Northstar Vale i've delivered us to where we are

We have made it! Remember, this thread is MANDATORY. @Cypress @Rian @Liffey @Redshank @Mato @Titmouse @Pyro @Tryp @Kaori @Rose @Tulip @Dublin @Airi

Somehow, the pack had made it out of the bear situation alive. Still counting his lucky stars, Rannoch and the gang had pressed on valiantly from the Plains towards their eventual destination. Their pacing had been slowed considerably by the individuals that had sustained injuries. There were more breaks than Rannoch had anticipated as well, but, eventually, the brat pack had come across something that had caught the young Alpha's eye. He had been leading them by way of a narrow stream that eventually lead the group towards the base of The Sunspire, finding opportunity in an easier climb. Though the peak was intimidating in height, she welcomed the pack among her oasis mid-range. With the pack's relentless scouting, past the peaks seemed like the logical step for the group, as nothing before them had satisfied their desires enough for them to claim. 

It was nearly sunset when the pack arrived at the oasis of The Sunspire. A gentle wind greeted the pack of adolescents as they stood on top of the peak and Rannoch closed his eyes for a moment, allowing for the breeze to rake through his pelt. Though the circumstances of their reaching the apex of the mountain couldn't have been worse, the Alpha could now breathe easier knowing that the pack was out of harm's way from now. 

Opening his eyes, Rannoch turned towards the North and separated himself from the other as his curiosity overcame him as he wondered what kind of territory was below them. Teetering himself towards the edge of the cliff, Rannoch was greeted with a sight that caused his breath to catch in his throat. What seemed like a utopia was below them; sprawling lands with walls protection all around. There were plenty of water sources from what he could see and, most importantly, the gentle indication of prey was evident by the scents that the wind carried. It was as if their desires had been laid out right before them and he had to alert the ranks at once, to see if this area was what he saw and not some figment of his imagination. 

"Guys," implored Rannoch hoarsely, looking over his shoulder to look at the gathered wolves. "I-I think I might have found our new home," he expressed, still not believing his words. It seemed as though they had been searching forever for their new home and suddenly, it had shown itself to them. As far as Rannoch was aware, the area smelled of prey and held no pack scent, but even with his approval he still needed the support of the group. "There are no other border indicators, there are scents of prey, and it's so big and protected!" The words spilled easily from his mouth as his excitement ramped up. Turning quickly, he turned his attention back to the terrain below them, scanning every bit of it with his large, turquoise eyes. Though there was still much they had to do, such as get a better look of the packlands, Rannoch felt as though they had just struck gold.

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Their band stops at Rannoch’s bequest and the empyrean looks at the towering mountain chain stretching out before them east and west with awe. The druid lives for this sort of exploration …for these sorts of discoveries. Before them stretches an oasis, well fortified by the mighty rise of terra surrounding it. Rannoch echoes Mato’s thoughts aloud drawing a flick of the druid’s night dabbled ear and the druid takes it all in again with a graceful sweep of verdant gaze. If he would have had a tactician’s inclination he might have said it was easily defendable but he is not a mercenary and such things are better left for a mind inclined for war. The empyrean has no love for petty squabbles over slights and turf. Mother Nature is a war in and of herself: and when her ire is let loose upon the world she is a war that cannot be won, he thinks, though he has yet to see a fraction of her ire. In this, the druid knows he is fortunate. Fortune does not last forever.

The succulent aroma of plentiful prey — also something Rannoch points out to the group — fills Mato’s lungs as he draws in a deep breath, his paws filled with insatiable itch to explore the land that may very well be their new home. He desires to find it’s secrets and explore all it has to offer him and tempers the sweet, temptations song of the Vale as she beckons him further in but he doesn’t dare break rank from the band. The druid knows there will be plenty of time for uninterrupted exploration later once they have situated themselves and raised their banner in claim.

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Liffey was exhausted. Were it not for this new feeling of responsibility she'd gleaned from leading the pack away from the bear attack, she would have allowed herself to fall over hours ago. The fact that it had become crucial to her that she keep a close eye on Titmouse was also fairly motivating. The encounter had done a peculiar thing to the Blackthorn's perspective of the obnoxious little beast; she suddenly felt a little as though he was her family, irritating as he was. Liffey might no longer live with her family at the Caldera, but that didn't make her care for them any less than she ever had. Apparently, without her even realizing it had happened, family to her even included the firebirds.

I told you it was peculiar.

Liffey was distracted watching the boy so she didn't notice when Rannoch separated from them. It wasn't until his voice crackled from his throat that she turned with a look of concern to see him standing upon a precipice just a few yards away. His excitement was palpable as he spoke and so she found her own growing with each step she took towards him. She looked past him to see the valley that opened up before them, her breath hitching as she took it all in. It was perfect. No long, poetic description needed. It was just perfect.

"You did it..." Liffey murmured as she drank in the scenery. Her eyes shifted about, seeking every nook and cranny she could spy from this distance. She wanted to see every inch of this place, and given the ambition she'd had as of late, the Blackthorn very likely would get herself exactly what she wanted.

Taking some liberties here, but feel free to ask me to change anything if it involves your character. Trying to keep things vague, too, since the bear thread isn't complete.

Nursing a twisted left shoulder and a few minor scrapes, Rian still manages to keep pace as his brother leads the pack away from the Valley and up into the foothills of the Sunspire Mountains. He takes up his usual place at the rear of the caravan and finds he is settling well into his expected job as enforcer and sentry. If any of their group were to try and deviate too far from the path (special mention to Titmouse and Redshank here loveyouguys), they would be met with a warning growl and a heavy look of disapproval. The incident with the bear had shaken him and he was unwilling to let any boundary testing slide until they were well and truly in the clear.

As they slowly filtered into the glade that would serve as their stopping point for the night, Rian let out a sigh of relief. His shoulder burned with the effort of climbing the foothills and, though he'd never admit it, he was in sore need of a rest. But he wouldn't, not yet. He shifted his weight onto his front right paw, flipped his ears forward, and began to take stock of their number to make certain everyone was accounted for. There was Rannoch, looking down on the landscape below—Mato, quiet but sincere; Liffey, always near; Cypress, of course, a constant splotch of void among the lighter members of the group. 

But Rian's mental notetaking was cut abruptly short as Rannoch's tone of voice caused a zap of anxiety to race down his spine. He blinked, tensed, and turned his gaze towards his brother with a frown. Dimly he was aware of Cypress, and knew the silver-kissed yearling was feeling that same dread. There was something about the slackness of his mouth, and the slightly wide-eyed look he gave them all that gave Rian further cause for alarm. But what came next, however, stole the breath from his lungs. Driven forward by the excitement swiftly pouring from Rannoch's mouth, Rian plunged into the heart of the group and passed between the wolves to draw up quietly beside his brother and Liffey on the overlook, leaving room for Cypress to join them.

Spread out beneath them was a veritable paradise—lush and green, surrounded on most sides by a nearly impassiable spine of mountain and rock. There came no musk of pack boundaries; no indication that it was inhabited at all. Most importantly, it was walled off almost completely from the outside world. A vale. It took him a moment to realize: it was over. Presumably. There was still investigations to do, places to scout, and markers to make. He worried Rannoch might be getting ahead of himself, but this was the first stirrings of hope he'd experienced in many, many months. It was infectious.

But they needed to be wise, and Rian was willing to put his voice to it. He swung his head a few inches towards Rannoch without looking back to the others, "It looks perfect, but we need to make sure there isn't any hidden dangers: tainted water supply, or a large family of other predators..." He said softly. But, oh, he wanted to believe. Blind faith, however, was not something Rian was predisposed to. He needed fact, and there was no better way to discover that than by doing.

He was silent the days following their encounter with the bear. The sheer size and power of the creature had shook him to his core, instilling within him a healthy respect for the beasts that was sure to stay. While it wouldn't budge his gung-ho attitude, he would be sure to err on the side of caution now when faced with something just as fearsome. Whether this would be a lifelong thing or would fade as he matured, however, only time would tell.

Redshank was at the tail end of their little band (receiving his fair share of Rian's warning nips on their journey) when they paused at a ridge on the pinnacle of a mountain. He was thankful for the stop and flopped onto his hind quarters, tongue lolling as he tried to catch his breath again. He was fatigued all over, muscles aching from the climb and paws having been slashed from where the rocky mountain trails had betrayed him.

Lazily, he cast a gaze over to where the older members of their tribe stood, large ears swivelling as he listened to Rannoch speak. His panting stopped for a moment, eyes suddenly alight as his words sunk in. With a start, Redshank leapt to all fours and quickly nosed his way through the legs of the wolves gathered to get a better look at the sight, the place Rannoch spoke of. Their new home. He peered over the edge and stared at the lush vale that spread beyond them. His eyes narrowed skeptically, only his ears turning to listen to Rian's sentiments. He had to agree; the place seemed too good to be true. However, the boy desperately wanted to rest. He was tired of travel.

So, ever bull-headed and impulsive, Redshank took a step onto the shelf below the ledge, scanning for a trail to lead them down so he could take a closer look at their supposed new home. "Let's go, then!"

Titmouse had lost his voice. It was only the second time in the history of forever that this had happened, and the first time it had evaporated willingly. Since the event with the bear he had been unsuitably withdrawn. His emotions were raw, his legs hurt, and he couldn't even raise his head to look around at his new family. The boy tailed after Liffey without his usual oomph and with all the calm and the silence of a newborn fawn; he skittered after her, and the group, when too much space had come between them. That is to say, he was often underfoot (which was normal) but he was silent (which was not).

The boy could feel eyes upon him every few feet. Liffey making sure he could keep up, or Redshank shooting daggers, or any of the other adults staring and blaming and -- well, maybe not, but Titmouse felt intensely betrayed by his own nature. He was simple. The rock had been pretty, he had wanted it - and he'd gotten far more than he could handle in exchange. He had been the cause of everyone's panic, all the injuries, and the exodus from the plains. The bear had been a catalyst - but if Titmouse just hadn't been stupid, hadn't been so.. so... Titmouse, maybe things would've been different.

So he moped. Sliding along beside Liffey or lagging back to where Redshank lurked, or just keeping his feet moving.. And when they collectively stopped, he didn't. The boy skittered along while everyone else paused to catch their breath and look around, and only followed suit when his tired legs gave out underneath him.

She sits at the edge of the group. She knows no one, yes, even her sister. She barely acknowledged the fact that she and Kaori were related, brushing past the girl without a second glance. For now, she kept to herself, trailing behind the young group until they came here.

The group had travelled for weeks now, bound together by the experiences they had pushed through, and here Airi was, simply tagging along at the precipice of their journey. She did not share the same excitement, simply watching the children with disinterest as they spoke to each other, detached.

[table width=80%][tr][td]Tryp followed and stuck close to his brother and Rannoch - steering as far away from Kaori as possible. The two had not spoken much ever since their eventful meeting in the light of twinkling fireflies and it was easy to feel the awkwardness that arrived each time they were even slightly close to one another. So far, all his connections were weak except the one with Pyro, Rannoch and he guessed Rian and Cypress. It was his own fault, he knew, but it did not mean these meetings didn't take his breath away.

A vale had presented itself to them and Tryp was glad they had found a potential place to settle at last. He rested his brute form close to his brother and listened intently even though he had nothing to say himself.[/tr][/td][/table]

He trailed behind them all, something of an outcast even here-- but Dublin would not survive on his own, and though he wouldn't admit it, he was glad to be near his brother. Even if they had things to sort out, their relationship in need of mending, at least they were together. He paused as the vanguard looked at a valley down below, something lush and green that Dublin could only catch mere glimpses of.

To put it lightly, Cypress wasn’t feeling his best.

The heavy whump of the heel of the bear’s paw hitting Cypress square in the ribs had concealed a sound akin to the cracking of ice in winter — “Watch, Rian! D’you wanna try?” — but adrenaline had been kind to the boy at first. It was only now, several hours after the event, that he was beginning to fear something wasn’t altogether right with him. This was the first time in his young life that he’d found something as simple as breathing to be painful, and keeping up with the caravan was growing more and more difficult. He lagged behind, dropping further and further back in the sequence of wolves, his head hanging low as the ragtag group drew to a stop. A smattering of the pack spoke, but Cypress remained silent, blind to the beauty that surrounded him as his vision swam blearily. There was only one thing he needed to say.

Stepping forward into the center, a place he normally tried to avoid with everything he had, Cypress cleared his throat. “There’s something I ought to say,” he murmured, his characteristically steady baritenor reedy and thready in the face of his bruised and possibly cracked ribs. “I disobeyed an order.” True, he’d done it because he’d wanted to keep his family safe, but the grave fact remained: in that moment, he hadn’t trusted in his brother’s leadership. That, he felt, was significant enough to apologize for. “We’ve got good leaders here. Rannoch and Rian are — the best wolves I know.” His breath hitched unevenly, not out of an uprising of emotion, but because breathing was fucking painful.

He made himself small, moving gingerly as he prostrated himself before his brothers. “I’m sorry,” he said softly, wanting them to know it. Wanting the others — especially Redshank and Titmouse, who were younger and would do well to learn from his bad example — to see it. Rannoch’s leadership over the group wasn’t solid yet. He was a new leader and they were a new pack and this was a new land, and if Cypress didn’t support him, what kind of brother would he be? He knew but couldn’t admit that if a bear attacked a second time, his reaction would mostly likely be exactly the same, and he hoped that he wouldn’t be tested in such a way. “I trust your leadership — you’ve gotten us to safety. I never once doubted it, and I’m sorry.”

He drew a deep, painful breath.

“I shouldn’t have acted against your orders, Noch.”

There was a significant part of Cypress that didn’t like public displays and it was true he harbored a deep-seated loathing for groveling, even before the wolves he loved most — but his trust in his brothers was absolute and he could only hope that the rest of the pack would one day learn to feel the same.

After the bear incident, Pyro had kept close to Tryp at all times. His nerves were still on edge, he had never been so close to real danger in his life before, and although he had largely avoided the incident he could still feel his heart jump at every cracking branch along the escape route to the mountains. Same thing happened when Rannoch called out to them from the edge of the cliffs. Pyro jumped behind his brother at the sound of their leader's voice, fearing the worst, but in the end it turned out that the Frostfur titan had good news for the group.

Carefully Pyro dragged himself to the edge of the rocky ledge as everyone else, needing to see with his own eyes. And there it was, as perfect as it sounded in Rannoch's words. A paradise, a fortress, and Pyro felt the excitement rush through his veins. He gasped, then added: "This is amazing!" he barked, looking at Rannoch with joyful eyes. Redshank beat him on urging the group to come down the mountain to explore, but still the enthusiasm manifested through the gayest tail dancing and the silliest of hops. The young Rochester ran back from the ledge, aiming to violently rub some of his happiness off on Tryp as he pulled him by the ear the same way he did when they were clumsy pups.

But his efforts were interrupted by the dark one's entrance.

It was unlike Cypress to stand under the spotlight, so Pyro's eyes fell upon him like the lights themselves as he spoke. The tension was so thick it mate Cypress' breathing painful to watch, but his words lifted the weight in a way that only truth and devotion could ever do. Pyro smiles, he couldn't agree more with the dark Frostfur... Rannoch was showing signs of becoming a great leader.

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It was by her own doings that the girl had settled into the metaphorical outskirts of the group, loathe to impose on the forming bonds. The risk of rejection, of being forgotten, had hung over her head ever since the arrival of her sister—the very same sister whose disappearance had encouraged her to leave home in the first place, the very same that she had given up her search for long ago. Ever since the eldest of the Draconid girls had not only found her way to the gathering of children, but had chosen to join them, too, Kaori hadn’t felt right. Whatever great and mystical journey she had concocted within her imagination was drawn to a close, forcing her back into reality: the assumed favourite child was back and sure to take the lamb’s place in the world. The notion was suffocating, crushing her chest with an unseen—untouchable—weight, from under which she could not escape. It was with her head low that she pushed onwards anyways, trailing after the group whilst keeping away from the majority of them, the range within which she’d been born clawing at the skies in the distance.

By the time they had started their ascent, the girl noticed where they were and it shot a surge of excitement and fear through her body. Still, she was quiet and standoffish, perking up only after the group stopped and the sight below was traced over with her gaze. She could not recall having ever seen such a place before, nor having heard of it from her mother, which made it all the better for her. It was new and exciting, bringing back to life the flame beneath her breast. The words spoken by those around her fell on deaf ears, and their faces fluttered by unrecognized—she could focus only on the territory below them, the mountain’s hidden fortress.

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No need to reply to the next portion of this thread if you don't want to! I will be archiving this on Tuesday, May 30th!

Flanked by the wolves that had accompanied him on the journey, Rannoch felt as though hardships had guided them to this point and time, that now, all was well. There was something right about this moment, and it was something that he would cherish for the rest of his life. When times were hard, he would revert into the moment, embracing the sheer jubilance that radiated through his being. They all had finally found where they belonged and nothing in his perceivable memory topped just how happy he felt. Even with the other's cautionary messages, Rannoch felt deep in his heart that they had met their intended match; the territory in which they would make a home. 

With his eyes upon the lush terrain, Rannoch drank in the sight before them, his eyes moving carfully as he attempted to achieve the impossible and study every fine detail that the Vale blessed them with. It was in his search that Cypress began to spoke and he turned quickly from his observation, still all too dissatisfied with how his brother had acted in the face of danger. Such feeling was apparent in his expression, his face stoic in contrast to his usual and natural warmth. For a while, as he listened, his face was void of pleasentries, but this soon changed with Cypress' monolog as the subject matter became apparent. He was apologizing in a very public manner and despite his inherent surprise, as the lantern-eyed was not one for public speaking, and in the end, Rannoch was quick to accept the apology. "Let this be a lesson to everybody," he replied with a sharp nod towards his brother, leaving it at that. Cypress was forgiven, and all was well. 

Just as Rannoch was about to continue with their descent, Redshank pushed forward boldly. With a growl, Rannoch followed suite, stepping down onto the delicate overhand in which the golden-eyed boy had placed himself upon. "Redshank," growled Rannoch, facing the teen with a heightened posture. "Don't run headfirst into this territory without your leader saying so first." He was learning, but not as quickly as Rannoch had anticipated. In a show of dominance, Rannoch reached out and grabbed the others muzzle, his eyes trained into the others in the short minute. 

"Now," said Rannoch once he had let go with a final growl, turning back to the groups. "Rian, take up the rear," his gaze flickered to the jade-eyed Beta, "We'll travel down the mountainside slowly, as the trek does not look easy. Anybody that runs ahead with permission will be punished." It wasn't that Rannoch wanted to be the first one into the territory, it was to assure that they were all safe. "We don't know what awaits us down there and I know that in numbers we will be all right." He scanned the crowd then, falling silent, as he opened the floor to any concerns.

Rian was gobsmacked when Cypress, the most elusive of their group, stepped up and publically apologized for what transpired earlier. He pricked his ears and watched the silvery boy address them. But what surprised him the most was that he, Rian, was officially named the Beta by the wolf who he thought would assume the mantle in time. No one objected, not even Rannoch who nodded and absolved their brother of any further guilt on the matter. Rian did the same, but didn't commit his voice to words—he instead smiled across at Cypress, though his expression held a tinge of concern. He hoped the eiodlon would allow one of their medics to take a look at his wounds. 

Redshank, of course, had plowed ahead and Rannoch was quick to discipline him. It was obvious that the boy had heart; the shaggy chocolate Frostfur imagined he would do well as a Guardian of their borders. Rian's tail waved high and he puffed his hackles in a show of solidarity with their Alpha male's reprimand. He returned to the group, touching shoulders with a few as he passed and brushing his nose gently against Cypress ruff, murmuring a soft—"Thank you." for his ears alone. Any questions could be handled by Rannoch, who waited patiently for any voices to spring up from the throng.

Rian, however, was content to lurk near the back, and took in the sight of their ragtag group and, higher than them all, Rannoch.

Thus forgiven, Cypress retreated to his natural place on the outskirts, taking solace in the shadows where he was free from prying eyes — but not before he respectfully approached his bristling littermate. Commands had been given, and the raven stretched up to lick respectfully at the underside of Rannoch’s muzzle, nibbling affectionately at one white-tufted cheek before dropping back and taking up a place beside Rian in the back of the group. “Naw, Rian. It was you all along,” he whispered back, perplexed by the jade-eyed beta’s gratitude. “You did it all yourself.” He leaned a little unsteadily toward the newest Frostfur, crown brushing lightly against one chocolate-furred shoulder, then fell into step beside him.

PP permitted by @Redshank!

 
Redshank was quick to obey and shuffled out of Rannoch's way. To acknowledge the good behavior, Rannoch dipped his head briefly in the child's direction and smiled. Redshank had been doing much better in realizing how the hierarchy worked and Rannoch only felt pride towards the earth-pelted boy. Though he still had a long way to go, Rannoch could already see that he would be an essential member of the pack. 

By the time that he turned back to the group, nobody had spoken and as such the Alpha assumed that they were all fine with the next leg of they journey. "Very well," rumbled Rannoch fondly with a wave of his tail. The climb down would be challenging, and Rannoch knew that despite all of their excitement, they would have to take it slowly. "This is going to be tough, but, as long as we travel slowly, we should be good. Please let me know if you have any issues and we will stop to make sure that everybody is stable before we continue." They had a good bunch of wolves in their pack and Rannoch was confident that they would see the importance of their pace, as the walls of the Vale were very steep. He wasn't sure what else needed to be said, so, with his sentiment expressed, he nodded to his group. 

"Alright, guys let's go." Turning to face the oasis below, Rannoch began to pick his way down into the Vale, leading the ragtag bunch to the place they would soon claim as their home.