Swiftcurrent Creek soft buzz · pack meeting

Posting this from my phone. It takes place immediately after the thread with Jace and Ferdie. Attendance is not required, but is highly encouraged!

Fox felt no remorse for what she had done. Instead, she felt justified. With either of those two in the pack, it was dangerous. She would not have her comrades fighting one another so violently. There were other ways to deal with disagreements, and Fox wanted to insure that nothing of the sort would ever happen again.

With her head held high, she called for her followers. She would need to explain what went down and how they were to treat Ferdie and Jace. The last thing she needed was a mixup on how they were to be approached. The creek would have to remain united, as it always had been. It was the only way for it to thrive.

This had to be edited due to timelines, which I'd forgotten.

It was likely the only time he’d ever, anywhere, been the first to answer a summons.

He arrived on scene just minutes after he’d heard her call. He’d sworn viciously and dropped everything with exasperation and the knowledge of what must have been on her mind. His body looked tired and far from his characteristic, willed nonchalance, but the tall, tawny stray strode close and sat with slightly slumped shoulders at a distinct angle from Fox and didn’t say a word. His presence was thoroughly detached and he didn’t look at her, although his eyes smouldered darkly with a somewhat softened edge of weariness.

He figured he knew what she was going to say and that his being there was a waste of perfectly useful downtime (even though he hadn’t been even close to napping before she’d called).

Even in the Sveijarn den, the echoed snarls and faint scent of wolfsblood could be detected and it caused Tuwawi to rouse herself, red fur on end and posture guarded. Too often a symphony of violence played within the creek's domain, and it happened to be especially alarming that it performed from within the heart of the territory this time around. The wood was hauntingly silent in its response. The air was still... The birds did not caw... and shift of discord washed through the lowlands, hinting at greater danger. The ember's lips twitched as she waited for the sounds of fighting to die away, sooty figure still half submerged within her burrow. As is had been with Bone's abduction, maternal instincts instructed Tuwawi to stay away from the fight, lest be thrust into the open jaws of an unsympathetic fate. However, the fireblood fought this sentiment and quivered as she teetered on the brink of breaking her position.

After a while the guttural roars and instinctual growls subsided. Who were they? Was this an attack on Swiftcurrent? Tuwawi's ears orbited, hunting... searching... for any signal or sound to inform her what had just occurred. Some time passed before a howl rang in the air. Fox's. It was a call to gather, and one Tuwawi did not dare miss. She hurried from her den at a brisk trot towards the alpha's location, nose hovering the ground in an attempt to detect any trace of intruder or vagrant. But there was nothing.

Certainly it was perplexing, and never did it occur that it might have been her own comrades who had caused each other's blood to spill. Eventually she broke the treeline where Fox's vermilion figure held vigilance over the clearing, Razo on the fringes. Tuwawi paid him no mind as her tail swished back and forth haphazardly when she approached, a telltale sign of restlessness. In the past weeks the mother-to-be's abdomen had ballooned as she entered the second trimester of her pregnancy, a litter of pups rapidly growing inside, and a thin layer of fat had softened her features — no doubt from the diligent hunting of her exiled packmates. In these times Tuwawi craved peace and stability, but conflicts seemed determined to fester. "What's going on? What happened?" she demanded as her sharp, gunmetal gaze referred to Swiftcurrent's leader, hungry for answers.

Posting quick like a bunny but still sorta absent.

Njal had been doing a patrol of the farther reaches, in the north. He returned just in time to witness his wife departing the den - her features pointed towards the sky briefly, while a brisk wind poured across the fire of her spine. She was quicker than him even with the added fat that pregnancy gave to her; in any regard, Njal was not pushing himself to follow. As he passed by the den he popped his head in, inhaling deeply the scent of her that lingered. As a howl broke through the air he withdrew, quick to pinpoint the direction which should be traveled, and then he was off.

When the silver man arrived it was minutes after Tuwawi, in time to catch her question. Her voice was hale and heavy with passion, just as Njal liked it. But there was an insistence to her query that made the warden take a bold step, as if to stand alongside her - but he curved himself as if to protect their agile leader from the fiery wrath of the woman. In all of this Njal remained oblivious to what had happened with his allies - the two wolves that were now no longer welcome among them. As he stood there, casting a careful yet stern glance upon Tuwawi, he surveyed the surroundings and noticed an absence. How strange it was that Jace was not here. The boy was often the first to arrive when summoned, or close to it.

It was in this moment that Njal turned to look at Fox, a bit concerned and a bit confused, but mostly blank and bland as he studied her features and waited for a response.

Bazi rushed ahead of Alyss, Scout, and Jace - whose final exit from Swiftcurrent Creek she had borne witness to without realizing it. Razo, Tuwawi, and Njal were already there. The mother-to-be was heavy with pups now, and noticeably agitated. Her husband stood guard at her side.

Bazi took up position to Fox's right, giving their rust-red leader a nod and a look as if to say I know, even though 50% of what was about to be said would come as a surprise to her. It was Bazi that had commanded Ferdie to seek out their alpha for judgement, escorted by Jace - perhaps if he had gone alone, the black warrior would still be among them. The pearly Beta turned to squint in the direction they had come. Where was Jace?

The bitter taste of plants cloaked his mouth – the poultice he had made had been put to use, though little words had transpired. As far as Scimitar was concerned, he knew neither of the males well enough to question the fight or what had transpired between them. Instead, he could provide the little bit of service he knew, his heart lingering upon thoughts of his old friend Luka who had aspired to heal. The large and bear-like man was not of the same mind – but he had gained more than enough battle wounds in the past to know the most efficient way to cease the loss of blood.

Fox’ call was not surprising – the pack had been shaken with the events that had occurred. Loping silently, the male came upon the few that had gathered before him, his aqua eyes surveying each without emotion. He recognized only the Leaders, and in turn of respect, lowered himself significantly, offering a nod to the impressive trio.

Settling to the side, a respectful distance away, Scimitar reclined to his haunches, one ear flickering to any voice that arose, though withholding comment. Having only been a member for a few weeks, he was not in his place yet to speak his mind.

The sounds of the fight had been heard by Cutthroat who had been wondering a distance away but not near enough to clearly define much of anything. As far as the inky Pirate was aware it had been nothing more than a spar. Spars, apparently, happened a lot though the exercise was nothing if not beneficial to the wolves and the pack. It made sense to practice their combative skills frequently, to brush upon them so they did not grow lax from misuse. Beyond that it also served to strengthen bonds between pack members, in a way. Thusly, Cutthroat had not thought much of it and therefore had not paid it of any real attention continuing on his scavenger hunt for the rabbit whose trail he had lost previously. He had pursued a different scent trail, having abandoned the last rabbit who had, more than likely, gotten spooked and had darted off until it was clear of him. If that scent trail was to ever lead him to the delectable morsel he had intended on hunting and consuming Cutthroat was not destined to ever find out.

A call had risen from Fox, demanding the pack’s whole presence.

Captive or not he was apart of Swiftcurrent Creek’s ranks, albeit of the lowest, but he altered his course to reflect the summons and headed in the direction of their fire kissed leader, golden eyes lowered as he shrugged into the small group that had beaten him there. His eyes touched first Fox, then Bazi, then Njal and the other fire kissed woman he stood near heavy with child — Cutthroat could only assume that she was Njal’s wife. There was one male that Cutthroat vaguely recognized from the mini-meeting Bazi and Njal had held and another that the Captive didn’t know at all.

Quick assessment of the gathered masses done he reclined back upon his haunches willingly in the back with the hopes of being the shadow his ink colored coat had designed him to be upon birth. If only he had been a mere shadow previously, it might have came in handy in the long gone past; however, facing the present his eyes turned to Fox awaiting what she had to say with a prisoner's silence and patience.

Sky came to the call of Fox. She saw some of the pack there. She had rubbed her fur in everything to get the smell of Jace and Ferdie off of her. She was their eyes and ears and she was ready for it. She had washed all of the things from her fur in a lake before she had gone back to Swiftcurrent. She smelled the same that she had before. Sky was particularly bored. She just sat and listened to Fox though.

The assertive howl of Fox wrestled her from hazy thoughts and a state of half-napping, sending a wave of trepidation over her as she got to her feet and started off towards the meeting. Her dallying efforts had missed their mark entirely, but she was not guilt-ridden; what had happened would have gone on with or without her interference.

When she arrived at the already-gathered assembly she gazed round quickly at her packmates before taking her position amid them. She noted various shades of self-assurance, detachment, protectiveness and worry before seating herself and waiting for Fox to break the silence. This time neither Jace nor Ferdie was present, and these absences filled her with premonition.

They arrived, though Fox had been so disinvolved with many of the newcomers she could not say who was missing and who was not. She believed she recognized all but one, though to be honest, it was totally possible she had met the girl before. Njal, Tuwawi, and Bazi were obviously easily recognized by the young leader. Then there was the couple who had arrived together at her borders, along with the strapping young lad who had come along around the same time. Even if a large chunk of the pack was missing, she had no doubt that her word would spread quickly.

“Ferdie and Jace are no longer with us. They were a danger to the pack,” Fox said, addressing the small crowd that had gathered. “I will not tolerate senseless violence among my followers.” She paused, looking over the group and briefly wondering what they thought of her decision. “They are to be treated as outsiders. Nothing more, nothing less. If they trespass, they will receive the same treatment as any outsider. If you meet them on neutral ground, what you do with them is your own prerogative.” There was no reason to bring more harm to themselves, and she really did not care what it was those two decided to do with themselves. But she could not have them here.

Sky didn't know why Fox had done this. Ferdie was out of his mind at the moment, and Jace was just protecting them. Sky was furious, but she didn't show it, Fox might have kicked her out too. She was screaming on the inside. Her only good friend, kicked out for no good reason. She hoped her anger didn't show. She sat there and pretended to listen.

Bazi's mouth fell open as if to say something, but no words came out. Jace? Why had he been kicked out, when Ferdie was the problem? Fox knew about his condition by this point, and although Bazi did not know it, she and the alpha shares the same opinion - that it really wasn't out of the ordinary to be slave to one's instincts in the rush of battle. Then why?

Bazi's brain had endured trauma before - on a much grander scale. Now, robbed of two friends instead of one, it began to spin up a story

All that time alone. All the gruff conversations, that strange speech after the fight. Bazi's face became a picture of horror. They're lovers! Filthy, unnatural freaks! That would explain why Jace had forsaken his pack for someone that was likely suffering from some mind-rotting disease. She glanced sideways at Sky, who seemed to be a bit of a Jace and Ferdie fan-girl. Had she known?

A small mass had gathered at Fox’s call, not all of them — not that Cutthroat was all that savvy on who all belonged to the pack as of the moment the daily coming and goings of Swiftcurrent Creek didn’t really concern the Captive who had taken to giving the borders a wide berth to show on good faith that he had no intentions of escaping. While secretive he was a rather complacent prisoner though this remained only because he rather enjoyed living and did not particularly wish to see his life end any time soon. The words that fell from Fox’s lips, however, were not the ones that the inky Pirate had ever expected and surprise pulled his eyebrows up as he considered what they had done to get them both booted from the pack and to be labeled as a ‘danger’. Cutthroat would have rather thought that belonged to him, though there was no one he was fooling, the only thing he was a danger too currently, was himself.

In a manner of speaking, Cutthroat couldn’t help but feel some sort of sweet justice for their exile. Both had been rather hostile towards him and both had contributed to the deaths of once pack mates, Bazi, too, but Cutthroat brushed that off because that was different…somehow (possibly because there was a part of him that fancied the ivory Beta). If he could he might have laughed in their faces all mocking and pompous as it were. No one else had yet spoken and Cutthroat wasn’t about to be the first, though he couldn’t be the only one wondering what had gone down to cause Fox to take such immediate and decisive action.

Others were quick to arrive following Fox's call, and a small trickle of apprehension moved down Tuwawi's spine when she realized she did not recognize the majority of the group. Sky, Scimitar, and Serengeti were practically strangers, and Cutthroat was not known beyond the capacity that he was Swiftcurrent's prisoner as compensation for Bone's abduction. The group was a sea of faces, some indifferent, some complacent, and Fox, Bazi, and Njal were all that was left of the pack's core allegiance. However, when Njal moved to his mate's side he curled as if to come between Fox and her fiery subordinate. Tuwawi shot her husband a confused look, uncertain with a wavering detachment. Why would he take such a protective stance against her?

A few moments later, Fox made the announcement, her voice stale and expression deadpan. Jace and Ferdie had been exiled... but their leader offered no insight as to why this had come to pass. Now, the males were to be treated as every other vagabond who crossed their borders despite the months of servitude to benefit the creek pack. Tuwawi balked, taken aback by the issued command. "Dangerous? What do you mean dangerous?" she urged, voice scathing. What could they have done to bring upon immediate banishment? Roughly, she pushed past Njal to ebb closer to the smaller alpha. "Yet you hold that Tortuga cur prisoner," her glowering eyes shifted to the oily Cutthroat, making her opinion of his presence clear. He was a burden. A dangerous snake in the grass. A constant reminder of their failure to protect their youngest warrior. "Is he not a threat?" she challenged, voice laced with contempt.

Her platinum gaze turned back to Fox, "Ferdie and Jace were your most loyal subordinates and allowed the pack to thrive when times were lean... they have done indelible work. For Swiftcurrent. For you." It was true. They were both strong, ardent wolves. Defensive guardians. Superb hunters. Had Fox forgotten this? Did she really think her wolves were disposable? Was one transgression enough to completely erase countless months of hard labor? "They both killed coyotes to protect the creek. Fought to keep Bones. Hunted for me... hunted for you," she turned to Bazi, who was cast in silence as she suffered emotional strain, "were they not your friends? Our brothers?" It felt like just yesterday Tuwawi had been playing a jovial game of keep-away with an apple Ferdie had found. The warm memory was a familial one... a pleasant one. Surely these were not the same dangerous wolves Fox was talking about.

Tuwawi turned to the others, searching for any sign of support to her claims. However, a listless hush had settled upon the crowd.

It was shortly after she arrived that Fox commenced. Her words were a full blow that she had only been half-expecting. They riled her.

With derision that crept forth from the previous meeting, she noted watchfully that Bazi was incapable of doing anything other than gaping, though she supposed after a slow moment that she wasn’t at fault, here—not if the alpha hadn’t even deigned to tell her right and left hands what was going on before summoning the rest of them. Serengeti looked to Njal to see if that theory was entirely true, but a voice she hadn’t heard before stopped her.

She only knew Tuwawi was ranked in the upper tier and she was the only pregnant female among them this season, but she captured the northern-furred female’s full attention when she gently pushed past her mate and spoke her mind. It seemed she didn’t know what had happened either, but she knew Ferdie and Jace. She also made no secret of her thoughts on their captive, whose presence only stood to endanger the fragile lives that would soon be born. Ren’s gaze steeled upon him, but the blame she cast sternly did not lie with Cutthroat.

She wove through her pack mates with prominent strides and stood to Tuwawi’s side. She did not stand paw-to-paw with her, however, but instead made her deep respect apparent by hanging back just a few steps. With as much inner strength as she could command in that moment, she strong-armed the indignation that might have contaminated her voice otherwise.

It only takes one wolf to instigate senseless violence, she said in response to the words Fox had initially unleashed upon them. But she was not about to lay Ferdie’s name to burn then and there. I was asked to seek Ferdie out when I was still on our borders. Those who knew him were aware of a problem before that point. Fox had said she hadn’t the patience to deal with him, yet the overall well-being of the pack was everyone’s responsibility.

The rest of them arrived (he was an elusive creature and couldn’t have possibly known that this was not in fact all of them) and he finally drew his head level. What Fox said… was not quite what he’d been anticipating.

The absence of Ferdie had made perfect sense—when he’d heard about the mess to begin with he’d accurately surmised that Fox would promptly chuck him out head-first—but it didn’t make sense that she’d thrown the baby out with the bathwater. As annoying as Jace could be he was undeniably loyal and there was no reason to chase him away. He might not have finished Ferdie off, but he had protected his packmates and kept the unexpected explosion of violence in check. If Fox had wanted Ferdie killed, it was her responsibility as leader to carry it out.

He was starkly statuesque as his severe yellow eyes fell over the others. Tuwawi spoke to protest, followed quickly by Ren who stepped to her side. The Gamma knew more of the two outcasts than he did, and brought up the fact that Swiftcurrent Creek had a prisoner among them. He remembered Ren’s disdain when she had told him this, after briefly recounting the previous meeting he hadn’t attended. It made sense, given her past and her assertive mind that she would speak, but he felt his body tense underneath him and his tail twitched violently in response.

A silence settled over those who had gathered, but Fox knew better than to expect that everybody would agree with her decision. The thing was, they didn't have to agree. They didn't have to like it. In fact, they didn't even have to live with it if they really didn't want to. Fox had no pull on them aside from the fact that she was their leader and they had said they would follow her.

It was Tuwawi who spoke first. Serengeti added on shortly after that, but Fox did not find that their words changed her mind. Instead, they only solidified her decision. “Cutthroat has shown zero signs of violence. He is plenty docile.” She flashed him a glance, though it was not one of affection or friendliness. “Jace came to me a week or so ago saying that he had some kind of violence problem. I did not believe him at the time, but given the extent of Ferdie’s wounds, it was clear that he was telling the truth. That much damage is unwarranted unless you are trying to kill somebody. You,” she said, fixing her gaze on Tuwawi, “should be concerned more than any of us. You carry children, and I would not have you put in harm’s way.” Fox's tone remained calm, cool, even in light of their arguments.

“Swiftcurrent will always be family, but that does not mean we cannot outcast those who pose a threat to our own. If we refuse to weed out the bad, we will fail to protect the good.”

The buzz of words that suddenly spurred as their regal spoke left Scimitar silent instead -- his eyes drifted between the individuals present, curious to their relationships with the two now banished. It was strange to think that Jace had been ousted -- only moments before Scimitar had been offering him a poultice to deflect his bleeding.. the truth still lingering on his tongue with the bitter taste.

One stood up with defiance -- a pretty she-wolf, and his eyes were quick to fall upon the rounding of her belly. Pups. His tongue swiped across his lips in thought, curious as to the reasoning of a subordinate breeding and not the Alpha -- spare Fox's youthful age. Perhaps that had been the allowance of it.. unless, the fiery Alpha was not discontent with the ideas of her loyalists procreating.. to which the thought opened a new revelation and possibility for the cinnamon wolf. He had always considered that come time he was ready to take a mate and have pups of his own, they would need to claim land and raise a pack themselves to do so -- perhaps, that was no longer the case.

His aqua eyes drifted then to the ivory she-wolf -- a pretty thing, hard to miss in the crowd. He had yet to speak with her, and in part, it was because the flash of white pelt gave a sore indication to his memories of Chakra.

He spoke nothing. Fox solidified her decision, and with that, the agouti wolf gave a slight dip of his muzzle downwards, waiting to see if any other outbursts would come about.

Whelp here's a lame attempt to keep up with a thread. Sorry its so long, its kinda derpy.

There was a brief moment where both Njal and Tuwawi caught the eye of the other, and while his wife looked briefly confused, he was resolute. Her words were for their Alpha, and while they were not resoundingly cruel in tone, Njal found himself hardening himself like an obelisk between the two of them. On one hand he wanted to defend the right of his leader to lead; but on the other, he saw Tuwawi's point, and the news of Jace being removed from the pack did jar him considerably.

Other wolves didn't matter to the Beta at this point. They were all of the same mind, as far as he knew: confused, perhaps nervous of the denouncement of their allies.

When Fox went on to detail Jace's condition, and the subsequent condition that Ferdie was left in, the silver man gave pause to his thoughts. He stepped back from his wife and settled in to a more distanced position between the two redheads, watching Tuwawi for a moment. His gaze trailed to her belly, but did not boast a fondness. In fact he seemed to steel himself against the words that fell from his muzzle next.

"You should have given them another chance." He rumbled softly, or rather, as softly as he could. There was no malice in his voice, but a lilt of concern made his voice deeper, drawing attention. "We could have worked with Jace to make him understand this so-called problem. He was a protector. You gave him access to my wife," A flash of fire in his golden eyes accompanied the shift of his gaze towards Fox, looking her square in the eye. Not challenging, but... Indignant.

"He was ordered to protect her, and he did that. To fill caches while I did my patrol duties. And now, because he came to you with a problem, you cast him out." Njal was a bit wounded by this, which was evident by the incredulous tone he took on. Like a father chastising a child. And that was what Fox had become, suddenly, in his mind. A girl in control of a pack - a strong leader, but naive. "I do not agree with this. If he was a danger, truly, we would have seen it sooner." His voice faded in to a sigh, and Njal turned away from the red girl. He looked to Tuwawi then, but said nothing, only settling in to an uncomfortable silence while others spoke up.

Serengeti, seen at the gathering of the new recruits, spoke next. Njal heard her but remained contemptuously silent. The words of a stranger, a newcomer, meant nothing to him or his budding family. They were established enough - and this woman did not know Jace, she did not know anyone enough to put forth her own opinion. At least, to the warden. With a side-step he brushed against his wife, drawing close to her and this time, not coming between her and Fox.

AHHH. I wrote a LONG-ASS POST and then closed the browser. :'(

Edit: Just to clarify - Bazi is assuming things and exaggerating greatly here.

Bazi kept schtum. With every mention of Jace, loss burned hotly in her chest. Instinct to obey and selfish desired to advance fought side-by-side against Njal and Tuwawi's arguments, kicking up a storm behind her blue eyes. Out of everyone assembled here, they had known the pair best - but none present had known Jace and Ferdie as well as Bazi had. Jace had revealed his secret to her long before Fox, and Ferdie had shared her den since the beginning. Of them all, Bazi was the most likely to side with the departed.

But she didn't. "Ferdie deserved to leave," she told the three longest-serving wolves tightly, eyes flickering between their faces and the ground. The words rose like hot air in her throat, unstoppable and ever angrier. "I should have seen it - he hadn't been eating. At first, I thought he couldn't hunt, but he's been bringing Fox gifts. He started to get distant, anti-social - the last time I saw him at the den, just before the fight, he could barely string two words together. He was diseased. Something was rotting his mind." Bazi pulled a sharp breath of air into her lungs. The image of Jace and Ferdie - together - flashed on her retina, and the very thought made her lips twitch and put a twitch in her tail. "Ferdie attacked, Jace protected Nightingale, but if I hadn't sent them to Fox, he would've have kept Ferdie's secret." Here, she looked straight at Tuwawi. "He would have let Ferdie stay, and get sicker, and sicker. He was too -" In love? " -..dedicated to Ferdie." The beta's gaze floated back to Fox. "They had to go. Both of them."

I'm wrapping this up here.

Fox regarded Njal with a guarded expression. It did not change her opinion, nor her decision. But it was Bazi who stood beside Fox in her judgement call. That was all the Alpha needed. As long as one of her most trusted was beside her, she had no doubts. Njal was merely worried for Tuwawi, which Fox understood, but it was in their best interest that Ferdie and Jace were no longer with them. The decision had been made, and it was final.

Bazi had known both Ferdie and Jace well, so she knew their secrets as well. Fox looked to Bazi as the white girl spoke, and when her word was said, Fox moved her gaze to Njal. She could not read his expression, which was her own shortcoming, but he said no more before he walked away. Fox dismissed the others, but made sure to thank Bazi for her support before the other yearling departed.