Swiftcurrent Creek pack activity · spring festival

What?! Another pack activity?! That's right! Today is the first day of spring! Next round starts Sunday the 23rd.

The mood in Swiftcurrent Creek had been solemn lately, filled with doubt and a flurry of emotions. Fox could feel it, and she worried for her followers. While she was a stoic creature at heart, and could take such things for long periods of time, she knew it was not within the best interest of the creek to sustain such feelings for so long. With the days growing longer and warmer, she thought it the perfect time to rally her crew and wish them well for the new season. Prey would be abundant, the days would get easier, and depending on how things went, they might even have a few little ones waddling around a few months down the road. By that, she meant Njal and Tuwawi's children, although she had yet to officially give them the permission to further their bloodline.

While she was not fully healed, Fox was feeling energized this afternoon. Haunter had gone off somewhere that morning, as he tended to do, and Fox had awoken to an empty den. She was growing used to his presence, although she still did not allow herself to completely believe that he would stay. Brushing thoughts of him aside, the yearling lifted her chin away from the earth and toward the sky, calling out in a joyful tone. The Alpha invited her crew to join her in some springtime socializing. She had no announcements to make, no threat to ward off. Fox called her comrades for the sake of gathering them together.

Assuming something small about Njal's rank challenge, PM me if it's an issue!

The lilting call that pierced the morning sky was joyful, and though Jinx heeded it, she was anything but enthusiastic about it. Her negativity would decrease with time, but for now it dogged her every step, stalking her down every path she took and making her choleric. The first stages of grief were beginning to shed themselves from her, bringing some life and recognition back to her molten eyes, but in its wake was a black vengeance. She couldn't blame any of her pack mates, though she did anyway, and her wrath was not directed at them with murderous intent... Nevertheless, she had allowed Njal to feel her fury when he came to her coveting her rank, showing for the first time she was absolutely not to be trifled with.

That said, when she approached Fox that morning, it was not with the joyfulness that the Alpha likely hoped for. The other wolves of the pack might have recovered from the shock and melancholy of the cougar's trespass, but it would take her much longer. Surely the Alpha understood that, and wouldn't expect a great deal of celebration from her. She had come leaps and bounds since that first night of loss, but there was still something strange in her expression, and at times she still lapsed into a cold, unfeeling stupor... But for the most part, she had come back to them. She was unhappy, but no longer was shocked and grieving to the point of losing herself, and could be amongst them without drifting off into a catatonic shell of grief and loss.

Though Jinx was completely unaware of Fox's feelings about her children, specifically that she didn't actually care what toll it took on the Gamma, she felt she could trust the Alpha to exclude her from any vast amount of merry-making.

Since the cougar attack Njal had been situated in the den he shared with his wife, and he rarely strayed from it. From time to time he would grow eager for Tuwawi's return, but something prevented him from sticking his nose too close to the pale light at the mouth of it. He had at one point or another been forced to leave the den to urinate, and at one point he did become spooked and quickly lost in the land that he frequently patrolled; yet in the end, Njal secluded himself. When the call rang out he was, of course, hidden away. Coiled against the wall of the den.

He had thought himself stronger than this. But the wound to his head had made things change in him. A small change, something he couldn't understand. He was apprehensive about the territory now - which was perhaps only caused by the appearance of the damn cougar. Even after its evisceration Njal was nervous of it. Afraid to see its silhouette cutting a fluid shape across the plains.

With nudges and calm coaxing from Tuwawi, the man left the dark hole. He followed her with a sharp eye upon their surroundings. Njal twitched at every sound, or nearly every sound, and it took time for him to steady himself. Once a calm had been acquired, he was fine. The two of them could progress towards the meeting point without too much issue; but through the excapade, Njal felt like he was being watched. It did not sit well with him.

When he arrived it was after Jinx. The sight of her made his spine prickle uncontrollably, as he inhaled her sharp scent, and felt a familiar pang of pain in his head. The man grit his teeth as he passed her by; unaware so far of her loss, and the grief that came with it. Had he known she had miscarried earlier he would have likely avoided challenging the woman for her place in the pack - but, alas, that was not what transpired. His boastfulness had become violence during their encounter, which could only be explained by his fresh injury.

The ache in the Russian's head continued unabated, even as he passed to Fox's side and granted her a deferring nudge to the shoulder. He returned swiftly to Tuwawi, wherever she was situated, and paused long enough to breathe a deep sigh. The scent of spring was bare upon the wind, only now it was spiced with a strong internalized doubt.

From a fair distance Ferdie Von Pelt heard the call from his Alpha's lips. It distracted him, because for the first time; he had decided to make a den to sleep in, never having needed one when he was on the move constantly, he had been fully engaged in the task.
The howl sparked in him the need to immediately stop and tilt his muzzle skyward accompanying her call, attempting to match it, but this was the first call he had heard her make and so his song though clear and nice, did not harmonize hers in it’s complexity. When her song ended he turned on his heel and took aim toward her direction, his partially completed den totally forgotten.

He saw the others approaching, and his fondness for his pack mates grew, this pack was the first to ever put him in his place and expect him to hold true to his rank. He could not throw his tail over his back and be accepted, no one was going to hand over their rank. This was a completely new concept to him, he had always been handed his rank because he had held himself to it. Though Ferdie was an adult in body and mind, he was a pup in his social etiquette. Growing pains where bound to happen when a lone wolf entered into a pack

Careful of himself he dropped his tail and his posture to that of a Kappa, These other wolves would be higher status then him, and he was glad to show them the respect they commanded. He drew close to Fox, but not to close, that was not his place, though he wanted nothing more then to be closer to her. His eye’s shone as he looked toward her, taking in every detail, his own personal joy was monumental, he would have joy to spare. But then his entrance to the pack had been very shortly after the feline cur’ had been dispatched

Leaving Fox well before dawn, Haunter assumed an early patrol instead of disappearing off into the distant areas of Teekon as he often did. It was a little lucky that he was only patrolling, because no sooner had he finished his first round, had the Alpha sent up a happy, meandering call for her packmates to join her in celebration of the arrival of spring. He fondly remembered yesterday, having celebrated this very occasion with her alone, and he felt equally as glad that she let him into her den each night to share it with her.

But these thoughts evaporated as he made his way back for her. His mind steeled and his eyes became as piercing as ever. He watched as he traveled through the thick of Swiftcurrent, for signs of any cougars, bears, or predators that would cause his pack harm, and when he finally arrived his mood had been hastily depleted by his needless worrying.

His gaze sought Fox first, but they unintentionally landed on Tuwawi first and her injured mate who was just returning to her side. His eyes passed quickly over Jinx, and a pang in his chest reminded him of their brief intimacy mere days after her loss and just before his impromptu pledge to Fox. He found her next, but much to his irritation, Ferdie was standing near her so he didn't approach anyone at all.

Instead of acting like the new Haunter who was slowly getting used to socializing, he precipitously became his old self, and the inky wolf hung out on the outskirts of the group like an outcast rather than representing his rank. He didn't give his stare to anyone now, choosing instead to watch elsewhere as if he suspected some sort of catastrophe to rain down on his pack while they were most conveniently converged in this one spot.

Occasionally, his eyes traveled willfully to Fox, but it would only make his spine ripple with jealousy as he realized she had a whole pack to attend to, and he could not have her undivided attention at this moment. He felt foolish for wanting it, but couldn't bring himself to enjoy the festivities right away, too worried as he was about himself.

A call to gather ushered Swiftcurrent's crew from their hideaways into the heart of the alpine glen. Tuwawi, who had been dozing in a half-sleep outside the Sveijarn home, rose to heed her alpha's word, but it was not without a tempestuous conscious. Her husband still required ample rest as his body worked tirelessly to heal his physical wounds, and the thought of a meeting so soon worried her. Despite this, the red woman managed to rouse Njal from slumber and lull him out into the sun. They walked slowly besides one another in silence towards the meeting point, yet something small in Njal did not sit well with his wife. A certain, indescribable detachment she could not name. Hopefully, it would resolve itself in time, just as the bloody scab on his crown would fade. Until then, she could only offer a soft touch to encourage his movements, and hasten their travel.

They arrived at the circle in good time, Fox seated in the center with a pleasant air about her; however, it was not shared. A pall had been cast over the pack in the wake of the lion's attack, and many felt the weight of physical and mental distress upon themselves. Tuwawi was no exception in the case. Even though she had not been marred be the cougar's touch, the thought of her pack mate's injuries burdened her, and the fatigue she felt from tending to Njal was cumbersome. Her posture was indifferent and aloof as the couple broke the treeline to join their ilk, ruddy tail draped between her hocks with a placid uncertainty. Her gaze first met Haunter's, and for a brief moment they shared a knowing look. A small exhale of air hissed between Tuwawi's fangs as her eyes traveled over Jinx and Fox, nearly opposite in energy, to finally settle upon a new recruit to the creek. He appeared to be a brawny man overflowing with bliss, buzzing from his first pack meeting. A pang of dark envy struck the Epsilon... why couldn't it have been him to feel the cougar's teeth?

All in all, the happy gathering felt premature. Following Njal's example, Tuwawi offered Fox a fond, albeit half-hearted, greeting; nibbling at the ruff beyond her cheek. She then returned to her place amongst the formation, sat besides Njal. As he sighed, she pressed into him to help soothe his troubled mind, a small pillar of wild fire, robust in stance. Her eyes, usually a dark stormy hue, appeared chilled like thin ice, accompanied expression stern and pensive. She said nothing, but the gentle tilt of her pointed ears meant she was listening.

A young blade of verdant grass caught Tuwawi's eye — Spring was here to stay, and for the first time, in a long time, Swiftcurrent might share the weather's warmth to welcome the new season of plenty. It cause the ember's mind to flutter around different possibilities... specifically remembering the conversation with her spouse about their future in the creek, and the potential to bring new life into the world. Njal had mentioned he had spoken to their leader on this topic, although her decision remained unclear. It was best, then, that Tuwawi's cycle was late, as it often was — however the air was rampant with a distinct hormonal perfume. Yet, with their wounds still fresh, and the image of Jinx's prematurely aborted litter burnt into her psyche, the warm feeling which bubbled within felt criminal.

Tuwawi's nose prodded at her mate's shoulder, yet her eyes remained fixed on their alpha, decidedly pleased that she was apart of a unit so strong. Never again would they be cheated by natures's cruel ways... security would have to be raised along the borders, fueled by the new herds that would cross from forest to meadow. It was important to be resilient, especially if they wanted to remain shielded from the Vale. Knowing this Tuwawi reclined, as her red tail became wrapped round her haunches, and waited for the good word from their captain, Fox.

No posting order! Next round will start Wednesday the 26th.

Perhaps she had not picked the best time to celebrate the upcoming warmer weather, but the yearling simply could not bear everybody being so depressed all the time. It was insensitive of her, but she failed not notice this. To her, injuries were just that: injuries. They would heal in time, and putting on a good face was the best way to keep them alive and well during the process. Besides, there was no reason for them to be so forlorn. They had annihilated the cougar, nobody had been mortally wounded (according to Fox, who did not count the miscarried pups of Jinx), and that was cause for celebration in her book.

As they trickled in, one by one, Fox looked to them. Jinx was the first to arrive, and she seemed the most downtrodden. The yearling gave her a brief smile, and then watched as Njal entered the clearing. Jinx had managed to hold on to her rank despite everything, and for that, Fox was already preparing to ask the Kesuk to help her in daily leadership duties. It would do well for the pack to gain a second leader, and Jinx would make a fine Beta. It had always been between the two, but Fox realized now that Jinx was stronger than any other within their ranks.

Njal, Tuwawi, and Jinx all sat away from her, but it was Ferdie who sat closer than any of them. Slightly bewildered, but not offended, Fox offered him a nod of a greeting. She still was not sure what to make of him exactly, but she figured things would sort themselves out in due time. Speaking of things that were sorting themselves out, Haunter arrived shortly after Ferdie, and while Fox had thought he would find a seat beside her, he lingered on the outskirts of the clearing. She mentally scoffed, and she would probably comment on his behavior later, but now was not the time for such personal matters.

A wave of misplaced frustration washed over Fox, wishing so hard that everybody could just be happy and get over it. That was her youth mind, of course, but she did not know it at the time. She thought that once everybody had healed physically, things would go back to being normal, at the very least.

Figuring there were enough of her followers here to start the whole happy spring festival, Fox stood and shook out her coat. While her injuries still ached, they had come a long way with the help of Tuwawi, Haunter, and Lecter. “Hey everybody,” she addressed them, casually as ever, “I know we’ve had a rough bit of it lately, but spring is here, so I wanted to do something to… improve the morale.” Fox had planned for this very little, but she figured there was probably something she could think of. “I was thinking we might just go around and say what we’re looking forward to about spring.” It seemed like some ridiculous team-building exercise, but Fox thought it might help them. And if it didn't, she'd just have to fart on them all. Yeah, that would work!

“I’ll start. I’m looking forward to sunbathing and, uh, more food.” If Fox kept eating the way she did (with at least a few of her comrades bringing her food), she'd be one big old fatty come summertime.

Ferdie could feel the listlessness of the pack, it did not hamper his joy he would attempt to share it. The weather and the fact he was even part of the pack made him giddy. Perhaps to much so. Ferdie rolled on his back, even in the slushy snow, as if it were the warmest patch of grass. This particular action, he was going to regret later with a passion when he began his nightly groom.

Ferdie enjoyed his own voice and today was no exception “I’ll look forward to pack hunts for the big prey, and.... no rain or snow!!, my Pelt will be dry and not matted for days on end, I’ll have more time to enjoy the sun, Yes sun bathing on a warm rock listening the the river babble by would be heavenly.”

Ferdie pawed the air, a huge grin on his maw, His tail swayed back and forth while he waited for another wolf to speak. He hoped his antics would at the very least draw a smile from some other wolf. He twisted his upper body as he lay on his back so that he might stare at his own swaying tail, considering something crazy and not in the least adult wolf like.

When Fox finally addressed the gathered souls, he was irritated and simultaneously proud of her for attempting to boost pack morale. This seemed a little too soon, but at least the young Alpha was trying. He found himself growing considerably more fond of her, but would be loathe to express as such given the current topic. Asking Haunter to say what he was looking forward to was like asking him to break a tooth on a stone.

He licked his jaws and watched as Ferdie jumped on the proverbial bandwagon, displaying a massive amount of tomfoolery by rolling around like a smug pup. Yellow eyes rolled away in disdain, but when he looked back, his gaze met the Alpha's briefly—he had to look away for some reason. He had intended on remaining silent for the duration of this morale-boosting "exercise" but Fox's glare encouraged him to do otherwise.

"I'm most looking forward to next winter," he said lankly, glancing back and forth without an ounce of apology in his expression. "The sun and I don't get along." He added as a clarifying afterthought. If Haunter was going to participate, he was going to be his usual dark, moody self. "More food will be nice, however," he further mumbled in an attempt to actually follow the meaning of this meeting.

The wolves who filed in seemed just as somber as her, with the exception of one tawny male. Njal was first to come, and rising to the occasion of his better (for now), the grieving woman shot him a pointed glare to impose her superiority. It was averted when the others, particularly Haunter (she would not think of that night), trickled in, and then Fox was speaking and she had little time to reflect further on Njal's challenge, nor how she had kicked his ass.

The tawny male was next to speak, rolling onto the ground like some sort of child. Ordinarily, Jinx might have thought nothing of it, that being something wolves commonly did... In her negative mood, however, she could only scoff silently. He seemed transfixed by his own tail, and Jinx decided he was probably mentally unsound, behaving so baby-like. It never occurred to her that a prevailing sense of loss and desperation had made her project the blame for her miscarriage on any wolf that so much as glanced at her the wrong way... She was the unsound one, to be sure.

Haunter went next, using his own famous brand of nonchalance mixed with sarcasm, or at least that's how she read it. Unable to come up with any particular thing she might look forward to, as it seemed hard to look forward when she was so busy glancing back, she rolled her shoulders in a gruff shrug. "Whale Moon," the woman vaguely offered, failing to explain what Whale Moon was or what it meant. It was her most favourite season, for even as an adolescent she had loved setting out sweet things for the bugs on the Night of Singing Insects, and intoxicating feasts for astral projection had always made her feel strong and yet at ease. She had loved it so, and if anything looked forward to that, though it would not be spent with Shearwater as it ought to be.

Fox spoke and the pack, drawing a collective sigh, seemed to ease in to the situation at hand. There was nothing to worry about; this gathering was meant for pleasure. One by one, when prompted by the Alpha, the wolves spoke. Njal thought to speak as well but his tongue refused to budge. Instead, the man looked from wolf to wolf. He observed - no, studied the wolves he had yet to meet on a personal basis. A black wolf received a quick but pointed look from Fox; near to the red girl was Ferdie, who was suddenly on the ground and wriggling like a worm. Njal was just as perplexed by this behaviour as everyone else, although they did not share the sentiment aloud - what was he doing?

A new voice erupted then, and with a shift of his eyes Njal watched the svelte figure as he attempted a joke, to which he had no response. The words of those gathered didn't permeate far in to his mind. They lingered in his ears and faded, leaving a blankness. And when Jinx spoke her few words, it was thus Njal's turn. But he just stood there gawking with an expressionless face; watching the white woman and then, slowly, drifting away from the gathering mentally. His head stung and it was something the Gamma had adapted to since the cougar attack; leaving a constant throb where there should be thought. The moment became stale and Njal wondered if anyone else would speak. So far, oblivious.

It was too quiet for him now. If someone continued this ritual of parroting back an answer, Njal was not listening. The sounds dropped away from him and his eyes, roaming a slow path from wolf to wolf again, landed upon something short and blurry. The thing was standing at belly-height next to Jinx, and plodded a few steps around her; at first on one side, then behind, then adjacent to the woman - between her bulk and Haunter's slim silhouette. "What-" Njal bristled at it as he took a sharp breath, except after a blink the figure was gone. He was left just looking out in to space - at Haunter, or at Jinx, it was uncertain. The man's pale face crunched in to a concerned furrow of the brow. At least he was coherent now; at least he remembered the blurted beginning of a possible answer.

He tried to recover after the few seconds of strangeness, shifting his weight and clearing his throat before muttering, "What I'm looking forward to, uh," Think quickly, weirdo. "...Is the future." Well that was obvious. Njal leaned lightly against his wife, both for support after that episode and as a reference to the family they wanted. If he was lucky, Tuwawi would catch upon that sentiment and finish the thought for him - for they were of similar minds, at least where children were concerned.

Thanks for waiting for me!!

It was easy to recognize the dark shroud which enrobed the majority of those gathered before their young chief; a palatable darkness spiked with a foul grief for the wounded. Despite this, Fox grasped for any glimmer of sunshine amidst her overburdened pack as she attempted to lighten their attitude. She surveyed her subordinates by asking what they looked forward to the most from the coming season. It was a simple question, but one that could potentially be difficult to answer. Tuwawi hoped for many things, although most of these wishes were kept privately.

The new male, who's name was still unknown, gave quite the performance as he announced his simple ambitions. On any other day, the antics might have been received as droll... but certainly not now. A collective sense of impatience passed between Jinx and Haunter to Tuwawi, and sharp look from the cardinal woman's sleety gaze was thrown like a dagger. How insensitive and asinine this man was proving to be. Yet, by some miracle the epsilon managed to hold her tongue, not wanting to undermine her alpha's honest attempts to rally her troops.

Haunter quipped something typical in his normal downcast tone, and Jinx's response was cryptic by every mean. All in all, the answers were pretty shallow so far. Njal was next in line, but he hesitated. 'What-' the northerner stumbled, pausing for a moment as his voice became distant. A single ear rotated upon Tuwawi's crown to better hear her husband, picking up on subtle nuances in his tone only a wife would know. Something was amiss.

However, Njal was quick to recover. 'What I'm looking forward to, uh ..Is the future,' he managed to reply, alluding to their wish for a family. Tuwawi's skin burned hot beneath its winter pelt at her mate's graceless answer. He pushed into her side fondly, and she returned the touch... although a soft look was all she permitted in lieu of the humongous smile Tuwawi suppressed. She was abashed to speak of such matters here, especially in front of Jinx, and so the small she-wolf kept her words as vague as possible. "Yes, me too," she agreed simply with her husband before turning the thoughts another way, "I look forward to Swiftcurrent's growth. There are many new... young... faces around the creek these days. We will have to rally everyone to teach them our ways. I look forward to discovering their skills, and hope to see them put to good use." It was true that Swiftcurrent was experiencing a boom, but many of its inhabitants appeared untested. Perhaps Tuwawi would mimic Njal's penchant for teaching others despite her usually impatient self; After all, hunting was sort of her specialty art she desired to pass on.

"And Wapun Meadow will be in bloom...," Tuwawi added, reminiscing about Windrunner Plains, "I very much look forward to that. It reminds me of my first home.... The plains can be bountiful if you know where to look." The sweet taste of sun kissed berries, and the fragrant perfume of heather and grass could be such a treat on a sunny day. For a moment Tuwawi was carried away in a day dream, where herself, Njal, and their children dozed amongst the wildflowers — content in every way. The image was short lived, however; seceding to the present. Yet, she managed to squirrel the treasured picture away as her stormy eyes passed the baton back to Fox, satisfied with her response.

Next round starts Sunday the 30th. We'll probably only have one more after that. :)

When Ferdie began rolling on the ground, it was obvious that nobody was particularly pleased with his actions. Fox was no exception to this, and she furrowed her brow at him. “Pull yourself together, Ferdie. You are not a pup, and this is not the time for acting like one. Good gravy.” Perhaps calling him out in front of the others would give him some semblance of shame. It seemed like he could use a good dose of it. If he couldn't learn to act like an adult, Fox was going to have to get all big-bad on him and force him out of the creek. There was only so much of his nonsense she could take.

Haunter was next, explaining (in his typical fashion) that he was looking forward to next winter. Fox bit her tongue, the entirety of her willpower being used not to make a snide remark about his answer. Still, she couldn't help that the rest of them weren't really "getting it." In fact, the yearling was beginning to fear that she was terrible at this team-building stuff. It all felt terribly stilted and arranged. It was like doing stand-up comedy and having none of the audience laugh at your jokes.

Fox pushed the feeling down into the pit of her stomach, looking to Jinx as she spoke just two words. “Whale moon?” asked Fox, giving Jinx a chance to elaborate on what she meant. She was not about to force it out of the Kesuk, but she certainly would let her have the floor if she wished for it.

Njal's vague response was not particularly vague to Fox, who had already been informed of what he wished to do this spring. And perhaps a litter of new blood would do them well. But it was Tuwawi's response that brought joy to Fox, perhaps in a way that had not ever been there before. It was Tuwawi who held a certain air about her that uplifted spirits everywhere. Fox knew that she was in the younger crowd of the creek, and hearing from Tuwa that there was much to learn reminded Fox just how young she was. A broad smile was plastered upon the Alpha's face, glad that her gathering had not been a complete failure.

The brute had only wanted to share his joy, and perhaps entice a smile out of a wolf or two, but his own happiness had not been well received by the rest of the pack. He felt since he such a low rank it was his job to try and make things light hearted, he felt it was his job to be a kind of comedic relief. He was wrong... very very wrong. How could his idea of ranks in a pack be so off... was he that rusty?

Upon Fox's words his rolled to his belly and sat up, his facial expression now sullen and somber. Perhaps he should have taken que from the rest of the pack, that this was a melancholy occasion. He clamped his mouth shut, He wished he could understand why, but without being out-rightly told he was not going to be able to understand why the pack was grieving so.

His gaze dropped to the ground and he thought truly now about what his future should hold...

Of course, in some deep part of her, Jinx knew Fox had the best intentions. If not for the pack's recent calamity, perhaps this gathering would have been a massive success. Jinx herself wasn't feeling merry, but it became clear very quickly that none of the other wolves had any patience for it, either. Had she been in a better state of mind, the Kesuk would have been worried about it. A pack of strong warriors was no doubt formidable, but had glaring weaknesses that had to be addressed, particularly on the social side of things, as was evidenced by the festival.

She wasn't in a better state of mind, however, and paid no mind to it. The strangely behaving wolf from before quit his antics, earning Jinx's brief regard. At least he listened when he was called out, though a more perceptive wolf might have found it strange for Fox to call out the single instance of merrymaking available. She, however, was glad for it to cease.

Whale Moon was brought into question. Though she didn't feel much like explaining, she did elaborate with a brief, "it heralds the coming of summer. It is a time of festivity back home." It wouldn't be very festive now, she imagined, but that wouldn't stop her from going through the motions. Sos and Atka, and all the spirits of the sea and the wind, still looked fondly upon these lighter rituals, after all, and wouldn't take kindly to being ignored. Tuwawi had the most sincere response, but she couldn't bring herself to find inspiration in it.

If only things had been different, she would have shared in the swelling pride and joy for Swiftcurrent Creek. If only, if only.

*sneaks on in?* Yay for project procrastination?! \o/

Humorless as ever, he glared sidelong at Fox, catching the way she looked when she wanted to say something but didn't. It made him feel accomplished in some way, or perhaps even connected in another. Either way it went his mood wasn't quite so dark after that, and he watched in silent ambivalence as his other packmates joined in with their chorus bit. He was particularly charmed by Tuwawi's response, which seemed the most sincere and hopeful of all. It put a warm feeling in the dark dog's chest.

He blinked towards the ghostly she-wolf Jinx—the term 'ghostly' applying to her in more than one fashion—and regarded her attentively although he had no personal interest whatsoever in any spring-time rituals. It repulsed him really. He wondered if there would be songs involved... or dancing. He'd seen a song-and-dance of wolves before, and he'd sooner throw himself into the icy currents of Swiftcurrent Creek before experiencing it again.

He looked at Fox pointedly, licking his chops and thinking to publicly ask her about her particular policy on frivolous spring-time punan and if he and the other males were allowed to partake as they saw fit, but thought against it because he figured he would want this particular strategy for himself as this spring. Particularly because the one who was stealing his heart this year was indignantly under-aged.

Things did not appear to be running smoothly, despite his best effort to put forth a composed face and answer the question posed to him. Tuwawi was swift to take the reins and fix the situation, but it left Njal feeling a bit dejected - he sounded ridiculous. Putting forth the idea so blatantly (and in a manner that took his wife a moment to recover from), he was at a loss for what to do next. While his packmates discussed things amongst themselves (albeit a little stagnant in their attempts at discourse) Njal ruminated. He leaned his side against the fiery woman who owned him, all the while listening to the conversation with half a mind.

It wasn't until a sense of disquiet settled upon the gathering that Njal finally spoke, jarring himself from his thoughts with his stumbling tongue.

"The river will be filled with fish this spring. It will be glorious." His mind wandered to the past while he spoke - to Kindred's river, where fat steelheads had once flourished, and to Markarth Peak during the annual salmon run; heavy with sweet eggs and aggressive in their swimming, the fish were always a pleasing bounty. A smile spread across the rigid man's face, for the memory did bring out a confidence in him. Some sort of glee. "It will be easy to pluck food straight from the water. Big fat fish for -" big fat mothers he was about to say, but caught himself just in time. His tail frisked behind him awkwardly. "-for, uhm, our big family."

That was accurate, right? A good save, perhaps. They were a family here at the creek. Just a little disjointed at the moment. His smile faltered a little and Njal fell quiet, brushing his nose against Tuwawi for assurance as a brief apprehension slid through him. After the gathering Njal was sure to mentally berate himself for his stupidity, if he remembered it.

Last round! I'll close this up on Saturday the 12th. Fox is going to mingle with the folks who stick around for teambuilding or whatever, haha.

It seemed that calling Ferdie out had worked, and Fox gave him an approving look before turning to Jinx to hear her short, yet informative, reply. Fox did not question the Kesuk further, content with the white girl's answer. The tiny alpha did not feel particularly satisfied with their little gathering, but she would not require them to speak formally any longer.

With one swooping motion of her muzzle, the yearling signaled that they were free to go if they wished, though the fireball hung back to chit-chat with her comrades. She wanted to make herself available to anybody who wished to speak with her further, and socializing as a group would only bring them closer.

Ferdie nodded solomly stood and took his leave, he stole toward the pack boarders perhaps to do a patrol and clear his mind, or something else entirely

Though mainly uninterested in whatever was supposed to be going on in this meeting, Haunter didn't leave when they were all dismissed. Instead he slid down his belly and reclined in the shade as every wolf departed. He looked at them all, knowing some names but not all, and he wondered what spring would bring for each wolf here. He had guesses and suspicions but nothing that he would discuss out loud or think about for more than thirty seconds. He was a simple wolf of few wonderings.

His eyes closed after a while and his one ear fell back as he snoozed with his head upright. He remained until the last wolf was gone and opened his eyes when only he and Fox remained. Likely then, she chewed him out for his spiritless behavior at what was supposed to be a rally and morale-booster.

She paid minimal attention to anything said for the remainder of the occasion, her eyes fixed on Fox as she awaited a signal to leave. When it was given, the pale Kesuk quickly turned from the gathering and loped away to find solitude, no doubt trailing in her wake the air of a cranky old hag.

There was little camaraderie between them. On any other day Njal may have picked up on this - but he still sported a great gash of a wound atop his head. It took effort just to stand still without the idle sway of his body to give away his weakness. When the meeting finally began to break up, the man was quiet. He lingered with Tuwawi for as long as she wished for his company, and then gradually began to wander his way back to the den where it was dark and safe. Eyes flicked to the strangers in his midst, many of who were allies - even considered friends - but in his current state Njal failed to feel a true connection to them. He slipped away without issue, seeking out the darkness which would ease the over-stimulation of the light.