precious and fragile things

any SC are free to join!



Crisp, cool water clung to his paws as Dovev launched himself out of the creek, the warm air sucking away moisture from his legs. There were few deep parts to the rocky, tumultuous river, and most of his crossings would only soak his fur up to his knees.

The grass was yellowing more and more with the approach of autumn, but today they were having a warm, humid spell that made Dovev seek the shade of a copse of willowy birch that stood on a slight rise in the earth. The trees were the most fragrant thing in the air- he hadn't scented the alphess or her cohort in quite some time. He wasn't sure what that meant, but usually it made the pack less structured and he wondered if that wolf, Shadow, was planning anything. He was a conniving one, that silver brute, who had placed seeds of discord among Falwasi and him before Scimitar had showed up. Although Dovev held an opinion that Shadow was a bit dickish, whatever he was planning with his story had taken root. It would be hard to image Bazi as a cooperative and strong figurehead for Swiftcurrent after that event.

The golden-hued wolf padded leisurely through the grass, which was becoming increasingly brittle as the autumn season trudged along. She was headed towards the sparsely peppered trees atop the two steep hills that rose alongside the creek, apparently dubbed as 'The Sleeping Guardians'. As Falwasi walked along, destination in mind, she heard a violent splash coming from the creek, followed by a large white figure emerging from the rumbling waters. Falwasi halted and looked closely to try and make out who the wolf was. After a few seconds of observing, she concluded it to be Dovev, whom she had briefly met along with Shadow.

She gave out a hearty bark to let him know she was present, and trotted swiftly towards him as he rested under a gracefully tall and slender birch. 'Dovev, hello.' she greeted him once she reached the arctic wolf. The two wolves were mostly strangers - they hadn't spoken a word to each other; she didn't even introduce herself because she was so wrapped up in what Shadow was saying that eventful afternoon. She hadn't taken a good look at him before - only a glance - and now that she stood before him, she analyzed his features. His broad body was covered in a velvety ivory coat, complemented by his light grey eyes hinted with blues.

Dovev had seated himself under the willowy, waving branches of the birch, facing the winding creek. Clouds were steaking the sky, occasionally passing in front of the fiery yellow ball and casting shadows into the wide floodplain. It was reasonably cool today, and for once Dovev was comfortable in his thick, plush white coat. Perhaps he would go for a jaunt later and sniff along the northern borders. It reminded him of the quietness inside the pack territory, but that thought was brief when a bark reached his ears. The wolf glanced to the left to see a familiar, spry figure trotting up the hill.

He had only encountered Falwasi once before in Wapun Meadow, where they had briefly stood together, facing Shadow, before Falwasi had been replaced by the beta. Announcing her presence again gave the white wolf an opportunity to learn more about his fellow packmate. Her lean, tan legs came to a halt, an expressive, ticked face curled to speak. He stood up to greet her, with a wave of his tail and stepping towards her to briefly sniff her pelt. Even if he had only been in the pack for about a month, the smell of Swiftcurrent on her coat was reassuring.

Hello again, Falwasi. I guess we can now introduce ourselves properly, he said with an ounce of warmth, peering into her light amber eyes.

[size=x-small]Sorry for the late reply![/size]

A small smile tickled the corners of Falwasi's lips as she glanced briefly towards the grassy floor beneath her when the alabaster male remarked how they had not introduced themselves. 'Well we didn't have much of an opportunity.' she replied, a bittersweet tone to her voice. She looked up at Dovev, the question on her mind wanting to spill out of her mouth: So what happened after? It was like she was a pup again, pestering her parents to carry on with the story they had been telling, except this time she remained silent.

'So,' she said after her thoughtful pause, 'Where are you from?' the she-wolf asked. She figured it was a good, basic question to ask an acquaintance without asking for too much information. Dovev seemed comfortable within the pack, and seeing as she wasn't too aware of new wolves around the time she joined, she had no idea how long he had been a member of Swiftcurrent Creek. Well, she knew he had been a member long enough to have stood defensively in front of Shadow.

it's fine!



A soft wind blew from a southwesterly direction, cooling the stagnant air and bringing several scents to Dovev's nostrils. He could discern the pack boundary and the aromas from beyond, including the lake and it's surrounding forests. The mountains of Sunspire rose in that direction, basked in yellow-blue from the mostly clear skies. Even if it had only been a month since Dovev had come across the Creek, he felt at home in the wide open prairie and sparse forest, with the mountains standing like sentinels in an intangible distance, never wavering in their location. He liked that sort of stability they brought to the earth, as if not even the powerful force of death could stir their stagnant stone roots from the soil.

He cocked his head to the left to address her question, relaxing in her amiable company. From the North. A wolf of the Tuq, he responded, gesturing with a point of his nose in said direction. Placid gray eyes had noticed Falwasi's lean and long-legged frame, and wondered if she hailed from a warmer climate.
And you?

A light gust of wind blew against the she-wolf's fur, and she was relieved, the air ruffling her pelt was a nice refreshment. Although autumn had slowly sunken in, the air was still warm with a blazing sun filling the skies most days. While Falwasi had been considering the weather, the arctic had tilted his head as he answered the question she had posed. 'From the North. A wolf of the Tuq,' he responded, gesturing with the point of his nose in the mentioned direction. That explained his thick coat and his robust figure. 'And you?' he asked the sprightly wolf.

'Eagle Mountain, far East of here. About a month's journey.' she answered in a mild voice. The exchange of pasts led her to think about her old pack and how they were doing. She prayed they were all safe, that the numbers were constant if not growing. The attacks that had happened in the woods had not made their pack the most attractive choice. No matter how they were doing, at least they had the amusement of the weather. At this time of year, her home would be affected by wide temperature swings in short periods of time. Falwasi had always enjoyed the variety of conditions; she never grew tired of one in particular.

Dovev was appreciative that Falwasi had approached him. The more packmates he met, the better bonds he would forge. Although he had plans brewing in his mind, the white wolf was eager to play a cohesive part in the creek. And playing the sociable role would discourage the growth of hate and unhappiness that might be found in other wolves who shunned contact with their packmates. Although he, himself, was never one for outgoingness, chatting with others was a necessary interaction and therefore should be endured with a pleasant smile upon one's face.

Far west? Tell me more, he echoed inquisitvely, lapsing into a moment of thought. All he knew west of Swiftcurrent was some sort of fabled beach, in which squalls and warm, humid air blew across the mountains and was funneled into lower valleys. It was one of the ways the park kept a range of ambient temperatures, from sticky and warm along the plains and dry, cool air amongst the peaks. It was one of the few downfalls Dovev had encountered this far south, as most of the flatland in his northern home country was extremely dry and cold. He had experienced variable winds and many thunderstorms here, and it was just a product of a totally different territory. Yet he knew there were many more lands in which his kind hailed from.

Falwasi grinned subtly at the wolf's interest in her past. 'We had hot summers, cold winters - probably not as cold as yours were, but still an arduous season to plough through,' she explained to Dovev, 'Our land mainly consisted of a coniferous tree infested mountain, a modest valley and a vast lake full of fish.' she said, summarizing the place in three key points. Most of the wolves born into the pack were tall and thin to aid them when swimming - a crucial skill to master in the pack. Their pelts were normally of an average length, but they grew thick coats in the winter to support them during the bleak weather.

'What brought you to Teekon Wilds?' the introverted wolf asked Dovev, pondering why he had left his frosty climate to somewhere where the temperature was very high in the summer. He must have had some disturbances by the weather due to his extremely plush coat, made for the snow. Falwasi hadn't had too much trouble with the climate adjustment, the temperature here was somewhat warmer; but her fur wasn't thick to the point of dread. It would broaden out to accommodate the winter, that was approaching at a leisurely rate.

It never ceased to amaze Dovev when he heard of a wolf fishing- it just seemed unnatural. The north had been full of fish and marine animals, but his kind had focused on hunting seal and walrus in a traditional fashion. The seawater was extremely deep and cold, and rivers were mostly frozen throughout the year. Occasionally, someone would find a salmon, but that was only farther inland and was a rare event.
Looking at Falwasi, however, he could see how she could use her slim size to a fishing advantage. Quick and agile, she probably had the speed for striking quick and snapping trout right out of the water.

Sounds charming, the alabaster beast reflected with a wave of his banner. I think we were more used to hunting the creatures that ate fish, Dovev added with a nostalgic smile, referring to the amount of seal and walrus that populated the northern bay coast.

I came to Teekon in the fall of last year after leaving a group of packs northeast of here. It stopped suiting my tastes after awhile. He avoided mentioning the fact that one of the reasons why he had departed was being toppled from an alpha position by two young usurpers. Dovev would probably never be able to live that down. How long have you been here?

'I think we were more used to hunting the creatures that ate fish.' The mottled wolf laughed airily for a second. That made sense - the water would have either been polar or frozen over. Falwasi speculated the bizarre creatures the arctic wolves must hunt. If the animals they hunted ate fish, they could be semi-aquatic... obviously there were land creatures like arctic rabbits but she'd heard stories of hefty glacial animals that were semi-aquatic. Sea bears were the only thing she could come up with before Dovev answered her question.

When she heard that Dovev had habited in Teekon Wilds for a year, Falwasi was mildly surprised. She had no idea he had been living there for that extent of time, and she wondered whether he had been a member of the Creek throughout all its misfortunes. The she-wolf decided to ask; there was no harm in knowing, after all. 'How long have you lived amidst the Creek wolves?' she asked politely, pleased their conversation was going well as she wasn't ace at making chit-chat.

op fal missed last question xP ill just pretend dovev asked it this time around

Falwasi had laughed at the mention of what the Tuq had hunted, and Dovev could see why. Walruses and seals were quite comical while on land, flapping their fins and letting out raucous blasts, swinging their heads to and fro as they crawled clumsily about.

His ears flitted sideways with the slim, agouti wolf's question. I believe it's been a month, now, he pondered, half to himself. Dovev was never one for filing things away, watching suns, keeping track of time. The only thing he looked forward to in the future was winter, when the large, pure white wolf was in his element. If he was still in Swiftcurrent by that time, he would be running alongside his fellow packmates after prey- and perhaps sharing some information on how to hunt them in deep snow.

And for you? I know you didn't come after I did.

[size=x-small]Oops![/size]

'A little over a month.' Falwasi responded, complementing the fact that time had really flown by. So much had happened in such little time, and she had had little time to hunt. The autumn was the perfect season for the slim hunter. Her fur blended in with the ground, the trees, the leaves... It was her most successful season, and she'd better make the most of it before the snowy winter came.

Falwasi was about to ask why the white creature's previous pack stopped suiting his tastes, but she was wary of the fact that Dovev might return the question - it wasn't a subject she would want to talk about to anyone. It wasn't a light one, either.

This can be my concluding post, and I will lead it into the one with the bear!

Their conversation had ebbed, and both wolves looked with scrutiny out onto the pack land. Far in the distance, he could see the beginnings of Emberwood. It rose like a brushfire up the side of the mountain, with the only detail Dovev could make out being the bright change of leaves. Farther out was the Sunspire gracing the horizon, with it's many valleys and lakes hidden under a shadow.

With a yawn, Dovev debated whether or not now was the time to take a nap. The sky was beginning to cloud with dark puffballs, hinting at rain. He would have to travel somewhere far along the river to find shelter, or wait it out. Although the male was used to the cold, he hated the feeling of water pressing it's clammy fingers onto his skin. It was unnerving. He was about to respond with a nod when a blast of wind swelled out from under the approaching storm. It brought with it a purely distinct scent of a loner, and immediately he felt his hackles rise. With a glance to the tawny female, Dovev was on his feet and tramping down the grassy knoll with a quick pace.