Horizon Ridge If you were my little girl, I'd do whatever I could do

They've traveled for days, and Saena can sense the exhaustion in the pack as readily as she feels it herself. Her joints ache, her shoulders are tense and stiff, her limbs feel like jelly, and she's convinced she can't take another step. The Alpha doesn't feel they've put enough distance between themselves and the rugged north, but as they come upon a half-collapsed ridge overlooking the sea, she sets her rump down, places Laurel at her feet, and sighs heavily.

"We will rest here for a while," she declares, turning her head to survey the displaced wolves she's led here. The brine scent brings her back to her childhood when an errant wind would sweep across the face of the plateau. This land isn't the safest, but there's no immediate scent of wolves and it seems an adequate location for rest. Soon enough, they will look for a place more suited to them, more permanent, should the ridge not prove sufficient. But for now, Saena desires rest and a place to shelter, and this is as good a place as any for that.

Chosovi had traveled with the lot of them, loyal 'til the end. Though it was the Maplewood that had appealed to her, it was for the most part because she had been so very tired and they were the first pack she had come across. She owed Saena for her kindness in letting her in the pack at all, so Chosovi had no qualms with whatever decisions were made. She couldn't give a damn about the situation they had been through, though felt bad Saena had seen so much baloney the past year. Moving seemed to be the best option for multiple reasons. She didn't really trust Reek, because he attacked Luke instead of just leaving... the war that was spoken of just seemed inevitable. She was glad to come with Saena on this journey; she would help found something now, which would look cool on her resume. 

She presented her mouth as a potential carrier for the cubs, but was never taken up on the offer. Chosovi didn't mind at all. She was sure she could take care of business if she had to, but kids were a lot of responsibility. God forbid she tripped with them in her mouth. 

When Saena declares this is where they will camp for the night, Chosovi breathes in the salty air. Never in her life had she been near the sea, but she was excited to see it. Chosovi looked at her companions and then looked back to Saena, not sure if the other wanted to be followed. Well, if Saena was looking for shelter, she might as well look with her. Though the Maplewood had no communal den, she felt while they were displaced it was best to stick together.

Shoulders and paws ached from the long journey the pack had taken. When Saena turned to declare they would rest, Laika's immediate thoughts were where would they take shelter and where were the best places to hunt? For her, these things were very important and she fought off the urge to lay down and rest her tired paws.

She padded up to Saena, smiling as she eyes the little pups. With the journey taking place, the lower ranking wolves had the opportunity of seeing the puppies early. They may not be able to play or speak with them yet, but they could see them. She turned to her alpha after watching Laurel for a few seconds, opening her mouth to speak. "Would you like me to scout the area? I might find a suitable place for us all to stay or a good place to find some food." She offered.

At the idea of food, her stomach rumbled. That wouldn't be such a bad idea. They could even start building a temporary cache for the time they spent here. There may be other wolves out there too, which could become a concern. Her eyes darted back to Saena's children, wanting the best possible saftey for them. And she would not rest until she could fully provide that.

while indra had done none of the traveling herself, she was cross and sore from being carried for so long. she had been an unkind traveler to casmir, and while it was not on purpose to spite the young male, she had started to resent being scooped up by him and had often tried to scramble away before secured. when they finally stopped and she was gently dropped in the ground she was off like a rocket -- a clumsy, bumbling rocket.

she immediately made for mother, who was addressing the wolves around her. tentatively she stepped under her mother's carriage and peered out at the other wolves wide-eyed from the comfort of her mother's two front legs. she babbled quietly as her mother spoke, and while her mother was distracted addressing the masses she sought to gummily gnaw on one of her forepaws.

As the group of wolves reached half collapsed ridge, Spring herself liked it, but thought it looked quite dangerous for pups.  Luckily they were only resting here, she was so relieved to be taking.  She stopped in her steps and sat a pant escaping her maw.  Although she had gone on a long journey to get to the Teekon Wilds, this journey had seemed much more energy draining for her.

She then listened as wolves paws came to a stop and then Laika ask if she could go and scout.  She would’ve offered too, but Spring just felt drained of all energy.  It was an odd feeling too, but she didn’t push the feeling any further.  She was more than sure that it was nothing anyways.  Then she sat down, with duller eyes scanning the new terrain.

Gaia had been relatively quiet during their journey, more or less keeping to herself. The pale tawny wolf had skirted behind those trusted with the puppies to help keep an eye upon them, though one from further back – she had yet to earn the trust of her Alphas and was not keen to earn the ire from either of them by getting too close.
 
They traversed along the mountain, and when settling upon the ridge, Saena’s words drew a sigh of relief from the girl, who could feel the fatigue in her own joints and muscles. One ear would flicker at the sound of soft words about them – a pale she-wolf made a suggestion that she scout, and stealing a moment of peacefulness for herself, Gaia cast her eyes out toward the ocean air, breathing in the saltiness with a wave of ease. There was something soothing about the ocean, though she had never fully explored it.
 
“Some of us could try to hunt,” she offered gently her eyes shifting to the pale she-wolf who had spoken of scouting earlier – knowing full well that the puppies and mother had to be tired and hungry. Whether the tired pack would be successful was questionable.

The relief swept over her like the sea beyond. A rest, a proper rest! Shreya had been doing better than she'd expected — a mix, perhaps, of the spring warmth and the motivation of being surrounded by people she cared about — but now that they stopped properly, she realised how much she'd needed it. I won't go far, but I'm going to go wander on my own for about an hour. Let me know if you have need of me and I'll be right here, she said to Saena, lowering her head respectfully to her and to Luke, before padding off a short distance. The pack had been so close while travelling (and understandably so), she needed some time on her own: I swear I've been holding in a fart for a good three days, the old lady explained to no one in particular as she roamed off. Bodily functions were a lot less enjoyable when cuddled up to six other wolves. So yes, she needed to roam off on her own for a little while — partly for the sake of it, but, actually, mostly to have a good long think about Esaro, Grace, the future of the pups, and what truly lay ahead for the flying Phoenixes.

he knew where they were -- he'd scouted this area with Behati. the thought gave him a pang, and he gazed in the direction of Donnelaith. a fierce sense of homesickness overtook him. he wanted to see them, to hug his mom and kiss his sisters, to hear his father's soft voice, but he said none of this. his family was here now, the Phoenixes, and Saena needed him. after all, he'd left his dad's pack so suddenly.

he couldn't go back. it was too soon, and the guilt had began to eat at him.

"i'll go with you to scout," he said to the girl who had spoken. he didn't want to leave Saena and the kids behind, not when there was only dude besides himself, but Luke was capable and fierce. they would be fine. he went to stand beside Laika, awaiting the word to move out.

Desna sat down when Saena called they would rest here. The young female only had her eyes for one thing though, a silver peak she remembers. Mason lived there and she was so close. Though she did not want to abandon her pack, or worse loose them. The girl wanted to help scout but she decided that she was quite tired, and she kind of liked watching over the young pups, so the girl shifted more into Saena and her young's direction.

"I can stay and watch the pups with you," she offered, it would also provide an anchor for her not to instantly leave and say hi to Mason. After all boy were not to be trusted. That was the idea she had in her mind for now.

As the pack wolves mill about and begin declaring duties, Saena feels a strong pull to be useful as well. Chosovi lingers near in search of a task, and Sweet Spring settles nearby, clearly quite exhausted, while a more spirited Laika offers to scout out the area. That's a good idea, thinks Saena, though for a moment she's silent as she dips her snout to nose at tiny Indra's head. The girl has wandered nearer, still much too young to be out in the world but without a choice now, and Saena rearranges her legs to enclose her safely beneath her carriage.

The pale beauty that is Gaia offers to hunt, and Saena bobs her head in agreement. Hunting would be good. Casmir offers his assistance scouting to Laika, while Desna strides near and offers to help her watch the cubs. Saena smiles gratefully, but she's itching for a chance to stretch her legs and remains standing for now.

"You guys can go scout," she tells Laika and Casmir, granting them the permission—or perhaps just the approval—they sought in looking around. "Let us know if there's anything we need to be wary of." Shreya dismisses herself at this moment and the Alpha nods in understanding. She knows it was never Shreya's plan to travel more than she had to get to Phoenix Maplewood, and now she's in a situation where she hasn't got a choice. Saena would need time away, too.

Her eyes drift to Desna and the exhausted Spring, then, and she quietly asks, "are you two able to keep an eye on the pups yourselves? I'd like to help Gaia rustle up some grub and be useful to you all for once, but if you're both too tired, I'll understand." There were others to hunt anyway, but she knew the cubs would be safe with these two women, if an extra hand hunting was desired.

Chosovi blinked, knowing she had offered nothing to the meeting quite yet. As Gaia offers to hunt, something she had wanted to round up in the Maplewood, her tail wags. She was down for that, 100%, and even said as much: Count me in. Saena was down to join too which was cool, more quality time with the alpha female who had shepherded them all on this journey. Chosovi wondered if they would stay here. She wasn't really a big beach fan but her loyalty to the wolves definitely outweighed her preference of landforms she lived in.

Other than that, she's pretty quiet. Scouts would scout, and Chosovi, Saena, and Gaia would hunt. Between the three of them they could bring something decent down she hoped.

Laika nodded towards Casmir as he offered to join her, turning back to Saena as she began to speak. The alpha dismissed the two, telling them to let them know if there's anything they should worry about when they get back. Laika nodded and motioned for Casmir to follow, heading out.

"It's good you came along," she admitted to him. "I don't think I could have covered as much of the ridge alone."

She padded around the area for a couple of minutes, looking each way. To the left, there was a narrow strip of forest that stretched out below them. Of course, they had to make their way down the rocky slope of clumbled Rock, but they could manage. To the right was more rock with a couple trees here and there. The rocks began to dwindle in the horizon, marking the end of the ridge. Forward, was again, more rock, but they could scout out the forest below if they managed a straight line. 

"Which way do you think we should go?" She asked him.

As her comrades focused upon the scouting, Gaia felt a nervous dip in her heart, as if her pack mates were purposely avoiding her. With her ears sweeping back to her skull for only a moment, the pale girl was still determined to find some form of a meal to feed Saena and the puppies, and so she was about to turn to leave to do so. That was when Saena spoke – indicating that she would be joining her. Brightening drastically, the girl’s demeanor reveals how pleased she is, and as Chosovi agrees to go as well, she releases a sigh of relief.
 
“Fabulous,” she murmurs gently, her tone practically a pleased ‘hum.’ Waiting for Saena as she dictates orders for the others, she moves to follow after the regal Alpha once complete, keen on proving her worth.

Edited to say this is last post from me in this thread!

Spring watched as the other wolves began to create tasks.  Then she padded up to Saena ready to accept her Alpha offer, when she remembered that she should probably tell Saena about the cougar.  She wasn’t surprised that no one had noticed yet.  She had covered it up pretty good with a strong set of herbs and lot of cobwebs.  Yes, it would surely scar, lucky no one had been too observant yet.  She would have told Saena earlier, but with so much going on lately it hadn’t really seemed that important.  The wounds were currently hurting her with a rising sensation so she decided to tell Saena, before someone else found out and told her.  She just wanted her Alpha to be careful, because you could never be too careful, especially with some crazy Cougar around.

Spring padded up to Saena with a nod of her head.  “I’ll watch them, sounds good.”  Then she attempted to move in closer to Saena and lowered her voice, so hopefully only her Alpha would here.  “Be careful out there.  Sorry I did’t tell you earlier, but I recently got into a fight with a Cougar to save a friend.  That thing is a psychopath, so you might want to keep your eyes peeled.  I don’t know where it is now.  I don’t think it couldn’t have followed me though, I took precautions.”  Then she made a move to pull away, hoping that Saena didn’t blow up on her or anything for not mentioning it sooner.

last post for me!

he loped alongside laika as she spoke, nodding. "i like to do this." the grimness sloughed off the boy as he too examined their unfamiliar surroundings, and he nodded toward the forest that stretched off into mystery. "let's try there?" he suggested, beginning to search out a safe place among the scree to wend their way down toward the trees.

last post! :D

indra's gumming of her mother's paws was rewarded with a gentle nudge of saena's nose: a gentle nudge, that as it happened, caused indra great imbalance. with a whumph she positioned herself right in front of her mother's slender legs, babbling nonsensically with her little tail slapping the ground like a thick rope. a small sprig caught her attention and she lunged towards it, chewing it with the excited abandon only a pup could muster.

With Spring and Desna volunteering to keep an eye on the pups, Saena gently stepped away from them. It was the first time she was leaving them in the care of wolves who were not her most trusted friend or their grandmother, and it caused her stomach to knot queerly, but she forced the sensation away. She was not a helicopter parent and becoming one wasn't on her agenda.

As the pack wolves set about their chosen tasks, Saena turned to leave with Gaia and Chosovi in search of game.

Last post for me!

My last post! <3

"Okay." Laika nodded, following the male down to the slope. She narrowed her eyes in thought as they searched up and down the ridge. Finally, she noticed a good place to start making their way down and she nodded in that direction. "That should be a pretty promising spot." 

She carefully picked her way to the beginnings of the crumbled rocks, balancing on one rock, then stepping or leaping to the next. Her lithe frame helped her do this, but it was still very challenging to do it. Her tail swung back and forth to help her keep balance as she waited for Casmir to catch up. Hopefully, they would make it down to the forest soon.