Dragoncrest Cliffs you'll find me instead of the sun

Puppies are moving close-ish to the rendezvous site. This thread is not mandatory but encouraged! @Wildfire/Bat, @Silkie, @Tux, @Kiwi, @Dio, @Portia, @Blixen, @Étoillee, @Rose, @Dalia. Expect @Tirgatao, @Artaax, and @Hush to show up. :)

The one thing Thuringwethil had been looking forward to with the early stages of this litter is some relative ease. Wildfire and she has been through it once together, even though it had been a little rough, but it would have left them with a relatively smooth ride this go-round. Except having four children is nothing like having three children and their future is slightly skewed with the history before their lives. A few days ago she’d realized the six of them had run out of room in the whelping den, forcing her to sleep awkwardly if she wanted to be close. Moving to Hougeda isn’t exactly ideal for their entire family, considering Wildfire won’t step foot inside.

The thick brush covering the entrance is enough they can find somewhere and still be included. The puppies’ access won’t be hindered and hopefully encouraged. Hoping to find a happy medium to suit everyone’s needs, Thuringwethil sets this particular morning to give everyone a chance to gather themselves and anything they’d want to bring—her eyes trail over to the chewed up driftwood, discarded to the right of the den—and as the lot of them has everything they need, she begins the trek to cover the distance, hoping to find someone out and about for them to properly interact with now that they’ve aged up.

quickie to get it in my log <3

Kiwi wasn't sure where they were going, but wherever it was, it was new! Therefore sure to be at least exciting.  If it wasn't to her liking, she would have no qualms voicing her displeasure of course... but for now, she romped excitedly, nipping playfully at Tux as she waited to set off.

When Heda began to depart, however, she stopped, her ears lifting excitedly.  She ran to follow closely at her other mother's heels, attempting (and failing) to match her strides with much smaller legs.

Unless it involved water, Bat tended to lack the regulation childlike enthusiasm for new activities, including today's. Although she didn't protest (much) at being urged out of the den and onto her feet ("No, Bat, get your butt off the ground and move," Wildfire admonished when the Goufa plopped in the grass), she only defaulted to obedience because it was the path of least resistance. And Bat definitely didn't like putting energy into much of anything outside of aforementioned afinity for good old H2O.

She bumbled along beside the slender Feisripa, yawning every now and again as if to absently demonstrate her boredom with the proceedings. But despite her apparent weariness with the world, her silvering eyes flicked hither and thither (albeit slowly) as the caravan of wolves paraded across the territory. There were lots of compelling sights and smells, some of them familiar, though Bat was a little disappointed at the relative dryness of this particular venture.

Here by invite~

Some food in his belly and a good night's rest did Ephraim well. The anxiety of the day before had melted away, leaving a bundle of nerves who was truly no worse for wear. Cuts and bruises adorned his narrow body from his wild flight through copses and forests, but he didn't sustain any lasting injuries. He jumped at loud noises and his huge wears were constantly swiveling, but there were signs that Ephraim was going to be all right. He remained close by his guardian throughout the night and rose only when a great commotion began.

He was shephered along with the others, led by Étoille's gentle guidance. As he plodded along with the others, his eyes skimmed over the forms of his new peers: a solid brown up scampering by the dark leader's heels, two darker pups with pale markings (one looked about as enthusiastic as Ephraim felt about going for a walk), and a light-haired one that resembled his new protector a great deal. Ephraim's eyes lingered on Silkie the longest, flicking occasionally between the adults and Étoille. He carried nothing with him, having nothing but his hide to his name.

He has kept close watch on his new ward, glad to see there does not seem to be any permanent damages done to him, at least physically. Like Ephraim, the commotion caught his attention as well, though he has some context for it. It must be time to relocate les petits. Of course he wants to see them -- and to introduce Ephraim to them, since they're about the same age.

Étoille can't help the gentle smile on his face when he spots them finally, little Bat as reluctant as always. "Bonjour," he calls to to the adults in greeting, then lowers himself and gently nudges Ephraim towards Wildfire's brood. "Go on," he encourages, "you can play with them if you'd like."

when he's roused from deep slumber — positioned on his back, legs spread-eagle with drool dribbling down his cheek; very attractive clearly — and told to gather anything he wants to bring with him he's confused at first. slowed by the stubborn vestiges of slumber that remain even as he opens his eyes and smacks his lips together, using his paw to try to rub the drool off of the fur of his cheek to no actual avail (which matches the rest of him as the wispy fur at his nape and guard hairs along his spine are mussed and sticking up in some places), it sinks in that they won't be returning to the log that's been their home since their deliverance into the world and while silkie is cool with change — he's not picky; he's fairly sure he could sleep anywhere — it sends him into a moment of panic. he's not much of a collector but he has his favorite chew toys that he does not fancy parting with. after agonizing over what he wants to take — stuck between a worried bone depleted of it's marrow and the chewed driftwood he eventually decides driftwood last second and snatches it up, trailing dutifully after the group, content to bring up the rear. the truth is, he's excited. he likes adventures and he's glad for the chance to stretch his legs and take in all the sights on their little journey.

it's not long before they're joined by étoille and another boy. a new boy; one that silkie does not recognize but studies with unbridled interest as the stranger's eyes linger upon him. the piece of driftwood slips from his grasp and falls to the ground at his paws taking him by surprise as he, with paws too big for him, trips over it. silkie makes a noise and quickly grabs it, an ear splaying back as he tries to play it off hoping that no one saw it and if they did that they wouldn't draw attention to it.

Tux had noticed how cramped the whelping den had become, and hoo boy was he getting sick of it.  He was FAT and he was FLUFFY and the high temperatures as of late were making him VERY HOT.  The shared body heat was becoming too much for the little child.  As he realized they would not be coming back to their little log he grabbed the weathered and marrow-dry bone, head held high in the air as he shed the location without a hint of nostalgia.

As Kiwi's baby teeth found the air in front of him he dropped his bone and waddled after her, and then sprinted back for his bone.  It was abandoned (again) when he saw Ette and a new boy, and delightedly he ran after them, play-bowing like Artaax had shown him.

"tell me how it goes, hun! i want to know everything," portia had said to dalia before she started off to go see the puppies. of course, portia was too preoccupied with her own litter to go see, and she was pretty upset about it, but some things couldn't be helped. sequoia and dacio and opalia were simply too young to leave just yet. "yes mother," dalia replied, giving her mother a kiss to the cheek, and then each of the babies a kiss to the head, "i'll be back soon."

and then the young kru took off. she arrived, unfortunately, behind everyone else. drats... but at least heda wasn't here yet-- oh, wait, no she was right there. damn. oh well, it is what it is. she settled herself a little bit to the side, not wanting to be invasive, and watched the babies from a distance. her tail swept against the ground and a small smile lit up her features. she'd met them once or twice before, she wondered if any of them would recognize her still.

No particular order/rounds/etc. :)

Thuringwethil comes to a stop just before the thick of brush outside Hougeda, knowing Wildfire has no interest in getting any closer just yet. Soon, they’ll have to find their new place but it’s close to the cavern and some sort of compromise. Her time doesn’t have to be split so much anymore and the children can socialize as need be. When she looks back, she smiles at Silkie carrying the driftwood, trailing over to Tux as he and Kiwi create a fuss around one another. She shows no interest in reprimanding either of them and instead focuses on what’s ahead.

Ephraim and Étoille show up soon and she gives the new boy a smile, uncertain how they’ll handle another child. They’ve yet to meet Portia and Dio’s children due to their age but this one is close enough in age and size to their own that she hopes for an easy transition.

After a moment, Tirgatao and Hush show up together, emerging from the thick brush and offering her greeting to the chin. She rumbles at them as they move on, greeting Wildfire in a similar fashion. Hush drops the long bone from his mouth and the advisor offers a rather plump hair to the gathering children. Thuringwethil doesn’t say anything else, glancing back to her mate before trailing back to her children to see how they handle all the new (and familiar) faces.

Kiwi followed Heda closely up until she stopped.  Then, spotting Dalia, her focus shifted entirely.

"LIA!!" She charged over, then bent, tail and butt waggling playfully above.  "Betcha can catch me!!"  Dropping the t made that statement way more believable; but Kiwi knew she was the fastest ever and surely 'Lia' wouldn't keep up! Laughing, she sprinted off in a random direction, fast as her little legs could go.

With no sign of rain (or water in any other iteration), Bat more or less zoned out as she drifted in her mothers' shadows. She didn't pay attention to her siblings or the other wolves that accompanied them, instead getting lost in a daydream where she swam in water so deep it went over her head (she couldn't fathom [pun intended]) anything deeper than that currently).

But she blinked back to a focus when a relatively small wolf joined the party, alongside Tol. Bat blinked and scrunched her nose at the new pup. She was interested in him, though approaching him and introducing herself would require effort. She genuinely considered it for a long beat but then Wildfire nudged her bottom and she began shuffling along again on the way to their mysterious destination.

This was all more than Ephraim could take. He remembered, vaguely, being introduced to the world like this back home on the sound, but there had been fewer wolves there. His siblings hadn't made it out of the grotto that day, so it had just been him, Caiaphas, the resident gargoyle and someone else he couldn't even dredge up a memory of. He'd been too focused on the grouchy-looking grey wolf at the time to take note of Nyx at all.

This was nothing like that. There were many wolves in attendance, with more arriving by the second. The other four pups, younger than he but not by a noticeable amount, had a great deal more energy than he could recall his siblings exhibiting, except Raleska, who had always been unstoppable that way. Even the laziest of them seemed at least more engaged than his brothers tended to be, and the other two had enough energy for ten pups. The white-chested lad was headed his way with an inviting gesture, but all Ephraim could do was shyly shrink back against Étoille's legs, ignoring the nudge against his ribs.

All boldness had been washed from him in the storm; he was shy, insecure, and a little afraid of what they might say or how they might act. Would they be like his siblings, or like entirely new beings? How did you introduce yourself to others, when the only others you'd ever known had known you since birth? A soft whine whistled from his nose as he peered out at Tux, and then shifted his gaze to the rabbit briefly before seeking the tuxedo wolf's face again.

he cocked his head first to the left then to the right, and slowly he returned to a neutral standing position.  this boy, who was much taller and rangier than him, seemed frightened in his new surroundings.  his upper lip raised as his brow scrunched in a frown, and his nostrils worked at the air between them.

hellooo, he offered, this time more subdued, hoping that the boy would come out from between the oak tree's immense legs and out to play.

no one appeared to notice his stumble. good. silkie's confidence is quickly restored by this belief that it went unseen — even if it's not necessarily true. his ears flutter back, swiveling to the sides of his head as he watches his siblings interact with the others that joined the little albeit growing group. kiwi engaged dalia and tux went up to the new boy. silkie eyes them for a moment before he readjusts his grasp upon the driftwood, a small bit of drool dribbling from his mouth, his tongue lolling against the salt smoothed surface as he trots happily after the group pausing here and there to adjust his grasp upon the driftwood piece.

"oh?" questioned dalia with a soft purr, much like her mothers, quickly shifting into her own playbow, "betcha i can!" and then took off after the pup in a slow gallop. she was small, of course, petite, but dalia was still an adult and therefore her legs were longer and much better for running. she'd catch up to the little kiwi in an instance, so she just pranced behind at a far easier pace so that the game could last longer.

The greeting with more of the pack is a bit anti-climactic and she wonders if it was the same last year? She remembers the excitement of their children’s growth and introducing their first litter to the world. Is it different for the second litter? Will she remember this differently in a few months? She glances back over her shoulder at her mate who encourages Bat forward though she doesn’t seem to go anywhere in particular. When (or if) she’s close enough to her, she does the same and nudges her toward Hush and the bone he brought.

Kiwi and Dalia begin a bit of play and Tux tries to interact with their newest addition and Silkie clings to the piece of driftwood she gifted the puppies a few weeks ago. Carefully, she moves in his direction as @Artaax popped into view. Thuringwethil wags her tail in his direction but glances down and nudges Silkie toward Tux and Ephraim before trotting off to greet her eldest son

If this pack greeting was anti-climactic to Thuringwethil, it was utterly overwhelming to Ephraim, who had only ever lived in the tiny pack by the sea and had never seen so many wolves at one time. One adult was running with the brown-furred pup, another pale adult had emerged from somewhere and was greeting Heda, and the brown-masked pup was pushed toward them. His tail wanted to curl between his thighs and stay there until the commotion died down, but Tux was greeting him with tentative words, and he was much too social a creature still to shy away completely.

"H..." he wheezed nervously, "hi." His tail stirred then, whacking his legs and his caretaker's legs indiscriminately as a flood of relief swooshed through his chest. It wasn't so bad, things would be okay here if only he could say hi to the other kids and have them say hi back. His family would be okay without him, there were still three pups plus the newcomer that Ephraim didn't like, and his life here could be good, too. Svalinn would take his place and all would be well.

silkie gives a soft start when he feels the touch of someone's muzzle against him, nudging him towards tux and the new kid on the block. he drops the driftwood piece and glimpses over his shoulder to discover the nudge had came from his nomi. he looks at her thoughtfully for a few seconds before he looks back to the other two boys. nomi's attention is claimed by artaax when he joins the group and silkie trots over to tux and ephraim (and by proxy étoille), tail wagging behind him in cheery greeting. "bone-jur!" silkie chirps to the trio, messing up the word étoille'd used to greet him once upon a time ( it was the effort that counted, right? ). "'m silkie." silkie stops when he reaches tux's side. it doesn't particularly sink into silkie's mind that the new boy might be hesitant, weary or overwhelmed and thus continues on a bit like a bull in a china shop. but he's outgoing by nature and his approach isn't always the most tactful despite that his heart's generally in the right place. "d'you wanna play?" silkie asks then, taking the straight forward approach as opposed to the patient approach that tux appeared to have adapted. in silkie's mind playing a game was a great way to break the ice.

probably last one here, i can maybe wrap for the kids if you want?

hi, he echoes to the new boy as he tilts his head to peek around the leg that ephraim hid behind.  in that moment silkie came from behind him, and he nearly bowled over in surprise.  he casts his brother a Look before he squints his eyes.  what's a bone-jur?  and then, of course i wanna play! 

Last from me! Feel free to continue or archive as you guys feel!

Thankfully, two of her children interact with the new puppy. They may be a lot at once, unaware of someone else and their reservations—they have no reason to feel the same—but hopefully Ephraim can see how safe he is here in the confines of Drageda. There are puppies his age and adults to watch over him, to feed him, and care for him as they will these and the others to come. A smile remains on her features and she and Artaax retreat back to the group, coming up behind her mate and watching them integrate with one another.

Last for me as well!

Laughing, Kiwi sprinted fast as she could, trying to outstrip the (clearly allowing her) Dalia.  She would loop in a couple circles before coming round to try and pounce on the girl, enjoying the game way too much to keep on staying away.  Hopefully Dalia was game for a quick wrestle because Kiwi wanted to and that meant it was happening!

Had it stayed just he and Tux, Ephraim may have come out of his shell. The addition of Silkie was too much for the shy boy, though, who was too unsure of his new surroundings to feel comfortable in a crowd. He shrank back under Étoille's sturdy chest and remained close to his guardian for the rest of the journey to Hougeda, watchful of the other pups but unwilling to join in, for now.