Larksong Grotto Forget the flowers

Alright everyone! Let's get this claiming howl rolling! @Tavi @Ditty @Eslani @Jhala
@Skeet and @Lunar Eclipse, I'll keep this thread open long enough for you two to post once your joining threads are complete so y'all can be founding members!

The sun sank low over the ridge and a dusky blanket of shadow began to creep across the grotto. Reek looked up from his position— lying prone on the lakeshore, sprawling spread-eagle in the waning day light. There, he watched in silence as another long day faded away into night. As the sun finally slipped away, relinquishing it's shift to the moon, Reek let loose a sigh. His work had come to fruition. His (and Tavi's) pack had swiftly come together, and while they were small in size, Reek couldn't help but feel a sense of pride overwhelm the sadness that had burrowed so deep in his stomach. This place -- this strange, yet beautiful land -- was now undeniably his.

With so much pride whirling around Reek's gut, he could hardly contain himself any longer. He rose from the spot and pointed his muzzle to sky. With lips parted, Reek let loose a long and inviting howl in the hopes the rest of his pack would join their voices with his and make their presence known to the world.

With a cacophony of voices blaring into the sky, Reek couldn't help but wonder if they could be heard from the Maplewood— the claim he had left behind.

Eslani moved swiftly to her alpha's voice. Once finding him, she joined in, her ghostly voice unmistakable. It was hauntingly beautiful, like a singing ghost. It ended in a low note before dissolving. She howled again, waiting fro another to join in. Her heart thundered with happiness, for she had a pack and a rank now, wolves to protect. Future sisters and brothers of this pack. A possible mate...She had never had such an opportunity as a loner. The scarlet raven smiled and warmth spread through her body. She would make this the best pack out of any in the wilderness. No wolfpack, not even sleeping dragon, could beat them down. Her calls of claim were ultimately voiced to them, angered by their cold actions. Eslani, of course, deep down respected that greatly, but in the moment with her own pack, she saw them as rude and cold. Eslani could be cold, but would never try to kill a wolf because of such a simple mistake.

She was with Reek when the sun began to set, watching as the sky ignited with streaks of gold and orange. She watched the sky idly, wondering just what would be in store for them in the days to come; and then, Reek cast back his head and began to howl. It was a hopeful sound, that voice of his. One by one, voices rose from across the grotto — voices she did not recognize — but they sang in unison, filling the evening air with music, with life, the way the daylight hours were filled with birdsong. Tavi took a deep breath of the fresh, spring air - and then she cast her own skull back, letting loose an ascending note of her own to harmonize with Reek and the others. This was Larksong — this was home.

Although the howl solely invited all pack members to join by voice, Ditty wanted to go the extra mile. He whirled through Larksong Grotto territory when the call sounded out, galopping towards his Alpha with large coyote-like ears flopping up and down and tongue lolling from his mouth.

Realising he hadn't howled yet, Ditty rose his nose to the air and let out a hast and stunted howl that showed his haste. Then he continued to dash towards his Alpha. He found the Alpha pair swiftly and eagerly said, "We're official!" without any care for personal boundaries and an eagerly whirling tail. He hadn't yet found any additional members, but his quest for them did not end here — he would make sure to bring Reek and Tavi the best members and their pack would be the coolest ever!

i love the colours :)

She followed the sound of the call, remembering Reek's words from earlier that day. She would have followed a call from an Alpha either way but she knew this one was very significant. It was the claim for Larksong Grotto.

She hesitated on the outskirts of the group, not knowing any of them. She ignored it though and joined them on the beach. She raised her head, a high howl ringing from her throat as she joined in the symphony. 

As it died out she looked in the direction of the Maplewood and wondered if they could hear her.

She joined, almost reluctantly, her ears folded and her tail low. She sang with her pack as loud as she could, guilt gnawing at her poor conscious. Could Taggarik hear her? Could Capri hear her? Did they really care she was gone? She didn't warn them she was going, maybe they hadn't noticed yet. Would they notice? 

When their song finished, Jhala slumped to the ground, her ears still folded. After laying for a long while, she retreated into the sloppy den she had made, unable to sleep for the majority of the night. 

The song of the leaders had arose above the clouds and into the sky, singing their hearts out as the pack joined in. Skeet released his own howl, deep at first but ascending into a higher pitch. It was a beautiful melody, Skeet took pride in it. His voice drew to silence as his grin was very much so evident on his lips. His smile was at everyone round him, his tail wagging in content.

His thoughts returned to Marsh, he wondered how his brother was doing. Was he doing okay? Did he still have a mate? Was his children alive and well? Skeet would worry later, for now he traveled to go and dig his den to call his home.

I'll go ahead and close this out!

One by one, the pack gathered together and their voices rose a rising crescendo. Soon however, their song reached its coda and the voices began do die just as they had risen. One by one, howls dropped from the mix until Reek remained the sole voice in the crowd. His cadence became deeper until his howl finally died away— silence taking its place. With his and Tavi's claim over the grotto now indisputable, Reek looked around the crowd and couldn't help but smile pridefully. It was in this moment that Reek vowed to never muck this up like he had in the Maplewood.

With the ceremony over, the wolves each took their individual leave and slunk away into the darkness. Taking his cue, Reek turned to Tavi with a single brow raised and motioned for her to join him in the cave they had claimed for themselves, where together, they could celebrate the birth of their pack the right way; locked in each other's embrace.