King Elk Forest I'm not living, I'm just killing time

The Ferretti family was once again reunited under the threadbare branches of the King Elk Forest. Its namesake, the wandering elk who once called this section of the Teekon Wilds home, were long gone -- not that it meant anything to Giancarlo. Being just a traveler, this was simply another forest, much like the countless forests they had already traversed.  The rumors, the legends, and the mysteries, however, that made up the lore of the Ferretti family's temporary campsite were unknown to all who lingered beneath its skeletal canopy.

He left most of the family to rest in the clearing they had temporarily claimed. The journey they had taken was long and difficult: an allotted time to breathe was high on the list of everyone's priories. Giancarlo however did not allow himself to be idle. Setting off deeper into the barren forest, Giancarlo kept his nose pressed to the ground in search of any sign of life that could somehow quell the hungry rumbling in his belly.

There was a chill to the air despite the late midday sun overhead as Saena headed beyond the Silver Creek borders. Her breath misted in front of her lips, dissipating quickly but nevertheless reminding her that spring wasn't yet over. Her keen blue eyes swept the sparser wood that extended beyond her pack's claim, but there was no sign of prey life in these barren woods.

There were still signs of other life, however. The increase of scents in this region had not gone unnoticed by the Alpha of the Creek pack, she who had vowed to never let another soul threaten her claim again. It perturbed her beyond saying, and she was on high alert to act should any wolf make the foolish effort to claim land right next to her territory. On all sides around Silver Creek, Saena would not let another wolf pack ever settle.

The scents were not fading, she noted as she prowled through the wood. There were more of them, and fresh, as early as this morning. With a scowl, she plunged through dry, naked underbrush, and all at once found herself nearly face-to-face with one of the wolves whose scents predominated.

Her ears snapped forward, her head canted upward, and her hackles lifted into a threat response as Saena assumed a stance of absolute authority and carefully held hostility. She bared ivory teeth and snarled a harsh promise of aggression should he not heed her body language.

Cecilia was hungry. She had been traveling with her family for a long time, and whenever she caught something, she would give it immediately to either the young or the old of the pack. Her fur was wild, as she hadn't cared to look at it for days. She watched Giancarlo go deeper into the woods. "Brother." she said "Let me go hunting with you." It was one of the first things she'd said in days. Cecilia was a very quiet wolf.
Although her feet were mostly tired, she could not let her family go hungry. It was against her principles. Cecilia had many principles. The top one was: Keep your family fed and happy. It was her favorite, and she wouldn't have broken it if her life depended on it.

The old aching body of Primo shocked as he awoke, waking up from a nightmare that had felt too real. It had been about Luisa, his lovely mate. It was just the two of them as if the rest of their family didn't exist. And when he asked her about it, everything turned dark, only for her to say; You have traded them for me, they're gone. The shock of his dream carried with him to morning, the bright yet cold rays of the sun hitting him right in the face. He clicked his tongue as he got up, sitting and staring at the dust that he had slept on. He would never trade his whole family for her. As much as he missed her, to give up his family now would be ridiculous. He wanted them to be all together, nice and happy in this new wasteland.

He looked around to see no one had kept an eye on him while he was sleeping. Good, he didn't need them to. He was perfectly capable of doing his own thing. He lifted his bum off the ground and stretched with a loud yawn that turned into a pleased moan. He shook the dust out of his colorless fur and stook his nose into the air. The scent of Gian and Ceci was strong, and since he didn't have anything useful to do, he followed it.

He soon found the both of them, his son getting threatened by a lady he didn't recognize, his daughter present as well. Well well, lady, what's the fuss all about? I know he can be a bit stupid at times, but really, he isn't worth your time. He spoke bitterly, approaching the two. He carried his tail lower than that of his son but kept it on the same level as the agressor since this was neutral territory.

Stealing his attention first, and causing Giancarlo to stop in his tracks, was the voice of his sister who wished to join him on his hunt. She must have followed. Turning his head back to regard her, he rolled his shoulders forward with a shrug in response. He was not one to turn away company or help, especially on a hunt -- but if she tagged along, he knew he would have to share. "If you want," he replied indifferently before returning to his search.

He took a few more paces forward before his hunt was interrupted a second time. This time, by a stranger who's bodylanguage screamed aggression. Giancarlo's initial reaction had been one of surprise. He recoiled and his hackles bristled, but as the initial wave of confusion wore off, his body language loosened.

They had been lucky to not dig up any problems with local packs so far, but Giancarlo had always been sure his traveling family would eventually stir the pot. Before he could properly react, however, Primo rolled onto the scene and made a fool of them all. "Pops— clamp it," he muttered from behind gritted teeth. Giancarlo dipped his head in reverence and hoped the rest of his family would follow suit, for their own safety. "Show the lady some respect," the Don tersely added. Respect was a tenant of their culture— and while Primo had earned his right to be a grumpy old man, Giancarlo would not let that fly.

Another wolf, a smaller female, arrived alongside the male that Saena accosted, and nervous energy flickered to life within her breast. Two wolves were much harder to handle than one, and the wolves of the wilds were beyond stupid about their pride, she'd come to learn. Of course, Saena was no better with hers. Yet she was queen of a pack that had fled their home not once, but twice, and a third time was not on her list. She would die in Silver Creek before she would give it up, and these two wolves happened to be loitering in adjoining land, and that simply wouldn't do.

The male's body language was shifting, but even as it was, a third wolf, much older by the smell of him, sauntered onto the scene the full picture of haughty arrogance, and Saena's snarl deepened into something truly dangerous at his pompous display. Three on one, she stood no chance and ought to have backed off, but the younger male was acquiescent and it was bolstering. It was on him that Saena's blue eyes levelled.

"You are in my pack's hunting ground," she claimed. King Elk Forest belonged to no wolf and would remain so, but in the thick of a famine where their claimed land could not support them alone, her pack needed to expand their range. Removing some straggling lone wolves wasn't beneath Saena. The forest was surely more prosperous than the basin to the north or the thin high mountain to the northwest, and to their west there was only rocky wall, so Silver Creek had need of this land to help fill their hungry bellies, and so she decreed it until such a time as life regained a foothold. "I would suggest you all find somewhere else to be if you don't want to join the prey on the menu."

Cecilia was obviously mildly uncomfortable with some random wolf telling her to do. But she saw her brother dip his head, and followed. She had never liked being told what to do, but her brother was technically the leader, and he was standing down to this...other wolf. She had done as he had, but she hadn't let her guard completely down.
She heard her father behind them, and knew that, as old as he was, he probably wouldn't take orders from some wolf. But Cecilia didn't know his exact reaction would be, and was curious to see how this played out. Although the other wolf had declared this as her territory, Cecilia hadn't smelled anything. Maybe she was just distracted by how hungry she was when she entered.

I am so sorry for Primo XD <3

Why? He replied bland at his son's orders. He had been respectful in his own way, and if that wasn't enough for the prissy little princess she could fuck off. She smelled young and of pack, so Primo didn't assume she was anything big anyway. Besides, she had to respect the elderly, even when they were dicks, otherwise she'd be a disrespectful woman. Giana was maybe grumpy, moody and selfish, but at least she showed the respect Primo deserved for his long years on this planet.

He gave the slightest of dips with his head as a sign of respect, but as soon as she began reacting angrily again, he shoved the idea of even trying out of his head. If she wasn't reasonable, Primo wouldn't be either. He gave out a loud, low laugh. So she was something big huh? Well, she had a long way to go then. Not much to hunt though ey? He commented jokingly yet with a serious face. Can I give a tip missy? You better go fishing, way more chance of finding a good meal near water than in this hellhole. He said, part of him trying to help and part of him wanting to tease.

Somewhere, he understood that his family could be seen as a threat by other packs. He had been in the same position after all, and knew how much she possible cared about that pack of hers. But she was being too angry about it all. If she had simply requested for them to leave, chances are Primo had done so. We are just passing through, no need to get all hostile about 't.

I already love Giancarlo and Primo's relationship.

The ineffectiveness of Giancarlo's role as Doan and head of the Ferretti family was characterized by his inability to keep them under control as a cohesive unit. Primo, before him, had inspired fear among Giancarlo and his siblings with the intensity of a rabid drill sergeant. The trepidation over possibly breaking one of Primo's orders held the family together like an industrial grade adhesive. But, after Primo's retirement, Giancarlo changed the leadership structure from the ground up. He lacked the same intensity, and it showed particularly in situations like this.

He would have kept his cool if it weren't for extenuating circumstances. Before he could reply to the native wolf, Primo once again opened his mouth -- releasing an unwanted verbal spew. Giancarlo turned his head toward his father, hackles bristling with anger. His gaze -- directed full bore into his father's forehead. "I told you to shut your mouth and let me handle this," snapped the Don. His frustration was evident in the dry rumble of his voice. Primo may have been both his father and the old Don, however the accomplishments of old did not permit him to carry on in such a manner.

He let loose an exasperated sigh and turned his head back toward the aggressive native. "Like my father so rudely said, we're just passing though." Obviously, this was not a good place to settle his family -- but, that had not even been his intention in the first place. This woodland was just another stop on the journey; just a place to rest their tired bones. "We'll be out of your hair as soon as I can gather the family." After all, he held no intention of settling close to another pack. After fleeing from one hostile family, Giancarlo didn't want to throw his family into the same situation yet again.

Saena's eyes slid to the eldest wolf of the party of three as he spoke, and her hackles ruffled. There was no respect in the wolf's stance, nor in his words. While she wasn't due any respect in neutral lands, the disregard that Primo showed her came across as sheer arrogance, a lack of basic respect for a fellow wolf and fellow predator. He was flanked by his comrades now and protected by their presence, but in the future, she wouldn't hesitate to remind him that her teeth were as sharp as his.

There was nothing she could do now, though, and luckily Giancarlo was a more amenable wolf. She smoothed her pelt and regarded him with cool eyes, but accepted his gesture with a bob of her head. "Good," she said, as much for their benefit as hers. After all, Saena had no qualms with hunting and feeding off of them, and her pack was strong, surely moreso than whatever wolves were setting up in her woods.

The female of the group said nothing, and Saena didn't glance at her again. "I will check for you by dusk," she informed them, then turned and stalked away, keen on keeping the promise and making a feast of any of them who thought to stay and test the Silver Creek pack's might.