ghost in the dark night.