Dawnlark Plains pocket full of posies

the heat did not abate. 
four days ago, a hawk had dropped its prey into the vast plains below; a chipmunk made unlucky victim to its talons. beneath the grasses, undiscovered by the wolves that roamed them, the creature began to rot. aided by the sun, and the dozens of tiny creatures that crept beneath the brush, the process was quick. should the sun have failed to rise that morn, been obscured by clouds or rain, perhaps the decomposition process would not have peaked as it did. perhaps, if the chipmunk had fallen a few feet in any other direction, and not alongside the half-rotten, storm-blown branch, the breath of wind would not have combined with the heat of the decomposition and the acres of surrounding fuel to produce the spark it did.

violently did the flames rear their heads, growing from a spark to a burn to a blaze in a moment. the grasses bent and reached towards them, as if eager to be consumed, and the flames did comply. above them, the sky was heavy and somber, a uniform slate that stretched in every direction. 

---

the smell of smoke was foreign and unfamiliar, at first, but ignited an instinctual fear she knew would be disastrous to ignore. gaze swept the plains, her view dismal from where she stood at the bottom of a hollow. a moment, two, and then she saw the flicker - red, orange, yellow - as the fires began their descent. she was struck by the oddness - as if a piece of the sun had fallen through the clouds to land on their plain, and stagger its way through the grasses. her voice rent the air a moment later, alarm evident and with a message to move. the smoke swirled against the sky, dark against the clouds. she moved for the rendezvous, issuing another summons for any nearby once she neared, thinking of the vast quantity of pups there that tended to wander straight into danger. 

this thread is MANDATORY for all members! paging @Aditya, @Sunny, @Sebastian, @Loir, @Aviana, @Pema, @Radcliffe, @Padma, @Meadow, @River

aditya was with @Kasatka at the northern border when the trouble started, the two of them conversing as they patrolled. he had lived far too long on this coastline to not know the smell of smoke when it came; his nostrils flared, and he threw his head up, searching for the flames. with fire came certain destruction. were the plains ablaze?

evidently, for the hungry gold-orange tongues drew nearer and nearer, and aditya's gaze, full of fear, cut back to kitten.

"run, merbani," he commanded, voice urgent. he took in her face, her eyes, in case this was the last he saw of her, and swallowed. "there's nothing but death for us here. run to the moraine, and the glacier beyond. i have to go help get the pups out."

he whirled on his heels, but then turned back, looking at kitten for one final, fleeting moment. "i love you, bachchi. run!--go!" without surety of what she eventually decided to do, aditya took off toward the rendezvous, paws a blur in his urgency. dawn's howl cut through the sky, and the sentinel met up with her shortly after, the two of them speeding across the plains, headed toward the dens.

Keeping vague about @Andalusia <3

Sebastian panted at the ongoing heat. Even the ground felt hot under his paws as he walked. He noticed his breathing was more difficult. He coughed. This could only mean one thing. Fire! Sebastian was close to @Aviana and @Faye. He had to make it to them. He could see the red flames, it wouldn't take long before it would reach their den.

He rushed to them. "AVI" he roared and made a sliding stop. "We need to go, there is a fire!," he urged. He wished they were home. If they weren't then that would only be good as the fire was close but then he had the dilemma of finding them. They would have to run ahead as he was not so quick anymore.

Going to PP Aliac, I think I got permission for doing so a while back plus she's on ppc

Sunny had been roaming with @Aliac near the southern part of the territory when the faintest scent of smoke hit his nose. He looked up ears perking and eyes immediately going wide. He nudged Aliac forward and ran until the flames were in sight, gasping as his heart lurched with fear. "Go, head away. Get somewhere where the flames aren't. If you see any pups on the way help them too" he said and when she began to protest he gave a low growl. "Please! I can't risk losing anyone else..just go!" he said in a desperate voice and shoved her away. He watched as she hesitated and then gave a reluctant nod, running off. 

Sunny bolted in the opposite direction, mind a flurry of fear. What if Dawn and the others were already hurt? The flames were moving quickly, the wind blowing as if trying to battle them but only making it worse. Sunny cursed and ran toward the den area, arriving beside Dawn. "Aliac is getting away. Do we have any idea where everyone is?" his words came out in a big rush, unsure if there was even time for Dawn to give him a good answer.

The air was thick, and it smelled funny. Funny enough that, when Timberlake was playing near the southern border, he raised his head to smell several times, little face puzzled. He went back to his bone, but the troubled expression never quite left him, twisting his maw into a shape much unlike his usual cheeky grin.

It was only when the bright waves floated down the rise was he brought to full attention, and when they drew near enough to his face, he cringed at the flash of heat, taking stumbling steps backward. It grew hotter and hotter still, until it was unbearable, and then the little pup was running, running, running faster than he ever had before.

He did not stop until he hit water.

The girl had been more adventurous as the world opened up to her. At two months old she wandered farther and farther from home, sometimes following her mother or he brothers. Today was a solo day. She wanted to see everything, and see just how far the land went! Surely it must stop at some point.

Ignoring the familiar scent of her siblings she ventured on a new path. When suddenly she was distracted. A bunny was running straight for her! Padma was confused, she had never seen of creature come at her in such a way. Raising her butt to the sky she got ready to pounce, just as she had seen her father do. It rushed past her, and she was just a little to slow to be of any competition for the rabbit.

As it whizzed past her Padma caught a strange scent. Lifting her little nose to the sky, the girl sniffed and sniffed. Until she saw the smoke. She had no idea was it was. A howl rang out over her head distracting the girl from her investigation. A bright smile peaked through, and she attempted to join in. Jumping up and down, her howl came in random bursts, although she was more gleeful, not realizing the danger that had befallen her family.

Shale was outside the territory when the call rang out, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the problem. His eyes lifted skyward to see the thick plume of smoke cascading over the plains, and then he was running, running, having left his hunt far behind. He leapt over logs and splashed through tiny creeks, finally bursting onto his pack's territory and heading immediately for the dens.

Luckily, there were plenty there helping out, but a couple of his pups were missing, much to his dismay. The most immediate scent was Padma's, and he followed it quickly, heart pounding against his ribcage. She was safe, but lost in her own little world, looking gleefully around and blissfully unaware of the danger that surrounded them.

"Padma, we've gotta go, kid," Shale called out to her as he approached. He ducked his head, intending to seize her scruff between his teeth if she didn't toddle voluntarily beside him--or quickly enough. He thought of the others that weren't present. . .Timberlake, for one. . .

@Aviana stepped away to stretch her legs, and the girl remained lodged firmly within the den, passing the time with one of her favourite activities of all time; napping. that was, until the first tendril of smoke slipped through the entrance and tickled her nose. the first chest heaving cough startled her awake, fear lancing through her suddenly. uncontrollably, the coughs become more violent, and she made wildly for the entrance. "ma!' she screamed, careening to the right where she'd last seen the retreating form of her mother. 

she found herself sudden within a thick patch of smoke, the result of the fire spreading to a pine tree just upwind. she heard, dimly, shouting of her uncle behind her, and tried to orient herself in the haze. but her eyes burned, her lungs burned, and her chest heaved painfully with coughs. she huddled in on herself, deciding the best course of action now would be to scream as she never had before. "ma! seb! ma!" 

Avi had, indeed, went off to stretch her legs, and she had been gone a little while when the fire started. Aviana was instantly panicked, fearing for the safety of her daughter. The smoke filled her lungs, and despite coughing profusely, it seemed to linger, threatening to suffocate her. But, still, Aviana tried to rush toward the den site.

Fire singed her fur, and Aviana jumped back, growling shortly. Her eyes searched frantically for her den. Faye! she shouted, but she wasn't sure if her daughter was there, or if she heard her. The fire separated Aviana from her den, and she ran back and forth, trying to find a way through. She didn't hear Seb, or Faye, shout out above the noise of the fire.

The flames continued to close in and Sunny's heart beat faster and faster. He had never experienced this type of thing before and all instincts told him to drop everything and bolt. His flanks heaved and his bose burned from the smoke, crouching down with his ears flattened to his head and tail tucked. It looked like Sunny was about be a coward and run for it before he heard the sound of someone crying for help. The small noise managed to make him unfreeze and he turned away, following the sound before he came across Aviana who looked panicked. He knew it wasn't her that he had heard crying and immediately put two and two together. "Faye..." he gasped. He turned to Aviana and gave her a wide eyed look "I'll get her Aviana.. I promise" he said and turned toward the flames. He took a few steps backward and then bolted for the flames, leaping through. He cried out as his fur burned in several places, choking on the smoke as he looked around eyes tearing. "Faye! Faye it's Sunny! Keep screaming so I can find you!" he shouted inbetween coughing fits.

There was heat. It was scary, and Radcliffe got up to try and get right out of there. He followed and stuck with the group as they made their way out. But he couldn't see Padma, and the smoke was getting heavy. It was getting harder and harder to see now. And he didn't want to lose anyone, as he began falling behind. Wailing out.

He was looking for Aditya. What else could he do? He knew none of the others or even where the Morningsiders made their dens. And taciturn by nature, it did not occur to him to call out. So he searched, blindly but fervently, led by some strange counter-survival instinct. Fate, maybe.

He was looking for Aditya, but when he saw the young figure stumbling through the smoke, Fus didn't hesitate to make a grab for it. The child was too large to be carried this way, perhaps, but Fus had carried that lamb down from the mountains and across the plains. He could carry the boy to safety.

Boy in his jaws, Fus turned and fled the flames.

Sebastian's ears perked up when he heard the screams of Faye. The smoke was thick hence why Sebastian wasn't yelling back to her. He knew he had to save his oxygen. He had shouted once to alert Aviana and Faye but since Faye was shouting for her mother he doubted that Aviana was here. Sebastian made it his mission to go to her.

Sebastian also heard another voice but couldn't really tell what it was saying. He was focussed on getting Faye. Sebastian reached her and instantly crouched over her. "Don't worry. Uncle Seb is here," he whispered by her ear. He was about to grab her scruff when he noticed Sunny. His grey coat instantly made Seb remember someone else. Shit, River! Was he safe? "Sunny, here!" he barked.

Sebastian turned his attention to Faye. 'Keep your eyes closed," he coughed softly as the barking make him inhale smoke after. Sebastian then was faced with a dilemma. He wanted to bring Faye to Aviana herself but he also didn't know if River was okay. If he wouldn't survive Sebastian wouldn't forgive himself. Could he trust Sunny? He had to. He couldn't take Faye to safety and leave River. He also wouldn't take Faye with him into more fire hazardous territory. "Sunny! Take Faye to Aviana! I must find River!," he told the male, coughing.

the pack had in mind the same idea, and the wild activity around the den site threatened to overwhelm. she stilled, began ticking off boxes in her head. there was Padma, scooped up by Shale; Radcliffe, and the jaws of the nameless male; Sunny and Aviana and her daughter, a flash of grey that could only mean Seb. the missing flashed to mind, and she whirled to face Aditya. "I'll meet you at the Maplewood, if the fire doesn't spread." she whirled and ran, parallel to the wall of flame and vanishing quickly into the spoke a few shades darker than her pelt. she'd search his haunts, first, and hope she'd chosen the right thing to do later.

forgot to mention, this is a one post cameo!

He's out (tentatively while he heals) wandering the territory when the scent of smoke first reaches him. At first there's no real sense of danger as the air thickens around him and he catches sight of the flame crawling across the plains. But it's moving faster than he realizes, and heat washes over him moments before the air becomes dark and choking. He hears Dawn's call, then, and turns to run.
Smoke swallows the area as he flees; he has no clue where he is or where he's going, but as long as the fire follows he'll keep running. It's not as close behind as he thinks, but the fear of it is what keeps him from harm. He's coughing now as he runs, throat constricting further with each burning breath he takes. It feels like he's suffocating, but he knows he can't stop running.

Her redish ears swiveled atop her head as her father approached, she wasn't sure why the had to go anywhere. But the smoke was flowing thicker than before and her nose was plugged, she felt his gentle jaw grip her scruff when she didn't move quick enough. Padma didn't often appreciate being carried, she prefered to accomplish task on her own. 

But this was different, there was an edge to Shale's voice. As he carried her into clearer air, Padma tried to look over her shoulder at her beloved father. "Why?" Her limited vocabulary granted her a single word to wonder what was happening. Why was there smoke? Why were they leaving? Why was he taking her this way?

all was chaos. wolves ran past him, pups in their jaws. he made a mental note of each pair as they flew by--fus with radcliffe, shale with padma, sebastian ferrying faye off to sunny. . . but there were still plenty missing, and aditya looked wildly around, searching for the faces he did not see. river, eventide, meadow, timberlake---

the flames rose up around him like pillars of rock; he felt wedged in a narrow canyon, heat and smoke threatening to choke him where he stood. ducking past the tongues of fire, adi left the den site and began to race through the territory, trying desperately to pick out individual scents amidst the all-encompassing stench of a wildfire.

he ran himself ragged after much time searching, and when his searches proved fruitless, he began to head to the maplewood with a heavy heart, hoping to rally the wolves there (and praying that the fire would not touch the forest--again). his golden fur was singed, the whites of his eyes blood-red from the smoke. he found sybella streiter on the way, and together they trotted out of the burning plains.

aditya glanced back, the pain a thick glaze over his hawkish gaze. what was next for them, when home was no longer a home?

Perhaps it was the adrenaline but Sunny wasn't aware of just how badly his flesh was burned. His breath was what bothered him, choking and wheezing with every other breath. Just as he was about to make a grab for Faye, a blur bolted past him. He froze and choked as a Gust of wind blew smoke directly into his face, blinding him and cutting off his breathe once more. When he was able to crack his eyes open again Sebastian was shoving Faye into his face. Sunny met the male's eyes and gently grabbed Faye, he nodded to Sebastian and turned around moving quickly back and forth between the wall of flames and the den. 

With a low growl he lowered his muzzle, adjusting his hold on Faye so she was tucked between his chin and chest. "Shut your eyes and hold your breath" he croaked around her fur and took a good few steps backward. Praying it would all be alright he ran and jumped back through the flames, stumbling as the fire burned his flesh even more. He spotted Aviana and limped toward her, handing Faye to her Sebastian is Alive, he sent me to give you Faye. He went to go find River. You should get away, get safe" he rasped. He backed away and then ran off, heading for safety himself.

[narrow]

Hope it's ok that I PP @Meadow and @Radcliffe a bit.

---

Pema had been taking a nice rest within the den accompanied by the sweet Meadow laying by her side. Not sleeping but simply resting and enjoying the day. At first, she was simply uncomfortable, unable to pinpoint what it was in her surroundings that was making her feel this way. But then a stinging sensation made it's way to her nostrils which instantly made her heart race as she opened her eyes. She stood up quickly and looked out the entrance of her den. In the distance, she could see something that appeared to be thinly veiled fog making its way closer to the den. Now out in the open, the smell of smoke and fire was clear and she knew her and Meadow need to get out of there and quick.

Rushing back into the den and nudging Meadow repeatedly she stated, "Honey we have to go. Come on, Come on." not going her time to ask why Pema continued to nudge Meadow out of the den and proceeded to encourage her to run with her along with the rest of the pack unknowingly running ahead of them. [Leaving before Shale had time to check the den]

The smoke was beginning to pick up along with the wind. She cried out for her other children.  "Timber... Padma... Radcliffe."  over and over taking occasional moments to cough through the smoke. She hoped that all of them and Shale would be alright, but she couldn't go back now. Not right now with Meadow at her side. She needed to assure her daughters saftey first before going back for the others. She just hoped that they had gotten the chance to get out before her.

senses dulled and shock settled in as Sunny grasped her, moving towards the fall of flame. she wanted to scream, to cry, for this was a huge no-no, but could only hang in his jaws and burn as he lept through, downy baby fluff singeing. her breath became low, little more than a shallow woosh of air that barely moved her chest as she was deposited at her mother's side. she didn't move to her, didn't run, merely lay there dully with wide eyes and fluttering pulse, entirely overcome with terror.

He shook his head slightly at her question, unable to answer it with his mouth full. Instead, he continued to race through a clear path--or, at least as clear of a path there was through this fire. It was hot, so incredibly hot. Some spoke of an underworld, after death, and Shale wondered then whether this was similar. It certainly was insufferable.

On the way out, he passed his mate, shepherding Meadow along. He had just enough time to give her a loving look and press his forehead to her shoulder before taking off again, hoping she'd be right behind him. The pair of them looked none the worse for wear--but should they lag behind, he would return to help them.

He deposited Padma in the Maplewood and looked around the forest for a bit, trying to catch Timberlake's scent. When he did not find it, Shale sucked in a grave breath and returned to the plains, back into the fire.

He would not rest until all of his children were safe.

Everything was moving so fast, Aviana had little time to comprehend what was going on. The flames licked at her skin and fur and she could hardly understand all the screams going on around her, or judge who they were by. Sunny leapt over the wall of fire, and Aviana wanted to follow desperately but her fear kept her on this side of it.

Suddenly, Sunny was there again, and this time he had Faye in his jaws. Faye! she shouted, her nose immediately going to her daughter. She wasn't moving, but Aviana also could find any injuries. I'm gonna travel fast, she warned. Tuck in tight, close your eyes, and I'll let you know when it's safe, she instructed. As gently as she could, she got a firm grasp on Faye, provided the child let her, and began to run to safety.

Radcliffe had been rescued, and he gave a squeak of protest at the sudden grab. He kicked, squeaking and squealing uncomfortably. And coughing as well, with the smoke coming around them. The hot warmth did not help one bit in the situation, it felt like something dangerous, and he wanted to be far from it.