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Inhaled breath spilled forth from the platinum Viking’s lips parted with the trepidation to accept, for an awestricken moment caught in the allure of it all. Of Stavanger Bay. Of the fact that together the former Ridge wolves had rose from the ashes and blood pools of tragedy to unite and prove their strength and loyalty to him as they worked along side him to claim this untamed Bay. A place that, with a single look back over his shoulder as the scarred Northman brought up the rear, the last to leave if only because he wished to make sure they all arrived at their final destination and their new home. They, together, had conquered this small slice of paradise, working effortlessly to claim it as their own and now, as he stood amidst the towering, ancient trees whose confines felt as much of a maze to him as they did secure he realized that it was not so much the feeling of conquering that filled him. Rather it was the sense of home. For how long Horizon Ridge had ceased to feel like a home to the Viking was unknown, possibly he had never given it a chance because no sooner had he arrived had the landslide came through and devastated them.
But this? This was theirs because they had made it so, and it was home. It was where his heart had lain ever since Odinn had led him to it, and it was where his heart would stay until someone saw fit to rip it from it’s prison of flesh and blood. Stavanger Bay was not simply Ragnar’s, it was all of theirs, it was their legacy as a people, as a family. A single look had been cast over the scarred Northman’s shoulder before he had grasped his eldest son in his jaws and left the lands of tragedy, misery and tension behind him, glad to shed the curse that had lingered those darkened lands. With Ein sitting, surprisingly, patient between his paws Ragnar took another deep breath, contented in knowing that his family was settling in, digging dens and he hoped that they felt it too. The peace, the rapture. The triumph. A fiercer pride the Viking had never known. His head tipped back and he let his song rise into the fiery evening sky, letting any wolves nearby know that the land was claimed, but also expressing his joy and pride for them, the Bay Wolves and waited to hear their voices join with his.
Thistle Cloud had not had a second thought, when her husband had picked up their eldest son. The rest had traveled before them, and she followed them with the two other pups, Tveir gamboled and followed the entire way. Occasionally she bent to trade Atta for Tveir, and thus they went that way the entire journey to their new home.
The two youngest children sat at her feet, with Tveir of course snoozing, he would wake with a start in mere moments though, as all their songs reached out to grasp the day on windy sails. She lifted her muzzle to the sky and joined her song with her husbands, immense pride, and happiness filled her up and she let it filter into her howl.
<br><i>wave after wave,</i>
<br>wave after wave.</font>
As Surra passed under the archway into Stavanger Bay, it felt different this time. It was as if he was shedding the title of Ridge wolf only to be cloaked again with the new title of Bay wolf. The thought made his chest swell with a sense of pride and revelation. He was sure he would pass through this arch as well as take many other paths into and out of this place, but now, it was officially, his home, and that was amazing to the young male. In some way, he had been a founding member of a new pack. Not completely new, but - different. Stavanger Bay would never be the same as Horizon Ridge, for bad or, more likely, for good.
Surra's ears perked as Ragnar's howl rose into the sky. Surra paused a moment, unsure for what, and then his wife's howl joined the alpha's. It seemed appropriate that those two be the first to raise their voices. Now the young male straightened, his youthful muscle holding him strong and proud as he tipped his nose to the sky, joining the song with a powerful, steady tenor.
Verrine followed his packmates as they made their way toward their new home. It had been a long few weeks of exploring, marking, and defending the land that Ragnar had christened Stavanger Bay. It was a beautiful and serene place, much more so than Horizon Ridge, and Ragnar was pleased beyond mere description with it. At first Verrine had been apprehensive about moving, as any pack wolf might be, but after some consideration and discussion with Julooke, he'd realized that it made excellent sense. The move would not only get them away from the other packs that were situated so close to them, but it would also provide all of them with an opportunity to make a fresh start. Since Verrine and Julooke's whole reason for being here was exactly that, there was no reason to contest the move at all. And so he'd thrown himself into the relocation with a will, and as they entered their new homeland, a proud smile painted itself across his face.
Julooke's shoulder brushed his as they walked side-by-side, and he leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on her cheek. He was so excited to do this with her. Everything felt so new and exciting -- their pack, their mateship…a whole new life together. Verrine couldn't wait to see what was next, and he would never take for granted how lucky he was do be doing all of this with Julooke by his side. He smiled at her, then turned his face to the sky as his Alpha poured a bellowing howl of triumph and victory into the salty sea air and joined Ragnar's voice with his own.
Julooke didn't have any qualms about the move. Sure, she would have rather stayed in one place, but she would always go where her family went because wherever they were, that's where home was. Besides, she thought the new territory was pretty awesome and couldn't wait to explore it some more. Ragnar's song flew through the air and Julooke joined in with the rest of the group. Their claim would be heard for miles around, and no longer could anyone just waltz through here. It was claimed land; a home to a family of wolves who would lay down their lives to defend it.
Nerian stayed back from the group, the scent of the bitch though fading was still pungent. She did not want to be anywhere near Ragnar at the moment, though she'd follow him anywhere even still.
As he sang, so did she, letting her voice carry as far and and long as it needed to, having proved not to long ago over Pump's fallen form she could do just that, she lingered absently, lost, confused, and hurt without direction. but here, where she was needed most.
Never before had Sköll be apart of something so important as the claiming of a new territory, of the founding of a new pack. It filled him with a sense of pride and equal importance to know that he had been apart of it. That he, too, had contributed to the making of Stavanger Bay even if his contribution had been small. Small did not necessarily mean that it was insignificant. He had lingered somewhere in the middle of the group hoping to catch up with or find Hati but the Jarl’s sister was off, probably hunting or something. For a fearful moment the Tiny Viking considered lingering back in the Ridge for a bit, in case she came back to find the pack was no longer there though Sköll assumed she was aware of the move in general. He had decided against it because the Ridge territory gave him chills, firstly, and that was with the entire pack being there (he didn’t want to know what it was like knowing he was alone there) and he had confidence that Hati could figure it out well enough on her own. She was nearing adulthood and didn’t need him fussing over her — or likely Ragnar, either.
When the Jarl’s howl rang out through the towering trees, heard over the supple roar of the ocean as he padded along the foaming tide the Flokisson paused and when others began to add their voices he tipped his head back and let his own howl ring out, feeling once more the swell of belonging.