Swiftcurrent Creek beckoning of the heart · claim thread

Claiming thread for SC. Anyone who wants to join through this may do so and be a founding member. This will stay up until February 2 for replies.

Atka had whispered to her of change -- a plan. Lethe, dutiful to her goddess, had not questioned this and instead, had skirted past the sandy shores of a beach she had longed to touch once more and moved toward the east. Her creamy paws had carried her swiftly -- the occasional snow storm causing her to seek a sheltered enclosure as harsh bitter winds whipped through Teekon Wilds with a thirst that could only be brought by Sos himself. At first Lethe had considered it a sign from the black polar bear -- this was not indeed her path, and yet this uncertainty slipped away when she had stepped out of her makeshift home for the evening to be greeted by a ferocious wind that now pushed her to the east.

She had then moved at a swifter pace, not stopping to quench her thirst or satify the hunger within her stomach. She would fast now until her duty fulfilled, as was the demand of her gods.

The moment her paws touched the soil by the rapidly moving creek, she felt a thrum in her heart. Yes, the voice whispered. This will be yours. A gleam flashed within her aqua eyes, and stoically, the she-wolf began to prowl the lands, pacing the length of the creek before a wave of possession swept over her. These lands were hers.

She began to mark the borders as such -- her claws raked the bark of the trees, her scent rest upon every foliage that rounded what she had decided would be hers. Finally, when the moon lifted high in a clear winter night sky, the vapor of her breath clouded above her like mystical smoke before she would tilt her muzzle back. A song of her claim echoed across the Rising Sun Valley then -- Swiftcurrent Creek had been established.

I'm not sure how this will fit in with my other thread, but I really wanted to IC join as well. Can I say this is after my other thread? Not sure Sparrow would help solidify a claim unless she knew the wolf..

Sparrow knew nothing of gods; only of nature and instinct. She knew the brutish slap of cold wind, the whispers of falling snow as flakes nestled into her coat, the burn of thirst, and the ache of hunger. She could not continue to survive in the way she had, living like a pathetic coyote—eating carrion left over by bears and other predators, squabbling with crows as though they were her pack mates. It was an insult to her brethren. It was also a death sentence.

Flatlands would not have been her first choice of home, but wolves were clever and they would find a way to hide themselves if danger demanded it. There was plenty of water, to be sure, and Sparrow imagined that in the spring and summer the herds would pass close by. And, regardless of how rough or how pleasant their first encounter had been, Sparrow had felt a flicker of kinship with the she-wolf that would be her leader. Come what may, the yearling would prove herself worthy.

When Lethe's claim-song rose over the valley, Sparrow lifted her nose to the sky. Ears pressed against her head, eyes closing, a harmony worked its way up from deep within her chest. It came forth, soft and low in its beginning, to crescendo steadily until it intertwined with Lethe's own.

It had been weeks since he had seen any form of life, aside from the occasional rabbit that he spooked, or fish that he grabbed from the lake. Wolves knew better than to wander on their own for long, and Njal should have realized this earlier in his life. He had been alone for many days - many weeks, months, he couldn't tell precisely how long. There had been a few quiet meetings between solo creatures; Njal staking out forgotten carcasses, only to meet other scavengers; a chance meeting with individuals stalking their own borders, which was driven away from quickly; nothing that kept his interest for long. He eventually took to living by a lake he had discovered. Unknown to him, Duck Lake was frequented by the wolves of the Teekon Wilds. It was here, with his teeth sinking deep in to the flesh of a wriggling fish, that he first heard the call. It was a distant sort of sound but unmistakeably wolf; it was the call of a single creature, laying claim to an area not too far from his position. Njal's tongue slicked across his lips. He tasted the sharp flavor of fish, and contemplated his next action in silence. Sit and eat, or leave and potentially find... Something more?

He was on his feet and prowling in the next few moments. His strides quick, but lacking a lot of oomph he had carried with himself, months ago. He was not as strong now, as he was with Kindred. The man's body had lost some fat and muscle since living off of the land, on his own. He had a hungry look in his eyes as he moved, picking up speed when his body reached for the plains. If he did this, he would be settling in to a pack and serving them, instead of himself. It was not a hard choice for somemone who was hungry and lonely - but it was still difficult for Njal, with his habit of falling to his wanderlust. The stranger's voice was still in the air as he made his way; he hadn't thought long at all, it would seem, before his body rose up to follow. Perhaps he was desperate.

He found the river, and followed it. When his body began to grow tired - his tongue falling out from between his teeth to suck in air - he realized he had been in an all-out run across the plains. He slowed when the scent of multiple strangers met his nose, and steadied himself in to a more compliant quick-step. Njal came upon the gathering just as another voice joined in, and he caught sight of a ruddy red individual who was harmonizing with the first voice.

His first thought was of Proudheart, but that was banished swiftly, as his instincts overtook him. Njal raised his head next and added his deep-sounding call to the fray, hoping in the back of his mind, that he wasn't invading upon the privacy of a family that did not want him.

Fox had only just traveled this way from the north. She had heard something about packs cropping up in this area, so she'd decided to check it out. Besides, winter was a shit time to be alone, so here she was. She had been following a funny little creek for about five minutes. There were soggy wetlands on either side, and with the warmer temperatures today, they'd softened to a sticky muck of cold mess. Still, it was better than trying to wade in the creek, so she kept on keeping on, following it south.

It wasn't until she heard the call of somebody that she stopped in her tracks, ears perked forward and eyes widened (as if that would somehow help her understand the sound better). But it was not just one lonely soul reaching out. No, it was several. Or at least two others. After a second joined in, it was always difficult for her to tell how many were singing at once. And wasn't that the beauty of it all? The togetherness, the feeling of being one with so many others.

Without even really thinking about it, Fox soon found her own voice joining the others while she stood on the outskirts of this newly-formed unit. Hell, if it was a terrible place, it was just as easy to move on to something different.

Her spiraling voice was interlaced with Sparrow’s – the crimson beauty’s song echoed across the skies in sync with her own, and within that moment a thrum of pride beat within Lethe’s chest. Others joined the two she-wolves then – voices she did not recognize, but only further elated her. Swiftcurrent Creek held founding members, and already the fear of failure began to subside from her core.

It was alluring and surreal all at once, and as moment’s passed, the honeyed female still felt compelled to tell her victory to those that would listen, to sing her chorus to any inhabitant of Teekon Wilds. Could Jinx hear her now, from her own pack by the shores? She doubted it, and yet a fierceness enveloped her then – her fire from her youth lit once more.

Finally her howl would cascade to a lower, more humble note. The song became a growling croon, and as silence began to fall across the sky of Swiftcurrent Creek, a smirk fell across her tainted lips. A whip of her tail was given before she loped off once more – another circle of the borders to satiate her desire to protect what was now hers, and perhaps she would stumble upon the voices within her home.

The legacy of Swiftcurrent Creek began now.