Whitefish River mama said knock you out

It took him a little longer than anticipated to get down the mountains again. Verx was pelted by debris from the rockslide, nearly catching one particularly jagged stone to the dome. But he managed to escape relatively unscathed, only a few minor cuts here and there, and burst onto the plateau a black shadow, the wind screaming past his ears as he ran.

By the time he got to Kaistleoki, he was gasping for breath, sides heaving. With prey so scarce, he hadn't had nearly as many calories as a wolf of his size should in the last week or so, and it was beginning to show, both in looks and in stamina. He was slowly wasting away.

Still, this was important. No time to dick around. There were enemies everywhere around here, and now even the ground was turning against them. It wasn't safe. Not for him, and definitely not for his children. Imagine if Caiaphas followed his scent back here. . .

He let out a ragged howl for his kids, pacing in agitated fashion near the river, hoping they'd hear the sense of fucking urgency in his tone and come with haste.

set Sept. 24; quickie quick to get things rolling -- paging @Dragomir & @Isilmë

Haste really wasn't on the menu for Dragomir these days, but he could sense the weight behind Vercingetorix's howl and did his very best to attend it swiftly. A wooden hobble carried him from the woods, where many trees had fallen and left gaping holes where the roots had torn from the earth, down to where his father paced at the river. Dragomir, too, could tell that Kaistleoki was no longer safe, but for different reasons than his sire. Like the rest of the pack, he was nervous about whether their territory could continue to support them.

They were all hungry, but Verx looked positively famished, like he hadn't eaten anything in several days. Dragomir's brows knit together over his sullen eyes as he arrived, canting his ears forward and pausing a fair distance from the agitated wolf in the event the distress call was something else entirely. Had Vercingetorix maybe found where Aurëwen had gone? It would be a relief to know she was alive ... and yet it would be heartwrenching to know she was alive and hadn't come home or sent word, so he wasn't sure he wanted to know if that's what it was.

a thump behind her had her start, spinning. a few meters back the way she's come a tree lay freshly felled, it's tenuous grip finally exhausted. she stares at it a moment before moving towards her father's call, arriving a beat after Dragomir. she moves closer than he, casting a glance back at him as she moves within range of their father, gaze fixed on his agitated movements. she notices her father's famished frame in the same way Dragomir does, and her jaw tightens a fraction, wondering if just how bad things will get. 

"what's happened?" comes her question, though Aure and the story of his past he'd told them of a few days prior spring first to mind, so does the thought of the destruction all around them increasing, somehow.

We gotta go, he said without preamble to Isi's question, frowning. He jerked his head toward the mountains, eyes glittering with alarm. Blackhead's up there. You know the woman who hurt my throat? And the rocks are falling. The water's rising. It's not safe here. He was still breathing quite heavily, punching out the words between gasps.

Verx gave his children a serious look, a sigh escaping his lips, much different from the other exhales. We should go look for your mom, he proposed, not knowing how he'd be received. Did they even want to? They still had to love her, right? She didn't come back; she might be hurt somewhere, stuck, and can't get home.

At least, that's what he hoped it was. Is that okay with y'all? he asked, brows lifting in query. Else, they'd just go to Praimfaya, wherever she was. But he felt like he at least had to try and find Aure. For their sake. That was what mattered.

Everything Vercingetorix said made sense, except the part about Blackhead, who apparently was his attacker from so long ago. I thought she lived on the coast? he interjected, not really expecting an answer. It was a testament to how wide-ranging wolves were that she would show up in the mountains. It also sent an unpleasant sensation rolling through his stomach, reminding him none-too-kindly that there were more wolves out there than just her that would relish in harming them.

Sanguinus. If Blackhead could travel so far by chance, so could he.

We should go look for your mom. Honestly, he should've known that was coming, but Dragomir screwed his eyes shut and furrowed his muzzle, almost like an old man pinching the bridge of his nose, but without fingers. How he felt about her leaving on her scouting trip didn't matter. He did still love her—she was his mother!—and Verx was right. She was probably hurt. That was the only reasonable explanation that she hadn't come back, even though the little voice in Dragomir's head wanted him to believe it was deliberate. Aurëwen was many things, but she loved her children. She wouldn't leave them on purpose. He knew that.

Okay, he agreed, exhaling slowly through his nostrils.

dragomir puts words to her question before she can utter it, and she instead settles for the looming dread that comes with the thought of them leaving, again. "okay," she agrees, and then her father brings up Aure and her brow wrinkles. as Dragomir did, she still loved Aure; but no matter her feelings, her mother had always felt a little distant, as if there were parts of her she could never understand and could never have. 

but no matter how much her leaving had infuriated the girl—no doubt there were other scouts here that did not have injured children—the possibility that she could have been injured, or lost, is pressing enough for her to breath out a second, "okay." it is as if the dangers and worries all around have suddenly decided to focus on them, and her father's frantic energy is contagious. "where do we go? where's moonspear?"

She did, Verx responded grimly. Apparently she's moved. Fucking hell. Maybe she was following him. Maybe she was already on her way to Kaistleoki when he'd approached her, and now was following his scent. . .

At Isi's question, he gave an almost comical shrug. No idea. We'll figure it out. Are y'all - okay, so we're ready to go?

God, he hated to move them again. Again. But this was a real crisis, or at least would quickly evolve into one if they didn't do something now. Once at Moonspear. . .maybe they could have some stability.

Lol -- stability. As if.

last post!

This was all very overwhelming for Dragomir, who might have protested having to move again if he had time to really think about it. But things felt too urgent and sudden for him to contemplate his decision, and somehow he got the sense that he didn't really have much of a choice.

Like every other time, really.

He wasn't really okay to go, his legs were still weak and his pace was slow at best, but they had to go. So he nodded affirmation that he was ready and followed along, slowly and painfully.