Swiftcurrent Creek i've had my coffee, so let's go

For @Tuwawi - if you will have me! :D <3

Eventually, Bazi accepted that she had to open the Pandora's box of thoughts stuffed away in the back of her head and sort through its contents. With Scimitar's calming influence on hand, she established a number of facts: there had to be a pack meeting, soon, and she needed to speak to Tuwawi.

The second task filled her with more trepidation than the first, because she had some inkling of where the conversation would go. The red mother had slipped away from the Creek a few times now, travelling north without a word whilst Njal tended to the pups. Bazi had stopped by to help a number of times, engaging the lively children in play or chewing cached meat for their supper. It hurt the young girl to her very core that she might not have much time left with them.

Sunset was well underway when she arrived at Njal and Tuwawi's den. The journey had taken her across the creek, and an hour's worth of fishing had yielded two fat, round trout that hung limply from her jaws. She dropped these a few meters from mouth of the den, in the shade of the trees and scatterd boulders that surrounded it. Perhaps the pups would be up for trying something other than red meat; fish was much easier to chew, though the bones would need to be picked out. With that in mind, Bazi put one leg in front of the meal, shielding it from the threat of grabby little mouths.

of course ;-) EDIT: amended this for post-meeting

Her travels had the north had been quite successful, if not treacherous. Tuwawi had crossed many miles over the plains, hills, and rivers in order to survey potential land. Along the way she had met other wolves - who were all interesting characters - and fought off a territorial bobcat. There were pros and cons to any land. Would the untamed wilderness be safer for the Sveijarn family than the well-fortified creek? Or was the potential for Swiftcurrent's invasion too great. Would Ferdie and the Swiftcurrent wolves keep to their word? Would Fox ever attempt to reclaim the riverside clan? Only Njal and Tuwawi could ensure their offspring's future; it was up to them to make it right.

The ember had arrived back in Swiftcurrent the previous night, slipping through the borders and into the heart of the grounds back to their burrow. She had seen Njal in passing, and he had greeted her at the den. Such a watchful father... the pups had been excited to see their mother, as well. It was difficult for Tuwawi to be so far from them... and sleep had quickly enticed her to dreamland. She laid in the back of the den curled up with Valtyr, Larus, Jokull, and Maera in one big pile as dawn broke and slept the day away to recover some energy. Njal had mentioned their new leader had been rather scarce the before the meeting call had sounded.

It was a surprise to Tuwawi when Bazi's familiar scent wafted into the den - and she groggily rose to greet the pale woman. Slowly, she came to her feet... letting to children continue to snooze... and stepped out into the fading sun. "Bazi," she greeted her friend as silver eyes flit across her, now clean, figure and face. What were her thoughts on their upcoming departure? The fire mother kept her expression neutral but inquisitive, open to sharing thoughts. "How are you feeling?" Tuwawi asked after a brief pause.

Would you like to set this before or after the meeting..? It might make sense to set it after, in case Tuwawi wants the decision to leave SC to be public knowledge after this thread. But I can work with either!

Tuwawi emerged alone. Bazi dropped her eyes to the fish at her feet - she had spent too long at the creek, and now there was nothing standing between the two women and a frank conversation. The pale girl would have given anything for Maera to come scuttling out of the darkness, tripping the red mother up in her excitement to reach the visitor.

"Bazi," Tuwawi greeted, earning a weak smile from the little Alpha. "How are you feeling?" Truth be told - better, mostly thanks to Scimitar and his endless patience with her. They had discussed the Creek's options, and with him as Beta and two counselors bolstering her leadership, the pack stood a good chance of surviving yet another young leader's rule.

But that pack would not include Njal, and it would not include Tuwawi - or their little brood. Deep down, Bazi knew that; the lady of the Sveijarn family had made it clear that her patience was wearing thin, and her absence over the past few days only served to intensify the Creek leader's paranoia. After the announcement at the meeting, she knew there was no going back.

Bazi had a whole speech planned, complete with a set of retorts for every possibility. She had practiced them all in front of her own distorted reflection, but now, in the last moment, they scattered like the foxes in Blackfoot Forest. Her ears wilted and drooped against her skull, and with a high, wavering voice, Bazi asked: "Are you really leaving me?"

There was an air of sadness between them, and although Tuwawi wasn't burdened with as much guilt as her mate, there was still sharp sense of poignancy. The creek had been her home for the past half year. She had found Njal here... birthed their children here... blood, sweat, tears, and many hours of her time had been spent defending Swiftcurrent's borders - patrolling their land with pride. However, the time had come to move onto more promising lands and away from the troubles which plagued this domain.

Bazi sat before the ember like a withered lilly; the pitch of her voice unstable because of tempestuous emotions. Tuwawi frowned as her gaze became half-lidded, brows lowering in a pensive expression. Are you really leaving me? Bazi asked weakly, as if to imply that the Sveijarn egress was a personal affair. The words stung and made Tuwawi flinch. Bazi was the closest friend and ally that was left within this valley... and to leave her behind caused waves in the mother's spirit. "We are leaving the creek," she corrected with a quiet and somber tone, though her gaze was steely and resolute. She moved towards the newly crowned leader as if to console her, if the advances were wanted. It wasn't Bazi's fault for what had transgressed - ultimately the situation had been dropped in her lap. However, the cards had been played and decisions had been setteled. The Sveijarns would be heading North.

"You should come with us," Tuwawi said in a hushed voice, earnestly wanting the white yearling to abscond with them into the misty mountains. The vermilion women felt like she knew Bazi in a way other's didn't - not Scimitar, nor Danica, nor Njal... because when Tuwawi looked at their leader she saw a girl yearning for guidance and thirsty for wisdom; perhaps in the same way a mother saw their daughter. She reflected on when they had met beneath the sweet crab-apple tree... how different Bazi was now.

"We are leaving the creek."

The clarification did not console her. She had invested nearly a third of her young life in the creek, most of it as a leader - even changed her name in a show of devotion to its wolves and waters. Now that she was to become both Alpha and most senior member in one fell swoop, the bonds of duty tightened like jungle snares around her ankles. If Tuwawi left the creek, she was leaving Bazi with it.

The fiery mother's gently spoken suggestion caused all-out war to break out in Bazi's skull. "Go with you...?" she mumbled dimly over the sound of a dozen contradicting thoughts crossing swords. One side wanted to scream 'Yes!' and make plans for departure straight away. How wonderful, to absolve all responsibility and flounce off into the distant mountains with a woman she adored, a man she trusted, and the very cutest pups ever to walk the earth!

But would Scimitar come? Would Danica? What would happen to the rest of them? She was still tired, and her the voice that represented her sense of responsibility was less forceful as a result. Pack above all else. But what if you had to choose between two packs? Then what?

It was the third and loudest voice that eventually made Bazi's mind up for her - and it was the most selfish. This can't be my first attempt at leadership. Nobody would sing songs about the last, cowardly Alpha of Swiftcurrent Creek. Nobody would remember the good she had managed to do if her last act as leader was to disband the pack.

Finally, after thinking hard on it for what seemed like hours, she raised wide, glassy eyes to Tuwawi's face: "... I can't." And just like that, one possible future disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

... I can't, uttered Bazi. She was wrought to this land. Promoted and abandoned by Fox. Tied to this valley and her people by duty and law. What Tuwawi had asked was not an easy thing — to up and leave Swiftcurrent to its own devices — and so her responses was expected, however disappointing. The Sveijarn future would not include her friend at their side, but Tuwawi understood.

The matriarch's dark lips pulled into a frown and she nodded, looking away towards summer's colorful dusk. It juxtaposed the somber wolves too well, cascading them into different and wonderful colors despite the blue mood which surrounded them. Tuwawi looked back to Bazi, ignited by the sunlight. "You will do alright without us. Swiftcurrent will thrive... there will be more room in the ranks for others to rise up," she told Bazi, hoping their vacant seats at the top might inspire others to be more ambitious. A few more pensive moments passed, "this decision was not made lightly. It has been a long time coming." But now, with the hour close at hand their days were numbered. How much longer would she be able the savor these moments with her packmates?

"There will be more room in the ranks for others to rise up."

Bazi summoned their faces to the forefront of her mind - Galileo would make a worthy Beta one day, and Danica was already carving out a special place for herself in the Alpha's heart. But they were both unripe fruit. It would take months, perhaps longer, to form true connections - if they stayed that long. The fact that Swiftcurrent Creek - pack and water alike - replenished itself constantly was as much a blessing as it was a curse. Always a new face.

Bazi pawed listlessly at the ground, scratching a well into the temporarily golden earth. "You'll be alone," she responded, glancing up. "You, Njal, and the pups." It wasn't a particularly convincing argument - Tuwawi was more than capable of counting to six; two adults, for children. The pale girl's gaze drifted back to her paws. "Where will you go?" East, presumably, or north - there were only claimed territories west of Swiftcurrent, including Fox's new home.

Njal and Tuwawi were the creek's most senior members, but as the sunset faded and the heat of the day waned upon her hair, parallels couldn't help but be drawn. Glimmers of early stars danced upon dusk's nighttime cloak, the ridges of distant pines back-lit only by the smallest rays. Twilight settled upon the two women as Bazi's gift of fish became tepid, but hunger was the least of her troubles; too preoccupied with the consequences of her impending departure. The mother felt her composure suddenly waiver under the scrutiny of Bazis seaglass blue gaze.

Thankfully, the youth turned her attention to the ground. "We will be," she agreed solemnly, accepting the fact that they would endure some hardships for a while. With other predators in the woods, and no family to watch their back, one parent would have to be with the children at all times. But nothing ventured was nothing gained. "We will be alone for a time... but hopefully there will be others who are lonely, too. They will gather. The same way wolves flock to this creek," she told Bazi as she traced her nubile face. "We will be heading North. There is a series of mountains that way... Njal will like them," she added. Even though her husband had yet to lay eyes on their future territory, Tuwawi knew he would be pleased with her work. He had been sad these past few days... and she had seen him by Lethe's grave in passing. He was the last one left who had known the first alpha of the creek.

The image of her mate sitting before the moss-covered tombstone sent a shiver down her spine. The heartache was biting. "Bazi," she began, voice quiet as her brows became cinched in deep thought, "the creek looks to you, now. I know your potential. You are a woman and you are strong. Be smart and be proud. Use your head," she imparted upon her junior, feeling like the time for last-minute wisdom was drawing near. Her ears orbited towards the new leader, wanting to hear her speak.

It wasn't the Sunspire range she spoke of, nor Mount Apikuni. Bazi did not remember seeing any distant mountains on her trip to Horizon Ridge in that first week, which meant that Tuwawi and Njal's intended home was further away than any territory the young Alpha had even seen. Regular visits would not be an option - not whilst the ranks were fluid and both hers and Scimitar's leadership skills untried. Lately, she had considered relinquishing her role as outrider altogether.

Bazi opened her mouth to protest, but Tuwawi got there first. "The creek looks to you, now. I know your potential. You are a woman and you are strong. Be smart and be proud. Use your head." The girl that was supposed to be smart, proud, and strong all at once couldn't help but smile. It was Shar-Kali reborn, but without the misandry and sharp, biting voice. "You sound like a real mother now," Bazi commented, "Mine would have said that.. but I think I prefer it from you." There was a quality to Tuwawi's warm, low voice that made the spoken wish for Bazi's future as a leader sound like an already proven truth. She was a woman, and she was smart - even if she was often obstinate and in possession of more than one wolf's worth of prejudices.

For the moment, she let these worries go in the form of a long, deep sigh.

"You need to take someone with you," she said, turning to squint into the burning light. It had reached its climax, and would soon burn down to coals. "Or two. Just for a few nights, until the pups are settled and you've fortified some kind of den.." The little general-in-the-making looked back at Tuwawi, scrutinizing the mother's calm, grey eyes. "You're really sure about this?"

Her alabaster friend smiled anew at the advice, and eased some of Tuwawi's concerns. Swiftcurrent would be fine and Bazi would be alright. The Sveijarns would be leaving as a new chapter began, and the ember was sure the blank pages would soon be filled with stories of Bazi's leadership and her subordinate's accomplishments. They would learn and grow together, as packs always had, the same way Tuwawi's new family would hopefully flourish.

Tuwawi offered a soft laugh, "truly it is a role I never expected to have, but it brings me the greatest joy," she admitted. Just yesterday she was but a yearling earning her marks within Kindred. Motherhood had scarcely crossed her mind then, but now Swiftcurrent's couldn't fathom a life without the maternal sentiments she kept; everything about it felt right. For a moment she pondered what Bazi's family had been like, and the Sveijarn wife could not help but regret that she hadn't spent more time with her young friend.

A silence came between them, both women enjoying each other's company, when Bazi affirmed the decision she had made at the meeting. She would allow one or two wolves to accompany them to the mountain to help settle and protect the family for a few days. It was generous, especially since the husband and wife had few alternatives; but, if it had not been the case, Njal and Tuwawi would have followed through by another recourse.

The mother gave a solemn nod, "yes, I am. We will always remember our time at Swiftcurrent fondly... with you... Fox... Lethe..." Her gaze turned to the bleeding sky as the last rays disappeared, "and everyone." Suddenly, the chirping of hungry pups echoed from the den, and Tuwawi was forced to turn away from her nostalgia and focus on the present. A downy grey gaze turned back to Bazi. "You are welcome to spend the night in the den with us, if you'd like. I'm sure the kids will love the fish."

Tuwawi's laugh elicited a matching giggle from Bazi. It faded into comfortable silence, allowing the younger girl an opportunity to gather herself before the inevitable. Yes, we are going. We will remember you. A hard lump threatened to form in the back of Bazi's throat, forcing her to break eye contact and swallow hard several times before the threat of tears was not quite so imminent. The sound of very awake little children cut in, and both women turned to look.

"You are welcome to spend the night in the den with us, if you'd like. I'm sure the kids will love the fish."

Bazi smiled happily and nodded, relieved that the conversation would turn to happier things. "I would love that. Valtýr fell asleep on my leg the other day, for a lot longer than I'd been prepared for.. I think I was there for several hours and got literally nothing done." She stooped to gather her catch and prepared to follow Tuwawi into the den full of squabbling little pups, painfully aware that moments like these were numbered.

I am so sad TT____TT last post for me

Tuwawi faintly noticed Bazi's struggle out of her discreet peripheral and it made her heart bleed, but she let her friend have that moment to regain composure. The kids sure had good timing. Their demanding calls helped lift the waterlogged emotions from the air and redirect the adult's attention. Bazi smiled and accepted the invitation to stay the night with open arms. Scarcely another loved the children more than the new leader, who's affection for the toddlers only rivaled Galileo's, and it was heartbreaking to severe such a deep bond while it was still in its infancy. Tuwawi offered her friend a wide smile and soft look, elated she would spend the night.

Bazi gushed about a visit she had with little Valtýr, causing the mother hen's tail to curl in delight. "Val's such a character," she reflected. Such a trusting and loving child. His siblings, too, had hearts of gold. One thing was for certain... they would definitely be pleased Bazi's catch. And even though they weren't entirely aware of their parent's decisions, Tuwawi knew they they would miss Bazi dearly.

The two women walked to the burrow, fish in tow, and entered. Together they would devour the trout before tumbling into a massive pile to sleep the night, and their worries, away.