Emberwood Or a sum of your parts just hanging in the air?

Travelling thread to get this thing moving @Kavik @Illidan @Grezig @Elixir @Kenkou @Thorleif @Donoma if I forgot anybody I'm sorry!

When they left the bright forest with its matted undergrowth and shady canopy, they left with far greater numbers. It did not feel quite as dangerous crossing through the wetlands and marshes with such numbers clustered about them; they drew little attention from the population of rogues that slunk around the darker corners of Teekon. 

The mountains had peaked in the distance, and grew steadily larger as the days passed, brown craggy things with trees for fur or so it seemed from this angle. Though they headed for the northern passes rather than the southern, Liri could still feel pain in her heart looking at them.

A few days travel found their ragtag band at the foot of the mountains, near Apikuni, in a coniferous forest not unlike the one they'd left behind in the Sanctuary. The grey-green forest lacked the lichen found in the northern Taiga and the boulders found in that corner of the world. It was further south, with rising temperatures to match. 

Though the healer was tired, their first night in the Emberwood found her gathered with her wolves, passing out plants to help with the insect bites received in the wetlands to those who wanted them.

Kavik had been excited to see the mountains on the horizon grow closer every day. Having grown up in a mountain range back home, he could only ever imagine settling down in a similar place. 

Their trek through the wetlands had been unpleasant. He could have dealt with the soggy ground without much complaint, but the warmth of the summer months meant that the area was teeming with biting insects. He was lucky that most of his body was covered with a coat too think for the intruders to get through, but his face and ears had not fared so well.

When they had finally made it to Emberwood, relief spread through their tired group. Their first night there, Kavik had taken a spot a little ways from the rest of the group. That wasn't really uncommon for him. It wasn't that he felt uncomfortable around them; he just liked to be able to quietly sort through his thoughts and plans at night while they all rested.

He watched his healer pass out plants to the other group members and smiled with pride. She was always thinking of others, and he loved that about her. He could tell she was tired, but she had made sure to tend to the needs of everyone else before worrying about herself. 

When she made her way to him, he took the plants gladly and nuzzled her in thanks before nudging her to lie down next to him. "You need to rest, too," he admonished, furrowing his brow in concern. Once he felt her form next to his and was satisfied she would stay put, he looked out at the rest of the wolves who had pledged their loyalty to Liri and Kavik's dream. For the first time, he was filled with hope that their pack might actually happen. Kavik wanted more than anything to have a safe, marked pack territory for all of them, and it finally seemed somewhat tangible at this moment.

Since the birth of her litter almost two months prior, Durnehviir had not trailed beyond Swiftcurrent's borders. She'd relied heavily on her mate and subordinates to defend the land and hunt, while she tended to the pack's firstborn litter. Even when her children had been weaned, the russet Frostfur was loathe to leave them under another's watch for too long, as the darkness surrounding their recent bear attack still clouded her mind.

It was a small herd that led her away, as she tracked their prints along the river's edge until they branched off into the neutral Emberwood. She'd counted at least four sets of cloven tracks in the softer earth along the creek, travelling North to likely settle in the safety of its dense forest. Durnehviir had no intention of hunting one herself, but information on their location and numbers could be useful.

Moving slow and careful as night crept in, the crimson wolfess' ginger ears pricked at a nearby sound. She stopped briefly, lifting her proud muzzle to scan the area through the low branches, and twitched her nose curiously. A quick whiff of the air alerted her to the presence of other wolves, to which she rumbled inwardly; while they weren't situated on her borders, they were perhaps a little too close for comfort.

The dragoness pressed on, alerting herself with a low chuff and a dipped crown to display that she meant no harm. It would be foolish to flag dominantly in the company of a larger gathering when she was entirely alone, but Durnehviir was unwilling to ignore them entirely. Champagne eyes lingered on the strangers, wondering of their intentions in the woods so close to her home, and waited for acknowledgement. 

They were finally moving, which was a blessing for Grezig, who had found staying in the same place for so long quite stale. Strange that she could love the idea of staying within a pack territory and never leaving for the rest of her life, yet being stuck in the middle of nowhere with a group of wolves who would one day be her packmates drove her crazy. There was something so much better about an official pack territory than there was about… a place they were staying while they figured stuff out. She’d had to march through the slush of the wetlands again to get here, in this forest, but if it meant they were one step closer to settling down, then she could deal with it.

Grezig accepted the herbs Liri was passing around, though she wasn’t entirely sure what to do with them. Did she eat them? Well, it didn’t end up mattering because she was interrupted by the presence of a wolf she did not know. She sat up, the herbs forgotten, and kept her gaze locked on the unfamiliar wolf. This female did not seem as though she had come here to make trouble. Grezig gave the air a sniff. Well, she hadn’t come here to join them, either, by the scent of so many other wolves on her. She wanted to speak up, to ask what the wolf was doing here, but she was not the alpha, so she said nothing. Only waited.

During their travels Elixir lead the back which she was fine with. As they traveled on the sun shined down on her charcoal fur, making it hot on her. Her tongue rolled out of her mouth and flopped to the side as she trotted behind the others sniffing and letting her eyes wonder to make sure there wasn’t any harm to come. 

As the rest of her band stopped she slowed but didn’t stop, instead she trotted around the outskirts of where they stood. Liri was handing out herbs to help with bites but Elixir didn’t take any just yet. As she was about to sit down she smelled an unfamiliar scent. Another wolf arrived and everything seemed to freeze, was this something to be alarmed about? The wolf dipped her head and Elixir seemed to relax a bit and let Liri and Kavik handle it and back them up if need be. For now she grabbed some herbs from beside Liri to help with the bites, just to keep her occupied.

I'm so sorry for the late post! Just got back from a convention and should start replying regularly from here on out.

Thoroughly soaked. Utterly drenched. The edge of Otatso Wetlands leading into the wood had given Donoma the parting gift of a surprise swim in a murky pool hidden beneath an initially welcoming carpet of duckweed. Typically, a quick dip would have been welcomed by the wolfess, but this particular basin had been home to a particularly large family of leeches who had greeted the canine company warmly. Though their prickly tongues didn't pierce her thick fur, the parasites clung firmly to tufts of her coat, unphased by her maniacal shaking and panicked baying. Fortunately, she'd managed to pluck the ones from her limbs and lower back with her teeth, but quite a few remained stuck within the guardhairs of her nape, hanging down like wet, inky dreadlocks.


​Previously, Donoma had been trying to traverse Phoenix Maplewood to get to Witch's Marsh, but had been falsely instructed by a scrawny coyote to go Southwest instead and had landed in the wetlands. Continuing West, the she-wolf had continued to seek the rich fenland she was promised, and thus, had ended up wet, frigid, leeched, and flecked with duckweed beneath the canopy that was Emberwood.

​Shivering, the bitch lifted her nose meekly to smell. Wolfscent was everywhere. In her panic, she'd neglected to check the land for any markers, and hadn't noticed the reek prior due to the plant-matter clogging her nostrils. Suddenly, Donoma sighed with relief. She was downwind. Unless the breeze changed direction, she assumed she'd be fine, lest one of the group members were to backtrack for any reason. It looked to her that a pack of sorts had been traveling through the brush, a trail of broken twigs and scattered leaves in their wake. By the scent, it had a fair populace, but seemed limited to that trail- so she doubted that they were residents. Perhaps, she thought, they were seeking new packmates. Or food. Or both.

​Regarding the state of her fur and overall composure, the female took in a deep breath, recollecting her equanimity. Perhaps these canines would lend her a paw, as she'd already given up hope for finding Witch's Marsh. The prospect of company, or at least someone to bite the waterworms from her hide sounded gorgeous to Donoma, so she decided to follow. Cautiously.

Thorleif stumbled out of the thick brush and into the pack.  Panting, wet, and covered in the semi dry remains of aquatic plants, he tossed several fishes of various sizes onto the ground.  His jaw was tired from carrying the fish, but seeing the other wolves lifted his spirits.  "Hello there!", panted Thorleif.  "I've brought some food!"  Too tired to notice the two new wolves, he began to sniff at the fish he had just dropped to see which he should take for himself.

Whilst jerking his head to and fro, a dried peice of green plant material fell off his head and landed amongst the fish.  Thorleif lept back in shock.  "Did one of those fishes... turn into a plant?", thought Thorleif.  He stared at it in disbelief.  He muttered.  "This fish is cursed." 

Thorleif cautiously lowered his head to the dried plant and gingerly picked it up.  In one swift movement, he tossed the plant backwards into the bushes.  Finally content, he looked up at the other wolves and wondered what they were staring at.

The healer eventually settled at her mate's side, mainly because of his gentle admonishment, knowing it would put him at ease. Even she couldn't deny the pain radiating from her feet upwards through her legs - an arthritic ache throbbing in the joints of her deformed leg. 

She stretched out beside him, resting her head on her paws. Her dark eyes closed briefly as she released a tired huff - more than content to sleep with the security of Kavik against her and the gathering of wolves around them. 

She wasn't able to rest for long before her attention was grabbed by an unfamiliar wolf. The fae rose to her feet, oak eyes roaming the stranger's fiery coat and polite stance. 

She returned the chuff, certain if the woman has hostile intentions she'd have acted on them already. "Hail," she called, offering a friendly grin. 

"We mean no harm. We're merely passing through and sought a place to rest," she assured, smelling both the scent of a pack and of young ones on the mother. She was quick to abate any worries, wanting no conflict from whatever pack the female came from.

Kavik felt Liri relax at his side, and he kept watch over the group as she rested. He registered the ramblings of Thorleif in the background and ignored them as he usually did. The other group members all found their spots to rest, and Kavik moved his gaze across the camp, keeping an eye out for any danger. 

Kavi's ears twitched at the chuff, and he got to his feet shortly after Liri. The stranger didn't appear aggressive, but she was still too close to their group, and he was immediately on alert. The female smelled of pack, and Kavik wondered if her territory might be nearby. Kavik simply nodded in agreement at his healer's words and remained quiet beside her feeling like she said all that currently needed to be said. Instead, he remained watchful at Liri's side and waited to see what the stranger would say.

Hela confirmed no posting order. Trying to keep this going.

Nothing had happened yet, so Grezig simply continued to wait. Liri had said her piece and Kavik had nodded his agreement, so there was nothing else for it but to wait. Elixir had taken a mouthful of herbs to help with her insect bites, and Thorleif burst onto the scene with his usual insanity. Grezig wondered if his odd behavior might scare the fire-colored stranger away. Grezig would not blame her. Thorleif unnerved even her, who was impervious to most things. She did not notice the other wolf nearby, lurking, waiting in the shadows. The wind had not yet given her away.

The strangers caused Thorleif to pause, if only for a moment.  He eventually caught himself staring, and went back to observing his fish.  He pushed them around distractedly.  After some time of sniffing, he deduced that they were all indeed fit for consumption and not cursed.  He picked them up and placed them near the center of the area, allowing those who wanted a snack to come up and grab a bite.  He looked at Grezig and smiled at her before walking back to the edge of the bushes to watch for insects.

Concluding Durnehviir's part in this thread.  :)

Almost collectively, the band of wolves took note of her attention. Each pair of eyes lifted to settle on her, each set of ears pricked curiously toward her. Durnehviir observed in quiet wonder, patiently studying for which one might speak up and alert her to whom might be the group's leader. It was a pallid female who broke the silence, offering greetings and assurance that her pack did not intent to remain within the Emberwood for much longer.

To this, the russet Frostfur dipped her crown, accepting the stranger's explanation that they meant no harm. "Of course," Durnehviir said gently, her feathered tail arching in a friendly sway at her hocks. While some had been startled by her sudden appearance, the fiery Creek wolfess had not noted anyone regard her with hostility, and she was content to move on with the belief that they would not be foolish enough to attack her own pack. She backed away for a few paces before turning away, wishing a kind "good luck to you," before disappearing among the foliage.

Last from me.

Elixir listened to the fiery wolf who stood before them, she gave them good wishes and it made her smile. The wolfdog watched her leave off and then looked at her pack mates, they all seemed to be good. This eased her mind as she went to take a look around. Hopefully she could find some snacks for the rest of the band or something else they could have for dinner. She was grateful for these wolves.

last from me, gonna be wrapping this up soon

The fiery woman did not linger long, and Liri smiled as the woman departed - calling out a "Thanks!" that was perhaps not as regal as the bearing of the Creek wolf. 

She resumed her previous activity - cuddling up to her mate - as they rested. They would be moving on soon and would need their strength to cross the mountains.

Kavik nodded to the stranger and watched as she disappeared back into the trees. He walked back to lie down and  nuzzled Liri when she came and curled up next to him. They all needed their rest; they had a rough journey up the mountains in their future.