Swiftcurrent Creek the sun will settle on dust

Powerplay that Bazi, Julius and Relonikiv are already with him. Hope this is okay!
Pack meeting.. time for the pack to move! :D

@Bazi @Julius @Relonikiv @Kaskara @Kieran @Falwasi @Galileo @Dovev @Star @Razorback

First round ends Feb. 24th.

The timing would never be perfect, but yet, here he stood, beneath the gentle allure of the rising sun. Bazi was at his side -- her heat was upon her, and the male let her stray very little from his sight now. They might not have made claim to one another verbally, but he had certainly claimed her in all other ways possible and would cast only the coldest glare to any male who looked upon her with any interest during this time -- even those he called close friend.

The two boys were at their paws -- sleepy, as the two adults had roused them from their dreams and pulled them to a clearing that was so very close to the edge of their terrain. It was time to leave, and the cinnamon wolf had pulled the remains of what appeared to be a rabbit from one of the caches, previously having encouraged them to eat it.

Now, his white tipped muzzle tilted back, loosening a low howl to summon his fellow pack mates forward. The ones that did not show would be left behind -- but today was the day their journey to Nova Peak would start.

Today was the day they received their new beginning, after a winter of such hell.

The excitement and tension that had been building for weeks now broke this morning, when the Alpha pair gathered their two young, sleepy charges and led them to the far edge of the territory. By now, they had explained to the boys what was happening, of course. They were just old enough to understand for the most part, albeit with no capacity to comprehend the true scope of the situation. Relonikiv had mixed feelings about the move, which brought yet more upheaval to his young life, yet he was nothing if not obedient and easygoing. He would made no fuss, faithfully going wherever his foster parents told him to go.

While they waited for the rest of the pack to gather, Relonikiv nestled into the space between Scimitar's forepaws. "Father," he murmured quietly, bending upward to lick the Alpha's chin, a gesture of affection and respect. Unlike that day with Shadow, when Trajan had chosen to leave them (thereby walking out of their lives abruptly and entirely), the two-month-old knew exactly what a father was: Scimitar was it.

Star heard Scimitar's howl and came immediatley, though she feared once more of her packmate's malice-filled glares. There already were Scimitar and Bazi, two children at their feet. Star knew Paar's puppies would've been born by now, but she hadn't visited. Small children were cute but Star was no good around them and didn't understand them. Strange neither of the two here had Paar's vibrant reddish coat nor Shadow's grey. One white and one brown-gold. She bowed to the Creek's royalty before stepping back and taking a seat nearby. She didn't know the reason for the meeting, and she would probably be the last creek wolf to hear they were moving to Nova Peak. Yet she sat, her ears perked forward, waiting patiently for the announcement to begin.

While Relonikiv had become increasingly close to Scimitar, Julius still favored Bazi. It was nothing personal, just how it turned out. Not the most social when it came to strangers, Julius had taken longer to be as comfortable as Relonikiv around the Alpha before he had taken on the father role. As a result, Relonikiv managed to spend more time with Scimitar than Julius had. No matter how much Relonikiv favored sticking close to Scimitar, Julius favored sticking close to Bazi - like he did now.

That aside, much had been confusing these past days. Although Julius had misunderstood at the time, he had gleamed understanding when Trajan left them. The offer that day had not been to stay in the situation or go back to the rendezvous site, it had been to go away from the Creek or to stay with the Creek. Yet, it had been explained to them that they were still going to go away from the Creek. The boy hadn't liked it one bit, and was being uncharacteristically difficult about the move. No matter what was said, Julius still viewed Swiftcurrent Creek as home, and he didn't want to leave home.

No matter how difficult Julius had been, he obviously hadn't won, for this morning he was woken up early, and they were still going to move apparently. Julius' grumpiness was a result of those two things. "Stay..." He moodily demanded one last time after yawning. While it could be argued that being woken up early wasn't the main cause of his sour mood, it had definitely given it an edge.

Kas was excited, to say the least. Moving to a mountain, naming it after their grandmother's pack in the Salvajes, and leaving behind the drama and uncertainty filled her with joy. Though she did wonder how the pups would handle the journey, Kas was determined to stick by their side and make sure they were taken care of. She knew Scim and Bazi would do so, and the rest of the pack, too, but she felt it was her duty to look after the boys and make sure they were okay.

Briefly, she thought of the trip that Njal and Tuwawi had taken not a handful of months before. Their journey had been similar, though not under the same circumstances. From what Scimitar told her, they would be trekking past the glacier. Knowing that would take days with their slow moving pups, Kaskara smiled at the thought of being far away from Shadow and the now-looming threat of the Blackfeather Woods wolves, too, as she found her brother nearby with Bazi, the boys, and Star.

Kieran was late to the party, but it was for a good reason. He had been hunting again, like normal. Gleaning through one last time, before it was time to move. He didn't know when they would move, or where they would go. Just that they would, and as he promised Kaskara, he would follow the leaders wherever they went. He dipped his muzzle to the ground, gave one last look around, and trotted towards the meeting.

Stopping at the edges of those around, as was usual. He dipped his muzzle to Kaskara and Scimitar, even gave Bazi and Star a small nod. Then he just sat and waited, his mahogany tail curled around, large paws. Green eyes taking in the view, while the scar that had been reopened continued to heal. It was nothing more than a scab now, but the pain that had come when it had been re-ripped open. It was something he didn't wish to experience a third time.

Even though her mind and soul were ready to move on, today would still be a bitter-sweet day. No matter how many enemies had come to crowd around them, Swiftcurrent Creek would leave a hole in her heart. This was where Bazi had grown up - where she had made friends, lost them, fought for her pack, and found love. The Creek had given her a family, and seen her through selfishness and mistakes, gradually shaping the wolf she had become now.

This was not mere earth underfoot. Bazi reminded herself that as the family settled down to await the pack.

Relonikiv settled with Scimitar. Bazi made no move to force Julius to sit near her, but made sure there was space - her adopted son had not taken news of the move well, and Bazi wondered if he should have been introduced to the idea sooner. After all, it had taken her months and a long trip north to even consider it - and she was a grown-up.

The wolves began to assemble. Bazi pressed her shoulder to Scimitar's, facing the gathering group with a feeling of new hope and a silently grieving heart.

Tomahawk had kept to the outskirts of the pack. Even though Kaskara had said that she was one of them, she had yet to feel it. Now, more than ever, she felt an outsider, pretending to be something she was not. Her view of herself would likely always be conflicted, that much was obvious, but she was slowly beginning to roll with things. Kas had also warned her that they were in the process of relocating, a fact that brought joy to Tomahawk's own heart. If she could be there for this large event, perhaps it would make her feel more like them. She was a wolf.

If she was a wolf, and a pseudo-member of Swiftcurrent Creek... she was the lowest ranking, though. She skulked in the back, large ears alert and lanky body ready to take flight at the first sign of aggression. Whatever this was, it was important, and making an appearance was mandatory.

The amount of scufflemarks on paws was like a giant arrow pointing north, where the pack had assembled. But it was rally Dovev was no longer privy to.
He stepped across the snowy trample, hanging a good distance away from the meeting, lifting his gray eyes as the male watched silently. They were circling around each other, and he could almost taste the excitement. This whole gathering had a purpose of which he knew- to move. Move, and leave the Creek an empty shell of wolves who had inhabited it for so long. And the white wolf would be left with whatever remnants there was to create some sort of a puppet of a pack and protect what had always been theirs.

Bazi and Scimitar were at the center, standing proud, with the two pups he had heard so much about but never seen before. It was funny that this was the first and last time Dovev might ever lay eyes on a future generation of wolves, ones who would be raised for a different pack. There were the loyal supporters of the alphas, too, such as Kaskara and Kieran. Dovev did not look upon them in distaste, only the traditional impassiveness that he put on whenever something wasn't going according to plan. So he just stood in the ankle deep snow, breath trailing out of his mouth like a brooding volcano and watched the group from his vantage forty or fifty feet away.

There was a reason why Paarthurnax feared the comfort of the familiar. Just when the dust seemed to settle, when her thoughts became less clouded, life had a funny way of turning itself upside down and inside out. It was unpredictable. It was terrifying. And despite her fears, she embraced it all the same, for it was beautiful in the forms of the best things she'd ever done: her pups.

When Scimitar offered to take them and give her some space, her heart had skipped an uncomfortable beat at the thought. Paar's children had been left in the capable paws of her pack-mates on several occasions, yet on that day there had been a niggling feeling of uncertainty. She considered tagging along, until Durnehviir protested and demanded that she stay put. Not wishing to further upset her only daughter, the crimson Frostfur opted to stay put while the boys ventured beyond the den.

Her girl was far from cooperative. Durnehviir complained and fidgeted, and it was because of this distraction that Paarthurnax did not hear or sense the approach of another until the creature was inside her hollow and upon her. It all happened so fast: a blur of black and tan, the clack of fangs accompanying ferocious snarls, the metallic scent of blood. Paar had never been a fighter, but in those moments, out of need to defend her baby, she parted her jaws and sank her teeth into the closest part of the dog she could reach.

Durnehviir did not run away. Instead, she cowered in a corner and whimpered, gazing up at her dam with eyes that revealed her true terror. When Paar shoved her opponent away, she made to pluck her daughter and flee, but her attacker pursued. Remarkably quick on its paws, the dog tackled her to the ground and in her surprise, she dropped the mottled pup before swinging around to fight back.

She wasn't sure how it happened, but in an instant Paar was flung against a rock and the world went black. When at last she roused, Durnehviir and the trespasser had vanished. Without a second thought, the wounded mother did not hesitate to follow the trail. Stopping before she found her girl was absolutely not an option.

What happened when she found the thief far beyond the land she called home, Paarthurnax could not remember. When copper eyes fell upon the familiar two-toned frame of the bitch that interrupted her blissful life, she saw red. The result? Many wounds, exhaustion, pain, but above all, success. Durnehviir was safe, and that was what mattered most.

Paarthurnax hobbled her way home, and it felt as though her trip took a lifetime to complete. But as she limped across Swiftcurrent borders, there was relief. There was the feeling of being able to breathe again. There was the feeling of being home. With her precious cargo held firmly between her jaws, Paarthurnax pricked a velvet lobe at the familiar call of her Alpha. She pressed on until she ducked through low foliage and emerged before the wolves that were her family.

She stopped in her tracks then, pausing to take in the beautiful sight before her, and let her aching shoulders slacken to accompany her heavy exhale. Paarthurnax' gaze lingered on the group - more so Scimitar and Bazi, her boys at their feet - as she stood there, trembling and rooted to the spot, before dipping her head to place Durnehviir on the snowy earth at her paws. Words did not come to her, but her eyes welled with emotion: I'm here. And I'm never letting go.

As we're now past the first round, I hope nobody mind if I post a Paa-reaction to move this along! :)

They were fewer than she had hoped. Dovev remained on the outskirts, silently making a stand against the proposed move. Bazi gave the distant male a long look, but it held no malice for him. It was his choice to stay - to her knowledge, he was not close to anyone in particular, which made Swiftcurrent Creek his closest pack-mate. Still, it was a shame; he would have enjoyed the north.

As Bazi's eyes drifted back, they stumbled on something that made her jaw physically drop and her heart beat like it'd been spoon-fed cocaine. She sat wide-eyed and silent for only a second. The pieces came together quickly, and Bazi was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The Alpha rose on trembling limbs, briefly nudging the pups to look! Look! before bolting headlong in the direction of Paarthurnax and her daughter. "PAARTHURNAX!"

Kiv seemed content enough to be at the side of his remaining family -- the boy's words were delivered with a certainty that could have stolen Scimitar's breath away. A crooning growl of affection escaped him as he nudged the pup's cheeks -- his eyes lighting with amusement as Julius sleepily demanded they stay instead. It would be hard on them certainly -- they were taking them from the home they were familiar with.. but the cinnamon regal felt it for the best. This way they could all truly begin afresh.

Wolves began to gather -- Star, Kaskara, Kieran.. and even their shadow, the coyote lurked upon the outskirts. The Alpha had yet to have words with the creature, but Kaskara had informed him of the russet girl, and he had decided to reserve judgement for himself.

Dovev lurked upon the outskirts of the meeting -- watching. The ivory male made his stance clear, and the cinnamon regal gave a cordial nod in his direction. He held no doubt the male would stay and the Creek lands would thrive under his care -- perhaps, even, the legacy would continue with him.

But that al suddenly became of little concern to him in a flashing moment. As if a ghost had risen from the beyond, the crimson bi-toned form of Paarthurnax seemed to move toward them, and dazedly, Scimitar watched, rooted to the spot. A stoical beast -- such was the surprise that greeted him from the grave did it cause his jaws to drop in surprise, and blinking, the cinnamon wolf found himself unable to move, even though Bazi's own voice echoed his own sentiments -- and verified that he was not, indeed, staring at a ghost.

Other wolves began to join the small family. Relonikiv remained quiet, occasionally exchanging glances with Julius. His brother didn't seem happy about the move, even demanding that they stay. His sulky mumble made the golden child think of that day when three strangers had come calling. Trajan had gone away with them. Relonikiv missed him. He missed their mother and sister too. He pressed himself nearer to Scimitar, offering Julius a sympathetic whine. He would go anywhere on earth if it meant staying with what was left of his family.

Relonikiv shifted and sat up straighter when a cinnamon figure drew into view, catching his eye like the others hadn't. In the life of a wolf—particularly a young wolf—weeks were as years. Although Paarthurnax had been gone what seemed like an age now, her face was as familiar and welcome as sunlight. Durnehviir was with her too. He blinked, his mostly silver eyes growing wide as saucers. They both looked a little different. He had been much younger when they'd disappeared. Yet they were unmistakable.

"Mama!" he cried. He felt Bazi's nudge, though it wasn't needed. Springing off the Alpha male's forepaws, Relonikiv shot toward his mother like an arrow from a bow. "Mama!" he cried again, pressing himself against her legs as soon as he reached her and licking at her chin. His tail wagged so rapidly it was little more than a blur. He looked sideways, bumping his muzzle against Durnehviir's and licking her cheek. He crooned to both of them.

Yet just because his mother had walked back into his life did not mean Relonikiv forgot the word he'd spoken a moment ago or what it meant. Looking over a small, golden shoulder, the young child shouted, "Father, look!" He beamed at Scimitar, then at Bazi and Julius too. "Mama'th home!"

Glassy copper eyes lingered on the faces of her friends as they took notice of her, and her tail began to sweep at her rear. They gawked at her, surprised perhaps to see that she was still in one piece considering the grim scene she'd left behind at the den-site. It was Bazi who first seemed to snap from her daze, pulling herself shakily onto her ivory paws and sprinting full pelt toward her whilst bellowing her name. Paarthurnax whimpered, emotion constricting her heart and throat, and she strode forth to fling herself into her friend's embrace.

Her muscles and joints ached, but the crimson Frostfur did not care to dwell on her frailty. Adrenaline coursed her veins, and as she leaned into Bazi's form, she felt her troubles melt away. The world, her fears and her weakness dissipated as she tucked herself snug against the other wolfess' frame and wept freely into the alabaster fur at her muzzle.

Soon, little Relonikiv was prancing at her paws, and Paar unfurled herself from her friend to plant atop her son's head a flurry of kisses. She crooned to him, a soft growl of utmost love, her feathered tail swishing to and fro at her sleek hinds. "I love you," she pressed her snout to the golden boy's cheek, flicked her tongue past her lips to deliver yet another lick to Relonikiv's pale chin, then closed her eyes to breathe deep the scent of him. Her hart skipped a beat and, smiling, she lifted her head to look upon her littlest child and realise how much she'd missed.

Lost in his own world of being tired and sulky, Julius was the last of the family to realize his mother had returned. He snapped out of it when there was a commotion, and then it was pointed out to him that his mother was back. Any negativeness dissipated from him as he was the last to rush to his mother's side.

Without a word, Julius collided into her and Relonikiv both. His mother and sister were back! Once more, they were one big happy family if he didn't think about Trajan. They were back, and now they could all be happy! Wait a moment...

Julius pulled away from both his mother and sister. The negative feelings from before came flooding back as his mind tried to process the situation. The reason that they had been sad was because his mother and Durnehviir had left. Then wasn't it their fault that their family was sad? Unsure of how he was feeling, he looked up at his mother. "You make us sad...?" He asked.

Quick post from me.

Kaskara watched as the others gathered or lurked on the edges. The wolves she was concerned about were Kieran and Falwasi. Kieran showed, but her friend Fal hadn't appeared yet. Kas frowned, wondering what that meant. Perhaps she was simply late. Tomahawk appeared and Kaskara gave her a smile. Even if they didn't know each other well, Kas was glad that the coy-wolf was with them. One more pair of eyes and ears would do them good on the journey north.

Then something unexpected happened. Paarthurnax returned with Durnehviir in her jaws. Kas didn't want to crowd the returned mother, but she whined and barked, waving her tail happily behind her. Welcome home, she seemed to say.

There were many things Star was unknowing about, and this was one. She had not heard of Paar's absence from the creek. They reacted too excited for just a greeting, she observed. At her side was a little girl pup as well, and the other two came rushing over. Had it been another one of Vinyl's characters, perhaps they would've awwwed aloud at the sight, but Star just watched quietly, a bit confused. She didn't ask about it, though. She dipped her head in a respectful greeting to Paarthurnax, but that was it. After that she continued to watch the scene unfold, especially watching the small children excited at their mother's return. Of course, Star had no idea it was a return of any sort.

Is it my turn? I have no idea. :D

The rest of the day would pass Bazi by in a blur of tears - happy and sad. The two women hugged so fiercely that Bazi feared she might lose the ability to breathe, but between sobs and happy barking there was little breath left to lose.

Paarthurnax's two remaining boys crowded around them. Bazi stepped back to allow them a proper reunion, but was so giddy with unbridled joy that she had to sprint back to Scimitar and cover his broad face in damp kisses lest the joy that filled her heart caused it to explode. Her friend was back. Their friend was back. When Scimitar was drenched, Bazi moved on to his sister, lapping at the dark woman's cheek before settling - breathless - at her sister-in-law's shoulder to watch the little family.

He stood, transfixed for a few stolen moments. Kiv’s exclamation would have warmed his heart had he truly focused on the statement and how the boy saw him – but his eyes could not leave Paarthurnax’s face. It was as if his best friend had returned from the dead, and only when Bazi pulled away from him (after slathering him with kisses) did he finally break of his trance.

He moved forward then – his long limbs pulling himself to her in a few short strides before his muzzle touched her cheek. A sigh escaped him – disbelief, almost.. eassurance. Within that stolen moment, the cinnamon male wrapped his body against hers – a wolfish hug as he felt his heart hammer in his chest. “Welcome home,” he murmured then, swallowing thickly as he felt the rawness of his throat.

Finally, pulling away, he practically beamed at her -- his tail swaying behind him with his excitement before he bent down to nudge the two boys gently. "Are you up for traveling?"

Kieran merely stood and watched the going ons. He didn't know Paar enough to have a long conversation. He could say hello, and welcome back, but he was fairly certain. That all of the others had it covered. So he merely sat and waited, ears tilted forward to catch the words.

Everyone seemed just as stunned and happy as Relonikiv felt. He beamed as everyone welcomed his mother and sister back into the fold, happy tears wobbling in his eyes. He couldn't stop himself from constantly licking and nudging them in turn. And when the Alphas signaled that it was time for the caravan to move out -- funny that Paarthurnax would come home and leave it again in the same moment -- the golden runt stuck very close to his mother. He would be glued to her side the entire trip.

With everything settled -- the pack said their farewells to the only two who did not find loyalty in their family, but for the land itself. Scimitar did not look back to the Creek when they finally left, nor did he mourn the loss of Dovev or Star -- both had proven what their true motives were, and the Frostfur was thankful to leave such a life behind.
 
With rejuvenation in their step at being reunited with Paarthurnax and her daughter, the family began their trek to Nova peak -- arduous, but with the promise of hope that pulled them forward.