Emberwood We didn't start the fire. (UG)

I tried to tag everyone involved with UG from memory but there are a lot of you! :) This is meant as a lil meeting to discuss moving. Please reply at least once! Since there are so many people involved we don't have to do rounds unless people feel the need. Thanks dudes! (Adding the rest: @Séamus @Sneheks @Drysvys). This is not a formation thread! Just a meetup!

The marsh felt wrong to Ibis, being one of the last places she had seen her brother, but her auntie was right—if he were to return to the area and search for her it wouldn't be difficult to reunite. They could stay in the valley at the very least, and Ibis could always double-back to the marsh and do infrequent patrols. It would be okay, she told herself... Everything would work out, because it had to. Anyway—she departed from the territory where everyone had been busy the past few days; when they weren't getting to know one another they were discovering the marsh, getting adapted to the sponginess of the terrain or hunting for the tiny beasts that persisted while the larger things had fled.

The girl went west; she knew there was a forest that way, remembering how she'd scoured the tree line for signs of deer weeks ago (and found a new friend to add among the rest, instead). Compared to the dreary and drab look of the marsh, the forest was a vast improvement. The season had left some trees barren of their leaves but those that retained them were breathtaking; crowned in gold, wreathed in red, the light caught against what leaves remained and made everything glow with a warm and inviting light. Ibis was in love as she moved between the trees.

She did not go too far, though. The trees were thinner along the edge of the forest, and she soon sought out a cleared area where the leaves had gathered in a great pile. They were everywhere! The ground was rust-colored because of the piles of leaves, and the entire expanse smelled rich and spiced, almost. Ibis pranced through the leaves but as she explored the clearing she found that the leaves were piled higher than her shoulders, and as badly as she wanted to jump in to one of those piles, she didn't want to be swallowed up.

This was a good place, she decided. With a lift of her chin the girl let out a little song, and as it grew in intensity it carried from the flaming forest and out to the marsh: '@Kukulkan, @Bhediya, @Awol, everyone—come here, please!' She paused for breath and then sang the same message again, this time calling for '@Pygmalion, @Marten, @Sarah, @Maiira,' and after, feeling a bit light-headed, she settled to her haunches with the leaf piles surrounding her.

Something little flickered between the trees, a shadow caught between the many embers; Ibis glanced to it, half expecting it to be a wavering branch in the wind or something just as useless, what with the emptiness of the world right now. Staring at her from high up a nearby tree was a tiny woodpecker,

Pygmalion might not have been first to be named, but he was doggedly determined to be the first on the scene. With Bhediya's presence as extra incentive, the arctic man hailed Ibis' call with haste, tongue lolling as he left the confines of the marsh for the drier, more beautiful forest he had encountered @Pirrup within. 

When he spotted the girl ahead, his tail flagged briefly, and then tucked downwards once more. She seemed like the de facto leader of their little crew; thus, he'd show her the proper deference. He knew how this game was played. He'd lived too long in a family where rank was everything to not know.

Hello, he greeted, and then followed her gaze, finding the woodpecker within the trees. Pyg grinned. Cheeky little fellow, is he no?

For @Kukulkan, @Sarah, and @Hogo, our threads aren't finished so let's just assume that everyone's been intrduced, PM me with anything that concerns you, please! <3 

Awol had been lounging around when he had heard Ibis' call. He could recognize some names and began to wonder at the unfamiliar, as he heeded her call and galloped through the swamp. Timidly stepping across small puddles of water and floundering his paws in mud, he was too arrive n the scene shortly. He thought of @Kukulkan, who had met at the river. And @Hogo, @Sarah, and @Bhediya, the only faces he had encountered during his journey and stay in the swamp. As the cold nipped at his nose and sent a chilling breeze through his fur as he ran halfheartedly, he wondered what Ibis' invitation to a congregation of wolves may be.

As he saw Ibis and white figure thourgh the grasses and trees, he descreased his speed and trotted to Ibis' side. Awo nodded t the white male, he looked like a friend of Ibis' at the evry least, and Awol was becoming used to that. "Hello, Ibis. I haven't seen you recently, and I apologize for that. But what is this about?" 

The scene was worthy of all awe. Autumn colored leaves actively fell to the ground from atop the heads of towering aspens. Bhediya paused at the perimeter to sniff at the aged bark peeling from the trunks. Oh, Ibis, she sighed. It was clear from the leaf remnants on her coat that the girl was just as impressed.

There were two who'd made it before she had: Pygmalion and Awol. Pyg, she said, Awol. Both young men received a cordial nod of the head. To Pyg, Bhediya offered a small, almost indiscernible smile. 

When Awol flocked to Ibis, so did Bhediya to Pyg. Her gaze followed the woodpecker for only a moment before turning back to the group.

This is still open to anyone from UG to pop in! Just gonna keep it flowin'.
Your character is welcome to cameo in the thread if they're busy (such as a howl).

A few of the people she called showed up immediately; they must have been close, maybe scouting the area like she had been or trying to hunt. It suddenly felt very wrong to pull them aside from such important duties—so she decided to keep things quick and to-the-point, that way they could get back to whatever they were doing before her interruption. The more the merrier of course, but Ibis was not concerned; anything said here would disseminate among the survivors naturally.

It was Awol that spoke up first; to him she smiled wide, and then she looked to the others who had popped up—Bhediya, Pygmalion. She was so glad to have met these people at such a desperate moment in her life. She was so, so lucky. When it was clear they were all waiting for her to say something, she got right down to it.

I.. I love our marsh. I love it very much, but I know it isn't an ideal place for so many people. It is cold, wet, muddy, and will only get worse as the season progresses. I called for you so that we could discuss a plan. As she went on to explain, Ibis felt her face warm and flush with nervousness. She was suddenly glad the gathering was so small. We've been working hard to make the marsh our home but I'm sure you're all thinking about the winter. So, I want to propose.. That we move. Here, maybe. It isn't far from the marsh and all of our food stores, which is good. These woods aren't as murky as the marsh, so we won't be cold. And... If my brother comes home, we won't be far away. The last thing she wanted was to move and lose all contact with Okeanos when he returned to her; it wasn't a question of if in her mind, but when.

With all that said, Ibis looked to each wolf for confirmation—or any reaction at all, really. If they did not like her choice or had another option to offer up, she was all ears. What mattered now was the group's safety and security for the winter.

Hope you all don't mind my boy posting again, since we weren't doing rounds. <3
(@Ibis, perhaps make it so wolves can just howl if they agree if you feel the need to wrap this up, or Awol can volunteer to round everyone up and spread the news! We could all use those post counts!) 

Awol was grateful for the welcoming nod he receieved from Bhediya, and caught her smile towards the white stranger. She called him Pyg — perhaps it was short for something? He promised to remember that name next time he saw the stranger. Awol's eyes shifted as he noticed Ibis was smiling widely at him. At least his good friend was fairing well. The scarred boy had decided he would stay close to Ibis' side from now on, so she would never be too lonely. He licked his lips in anticipation for Ibis' announcement...and to see Kukulkan. He felt his stomach knot up weirdly and breath interrupted by the mere thought of the young man. It would be crude and inaccurate to compare Kukulkan to a boy.

If only he was more like him, strong, able, and open. Many of the wolves around him possessed talent and admirable quirks, while he was just good at being angry and unpromising. Awol was once more attentive as Ibis spoke. Through her words, Awol pitied her. She loved this marsh, didn't she? When she had proposed the idea of relocating to the woods, he was suprised and intrested — even glad. The woman was not wrong, the mud was annoying, the land was often cold and wet, and Awol could hardly find a dry place to sleep if it wasn't outside the marsh.

"I agree with Ibis. I have never seen this forest myself before, but I trust her judgement," Awol drawled out his words to be informative and strong. While the woman was nervous, Ibis would make a great leader. She knew the lay of the land, and has experience with other packs and pack life. As much as Awol would love to bear and personally flaunt the title of alpha, he was not suited for such a position at this time. He mentally sucked in his breath and continued.

"I volunteer to go offically scout the area, to find an ideal place to set up a camp, for everyone living in the marsh — and perhaps investigate if any other wolves are living there. But I'll wait until everyone else forwards the notion," he added hurriedly. He'd take it as an opprutunity to scout the land wiht Ibis, just to let her know he was there, and would keep his promises. Awol even imagined Kukulkan at his side as well — just him and his closest companions. He was somewhat selfish, but he knew the decision was up to Ibis.

Ibis might love the marsh, but he didn't, really. The main thing he liked about it was the company, and if said company was shifting here, well, then— Count me in, Pygmalion said warmly, grinning. I think this place will suit us fine. More than fine, he thought. He was enamored by the colorful woods already.

The little man spoke up, and his dark eyes drifted toward the wolf (Bhediya had called him. . ."Awol"?). Aye, have at it, he responded with a smile. I'll help oot if ye need me. Soon we'll have this place our true home in no time.

He glanced over at Bhediya, face alight. Despite the inexorable press into winter, it seemed very much a time of new beginnings, of promise. Late autumn, but Pyg could have sworn it was spring—at least in his heart and soul.

Gonna wrap this!

There wasn't much shared among them, which was worrying until Awol spoke up; he took the initiative and for that Ibis was appreciative. His eager little voice to her ears and offered up his services as a would-be scout, while Pygmalion spoke up after, eager to move. The forest felt right to Ibis; everyone seemed pleased by the choice that she presented to them, or at least those that had shown up to discuss things... And so she'd see how the rest felt. Let these wolves take the message among the ranks of the budding pack so that any opposition could be drawn up to her attention.

For now it would be a waiting game. Anyone who chose to go with them were welcome; the marsh remained open to anyone more comfortable there, but if this meeting was any indication, the majority would be more pleased to have the stability and shelter of the woods.

Thank you, both of you. Ibis said to both the boys once they had finished speaking.

Please, make it known to the rest that we plan to move. If anyone has any concerns I want them to come to me directly. I think it will be an easy move, and the forest will be very welcoming to us. If we get started soon we'll have everything organized for winter—or so I hope. Thank you very much. It felt very formal; but she didn't know how to end the conversation exactly, as it felt strange to dismiss people—but equally strange to call them friends and then leave them.

So, a silence hung in the air a moment, and finally Ibis said: Well, lets.. Get to work, I guess! And with a swish of her tail, a duck of her head, withdrew from the head of the gathering.