Shadewood Everdream

@Cry and @Gwen, but anyone is welcome! Special mention for @Percival. Keeping the details about his whereabouts vague for now.

It was with great reluctance, that Chai pressed on, without Atticus by her side. They were supposed to make their way to Shadewood Keep together, but not everything had gone as planned. It never did...something she was used to throughout her young life thus far. She could only hope that fate would not repeat itself once again. If the stars lined up in her favor, then she would be turning a new page in this chapter. And if they didn't...well, she would just have to go back to square one.

Cinnamon ears turned back atop her crown, she pursed her lips while fretting over the whereabouts of Atticus. She would have felt so much better if he were at her side. Setting on the remainder of the journey alone was daunting and the closer she edged to her destination, the more frazzled her nerves became. He would show up soon enough, she supposed. She shouldn't worry...she should be looking towards what was hopefully going to be a new start and not worrying about a wolf she hardly knew. Though if it weren't for him, she never would have learned of Shadewood, and the possibilities it may offer her. That had to account for something, right?

Making her way west, Chai followed the directions her friend had given her, before they parted ways. Moving inland from the coast, she kept an eye on the terrain. She watched as it changed, gradually thickening into deeper stretches of forest. The tint of salt in the air from the ocean had faded, a sign that told her she was on the right track. Pressing onwards, she kept her eyes peeled for a particularly shady patch of woodland. At least, going by the namesake of the pack, such is what she would expect. Her final clue was the pungent scent of well maintained borders. It struck her nose, stirring in her a sense of familiarity and nervousness. She was social by nature...craved the company of a pack, but had only ever known her natal one. What if these wolves weren't as Atticus described? Pacing light footedly a healthy distance behind the markers, Chai was a picture of bunched up anxiety, her sleek fur slightly tussled from days of travel. She shook her head, squinting her eyes. Stop it, stop it. You are here now... Forcing herself to cease her nervous pacing, she threw her head back and called softly. Then waited, icy eyes searching into the depths for signs of life.

---

Morgan had been the ever most vigilant, only being able to be pried away from his girl's side because she had snapped a good many times on his ass telling him he was making her hot, stifling her in their den. So the rider took himself outside to patrol, marking wherever anyone else hadn’t, refreshing what he came across that hadn’t been.

Happening upon a soft calling at the Eastern front moreover by Tesoro Glade, Morgan made quick work of the distance as auds told him where to go. It was then he happened across a woman who stood respectfully outside of their piss-fence, and he tipped his head to her politely. Finally, somebody who what was what. “Gud mornin’ madam,” the gruff southwesterner offered her. “What can I do you for?”

Golden champagnes looked over the light woody woman. She almost reminded him of Roxanne, the way she had those pretty bright blues to match with a pale and sand body. But Roxanne has more black inked over her back, a slight saddle which Morgan had enjoyed riding back in their rompin days. He himself was a giant mass of earthen hued muscle, 160 lbs of wolf power that told tales of hard times and good eating all at once. Hardened but healthy. 
And all over him was Vetty’s smell, as she didn’t exactly want him gone that much. 

---

Alone again. It wasn't to his surprise that he and Chai had separated, however it was to his confusion. He had no recollection of them parting ways, which only deepened his worry. They hadn't known each other long but she was still something he only wished good upon. His heart would drop when he considered that she may not be able to find Shadewood at all and it could all be his fault. Although Atticus wouldn't recall, their reason for separating was actually his own account. Well...kind of. After a quick hunt of chasing a particularly limber rabbit, Atticus's hormones were blazing and it wasn't much longer after his meal was caught that he was no longer the same wolf. His mind had leaped over the canyon splitting his brain and landed onto Percival's territory. 

For the time being, though, he was back to his "normal" self. His hopes and fear were increasing drastically with every paw step closer to Shadewood. His nose began to fill with familiar markings that reminded him of the last time he was here, although they were much stronger and harder to ignore. For a brief second he could've sworn he got a whiff of the sweet scent of his short-lived companion but it was muddled out by an even stronger cologne. 

Buffalo!

No longer was his head filled with questions, worries, hopes, or fears. Puppy-like excitement had completely washed out any other emotion. Immediately, the young wolf sprinted towards the mammoth, bursting through the trees with the speed of a gazelle. His enthusiasm got the best of him once he finally reached his lost pair and when he tried to stop himself only ended up sliding forward and went face-first into the ground. It seemed no matter what interaction the mountain and the boy were having, he'd end up disorientated somehow. He lifted his head up and shook his fur back into place and instead of meeting eyes with the great and powerful boulder, he locked gazes with his own piercing glaciers. Wait, no... they were Chai's! He smiled wide and felt a weight remove from his shoulders. "Oh man, I'm so glad to see you're okay."

It wasn't long until she spotted movement through the trees. A flash of brown fur, coming towards her. Someone had definitely heeded her call and was coming to investigate. Her heart leapt into her throat, skin prickling. As the wolf edged closer, his large form draped in the richest of mahogany browns with his champagne eyes made her tense. But, the courteous nod that followed and the smooth baritone of his voice, touched with country charm, lit a spark of reassurance in her.

Skimming over the males body language, she doubted that he was the top dog here. Mild mannered as ever, Chai still afforded him the same courtesy due from any outsider to a ranking pack wolf. Folding her ears down to the hairs of her head, she took a single step back, craning her neck in a low sweep earthward in a greeting and gesture of submission. At her heels, her limp tail slowly brushed the snow dusted ground. "Good day, sir..." She began in her soft voice. "I had heard..."

In a whirlwind comprised of the skidding of a body, the blur of familiar fur and a captured gaze of likened eyes, Chai was cut off mid sentence. Before she could even register what had happened, she found a body wedged between herself and the man who she had been about to address. But it wasn't just any wolf, not some stranger. Atticus had found her at last. Be it by pure luck or just finding her trail, she didn't care. A smile broke out on her lips and for the first time in a long time, she burst to life. "Atticus!" She leapt up to balance on her back legs, leaning down to gently drape her forelegs around his shoulders, much like a sibling would to family. "It's so good to see you! I wasn't sure when I'd find you next." With her friend here, Chai felt as if she could breathe a little easier. Suddenly aware that they were surely being watched, she composed herself again and removed herself out of the hug. "S-sorry..." She addressed Morgan, eyes low. "I'm Chai...I learned about Shadewood from him...we got separated along the way here."

Life was a whirlwind. He'd been found by Phex, brought to her home, fought for said home, got told he could reproduce, became mates to Phex and now he was....a settled man. After spending some time curled up next to the girl he had skiddadled and began to head toward the borders. Thats when he caught Morgan's scent and decided to see what the cowboy was up to since they hadn't really interacted much. It was when he got closer that he smelled two other scents, a female and a male who's scent hadn't quite been forgotten. He growled and hurried forward eyes sparking as he sped onto the scene looking ready to kill and saw....

The previously insane male and a female side by side smiling as Morgan seemed to be greeting them. His gaze latched onto Percival's and he glowered silently, studying him. He looked different than the last time, happier. "Learned your lesson, eh kid?" he asked, a taunting note in his otherwise calm voice. It wasn't his business whether this asshat joined or not but he sure as hell was against it. 

HERE I AM TO WRECK THE DAAAAAAAY

---

Morgan had only a smidge to get from the woman before somebody came a’ bustin through the straggle woods on the other side of the Isle, hurtling towards them like he slept with their daughter. More than anything, he was wondering if this mighta been this lady here’s man, but before such a conclusion could come to be, his squinted golds caught a familiar face in that face right before it tackled the ground. “Flip?” His baritones clears indicates his surprise. He hadn’t seen the whippet boy since their little spar session what seemed a whole moon ago. Maybe so much was happening in Shadewood that it was just flying right by.

“Hell lady, if you a’ friend a’ dis fool right here, you a friend a’ mine.”

It was then Laroche made a tempered appearance. “Gud mornin’, LaRowsh.” It was given with a snicker to what the male had said. Had he and Percy sparred too? “Percy here brough him a miss Chai to the Keep after telling her bout us. Guessin’ we made a good impression on ‘em.” Amusement sparked in his champagne gaze while he turned back to the company. A friendly tail wag was given by the burly brown rider before he turned to ‘Roche again. “Think we oughta let tha boss know now, or find out what we can first? I see he be just lettin folk in and it make me antsy a bit for the posse.” As the time had gone by, there were pregnant women inside, now. As friendly as Morgan seemed, he came from a group that would turn on you with the smile from their greeting still on their lips. Was dangerous, regardless of who you was friends with. He was barely coming to terms with trusting the Family as it was. He ain’t met nobody other than Gwen and Phex- who was to say he could trust even them?

---

Soon the weight that had lifted from his shoulders was replaced with the paws of Chai. He was filled with pure light as she tackled him into a hug. His tail wagged like a dog about to go on a walk for the first time since yesterday. Once his eyes met the mahogany redwood of a wolf that was his cherished Buffalo and his ears heard his lovely comment, he smiled even wide. "Salutations, Buffalo!"  He beamed at him like a young pup would a dazzling father. "I must say, I'm overjoyed to see you again."
 
Everything seemed to be falling into place! Well... almost everything. A new smell arrived with a more contempt tone than the others, he stood tall again and without much thought began to block Chai from the stranger. 

Learned your lesson, eh kid?

For a moment, Atticus scanned to see who he could've been talking too. However, the wolf's gaze was locked on him. "I beg your pardon?" He sniffed the air in attempts to recognize anything lingering on the Shadewood wolf but nothing registered, not even the slightest familiarity with the beast he fought too long ago. That memory was latched within the confines of Percival's mind. In truth, Atticus was innocent and it was his "evil twin" that had committed such a brash encounter with Laroche- but how was he, or Atticus, to know that when neither knew of his mind-splitting disorder?

The frantic beats of her heart slowed just by a few paces. The wooden male and Atticus seemed to know each other. He even went so far as to call him a friend. And extend that same warmth to her as well. They even had nicknames for each other...or at least that's what she presumed. Flip and Buffalo. Shyly, she smiled up at him, appreciative. "Why...well thank you..." She mumbled softly, not yet processing the possibilities of how the two males might have known each other.

Another figure arrived on the scene. Similarly colored, but with a much less friendly air about him. What hostility did permeate off of him seemed to be solely directed at Atticus. Icy eyes widened again, nervously. She backed up gingerly with a near silent whine in the back of her throat. Atticus, her companion had even moved to block her from any threat, but she couldn't live with herself if he did, by chance, come to harm. As it was, Chai had no idea his evil persona even existed, and was left utterly clueless as to what the large male meant, by having learned his lesson.

Swallowing a thick lump in her throat, she gently shouldered Atticus aside just enough to be seen. "Sir..." She began in her soft, polite voice as always. "I...I don't know what he has done to earn your scorn..." Maybe it was Atticus' memory acting up. He had told her himself, that he remembered nothing before arriving in the Teekon. It could be another lapse...but if only she knew. "But I assure you...we've been travelling together...and the whole time he has been nothing but a complete gentleman." Her eyes drifted back towards the one dubbed Buffalo. "We are just hoping for a home...it's been so long." He had made a point. It was up to the boss...the Keeper of these woods, to decide who entered and who was turned away. "By the sound of this pack...I thought it might be a good fit..."

---

Morgan shook his rugged head, timber mane cascading in brown rivers as it followed the rough motion. “Don’t mind him- he’s a bit more worse for wear, at tha  moment.” Phex had gotten hurt by a damn lynx not too long ago; Hell Morgan would be sour to folk too should his girl had gotten hurt. 

“This is a nice place- real snug round here. So we gone have to put y’all to some lil standards. But gone let the boss know you here so y’all know what’s what. Meanwhile, go ‘head and git yer selves all situated and such.” The woods were filling up fast- Cry would have to figure out what it was he wanted to do with all the extra bodies here. There were a few faces that weren’t very noticeable - would they get cut?

---

It would be a lie to say his heart wasn't warmed by Chai's words of defense, his ears laid against the back of his head and he sent the girl a sweet smile of gratitude. Atticus was still puzzled by Laroche's hostility but nonetheless headed Morgan's advice and looked at it with a grain of salt. As Morgan continued he beamed at the titan and nodded, his piercing blue eyes gleaming with excitement.  

"Sounds dandy, 'Lo."  He wondered who could be the leader of a wolf like Morgan? Someone so strong and capable, rather leader-like himself. Was this unknown chief even larger and more of a warrior than the beast? Or perhaps less brawn and more brain- calculated and lean. Atticus shifted his attention to Chai, "Shall we take a look around? Hopefully, we can find whoever leads this place."

Quick last post then archiving.

Chai breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing visibly. She somehow had sensed from the get go that the burly man dubbed Buffalo would understand. He and Atticus had met before at some point and on positive terms, it seemed. Still she couldn't fault him, nor any other pack wolf for being a little guarded. Her family had been the same way with strangers.

Flashing Laroche, the timber hued man an apologetic smile, Chai listened as Morgan spoke up again. The place sounded cozy...just what she needed...was hoping for. But the real test would be when they met the boss. Then, she would know if Shadewood Keep was truly the right place for her. And Atticus as well. "We'll do that, thank you. And don't worry about us...we'll be on our best behavior." She added as an afterthought, to assure the tense Laroche that they really were not here for trouble. Yet Chai was still skittish...nervous. She wouldn't trapezetoo far beyond the borders. Nodding, she bumped up against Atticus' shoulder and set off to begin their search.