She was quietly contemplative in light of everything. Amekaze had kept to herself, stayed quiet, tended her injuries, and otherwise gone about her business in peace. She tried not to consider Swiftcurrent much, now that matters were evidently settled there even if the angry aches in her body were courtesy of one of theirs. Now, it was time to look within the pack, and then within herself.
On top of not being at the pinnacle of fitness with scabbing wounds and bruises, she was anxious as the nights recently had been cool. Too soon resonated a vague thought, but then again, it may just be a chilly week -- so she hoped. Winter needn't come early this year and if only she could will it to wait..
The dark wolf had tiredly hiked up towards the edge of the treeline then just beyond, to where a small rocky outcropping jutted away from the mountain. Naturally, she settled atop it, and observed the mountain slopes below. She shared nature's silence for a long while, and let herself meditate on the notion. Until, the shrill keen of a hawk broke her focus, and so, she watched the bird soar over their forests, wondering if it was only passing through or a resident of the immediate area. She did not recognize it from here, for the sun's glare made it hard to see what kind of hawk it even was, exactly.
Either way, she watched idly, wondering how the fellow wolves of the Sunspire fared today as well. Amekaze had not seen anyone.. not that she had been looking, exactly, though..
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
It was on that very same day Kipling had been given the scent of the mountain and joined Sunspire's ranks. Ferdie seemed to be a busy alpha and had only had time to spare her a few words before departing from the Oasis and going about this duties. Hovering around the area, Kipling was not content to stay long. She hadn't seen much of the mountain yet and she sought to fix that, seeing as this was her new home after all.
There were other things on her mind as well besides exploring and what it might mean now that she was apart of the Sunpire wolves. Ferdie had given her an ominous warning, Stay away from Swiftcurrent. And of course she questioned, why? Having lost the chance to get immediate answers, she connected the demand with an incident from her recent past. Fang had also seemed more hostile when he inquired her about the Creek. Something obviously was going on, or had been.
And she'd stepped into it.
In the same manner she'd stumbled into the sights of the rather enigmatic figure perched on a higher slope. The distance between them was wide but not so much that she couldn't make out certain details, enough that she could catch the scent and acknowledge her packmate. Unsure if her company was wanted, and not wanting to step on any toes, being so new, she waved her tail lowly behind her invitation.
The mountainside was tranquil today, shrouded in an easy peace that she soaked up. It allowed her to watch the skybound bird until it eventually flew out of sight, likely off to hunt elsewhere, or perhaps pursue others of its kind. About then, she was eager to turn her attention towards the approach of another... and not long after, another.
Her ears quivered forward and from here, she attempted to scent them, to varied success. She was met with not one, but two fellow Sunspire females.. not that either of them were overly familiar to her.
The first of her agouti companions was newer here, of that she could tell easily even from here, but Ferdie's scent was noticeable so there was no cause for concern. The other she had some vague history with. Amekaze nodded. Greetings,
she chuffed and sat up a little taller, although did not move to impose her ranking over either of them. She was coolly confident of her position. How fares the mountain for you both?
came her standard inquiry as she skimmed her minty gaze over the two of them, comparing and contrasting as she did.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
Whipping her head around, she observed the approach of the other female tilting her chin at the greeting. Hey there.
She offered her tone a bit more subdued than she would have liked. There was something about being in the company of not only one but two new packmates that made her feel on edge. It was the precious sensitivity of her ego making her paranoid that should she mess up in some way Kipling would somehow be shunned. She barely trusted her own words not to betray her, probably now having come across as quiet although this was not the case.
Then there was the ebony beauty who rose to speak with the vague hint of an accent she could not immediately place and wasn’t sure she’d ever heard before. She felt sandwiched between the exotic female and casual second she-wolf—who also didn’t seem to have a problem greeting her packmates openly. She rushed then to get another word in and answer the question without initial thought, It’s cool.
Then paused not sure that made sense, and added quickly, I mean—it’s nice. Very nice.
I guess you're enjoying the view and you're—
She turned to the other female beside her, Exploring? I was just doing the same. I'm Kipling.
I am Ame,
she provided first and foremost, and listened to the answers she was given. While both were positive reviews, one provided more detail than the other, and were perhaps indicative of the personalities she had attracted for her company. She nodded with a satisfied look and decided this was better than her solitude.
I am enjoying the view, yes. This mountain has proven favorable, and the energy here.. suits me,
she answered vaguely. Her ancestral home had been a mountain, and for generations before her, her family had taken to slopes when they were able. I also come to enjoy the peace.. while it is ours. The last several weeks have been, ah, tumultuous, I suppose one could call it,
her shoulders rolled, a reminder of Swiftcurrent coursing forth with the motion. She liked to relax like this instead of constantly hawking over the borderlands, knowing that the likelihood of intruders were strong. Amekaze could not know if it would remain this way, but while it was here, she would soak it up.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
Once again she fell quite short compared to her other agouti counterpart, and it was only with practice in which she was able to withhold the look of disappointment from her face. She chalked it up to her unwillingness to suck up, and most pleasantly reponding to the nods she received, she gave one of her own in turn. But her attention was quickly snatched from the petty nuisances of her ego and she left those thoughts behind at Ame’s mention of recent peace, not aware Aleera was just as in the dark as her, she spoke up, Should I be wary?
Ame spoke of it as in the past, but she knew the past had a way of creeping up when you least expected it to, especially should it go ignored. And, of course, Ferdie’s warning came to mind at that moment. Do not venture to Swiftcurrent. The way he phased it made it seem as though he was cagey about any of his wolves even traveling too far East. For now though, Kipling did not mention it unsure if there was more than one piece of dirty laundry to be aired out.
Should she be wary? Amekaze shook her head a soft 'no'. I would not say so,
she murmured. She believed the Sunspire was due to rise to strength. It had established itself and they had not let the Creek have their way by moving away just because one prideful yearling demanded it. Being wary would only be.. advisable when anywhere near the Creek. And even then, it would mostly be wise to watch for their insolence. Here on the mountain, our strength reigns,
she said with a low rumble. She would see to it, along with Ferdie and Jace and all the other wolves devoted to the cause. Amekaze just felt particularly attached to the notion as a founder.
Aleera cut to the point with her question. Turbulent peace was one way to call it. It comes from the nature of the pack's creation -- our less than stellar relationship with the Swiftcurrent wolves. They have not wanted us here from the start, even if we were once their comrades, and our borders are not even so near,
she explained. Her muzzle wrinkled just a little in disdain for her former pack. Joining them may have brought her closer to Ferdie and Jace, but looking back, she wished that she had stayed a loner for even longer. The transition would have been easier.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
Seriously? You guys use to be apart of Swiftcurrent?
She blurted out then, somewhat caught in disbelief. Gauging both their reactions for a moment, she shook her head trying to digest all that had been said, and continued, delving deeper for the veteran packmember to share her knowledge, But does that mean that… did you leave because the pack was just too big at that point? Or…
Kipling trailed off then, unsure if she wanted to come right out and asked if they’d been forced to leave for other reasons.
She really didn't think she'd be opposed to rooming with troublemakers. But it would serve to expand her viewpoint on the pack's standing with Swiftcurrent and how her ideals would match with the Sunspire. She agreed with Amekaze though, there was reasonable space between them. But then why seek out a fight?
She flicked an ear, vaguely amused by the reaction Kipling showed her. Mhm. Although not for very long, myself. Barely a moon,
she nodded. She had not been there long enough to put significant effort into integrating. Although the most company there had been the creek itself. It was a large pack at the time, and lacked a personal feel and cause to devote to, from my perspective at least.
It hadn't been particularly difficult to climb the ranks and the core of wolves at the heart of the pack had seemed small, limited to Fox, Tuwawi, Njal and Bazi. The others.. she could scarcely recall many of them. I left when Ferdie and Jace were ousted, after they would not fight to the death on the Alpha's orders.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
They were all three in agreement. Amekaze nodded. Very true, and I would rather be here than still at the Creek.
There had been a reason in it, no doubt. Perhaps she ought to be more thankful for it. She knew, despite the initial unpleasantness of the whole event, circumstances were better now because of this. It had only saved her from wasting time festering at the creekside.
Ferdie and Jace would offer more of the exact details. After Fox ordered such, she promptly ran them off when they refused. I encountered them afterward because I had been away from the Creek at the time,
she explained. Of course, afterwards they had come here to regroup and settle but Aleera and Kipling could infer that much from where they were today. Whether we like it or not the Creek has been a big aspect of our foundation, but time will have to tell what role they will play in weeks and months to come,
she said, for she truly believed the Sunspire would not crumble so soon. Their future was only just beginning to get underway here. But, she wished they could shake their involvement with the Creek entirely.. almost as much as to hope that their pack would dissolve into nothing in months to follow, even if that seemed extreme.
Her ears flickered towards a distant howl, listening. We should talk more soon,
she murmured to her female company. Until next time,
were her parting words as she rose to descend the mountain, heading off to investigate.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」