Jade Fern Grove the sun hasn't died

Let's keep this moving! Thread 1 of their new claim? @Bazi @Kaskara @Kieran @Tryphon @Pasha @Whittier @Swift @Jorunn

Noctisardor Bypass rose to greet his sight as they moved forward. Their travels had brought them to Rising Sun Valley, and he felt his nerves flicker within his chest at the thought of settling here.. and yet, with five puppies who were still too young to do such travel, they would need to settle soon.
 
Shadow’s old lands shrouded them for a moment.. and where before, Scimitar had felt relief at his enemy being gone, he felt the lingering doubt. Just because Shadow was not there did not mean he was not within the vicinity, and the thought made his lips curl back in a silent grimace.
 
His gaze scanned the lands before him now – it was simply green. Nova Peak had been an array of nature – coniferous trees that had glistened when covered in the snow.. and sweeping rock of brown and grey. Grass had softened the touch in many areas.. and the view it had given them revealed the paradise that was Teekon Wilds.
 
Before them, now, was a forest of pure emerald. Ferns sprouted from the ground haphazardly, while moss and grass remained plush beneath their paws. Small creeks weaved throughout the serene land, and a clearing awaited them.

Inhaling sharply, the cinnamon wolf found himself easing at the sight before him, and his bright eyes drifted to his companions, hoping to see their reaction.

In time, the mountains seemed to shift away and the valleys and plains opened up, another worldly fascination to Pasha. This change in scenery was enough to override any sense of being tired, because just like his father was observing, everything was green. Green was everywhere. Except for the sky, which was still it's usual vibrant blue, maybe dotted with a few Bazi-shaped clouds for good measure. Even if she said she wasn't made of clouds from long, long ago.

And abruptly, Pasha found the scene before him fade away as his face split in half with a yawn. Before any of his siblings could have tried to shove their faces in to see what he'd been into (or simply to be rude), his jaws clicked shut loudly and left him with a small wave of embarrassment. He didn't want to seem like he was getting tired, he didn't want to be the reason why they'd start murmuring among themselves as to when they should rest.

No, he wanted to keep going.

Even more so when he realized that their footsteps were carrying them towards that very forest and its picturesque backdrop. He pushed forward into a march in spite of wanting to break into a run, making his way past some of the adults to join his father near the head of the group. Pasha's intentions were pretty clear — he hoped they were going to explore it. What he didn't quite realize is that their surveying and exploring were about to be much more than that.

Exhaustion was still not in Allure’s vocabulary, but she definitely felt it. Everything ached – the traveling they had done had been rather impressive, and every so often she would need to be pushed back up from her rump and to her paws. She trudged along, her features darkened with a frown until they reached a very green landscape.

The moss beneath her paws felt like heaven, and when Pasha pushed ahead of her to see their father, the Frostfur girl did nothing to even try to compete for that attention. Their paces slowed, and when she felt that no adults were looking.. Allure settled her rump quite swiftly to the downy moss, huffing a content sigh as her eyelids drooped.

By the time they arrived at the doorstep of what would become their new home, Swift was dragging his paws. The chamomile he had picked up from earlier had wilted in his jaws, for he had clung to the bundle of plants as if his life had depended on it. So upset was he, so disturbed by the events of the last little while. His brother beside him seemed keen to explore, but the white boy with the black stripe looked around the new place with suspicion. He did not see the beauty that his father saw, nor the wonderful potential that excited Pasha. He saw unfamiliar trees and landscapes that were not home. He saw the potential for danger, for unknown horrors to be lurking in the shadows. His view was utterly pessimistic and fearful.

He barked at Pasha when his brother strode forward. It was a strange bark, one scared, one angry, one scolding. It transitioned into an uneasy rumble, then faded into a soft whine as Swift sat back on his haunches and laid his ears flat.

Ever since the incident with the bear and the sea there was little but upheaval in Jorunn's world. Things had looked up when Scimitar and Bazi took him in, his oath to Bazi always at the forefront of Jorunn's mind these days, eager to avoid the bear and to ...not forget about his family but to move on from them and the horrid memory he now associated with them. They were far away from him now, unreachable and none had come to find him. Jorunn still didn't quite grasp the concept of death but when he did he would come to the realization that they likely thought him such — hence why no search party had been sent out to find the young Stavanger Prince. In the chaos of the tornado — the unreal fear that had gripped him like an icy clawed hand around his heart when he saw the thing (not to mention heard it, it was loud enough to wake the dead), and the ruin it had caused in it's path, coupled with the fire that had followed soon after was almost (almost) enough to rival his fear of bears. During this time of travel, Jorunn had turned four months old — but he did not speak anything about it. Once, he would have made it known quite obnoxiously but that had been a different Jorunn. A Jorunn that did not exist any longer, had been killed the moment the sea had drug him under. Instead, the young Lodbrok had celebrated it in silence, pretending the meat he'd been given was of the finest cut — a special birthday meal. It was silly, he knew, but he could not quite turn off his egotistical tendencies. 

Absently, and not for the first time, as they marched on — on and on — Jorunn wondered what his mother would think of him if she could see him now. Last she'd seen him, he'd been bossy. An a+ class brat. Selfish. The center of attention; disobedient. Now ...he obeyed Scimitar and Bazi. He let their children get food first and took what was left — even managed to teach himself how to hunt small woodland creatures. On his best behavior. A different boy than he'd been; though this was largely at this point (for he'd become quite comfortable around them) because he wasn't blood and Bazi's scare tactic; but also because the tragedies in his life had forced the young legend to mature rapidly. He felt older than four months; though his phase of rapid body growth reminded him frequently that he wasn't as old as he felt, as his maturity painted him to be.

Jorunn was tired when they finally stopped, the other children already gathered close to Scimitar when he arrived, his Caribbean blue eyes with a ring of starbursting silver around the pupil studied each of their monochrome forms in turn before settling up, upon their patriarch. At least wandering for his own for a small bit, until Scimitar had found him, had been something of preparation for this move. For him, it was tiring, yes, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. He was quiet for a moment before he turned his eyes away and looked at the unfamiliar landscape that spread out before them. For a few seconds he squinted, determining that the shapes in the monochrome distance were trees — lots of them. Was this to be their new home he desired to ask but respectfully resisted the urge.

The fire had stolen something from Bazi. She followed her mate silently and without question as he led the pack south, hiding behind a dead stare. She was dimly aware of the children milling around her; Pasha had been found, and none of the pups seemed particularly scarred by the ordeal - at least not at first glance, which was as far as Bazi's assessment of the children went.

She emerged from her walking slumber in time to hear Scimitar's breath catch in his throat. A grand forest spread out in front of them - brilliant green and blatantly mountain-less. Bazi's brows met in a subtle 'V' on her forehead. "This?" she murmured, mostly to herself. Her voice was rough from lack of use, and she cleared it before continuing, asking what Jorunn hadn't: "Is this where you want to stay?"

Bazi had not fared well. Physically, she was fine. Mentally.. She had checked out. He worried for her -- brushing his muzzle to her every so often. His attention was mainly focused on the pups however, and the exchanged glances he made with his sister shared his worry.

When the ivory queen finally spoke, he paused, glancing at her. She seemed unimpressed, and he held back a response that would be misconstrued as sarcasm. His heart ached. "We'll go wherever you want to go, Bazi," he assured, his eyes sweeping to their family. "But our allies are near, and the pups are tired. We can at least rest here."

The tragedy had stricken them all in different ways. Scimitar's boundless love for his children increased tenfold as they traveled, first to Phoenix Maplewood, and then onward. Kaskara had not wanted to leave the safety of their allies, but she understood Scimitar's need to rule, to be his own alpha. He would not stomach another, especially one outside of their family, ruling over him. She did not blame him.

When they stopped, the forest that spread out before them was as unlike Nova Peak was it could be. Softly rolling hill, verdant greenery that clung to trees and rocks and spilled over each other in a rush to get to sunlight. Dappled light interspersed the trees and shrubs that hung heavily with life. This was paradise, their safe haven after the destructive fires at the peak. As much as she loved it, as her heart yearned for the graceful sweeps of mountain and ridge and forest, she knew they would not return any time soon. So they had to move forward.

Bazi said something to herself, and then more loudly asked if this was where he wanted to stop. Kaskara glanced at her brother, knowing the fear they both shared for the vacant-eyed dove on this arduous journey, and yet she seemed some of herself when she asked that. Scimitar, holding his tongue for once, replied that he would go wherever she wanted. They simply needed to rest. Kas could see the logic in that, and while she wanted to stay here, to admire the beauty and explore the treasures within, she would follow her family above all.

This really sucked. Fat, content, lovable Whit had been far less of himself (except the fat part - he was just as fat as ever) since the group had fled from their home. He had thought traveling from the den to the rendezvous site had been bad, but then just as he was growing comfortable with his new surroundings, he was up and running again. He had gone at first with sniffles and tears and about half of a full-on temper tantrum, but eventually his misery had subsided into half-hearted melancholy as he walked, subdued, in the wake of his family.

His parents were talking, his siblings doing.. oh who even cares, when suddenly everyone stopped around him. Not realizing it at first, Whit had trudged blankly on past his Aunt, past his brothers and sister, past even his parents until he paused just a few feet ahead of him as his wits (LOL RIGHT) caught up to him. He glanced backwards at them all, but instead of relief at the sight of them finally stopping to rest, tears welled up in his tired eyes and he began to cry - flopping himself upon the ground quite suddenly like the useless, pudgy lump that he often pretended to be.

They came to a stop rather abruptly, and Tryphon's low hanging head came up a few inches in surprise. He was tired from the wandering of course, but more worn out because of the sadness he saw reflected back at him from his friends - or those he thought of as friends, even if he had limited relations with them. He was detached in some ways, which made his own ordeal very different. His ears twisted when he heard voices - first a female voice, worn from disuse perhaps, and then Scimitar's low rumble; the boy couldn't make out the specifics, so he crept a little bit closer, and stood near Kaskara. It was in this moment that Tryphon spied the greenery; he hadn't been paying attention to their surroundings (a poor rear guard), but now he was overcome by the tangle of greens. He said nothing, and only looked from adult to adult in expectation - was this it? Were they going to stop now?

Once more, Allure was oblivious to anything except herself and how she felt – her paws hurt, her tummy rumbled and she had never knew anything of exhaustion until now. She was not yet at an age to feel compassion or notice something off about her mother, or even greet the silver and sandy boy that their parents had brought in to their home and see how he was doing. Pasha, Swift and Whittier all received a glance from her, but so far the black and white pup was indulging in a good self-pity party.. and she also did not want to move her rump from the soft grass she had settled upon.

As if to make this more of a point, Allure stretched out even further, nestling her body among the moss and plumping her muzzle upon her outstretched forepaws.

"We'll go wherever you want." Bazi didn't respond, but knew he meant it. If she did not agree to settle here, he would push the children to their feet and keep moving - and none of them, not even Swift, had the energy for it. Whittier made that quite clear when he dropped to the ground, filling the air with the sound of desperate wailing. His mother let a few tense moments pass before she broke and, with a huge sigh, went to comfort her snivelling son. "Fine," she agreed, placating her super-sized potato child with gentle licks to his face and ears. "We can stay here."

One of them started wailing, but Pasha did not entirely turn to notice who was pitching the fit. In spite of his own weariness, he tried to bolster that he still had energy to run on. And sure, he did — he had enough energy to keep himself upright for the time being. But even he was starting to run on empty; hunger gnawed openly at him for the first time in a long time. Yet unlike his brother, he did not wail about away. Instead he found himself choosing to lean against Scimitar's foreleg, nudging his father with his cold nose.

Perhaps his father would be some sort of placating being in a different way, seeing how his mother was tied up trying to hush their proverbial potato with legs of the group.

He did not move. His eyes shifted to watch his family around him, occasionally flitting back to the forest in front of them, upon which they would narrow. Between his parents it was decided they would stay here, and this announcement caused another whine to pass his lips. He wanted to be home, where the surroundings were familiar, where he could be comfortable. Or so he thought. In reality, Swift was too shaken. Even their mountain would appear wrought with unknown terrors to him now.

Quick post. Let's keep this moving! :)

Bazi seemed to war within herself, but eventually she came to the conclusion that the pups were too weary to go on. Even if they only stayed for a few days, this would be the time to rest. Finding a more suitable home would come later. Kas looked toward her brother with a knowing glare and then returned to herding the children along. Even if they were going to rest here, it was best not to sleep on the outskirts. They'd have to find a suitable shelter for Bazi and the kids, and then round up some food. Saena and Reek had been kind enough to feed them, but that had been days ago, and Kaskara knew everyone was hungry.

As they began to move into the territory, Kaskara wondered at Kieran's absence. He had fallen back to scout around them, but she hoped he would return soon. It would not be the same settling down to sleep without him by her side.

Kieran caught up with them, shaking the ash and dirt from his fur. He had searched among the debris for any sign of anything. There was nothing left to salvage and he carried this grim news with him. They had found Bazi and the children. There was something broken in the white she wolf, and Kieran had seen it many times. Had been there himself. There was no saving that wolf unless they wanted to be saved, but he didn't say a word to anyone about it. Preferring to hope for the best, that Kaskara, the Babies and their alpha could break through her walls and make her alright again.

He made it and nudged Kaskara gently, sneezing away from her the dirt that had made it's way into his nose. Streaks of black amongst his mahoghany fur.  Kieran looked down over the forest and sighed softly. It was like home, he smiled crookedly happy to look down upon it. He averted his eyes and cut off his words when Bazi spoke. He hoped she would choose to stay. 'owaya al? Kieran looked over it again and mumbled under his breath, a slight joke, but also the truth he was filthy. Oi don't nu aboyt anyone else, but oi 'ope thar's someplace for me ter take a bat down dare.

Whittier's tears usually served only one purpose - to get attention from his mother. The boy was a glutton not only when it came to food, but also for affection. Bazi's love was his favorite by far, but he never said no to any of the members of his family. And so, the moment his mother came over to lick away his tears, they subsided into a series of dull sniffles. He gazed up at her with large, sad eyes, using them as a motivation for her to keep the kisses coming.

But Bazi did turn away after a moment to agree to stay in this place, which caused Whit's ears to perk but only momentarily. He was too tired to really understand what she meant, nor did he care too much at that moment. All he knew was he was sleepy and his legs hurt and he was soooooo hungry. "Ma, I wan' dinnoh," he muttered quietly as he moved to smash his face against her leg. As much as he loved his mother, he was not very sensitive to her feelings for the fact that she'd been out of sorts had gone completely unnoticed by him. She still gave him love and cuddles and kept him well fed, and so she was the same beloved, perfect mama she always had been to the potato pup.

Last one from me!

Kieran - who had appeared as if out of nowhere - voiced his desire for a sit-down. Bazi did not wait for further input; Scimitar was right. The family was tired, hungry, and unsettled - and they all smelled like ash. Whittier's pleading voice moved her to act. "I'll settle the kids down," she announced, nudging each their fuzzy rears - a signal to move. "Come on. We'll find some water, then we'll hunt you something." With slow steps, she began to herd the family into the woods, towards the sound of water.

The discussion had come to an end, and Bazi corralled her children. Allure forced herself up, her tired eyes glancing up to her mother and blinking. They moved through the woods with the soft moss floor, and toward the sound of water. As if the sound of water ignited her thirst, the bi-toned cub could barely swallow, she felt so thirsty.

With Bazi, she disappeared from the main group to go clean up. Afterward, she would sook against her mother, and try to sleep.. though her dreams, despite her fatigue, would cause her to be restless.

Last post for me. Leaving up for a bit so everyone who wants to can get a third or final post in.

His eyes remained careful upon his mate, as if she might shatter in to pieces if he looked away. Bazi seemed to accept his answer though, and when Pasha nudged at his forelimb, the man bent his muzzle down to brush the top of his son’s head.
 
Kieran came – mentioning he would like to rest his own weary legs, and Scimitar gave a nod to the man. Bazi rounded the kids, and he gave a quiet nod of agreement. As she herded the five of them off, his gaze drifted to the other three left – Kaskara, Kieran and Tryphon. He couldn’t bring himself to say it – to speak of Bazi’s behavior. Instead, he gave an assertive nod, knowing all of them were more than exhausted. “Let’s see if we can find something simple for dinner,” he murmured quietly, pressing forward to brush his shoulder against his comrades, feeling his own joints and muscles ache from the journey.
 
In the morning, after everyone was watered, fed and rested, they could decide what to do.

Just like the wonderful, perfect, beautiful mother she was, Bazi was quick to take care of her son by answering his plea. Getting back his creature comforts was all Whit had been dreaming of since fleeing their home - not of going back to the mountain or of any particular place there he was fond of and missed. He just wanted to be comfortable and snuggled close to his family. Location was nothing to him. So though he was exhausted, the chubby boy happily pulled himself up onto all fours and waddled off with the rest of his littermates to find water, some food, and then a nice bed to sleep on.

Last post! <3

Kaskara smiled when Kieran appeared and came to her side. She nuzzled him gently, her heart singing with the warmth of love that spread in her chest, and chuckled at his comment. They all needed baths at this point. They were road-weary, covered in smoke, dust, and bits of debris from the road. Kaskara looked more charcoal than chocolate at that moment, and when she turned to look at Kieran, she remarked the same of him. Even Bazi's usually pristine coat was marred with smoke and dust that clung to her. When Bazi agreed to move into the area - at least for now - Kaskara helped her herd the children deeper into the territory, toward the stream they could glimpse in the distance. They could all use a bath and dinner before a long night's sleep.

His mother brushed her muzzle across his ears and moved off. His siblings followed her, and so did he, but he trailed behind, despondent and suspicious. The first noise to hit his ears that he did not recognized caused him to scamper a few steps so that he was tucked among his mother and siblings as close as he could be. He sniffled, then settled into a quiet walk.