Verdigris Ravine Flux

The desert swelled with wolfkind — and now was the time to lead her kin into hiding, as she and @Zoug had discussed. The priestess came to the heart of the ravine with a call for her children, proud @Gaara and furtive @Brac, spirited Ebra and steadfast @Aylah — and the other children of The Tribe, @Chisa and @Andanari, who held their future as much as her own sons and daughters.

The adults, Candle thought, would know to answer her call as well.

When they were gathered, she began, her Common somewhat halting without the aid of Zoug's Clan language:

Ravine is - is not safe. Too many wolves. M-more every day. We go north, to waterfall, The priestess gestured with her muzzle to indicate the direction. Hide. Become Clan. This was their plan, her and Zoug, whether the others would follow or not.

Come, or stay. If you come, we protect you.

Gaara came. He waited for the others and then his mother spoke.

The Daybreaker did not want to hide. Did not want to be the cave dweller that his brother was. Yet Gaara had been raised well. He didn't object his parents decision despite that he did not want this. Surely he wouldn't be confined to the caves always but had a nasty feeling that it would be alot. 

Still, it would be a new place and Gaara's desire to explore the sands as far as they went, swelled. He was quiet. He would do as he was told.

Ko'a is on NPC buuut....

Ko'a came next, listening to the brief words of Candle. They were to migrate to a new location. Ko'a would always be Tribe, not Clan, yet she understood the meaning in Candle's words. To leave. To live as clan by sticking to the caverns to wait out the influx of wolves in the area. 

The wolves would only keep coming south during the winter, those loners without packs in order to survive the season and follow the herds. Come spring, they would flock to their mountains and forests again.  

It was like Tribe to flutter from place to place. Coyote of Tribe came and went with trades. Their main station shifted around. Here in these red aches had been the longest place she had stayed at once since she was a young girl. Ko'a did not mind to leave. This one follows you.

She was not entirely thrilled herself at the prospect of darkness and caverns. She liked the sand, the sky. The sun. But she too had been raised with more respect in her heart. So she said nothing, just lowered her eyes with a nod. SHe would follow. 

She hoped there would be something to come of this. A new place to learn about. Well that was always exciting.

Wolves invaded sacred land. His ears tingled at the word of it.

The Cavetreader watched his kin from the shadows cast by the arch of the ancient ravine, cold eyes dangerous. This was their land. What gave wolves the mind to take what did not belong to them? Entitlement. Greed. Did they not already have enough?

We are Tribe, Brac scratched the air with rebuttal to his mother's choice, are we not cunning? Wolves will always follow. When will Coyote stand for what is ours?

Would he follow? If they left, he had no choice, but now he would speak.

candle spoke.

her words held sense. wolves came to threaten one another. how long until they turned teeth on tribe? then it would not matter where they went.

these caves were safer. the appeal of clan was great for zoug, but so was his pride when brac spoke.

his son, who had not seen battle, stood as strong warrior before them all. he spoke for the ravine.

zoug shifted, and at last he stood to speak in clan words.

it is safer to leave. it gives us more days before the wolves come. where we stand together is home.

his breath; a pause.

if we leave again, i do not want to move again. if wolf come, i fight. a cave could only be made safe if it was fortified in lasting. repeated departures would weaken that. 

a compromise, a promise of war for which he would make no other a sacrifice.

The Rainteller made a quiet addition to the meeting, much like her siblings; gathered in the quiet understanding that it was for the adults to speak and to make decisions. Secretly she hated the thought of living in the dark, all tucked away where no one would ever find them. But who was she to contradict the word of her mother?

It was Brac who spoke against their parents' decision. Ebra's eyes were big and somewhat disbelieving as they found her brother. She'd thought the Cavetreader would welcome such secretive dwellings.

Her gaze lingered on him in surprise only for a moment. She watched her parents next, taking in her father's pride and his promise even as she looked too for her mother's response.

Change came ever so sudden, as the fall swept the ravine the tribe kin would be blown away as leaves…. Wolves, not other coyotes? She would follow her sister and mother anywhere, they were all of one spirit. She would follow tribe, tribe was family.

She glanced at her sister, and stood next to her and gave a reassuring tail swish, “this one be with you, be not scared.” Brac, the young man she met at the river previous nights, he told to stand what is for them, this territory. Boy with quite eyes now seemed to be fighter, would he stand to it? She would wonder this on the walk to waterfall.

Later she would begin to pack her few precious things….

No posting order! Final round in 3-4 days <3

Her son's voice rose in protest. Candle's own pride swelled alongside her mate's, warmth in her eyes as she regarded the Cavetreader. A boy made for the shadows; the light in his heart shone brightly into the darkness. The Candlekeeper was quiet as her mate spoke.

To be a child again; to see the world so black and white. She nearly envied Brac even as she felt grief for what he must learn.

We will fight, Candle's own promise followed in the silence. We fight, and we hide. This is how we survive. Her gaze was steady on her son, but moved over the other children as well.

We stand for what is ours - this is ours. Family. Not ravine, The ravine was nothing but a beautiful place to sleep, lush hunting grounds, a valuable thing in its own right but — their family came first. Clan now, even as Tribe flowed through their veins and always would.

Andanari gathered strength from her sister at her side. She also gathered it from the strong words that Brac chose to voice. His was a voice she knew. One she trusted and believed in. As with all tribe kin. And she felt a stirring. She wanted answers to these questions as well. 

And then they were given. Fighting and hiding. Andi did not know if she liked this thought process. But she supposed it had served them well this long. They were alive, they were healthy? But at what cost?

Going to skip posting with Ko'a this round

Andi was quiet. Ko'a agreed to follow. Then his brother spoke up with a defiance. Gaara agreed and yet, said nothing, if only due to his belief that his parents were making the right choice for their family. Maybe Gaara was more lawful not to speak against his elders or maybe it was just because he didn't speak much at all. 

Gaara's lips rose, a silent snarl to his brother to show his disagreement to his cave dweller brother's retort. 

Their parents spoke again. If their new home became dangerous with a rising of wolves again, they would fight instead of leave like they were doing now. However this place he felt was worth fighting for, with much cover and a high advantage of prey and intruders from the arches. It had greenery in places and year round water, which meant it would attract prey year round. This place was a great settlement. Not all in the desert had this. Gaara had learned this even in his young age. 

Would leaving a land of plenty be their downfall?

you are young, zoug gestured to the growing pups. if you do not have a home, you will not thrive. we sacrifice now for the future. the ravine is always ours, the mog-ur declared, single eye a brand of firmness among them.

we will all learn to fight.

between the coyotes grown and those youths, he felt in spring their numbers would be formidable, enough to protect their land and any new pups.