Swiftcurrent Creek playing house

Den-building thread for @Ferdie von Pelt. :) Given that we started our first thread a while ago, I'm going to assume that a bit more time has passed to make it more current. Making some assumptions based on Ferdie's personality, let me know if that's not OK!

Ferdie had taken it upon himself to give her a very thorough bath that first night, and Bazi had woken up to smooth, gleaming fur. The little northerner had thought it strange for all of three seconds before rolling over to have the other side done - she came from a tight-knit family pack, and communal grooming had once filled a substantial part of her day. Home comforts won out over whatever boundary issues someone less sociable might have, and soon, Ferdie von Pelt was a stranger no longer.

It was well and truly spring when Bazi announced that they would be building their den today. Ferdie was a sweet, gentle giant, and seemed happy to let the younger wolf call the shots on such trivial matters whilst he doted on her like a daughter.

"The ground is soft!" Bazi confirmed, paws scrabbling at the dirt inside their tree bowl. Her excitement was palpable. After some discussion, it was their intention to excavate beneath the roots of the tree, digging down and then across, away from the Creek. The skins had been lifted safely out of the way and left to bake in the sun. "How long do you think it'll take us to dig under this tree? All day? Or longer? Do you think we'll have a real den tonight?"

There is somem changes going on with my poor wolf, you'll have to excuse him

The breeze brought warm winds and softened dirt. The ground began it's thaw. Bits of grass poked up by the rivers edge and the ever present trickle of water seemed more happy as the ice dissipated completely. The trees there surrounding the den were budding but not yet green.

Ferdie sighed stared into opening below the tree roots, this was going to be a hard job; but then it was hard waking up cramped every morning too. He seemed to be stalling again, for some reason he had a mental block about digging a den.

He glanced at the enthusiastic Bazi, thinking of her more like an adopted pup rather then a potential mate. He gave a half-hearted smile her energy was contagious, but without a word he shoved his front end into the den and began swinging the dirt out between his hind-legs with mighty swipes of his forelegs. Each movement hurt his aching chest and he grunted a little as he worked, the dirt quickly piling up behind him would need to be moved.

After some time of digging by far from done Ferdie came out to rest his shoulders now ached and his belly was covered in dirt he’d have a better chance at cleaning himself by going into the river rather then trying to groom it out by teeth and tongue.

He spoke little today which was unlike him. he wanted to keep his thoughts to himself but they were enveloping, him his past wanted to creep into his soul and take hold, his time here in swiftcurrent creek was a rather lonely one, save for Bazi.

Ferdie tipped his head to the left and forced a smile so as to hide his forlornness as he watched her work.

Something wasn't quite right. Bazi might have swallowed Haunter's fictional tales like a suckling pup, but Ferdie's lies were the kind that she noticed. He was distant, and moved as though something pained him. Bazi often left for long-distance missions in the early hours, and today was the first time the pair had interacted whilst they were both fully awake in quite a few days. They had barely made a wolf-sized dent in the earth when the older wolf stopped - at the sight of his pitiful smile, Bazi jumped out of the pit and padded closer, ears folded back.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her sweet face marred by concern. "Have you hurt yourself?" Youth and inexperience made her assume that physical pain was the most likely source of his discomfort.

I’m going to be vauge on his treatment of his wound since there is another current thread Ferdie is in with Lecter

Ferdie looked upward toward the sky, noon was fast approaching, though the weather was not so hot that they should need to take a break.

Bazi had been partly right his pain was both physical and mental. Lecter’s treatments had barely anytime to to do their work, and he doubted that they would, however he was not about to seek out Lecter again.

He saw no harm in admitting to Bazi about his physical pain though he’d not admit to anyone else about his torn emotions. ”Unfortunatly I got to frisky the other day and hurt my chest Mi’dear I landed on a rock” Ferdie stretched and stood up, Trying heard to shake his dark cloud he continued to speak. ”But I will not give up our time together, we may den together but we just seem to keep missing each other, so any excuse to spend time with you I shall savor”

Indeed he meant that, friends where far and few, and he needed more then just Bazi to distract him from his current turmoil, Spring and the call of the wild drew this pain out more and more. A male of his age desired one thing during this season. Not that he’d act on his hormones but the thoughts were ever present whether he wanted them to be or not. Being around Bazi seemed to help curb them as he thought of her as a pup and one he needed to father and protect.

He smiled at her this time, the smile was more real ”I’m touched by your concern, and this little rest has helped me, let’s make our den one to behold shall we?” He waved his tail as he moved back toward the den hoping she would be soothed by his response.

Now that the digging had started he really did want to get the den done.

No problem!

Bazi cocked a brow. Frisky? "What do you mean by frisky?" she asked, not one to keep her questions to herself, but Ferdie seemed keen to move things along. To that end he began distracting her with kind, fatherly words and renewed enthusiasm for digging, which succeeded for a short while. Bazi was all bright smiles as she relayed her plans for their home and the result of recent adventures.

"I've been scouting nearly every day, and meeting lots of new wolves. There's Bones - she's sweet - and Njal.. and I've visited the Plateau, and Horizon Ridge." Her expression darkened suddenly. The Viking wolf lived belonged Horizon Ridge. She had isolated Björn's strange behaviour to the part of her mind that guarded the unpleasant events preceding her arrival into the Teekon Wilds. Obscuring both of them was the recent tension with the Vale, which her subconscious had either deemed more urgent or less damaging.

They began to dig again, and it was Bazi's turn to look concerned. "Ferdie," she began, "Do you know any Vale wolves? Fox said there's been some tension, and now Jinx has come back saying that Xi'nuata - that's one of their alphas - has kind of... well..." She paused her digging to think, and turned to look at her pack-mate. "I met her, and she's OK, but she suggested that my 'ilk' was responsible or whatever's going on. And I overheard Jinx saying that they meant to hunt close to our borders just to spite us, pretty much. To show us off as weak." The youth scratched ineffectually at the ground, clearly distracted. "I don't know what to do about it, if I come across a Vale wolf around the Creek, skulking about. I didn't think I cared that much, prey will be plentiful soon, but... I don't like the idea of a whole pack skirting around our borders, giving us attitude, and making us look lax, and weak." There had been a certain fury to Jinx's words, and it had rubbed off on Bazi. "I don't mind anyone else. I met a nice Plateau girl recently; no problem. But whenever I smell the Vale, it makes me nervous. Like they're plotting something."

It felt good to empty her worries into Ferdie's open ears - the mystery surrounding his recent injury lay forgotten in the wake of her lengthy monlogue. "So, what do you think?"

Ferdie Von Pelt chuckled softly and nudged Bazi’s shoulder as they worked, he knew he’d be stiff tomorrow but his hid his pain as stoically as he could. ”Frisky is another word for playful” Ferdie shoved dirt behind him with his back paws then scraped within the den with his large front paws only to kick the dirt out behind him again. with a grunt of effort he tugged at a root and snapped it free then continued his digging they were getting somewhere..

”I can’t say I’ve met any Vale wolfs, when I came to this land I found the first pack I could and joined. I’ve only left our territory once since then.

I personally care not for the politics right now,” Ferdie Sighed, even years later he didn't want to deal with it. He knew all about pack politics and how crazy things could get, his own pack in the cascade mountain fared no better when it came to it’s neighbors. ”I’ll leave that to the alpha and just defend her choices with everything I’ve got.”

Ferdie tipped his head and stared at Bazi, the thought of her leaving the territory and possibly getting hurt made him very concerned, for currently without her, he’d have nothing to tie him to swiftcurrent creek.
”Avoid the vale if you feel worried about it, lest you cause more trouble for the alpha, A single visit from a wayward pack member could cause a war we just don’t need right now, and I feel something is happening within our own ranks I just can’t place a paw on it,” Ferdie thought of the beta wolf whom he didn’t know her name, but something was off about her and he didn’t like it.

”But Bazi, Mi’dear please bring someone with you when you leave, I couldn’t stand the thought of loosing you,” Ferdie's voice rumbled deep in his throat, He turned to look around the den purposely taking small shallow breaths lest he anger his chest wound further, the mysterious wound to his chest had never bled, perhaps he had suffered a cracked rib or sternum a wound that was easy to hide either way

"Avoid the vale if you feel worried about it, lest you cause more trouble for the alpha."

Bazi nodded. Her exchange with Xi'nuata had been stilted, but not unfriendly - ultimately, she had left the female to enjoy the spring flowers in peace. There had been some drama since then, but it had mainly centered on Jinx, who seemed like she might be prone to fits of temper. "OK," she replied, seeing no need to elaborate further. Perhaps she would make connections with other members of the Vale when the balm of time had soothed the rawness.

The goings-on within the Creek itself interested her more, in any case, but Fox had warned her not be a gossip. "What do you mean?" she asked, keeping it casual by returning to their work. They had created a sizable door beneath the roots at by this point, and had started to tunnel down and sharply to the right. Ferdie seemed to be in a bit of a state, so Bazi decided that she would take care of the hallway whilst he rested (and said as much) - the could expand the shielded core of the den together. "I'll take Bones next time, and maybe Jace," she promised, poking her head out to smile reassuringly at him. What a sweet old worry-wart.

Ferdie continued his digging widening the main place to sleep though his chest pained him, begging him to stop ”The beta... well I just... Ferdie huffed, then regretted the heavy expansion of air in his chest.. ”I was an alpha once, and I just have sort of sense about it, but no affirmative proof to give to our alpha about it. All I can do is wait and be where I need to be when something happens”

Ferdie began kicking away the extra dirt Bazi sent his way out the entrance.
”I doubt there is a whole pack skirting our borders, and as a pack we are not weak. So far we have managed every threat to our borders and snuffed it out. I have not yet seen an intruder cause alarm for more then one or two of us at a time and none has made it to far into the pack land.” Ferdie let that sink in then continued "it seems you have been able to interact with other packs, Perhaps it is they who are weak, if wolves can skirt in and out unnoticed or unscathed. But that is why I worry for you Mi’dear one day a visit may not go so well”

Ferdie looked around the den impressed with the work thus far, and the day was getting late however at this rate they might be done before nightfall. With renewed vigour he continued pawing away at the dirt until he came to a large rock it was half way up the wall he had created with his own two paws and about as long as he was, Ferdie began digging op the top of it hopping to dislodge it. He found the top of the rock to be rather flat and smooth the further in he dug the larger the rock was. There was no way to remove it. So Ferdie set to clearing the ground above it a little perhaps they could use this rock as a table for drying Bazi’s furs instead of the ground. Grunting with effort and covered in sweat Ferdie asked her to elaborate. Keeping his large bulk between Bazi and the rock he dug out, he wanted to surprise her with it.

”Mi’dear tell me about your visits outside the pack. I have not been out there but once.” He had hoped she'd think about taking him with her, but then he was just a den mate and perhaps she didn't even think of him as a friend, to that end he would not even ask nor insinuate that was something he even thought of.

Oh - Jinx. Bazi wasn't surprised. There was something shady about that woman - she reminded Bazi of Lecter, but cleaner, and with motives that were (mostly) rooted in earthly things. At this point, the youth knew nothing of the Beta's dedication to Sos and Atka and whatever other fanciful tales she had been brought up on, and the source of her weariness was hard to define. Bazi just nodded; Fox had instructed her not to gossip, and she was determined to keep her word.

"You can come with me, then," she suggested, but added, "But I go far, and early" in a tone that had a certain 'you-don't-know-what-you're-getting-yourself-into' edge to it.

But Ferdie busied himself with a large rock, and Bazi - having dug the majority of what would become their sleeping space - settled a the mouth of the den to answer his question, eyes on the skies.

"The first pack I visited was Horizon Ridge. They're north-west, near the coast, and recently had a landslide - so they might expand their territory. I met a very religious fellow..nice, but .. well, nice," Now was no time to destroy their relationship by finding out that Ferdie entertained the notion that they were all being watched over by divine fleas or all-powerful rocks. "I've met a few wolves from the Plateau, too - they're very nice. I think Fox is on good terms with the alpha, too; they're just over the mountain range, to the west. And then there's the Vale, of course. I met Xi'Nuata.. she seemed high-ranking, and very soft-spoken. But wise. The sort of wolf that has a long fuse, but once it's gone, it's gone. I've met a loner, too.. she was very sweet. I should invite her to stay," Bazi trailed off, wondering what might tempt Amekaze to say goodbye to the solitary life. "And that's it. Those are the packs. What're you doing over there?"

Ferdie grinned and kept digging, sending dirt toward Bazi for her to remove; he didn't want his surprise ruined just yet. as he dug he kept the conversation going but surely she heard his claws hit rock and not dirt.

Ugh.. Religious wolves.. I am unbiased towards gods and their ilk. I don't care for it nor do I spurn it. I'd rather just ignore it, to bad most of the healers seem quite taken with that absurdity, if only there were a healer would just healed instead of spouting nonsense, Then I'd be more comfortable being looked at"

Ferdie shifted back and huffed proudly, withdrawing from the den awkwardly and backward he pulled most of the rest of the dirt with him. Very proud of his gift to Bazi, even though it was nature whom truly provided it. He wasn't about to think to deeply about it; T'was he whom cleaned it.

He gave himself a great shake once outside the den and a hawks disturbed chirp filled the air. It seemed a red-tailed hawk had taken to the upper branches of their den and had been building a nest, which included a lot of the hair from one of Bazi's rabbit pelts.

Ferdie ahhed at the bird and then lay down upon the sunset earth, His chest and forelegs ached terribly and his breathing became more labored, He however smiled brightly at Bazi See for yourself! A table to dry your pelts on, or store things" little did he know about her likening to plants if she kept that up the table would be useful indeed

Unable to move much he lay his head upon the ground his mouth held open as he took his short shallow breaths We should go on our hunt to replace some of your pelt's Mi'dear He chuffed as he noticed the condition of the ruined pelt. "Maybe tomorrow though, I'm very tired right now"

As he waited for her to inspect her gift he continued "I met a lone wolf in the area on my one excursion, Ame, she was quite fun I'd love to see her again, I've just no clue where to find her" Little did he know the very wolf in question was the one Bazi met and she was drawing closer to here, he had asked her to visit though.

Perhaps we should fade soon and if Twani doesn't post in his hunting post, I'll open it up to all and Bazi could meet him there. A word of warning he'll be some a little concoction Lecter mixed up for him before warning him not to do exactly want he's doing now

Sounds like a plan - I need to tie up some loose ends before and start some promised threads first, but a hunt sounds good. We could do a dice-based one and include some other wolves, maybe. :D This'll be my last post.

Well - at least he wasn't of their ilk, Bazi thought, though she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. Slowly but surely, the little wolf was evolving into someone that not only shunned mysticism, but actively despised it. The feeling was as deep-rooted in her as the desire to worship was in those she thought so ridiculous, and every encounter with a believer stoked the fire.

But before Bazi could dig deeper into his blasé attitude towards rampant psychopaths, Ferdie unveiled his work. She made a delighted yipping sound and sprung lightly to her feet, inspecting the table with nose and paws alike. "It's beautiful, thank you," she murmured into the stone. Herbs were a relatively new interest, but one that was likely to grow now that there was space to experiment.

Stiff from digging, the girl allowed herself a long, luxurious stretch before flopping onto her side next to Ferdie, pressing the length of her back against his side for warmth. "We'll go find her together," she promised, also missing the connection. "And hunt and fish and pelts and all that."

Whatever Ferdie replied would have sounded like a conversation underwater, because within seconds of settling down, Bazi was asleep.

Two large male rams would need die rolls for sure,
I'll put this thread to pasture in two days

Ferdie Von Pelt Chuckled, they dug the den all day and now they were to sleep outside, Were she a pup he'd have carried her back inside; as it was she was becoming a beautiful adult. His ears perked forward as he looked her up and down. However instead of seeing her as a female moving toward her prime he saw a messy coat. He praised himself for not having a white pelt, it might have driven him mad a long time ago if he did. He was unsettled by some of the conversation they had had that day, However he looked forward to an outing with her, if she could talk him into leaving that was.

The brute couldn't help himself any longer and he began to groom her pelt, long into the night. She'd be pristine white if he had anything to say about it,and currently he did. Used to grooming for hours at a time he eased his mind into the repetitive motions and forgot all else... glad for the break from his depressing thoughts, though with Bazi around he hardly thought about 'her'