Silvertip Mountain The winds of change

Week long rounds to give everyone time to post,since this is an important plot thread. Next round starts Friday 30th October @Zaria @Chaska @Steady @Alastor @Ryuu @Vanora @Cho @Mason @June

It was time. FitzDutiful had thought long and hard about the route he was about to take his pack and now that the cougar had struck, it was time for the pack to move. The storm had driven away prey, the ice had come and seemed to be moving ever so slowly. To top it all off, the cougar had arrived and attacked Mason - the only thing he could be thankful for was that Mason wasn't dead.

Fitzdutiful arrived at a meeting spot near the top of the waterfall; it was the one area he was going to miss coming to regularly. Though, he wasn't saying anyone had to never come back here. It was just time for them to accept reality and move away from the harshest elements of this realm. Now, before the snows hit.

Throwing his head back, FitzDutiful howled; a howl that let everyone know they must attend. Penalties would be wrought for those that failed to arrive when summoned by their alpha - no, alphas. In a few short moments, not only would he be announcing that the pack was moving but also that they had a new alpha.

Zaria was pretty badly hurt by the claws of the cat. Luckily for her they weren't too deep but if she wasn't careful he could have an infection. After all they ran from the side of her neck to her shoulder. It hurt a lot, but Zaria wasn't the one to complain about pain. It was though since she couldn't clean the wound herself fully. There were parts on her neck that she could reach. Luckily she had Fitz now to help her out still she disliked anyone or anything close to her wounds.

She made a few trips to the clean river as she did with the last wound on her neck. Still she would need to learn how to care for her fighting wounds if she wanted to be a good warrior. Zaria was with Fitz this time. The tip up to the waterfall wasn't a fun one. Each step strained her injured shoulder. The wound had even reopened and was bleeding a bit. Zaria knew that at least her wound was clean when blood was coming out instead of pus. Her front paw trembled a bit with the effort she just pulled yet she refused to sit down. Her green eyes looking cold but that was more because she was in pain compared to being hateful.

She pushed her head back with Fitz, she wanted her voice being heard too, even though that made the gashes the claws of the cat made hurt. She was the first one to stop howling and nosed over her shoulder, trying to lick it. They still had quite some traveling to do. Maybe she would need to find some cobwebs to stop the bleeding make a new artificial scab over her wound.

Cho thankfully had gone unharmed from the cougar and its nasty visit.. 

Cho felt bad because she had yet to help Zaria with her wounds, Cho still has more to know about healing and tending to the wounded. 

She was off about her own things when she heard Zaria and Fitz call for a meeting, it seems VERY important.. She quickly got up and started off with a light run towards the waterfall and soon came upon Fitz and Zaria. She bowed her head and sat waiting for others to come she wasnt sure if she could have asked about the sudden meeting. 

She could see Zaria's wounds still looking unhealed but not so much infected clear red blood is leaking form it, she looked away and felt shame for some sort of reason but she shook it off not wanting to cause a littel outburst from herself or anyone 

After the visit they’d received from the cougar, Alastor had taken to patrolling the borders. His main focus was the direction from which the feline had entered from, though he’d looked over the other invisible lines as well. It’d been ages since he’d done such a thing, having known from the start he wasn’t cut out for the duties that came with being a Warden. That type of life just wasn’t for him, nor was one that involved him needing to fight on a daily basis. The Greek lupine was a creature of words, preferring a logical and reasonable approach over that of direct violence. That was, more than likely, what had allowed for him to go so long without acquiring any horrid blemishes upon his flesh—and he’d love for his body to remain unmarked. With thoughts like that in his mind, it was a surprise he’d even consider patrolling as he was, but there was something that outweighed all else. Something that drove him to risk himself being scarred—Mason.
 
During the pack’s encounter with the sharp-clawed menace, the male had tasked himself with the job of protecting Mason. He’d positioned himself between the child and the cat, and yet Shardul had still managed to get ahold of the boy. He felt guilty for that, knowing well it was his fault—that he should have engaged in battle against the beast right from the start to ensure the safety of the child. His guilt outweighed all else, becoming the only thing to drive him forward. He was not a fighter. He would have lost against the cat. He would have been injured, possibly even killed. Time and time again, his mind tried to reason with itself, tried to convince the Greek he’d chosen the correct path. Every time, though, his conscious would come crashing down on it all, shattering the thoughts and filling him with even more guilt for trying to justify his own actions. There was no way he could justify what had happened. He had failed to protect the son of his leader, failing both the pale wolf and the pack as a result.
 
Alastor had thrown himself deep into another session of patrolling the edges of the pack’s land, strengthening the scent of their markers and being mindful of everything going on around him. When two howls chased each other around the mountain, however, his attention was pulled to that. He recognized the one as belonging to Fitz, and his ears fell back as a result. It was urgent, calling for the audience of the entire pack, but did not signal danger. Still, he wasted no time in answering the call with his presence, running through the territory until he’d reached the waterfall. Fitz was there with Zaria at his side, and before them there awaited another wolf. He did not recognize her, but knew the female to be of the pack based on her scent alone. He just about resemble a kicked puppy as he drew closer, sitting a little ways off, but having his full attention focused on the light Alpha. His mouth remained zipped shut as he waited for the others to arrive, and to hear what their leader had to say.

Steady had been on extra patrols since the intruder and the attack of his nephew, Mason. It angered him that an enemy, wolf or not, had been able to enter their pack lands and injure his family. As a highly protective wolf, Steady made it his mission to ensure that no other creature could do that again. So, his days and nights had been a blur of borders and naps here and there when he got too tired to patrol.

When the call came up, Steady ceased his patrol and headed to the meeting area immediately. He knew the entire pack had been on edge, and he assumed that's what the meeting would be about. He had no idea, however, that the Alphas were planning to move the pack to a new territory.

He made his way quickly, not wanting to be the last one there. A few others had arrived before him, and after greeting everyone, he found a spot next to Cho, sitting back on his haunches to wait for what his leaders had to say.

Chaska new he wasn't the only one that had been shaken by the recent cougar attack. He knew they could be fierce, but he had never physically encountered one. When Fitz's pup was seized, he hadn't told anyone, but he had a nightmare that night. One of the pup. His memories had really taken their toll on him.

He had been secluded to his den when a howl sounded, and he answered before travelling to it's source;the waterfall. There, he found Fitz, Zaria, Alastor and two others he hadn't personally met. He was curious as to what this meeting was for, but for once, he did not speak up. From looking at the others, he could see the effects of the attack. One clue was the long silence. He sat himself in his own little space, not particularly near anyone else.

Her dark eyes were finally getting a rest. Since the attack, she had only permitted herself short naps to keep her energy up as she patrolled the territory, scouring every inch for other potential risks. She almost hated herself for not knowing of the cougar until it had already been in the process of an attack on the pack. Ever since Banyuk, she had been striving to ensure no one was injured because she was caught off guard. She knew now that she couldn't rest until she felt she had made up for this.

Vanora's ears twitched and her tail trashed when the howls came to her. Grumbling slightly, she pulled herself from beneath the fallen tree she had made her temporary den for the day. The call was no doubt from Fitz and Zaria. It was also clear that it was very important that she showed up to the meeting being called. With another growl to further vocalize her annoyance of not being able to sleep, she set off toward the voices.

She eventually arrived at a waterfall that she would had admired and called lovely if it were at another time. Now, though, she saw a small group of the pack had gathered. No one was talking, and Zaria's wound had opened up. Though she was on the females uninjured side, it was obvious from the scent coming from her and her position. She sat toward the back of the group, waiting silently for the rest of the wolves to appear and for her alpha to speak.

I didn’t want to post prior to knowing how the cougar thread turns out (as Mason could have been carted off the mountain and kidnapped) but it’s going too slow to see a resolution prior to this thread deadline. So this may be edited in due course.

Mason had moved out of the ‘family den’ so he had no real knowledge of what was going on with FitzDutiful and Zaria. What little he did know was gleaned from June – the only wolf he was currently happy to see besides Steady – and June’s version of events only included what she thought was important. It was a bit masochistic anyway, hearing how happy his Dad and Zaria were. He intended to ask June to move out with him into their own den in due course, but for now he felt she would probably be better-kept in Dad’s den. Until Mason had formed a proper little home for them and could hunt successfully on his own, he would leave his charge to eat and sleep back at his old home. 

He heard the howl on the air. It could perhaps be determined lucky that @June was with him. If it were not for her quiet insistent move towards the howl, and Mason’s brotherly instinct to escort her, he would likely have ignored his father and suffered the reprimand. Zaria’s joining howl caused a shudder to rack his body but he shook the flinch off with a twist of his slim neck, and plodded at June’s pace towards the meeting. 

By the time they neared, however, he was a bag of nerves. Mason’s heart fluttered and he had a metallic taste in his mouth he could not describe. He concentrated on June’s tail and moved onto the scene slinking low to the ground. The roar of the waterfall flooded his ears with a happy distraction. Looking around he saw Alastor of a similar demeanour as he, and debated going to join him, but he was too close.

Mason stayed as far back as he could possibly be – and probably still seeming discourteous – but he left June to go where she would. He hovered above the ground, refusing to sit, ready to bolt at any moment. He had had the scare of his life, shortly after news which had shattered his world, and now his nerves were so frayed he was in constant flight mode. He refused to look at Fitz or Zaria. He didn’t care, he told himself.
All the while knowing it wasn’t true.

June was spending a lot of her time with Mason, when she wasn't following Alastor around, and today was one of those times. It seemed he wasn't happy about Zaria being mom-but-not for a reason that she couldn't quite understand. Mason had told her somewhat but either it hadn't been the full extent or she just hadn't grasped that it was the same as she felt for Alastor. Or was it? Would she be upset if he found another girl? Who could say until that actually occurred.

They arrived at the meeting together, Mason hung back and June too throwing an apologetic glance at Zaria and FitzDutiful. She'd tried to keep her parents informed that he was okay but she didn't like her words and who could say if they understood. She also looked at Alastor and tried to say she was sorry for not being with him too. Everyone was pretty sad it seemed.

Next round begins Friday, November 6

Everyone arrived, except Ryuu, but those that did were pretty prompt about it. FitzDutiful noted the sombre mood in the air and looked down to his feet in acknowledgement of it. He wanted to make sure that everyone was safe, but he had failed at doing that. His son, who was barely close enough to hear what he was to say, was proof of that. He caught June's apologetic glance and responded with a small twitch of his ear. It was time. He looked at Mason, unsure if this was going to be the breaking point of his relationship with his son.

"First thing's first. Some of you may know, Zaria and I are mated and she leads alongside myself as alpha." It was a small statement, something that should have been joyous marred by Mason's response and the recent attack. "However there is more than that. We are moving. Not far, just to other side of the mountain but it is not safe to stay here any longer. I've inspected the ice that fell after the storm and it seems to be moving in a way I can't understand. The prey is all gone and most of our shelter destroyed. The northern side of the mountain is safer; it has herds, forests, a big lake but, most importantly, safety. There is a cave there, a sparkling cave which can only be accessed by being on the mountain. It gives us somewhere safe to stay while we fully explore the other side and make it our home."

Zaria stood by Fitz, her shoulder still bleeding but he paid no heed to it. Zaria preferred it that way, she didn't need to be singled out and pitied for her being hurt. Her chin rose as Fitz spoke about her becoming alpha along side with him. They mating was fully official now. Zaria watched Mason being so far away and June looking at them apologetically. Zaria wished she could just talk to Mason about it. But now it was clearly not the time for it.

The recently crowned alpha female looked over all the others that had come with them. Apparently there was one missing but she had never seen this female. Zaria wasn't too bothered, at least these members were here to stay. What Fitz pictured seemed like a nice area. It was true this side offered less shelter. Zaria wouldn't mind having a lake close or some more forest.

June stayed with him, which was some comfort. Mason listened with numb ears to the things his Dad had to say. Things he never wanted to hear again but he was forced to endure. The boy knew as well that they needed to move – he had seen the damage his Dad was talking about, as they had inspected it together before the episode. Mason couldn’t bring himself to care where he was on the mountain. Even leaving behind all of his hidey holes and knowledge of the area didn’t much bother him. After all, he could find new ones. Ones which didn’t hold memories of his daydreams and companions. 

Mason shivered, and simply stood, waiting to hear if anyone else would speak up. Did any of them care more than he that they were moving?

Chaska was not surprised at all, although if he had known his troubles in the past, then maybe he would have been. Just a little. He listened intently to the rest of his speech, and it was certainly a smart move. Since he had arrived, they had already lost several, probably wandered off or something of the sort. And the thought of less shelter unfazed him. He had spent nights outside in many storms. Nothing could make that worse. He nodded in agreement, showing his opinion in one single movement.

Steady watched as the pack came together, though he did notice Ryuu hadn't appeared yet. He had been a little concerned for her. She seemed so timid, and any wolf could have easily taken advantage of her. His protective personality made him think the worst, that something may have happened, but he tried to convince himself maybe she was just running late.

His attention turned to the Alphas when his brother began to speak. It came as no surprise to Steady that Zaria had been promoted, both in her relationship to Fitz, and her rank in the pack. She was a strong leader, just as Fitz was, and Steady was happy for them both. His eyes wanted so much to glance to Mason, but he didn't want to silently call him out on what his nephew may have been feeling. He knew Mason would get past this, with time.

The news that Fitz gave could have been good or bad, depending on who you asked. Steady had seen the damage the storm had done to their territory, even not having seen it before the storm. He felt his brother was doing what was best for the pack, and would follow them loyally. At least they weren't moving far- just to other side of the mountain.

Ahhh! Was supposed to start this yesterday and forgot. So sorry! Final round I'll archive November 14

No one said anything. Everyone was so quiet, too quiet and FitzDutiful didn't like it. They needed their confidence back otherwise it was going to break the pack. With a sigh he closed his eyes for a while, calming the storm raging within his heart before opening them again. "There's nothing more to say. We move at first light, please be ready. If anyone sees Ryuu, let her know too." He was concerned about her. Yes she was quiet but now she was isolating herself completely from the pack. If it wasn't for the fact that he knew she was looking into the healer trade he would have her out.

With all said and done, he turned and walked away - dismissing the meeting but sitting down a short while away to let the others know they could come talk to him. He liked to do this so if anyone had any issues they could raise them with him independently. He glanced at Mason when he sat, wondering if he would come for a chat or just walk away. No matter what he did, his sister would be going with him.

Zaria sat by Fitz and nudged his shoulder softly in support. She sat down being a bit tired from the walk already. The move there was going to be tough on her and her injured shoulder. She eventually laid down, she needed to. Her shoulder was aching too much. She rested her head close to Fitz. Zaria knew everyone stayed quiet but she didn't see it as a bad thing. She thought everyone just agreed. There was no one protesting after all.

"Don't worry. We will be good," she spoke to him, because she could just see that he was tense. Zaria was confident that even Mason and June would follow. Just because they were missing a member that she hadn't even met before then she wasn't even worthy of joining in Zaria's eyes. She didn't know about the history Fitz had and gratitude he had for the other female.

If Steady had been aware that his brother felt uneasy over the silence, he would have spoke up in support of the move. However, family or not, he was still new to this pack, and this was the first pack meeting he had been a part of. He followed the others in silence, figuring it meant there were no opposing voices.

He made a note to himself to see if he could find Ryuu tonight to let her know of the move. Would she follow them if they moved without her? He wasn't sure if the Alpha's would still consider her a member of the pack if she didn't come with them in the morning.

The meeting over, he sat for a few minutes, watching the others disperse. He watched his brother, mostly, as his eyes went to Mason. He knew his brother was upset, but wasn't sure what he could do to help. He hoped things would work themselves out in time, and the family would be close again. He couldn't imagine how much the situation was hurting his brother.

Knowing these borders still needed protecting for the rest of the day and tonight, Steady made his way to continue his patrols, keeping in mind to meet back up with the rest of the pack before day break.

June stayed with him, which was some comfort. Mason listened with numb ears to the things his Dad had to say. Things he never wanted to hear again but he was forced to endure. The boy knew as well that they needed to move – he had seen the damage his Dad was talking about, as they had inspected it together before the episode. Mason couldn’t bring himself to care where he was on the mountain. Even leaving behind all of his hidey holes and knowledge of the area didn’t much bother him. After all, he could find new ones. Ones which didn’t hold memories of his daydreams and companions.

Mason shivered, and simply stood, waiting to hear if anyone else would speak up. Did any of them care more than he that they were moving?

Chaska nodded understandably. Any time was fine with him. Although, it was a little odd Ryuu wasn't here. Maybe he would spot her on the way back to his den, and tell her. He stretched his forelegs and stood himself up, before leaving the area. But before leaving completely, he gave some last words.

"When it is time, I will be ready." And with that, he trotted away, back to his den to have one final rest inside. For it would be the last time he would do so in that den. Already, he was thinking about the other side of the mountain. What would his new den be like? Would it truly be safe from all dangers? That question was surely easy to answer; One is never safe from the dangers of the world.