Lost Creek Hollow we swore we knew the future

Open for anyone. :)

He drug the earth over the cache, tucking away the last of another hare.

This particular creature had been caught unaware, so caught up in munching away on various plants and herbs that Mordecai had almost passed it up. A young thing but large. Surely would have been quick if not caught unaware by a skilled hunter. And normally Mordecai would have been keen to pass it up, not fully interested in chasing after something so disinterested in its life... but it had been chewing on plants. Plants that he was inclined to believe that Harlyn would have wanted. And so, it had to go.

With a successful hunt behind them, the wolves of the hollow rolled quietly through another week. While there were faces that he hadn't seen, he found himself believing that they were still about in some way or form. In their fledgling foundation, they had done will in spite of those that had come or would go through their ranks. They had helped, and as he brought the last bit of earth over the cache, he let go of the disappointment in their absence.

Giving his coat a rough shake, the alpha male turned his attention to the woodland around him and let a satisfied sigh out. Perhaps it would have been an accurate observation that he was in awe of how easily, even quickly, they had put things together. They days were still warm even in light of them being a touch shorter; Mordecai truly had no concept of time. The sun was already setting and the tiredness he felt matched it. But he was far from turning in and began to move on from the cache, deciding that perhaps another round of the borders would suit him.

Unless of course, he ran into a fair distraction.

radical face — always gold

Their establishment phase was well underway; the pack had come together that week to succeed in a hunt, a testament to how the wolves were learning to function as a unit. Unfortunately, not all the members they had started with had remained. This did not worry the blue-nosed wolf, who knew that it was bound to happen, and was more inclined to look on the brighter side at the new members who had joined them recently. He was confident they would continue to succeed and grow, and trusted his leaders completely.

Speaking of, his ears lifted when he caught a glimpse of their alpha male. The pair had not spent much one on one time together, and so Luke happily bounded over, woofing a warm greeting. "Mordecai!" he called. "Whatcha up to?" With his tail waving, he was eager to join in on anything before he settled down for the evening.

Not much more than a few minutes in his trek towards the borders, Mordecai heard his name being called out. He did not have to make a quick scan of his surroundings to find Luke, who was more than happily bounding out to meet him. His tail raised into an easy wag, caught up easily in the infectious mirth of the blue-nosed friend.

"I was heading towards the borders," he replied. "You're welcome to join me if you'd like. The company will make the rounds go faster." He did not say aloud that it would have been good to spend time with Luke, but the implication rested in his mind. Harlyn had spent a fair amount of time with Luke in the past and present, so it seemed fitting that Mordecai brought himself to do the same. If not for him, a lot of what had transpired would not have come forward. And Mordecai really had not spoken to Luke at length since their initial meeting all those months ago, come to think of it.

"Sure!" He chirped, and stepped up to stroll astride his leader. He had spent some time on the borders, adding his own scent to the markers and intercepting those who came knocking at the door; but most of his time had been spent outriding with the hope of recruiting more members or near the hollow's rivers as he worked to establish caches and fill them with fish and other game. It dawned on him that most of his work he had been doing alone, and so he looked forward to this patrol with Mordecai.

No more than a few steps in, the blue-nosed wolf tossed his companion a question. "So how are things going?" Mordecai had lived on the plateau as a subordinate; he not only had s change of scenery but now the weight of a crown upon his head. Luke was not aware of the agouti man's past, and so wondered how if he was as content with the adjustment as Luke was transitioning from a lone wolf to a pack wolf. Of course, the question was rather non-specific, just a means to get them chatting.

With the eager assurance that Luke had no qualms about joining him, the two set off towards the borders. At even pace guided them through trails that grew familiar and briefly, Mordecai's eyes wandered to catch the first few glimpses of change in the canopies above them. Much like they had settled in the woodland, autumn was settling across the region soft and silent. But the pressing necessity that they were unprepared did not taint his thoughts this year; things were a far cry of difference, and on a good end of things.

"Well, if I say so myself," Mordecai said, stirred loose from his study of the forestry. "Things have come together very well." Sure, there were the rough patches that any pack had, but for the most part they had turned out to be fairly robust. Even if he couldn't account for every head and where it was, Mordecai was certain that they were doing their part. Perhaps it was only him taking stock in the notion that ignorance was bliss, but it was a rather blissful state of mind to inhabit.

"What do you think, Luke?"

Mordecai did not have much to report on, and the blue-nosed wolf accepted this without question. His head bobbed, for he agreed with what his leader said. "I feel the same," he answered with a smile. "I am excited by all the wolves that have joined us. I think you and Harlyn are natural leaders. " Their pack was almost full. That alone was a testament to the plateau wolves' leadership, that so easily and so quickly they found so many followers. The hollow was flourishing.

"I've opened up a few caches. There's some fish and game in them already," he shared. "I also spoke to our neighbors to the southwest. Their beta female greeted me. She's very friendly, and was the original alpha that founded the pack. Their current alpha male was not available to talk, but I don't think we'll have any problems from them anyway."

He was silent through the former portion of Luke's commentary. Whatever knack others thought he carried for leadership was lost on him. He had placed stock in it once before but had cast that title aside far easier than he could have. To him, it was Harlyn who was certainly the leader of their collective foundation — he merely supported it.

However, what did interest him was the attention that Luke gave to the pack thus far. Stocking of caches, the scouting and surveying of their neighbors; all of that was good. Very good. Mordecai had been meaning to stretch his legs and make the journey southwest, but had focused his efforts on the pack instead. As Luke's words tapered off, he nodded with clear appeasement.

"That's good. One less thing for us to worry about come winter, I reckon." He didn't even want to consider what winter would bring to them, though if the previous winter was anything like the coming winter, then those worries would simply be a preparing instinct. "I recently met the leader of the pack to our northeast. He seems like a level-headed fellow. As long as we respect their boundaries they'll respect ours," or it was something like that. That was much as Mordecai knew to infer from their conversation. "So I don't foresee any problems there either. We're lucky in that regard," he added on as an afterthought.

Of course, that all depended on whether or not winter changed them.

Luke nodded as Mordecai shared that he had met the leader of the pack to their northeast, and that he expected no trouble from them either. In hindsight, it would have been in their interest to perhaps seek these packs out before deciding to stake their claim in the hollow, lest they find themselves seated between two hostile groups. Fortunately, neither pack seemed to pose any threat to them, and he was hopeful it would remain that way. He could not foresee any thing that would change the circumstances, barring utter famine or some conflict between a member of their pack and a member from another.

There was a curious question resting on his tongue, one perhaps inappropriate but one he could not help but wonder at. He held it for now, instead inquiring about something more responsible. "In addition to the caches, I've been making trips outside the hollow to check out the surrounding area. But is there anything else specifically you'd like for me to do?"

A moment of silence passed between them before Luke rejoined; his question left Mordecai to ponder quietly for a few beats before he gave a shake of his head. "Nothing particular comes to mind, though if I think of something I'll be sure to let you know." Perhaps Luke was hunting for something more to do himself and honestly, Mordecai did not know what more they could do. Short of preparing themselves for winter and keeping an eye on things outside — both of which they seemingly had under control — he found that he was uncertain. But the tarnish of doubt did not deter him, at least not entirely.

"Of course, if you think that there's something more that we should be doing, I'm all ears too." The proposition seemed a fair one to make, though he was hanging on the notion that he was missing something. They had no young to worry after, no conflicts that came to his mind. Sure, there had been the wavering presence of some of those in their midst but he knew there was little he could do to stop them if they decided to go. The presumption that they would say something was long behind him like the days of the Spine; if they went, they went. If they returned for the better then good on them. Freeloaders would be another story, but for now he had settled into a period of relative grace.

Luke's head gently rose and fell in an acknowledging bob. He would continue his efforts to tend to the caches and scout around until a more pressing matter required his attention. There was still that curious question of his, and Mordecai opened the door for it with his comment. A mischievous smile formed on his lips, and his ears perked forward. "Well," he drawled, smacking his mouth once as he dawdled. "There is something that could be done. But it's not so much 'we'..." another pause, his twinkling eyes searching his leader's face for a reaction, for realization at what the blue-nosed jester was getting at. "I was just kind of wondering... There's no better way to christen a pack than with a gift of little paws." Luke was a nonchalant creature, he had no problem coming out and saying what he wanted ("are you and Harlyn making babies yet!?"), but here in this moment he was playing.

yay 1000th post~

Luke's voice reached him again as they moved along; his head turned enough to catch the glimpse of a mischievous expression. His turned ear to his blue-nosed companion caught the rest. Somehow, perhaps against his better judgment, Mordecai managed to keep a straight face. He knew just what the suggestion meant and who it was directed towards, and at first his only response was a huff of amusement.

But truth be told, he didn't quite know what to make of his arrangement with Harlyn. It didn't seem right to fit an exacting term to it, though there was unquestionably something there. He hadn't forgotten what she had said to him midst her ultimatum that had brought them out there in the first place.

"Winter's coming," he said, though it was a poor attempt at deflecting the question. He realized this and hastily added: "Time will tell." He didn't know what Luke already knew of he and Harlyn. Instead he realized on the speculation that if Luke was keen enough to glean something, then perhaps others anticipated the same as well. This did not strike him as pressure, but it did strike him to give it consideration rather than let it go by the wayside.

and it is mine yay! this seems like a good ending point so I am going to fade here and we can thread again :)

His leader was a composed sort. His reaction was subtle, an amused huff, with words that answered but did not in the same breath. Time would tell indeed. Luke knew and understood that winter was not the best season to be birthing pups in, but it could be done. With a pack to rally around them and provide for their care, he believed it would no problem for the wolves of the hollow to see a litter through to the spring. But it was not for him to speak any more on the subject, less he put unintended pressure on his companions. So with a smile and a soft chuckle, the pair pressed on, finishing their round on the borders and leaving their scents behind to strengthen their claim, before parting ways for Luke to go fish and for Mordecai to do as he chose.