Post by Ahiga on Aug 3, 2007 3:41:34 GMT -5
Characters:
Storm, Lazuli Alpha
Miakoda, Lazuli Beta
Toban, Lazuli Juvenile Wolf
Swiftwings, Golden Eagle
Dense Undergrowth
================================================================================
The dense undergrowth is smothering - almost impossible to navigate without some sense of where you want to go. Misshapen bushes surround the beaten path on all sides, overgrown, thick with ivy vines, thorns and a multitude of bitter white berries and stinging nettles.
In an area where the ground slopes slightly above the normal level, a partially-hidden hole can be seen, likely leading into a den.
=================================== Exits ===================================
Larkspur is still missing, and Storm is at her wits end to say the least. The alpha has spent a good part of the day searching, checking for scent trails and still has found nothing. She has made her way back to the den site, head lowered while her maw twitches as she takes in the scents. A faintly huffle escapes her as she flops down near the den and just stares off.
Miakoda has been off, probably searching, but she returns empty-handed. No Larkspur at her side. She seems a little reluctant to come back to the densite for obvious reasons. It's stressful here. The Alphas are sad and stressed. And that doesn't make a very good or productive environment! But, here she comes anyway, ears laid back and head held level as she heads towards Storm, greeting her with a soft nuzzle. "How are you holding up?"
Toban has been keeping quiet and to himself. Playing doesn't really seem interesting at the moment, not with everything thats been happening. He sighs heavily and noses at a branch. When he hears the noises of someone returning, the boys tail falls into overdrive his backlegs dancing with anticipation...but no Larkspur. His hears droop as he looks to the others as well finally voicing a concern, "Is Larkspur dead?"
Storm ears perk an she looks over to Miakoda, hoping it seems.. But as no Larkspur is there she sighs. Where is /she/? "I don't really know.." She offers back to miakoda before looking to Toban and blinks some. "No honey.. She's not dead, just..lost." At least that is what she wants to believe, she won't even think about Lark being dead, the thought has never came to her that she might have died in the river.
Miakoda turns an ear in Toban's way, and her head lowers a bit, frowning slightly. She glances to Storm as she speaks, and she smiles reassuringly to her and to Toban. "Right, that's all. Just lost," she assures with a smile as she settles down onto her haunches. "And this is why, Toban, you should never wander off on your own. Do you see how much trouble it causes? How much it worries not just your parents, but the whole pack?"
Toban ducks back tucking his tail. "Yes Miakoda..." His voice is fairly quiet as he retreats back several steps. Scrunching up his face he looks intently on some stray flower. His face softens slightly and he sighs, "Maybe she's just hiding like when we play hide and seek..." He knows its a stupid idea..but its all he has.
Storm sighs some and shifts to her paws moving over to Toban, nosing at him softly. "We're find her dear.. Don't worry." The alpha murmurs softly. "I just what you and Halidari to stay save understand?"
Miakoda smiles a little to Toban and nods at his obedience, seemingly pleased. Obediant cubs are no trouble. Disobedient cubs are the troublesome ones. Sighing inwardly, she settles down onto her haunches and glances between mother and son. "Thorne was scanning the riverbanks," she informs. "Bodhi wants to cross borders and search. He seemed to be very intent on doing so on his own the other night when I told him about Larkspur, but I reminded him that we work together as a pack and not alone." She sighs a little. "He'll probably come speaking to you about it soon."
Toban leans into the nosing and and tries to offer a couple comforting licks, "I'll stay...but maybe I could help instead? Maybe she went somewhere little that I could go but you cant because your to big" The thought of being able to help gets the boys tail going again as he looks between the two adults.
Storm smiles a bit at Toban and snuggles him, a forepaw softly curling around the boy to pull him closer. "Maybe.. You could come with me next time how's that?" She questions softly. A ear twitches as she hears Miakoda talk about Bodhi, which makes her sigh at the thought. "If he keeps this up I dono what I'm going to do with Bodhi."
Miakoda looks down at Toban with a small smile as he listens to him. "That would be very helpful," she agrees with a nod, "as long as you're with someone. That's right. You can search the ltitle places while we search the large ones. Great idea, Toban," she compliments gently, tail flicking a little. Her eyes soon turn back to Storm though, and she gently nods. "I know what you mean. Most times ... or at least this time, he means well. But he's just so very impulsive about things."
Swiftwings has arrived.
Toban's eyes light up even having offered something to the pack and the search for Larkspur. Laying down he allows his mind to wander thinking of all the small places that could be over looked.
Storm nods to Miakoda while settling back to her haunches. "I know.. But I can't have him doing this all the time when something happens.. He could get the pack in more toruble without even thinking about it."
Miakoda nods. "I know, I know," she agrees quickly. "That's why I told him not to go. He already crossed over the border without us knowing.." she says with a slight wrinkle of her nose. "He told me that he met with .. cougars. I asked why, he said it was because he was curious and he believes that we shouldn't ... how'd he put it?" She thinks. "I can't remember exactly, but he believes that we should make allies, I think." She wrinkles her nose again and then watches Toban with lifted ears.
High above the tops of trees an eagle flies alone. Swiftwings has taken a sudden interest in the forest, perhaps allured by the prospect of ample prey, or maybe attracted by some other reason. But whatever the reason, the bird of pray hovers above, looking down and spying -- Bottom Dwellers. Wolves. Golden eyes narrow as he begins to circle lower and lower.
Toban lifts his head raising his ears, "Cougars?!" Toban seems less certain about stepping out onto the path now as he stands and walks a few paces to the exit. He glances over his shoulder, his eyes wide with uncertainty, "Do you think Cougars could have picked up Larkspur cause she was bad? Maybe they took her away from us and want to get me next?" Always one for a vived imagination...
Storm frowns at this while looking to Miakoda. "With cougars?.." She questions with a unsure tone. "What is going though his head." The feline's have not bothered them but she would rather keep it that way. Blinking she shakes her head and nuzzles Toban. "No no.. They wouldn't have done that dear. Shhs now."
Miakoda shakes her head to Toban quickly. "Of course not, honey. Bodhi went to /their/ lands, and .. from what I can guess, their lands are nowhere near ours. I've never seen a cougar in the forest. They have their realm and we have ours," she says with a slight, yet reassuring smile to the youngster before looking back to Storm. "Have you spoken to Felstride lately? I haven't seen him, but has he any idea as to what we should do next? Where we should search together?"
Lower and lower, Swiftwings descends from the sky and makes a slightly cumbersome landing upon a low branch. Too many bushes and branches and things here! But the wolves have caught his interest, and as he neatly folds his wings to his sides he listens to their conversation with piercing eyes. Cougars? A dark chuckle emits from him, a rather deep sound for an avian. "No matter where I go, cougars seem to follow," he comments, sounding amused.
Toban jumps and barks out at the eagle. He lays his ears back and looks at the large bird for a time before speaking up, "Have you seek Larkspur? You can fly...have you seen her?"
Storm shakes her head some. "No.. We've been passing one another lately it seems."There relationship is a bit rocky at the moment with everything that' shappened lately. A ear flicks and she peers upwards snuffling as she looks for the voice before catching sight of the bird. "What do you mean?"
Miakoda ohs softly to Storm, ears laying back momentarily before she nods. She opens her mouth as if to speak, but then closes it as the bird takes her attention. Blinking, she too looks to the eagle, but she remains quiet after glancing to her packmates.
Swiftwings stares blankly at the wolfchild with an expression that might make one assume that he's looking at something as insignificant as a particle of dust. He clicks his beak softly before spreading a massive wing to idly preen through his feathers. "Hm?" said in the direction of storm, pausing his self-groom after a moment to turn his eyes her way. "Cougars," he says again as he folds his wing once more. "I'm sure you've heard of them. Large predators. The mountain dwellers. Seem to have a taste for .. " a glance to Toban, "your kind. Unfortunate, really. It would've been my first taste of wolf if she hadn't gotten to the morsel first."
Toban stares blankly at the bird and lets a growl rise in him as he moves back twards Storm. His tail remains tucked. He doesn't like what this bird is saying. To him it sounds like a cougar ate Larkspur...He growls fiercely. "Shut up!" Tears are welling up in the boys eyes as his mind plays out the possibility.
Storm blinks while shifting on her paws, moving closer to the tree that the eagle is. "What.. What are you talking about. What cougar, what wolf?" She can just imagen.. It has to be Larkspur. Her stomach tenses, form quivering as she stands there.
Miakoda keeps quiet, though her frown is etched all over her face as she watches the eagle. "Storm.." she begins but then holds her tongue, looking a bit apprehensively over to her alpha, then to the tearful Toban. Frowning again, she returns her attention to Swiftwings.
Swiftwings chuckles again, that same dark sound as before as his golden eyes stray to Toban. "Fiesty, are you? Would you be so in the face of a cougar? Ground Dweller offspring are all the same," spoken languidly, carelessly. "Brazen. Outspoken, yet in the face of real danger .. heh, very much dead." With a vague rustle of his feathers, he smooths himself out before looking back to Storm. "Not the quickest of the bunch ... group ... whatever it is you call yourselves, are you? I saw a young wolf with a speckled nose be devoured by a cougar," he informs. "Somewhere a little ways from a river. The thing was already injured. The lucky cat had an easy meal. Had it in her mouth by the time I was near enough to snatch it up myself."
Storm ears twitches while she wraps a paw arould Toban pulling the boy closer to her as she hears the eagle. Her ears slick back and her head lowers as she closes her eyes. This can't be happing.. Larkspur can't be dead, she still feels very much alive to her. She would know, mother's always know. The alpha says nothing else now, what is there to say?
Miakoda winces. It feels like something heavy has dropped in the pit of her stomach, and she looks apprehensively towards Storm, brows furrowing a bit. She moves nearer to her and nuzzles her deeply, still frowning as she steals a look to the eagle. "What do you know of it? Who was this cougar?" said tensely as she keeps herself very near Toban and Storm.
If Swiftwings is aware of any heartache he might have caused, he seems very much unaware of it. "Hm?" said to Miakoda with a slow inclination of his head. "How am I to know? I don't follow the doings of predators on the ground," said aimlessly. "Why, was this .. /your/ child?" asks with a note of sadistic glee and he leans forward on his branch, looking from wolf to wolf. "You lost your child? Ah .. and the cougar found it, killed it, and carried it off toward the mountain where the other cougars dwell. A true story of misery," said with a slow shake of his head, not sounding very somber at all. "Were you never taught the art of parenting, or do the lot of you mate aimlessly and leave your children to fend for themselves?" A birdish smirk. "Unable to ignore the urgent call of the wild, were you wolf?"
Storm takes in a faint breath and looks worriedly to Miakoda before looking back to the eagle whom she now glares at. "Yes.. your rather brave up in that tree now aren't you feathers?" She questions with a thick growl erupting from her maw. "I bet you wouldn't be so sharped tounge down here.." The alpha could go on but what's the point?
Miakoda's growl sounds as well as she stalks angrily towards the eagle, but he's far too high for her to do anything much but glare and snarl at him. "Get out of here!" she snaps angrily, snapping up at the air. "Storm, don't listen to him. I'm sure ... I'm sure Larkspur is fine," she says, though not sounding nearly as convinced as she'd like to. They've been searching for so long with no luck whatsoever. And Bodhi /just/ talked about the cougars the other day. Could one of them have murdered Larkspur?
"Ooh, a hostile bunch, are we?" coos Swiftwings with a light and highly sarcastic shudder of his feathered body. "No worries, I have no intention of lingering for very long. Only swooped by in hopes that another youngster would be caught unawares, injured and alone.." said with a pointed look to Toban. "I never pass up an opportunity to do a little cleanup. Survival of the fittest and all. Disposing of the weak-links. You should be glad," spoken to Storm. "Your infant has completed its purpose here. A cougar is fed and happy. Life moves on," said carelessly before he spread his wings. "Good.." a chuckle at the word, "day, wolves." And with that, the eagle takes flight again, flying off to other parts of the forest.
Storm, Lazuli Alpha
Miakoda, Lazuli Beta
Toban, Lazuli Juvenile Wolf
Swiftwings, Golden Eagle
Dense Undergrowth
================================================================================
The dense undergrowth is smothering - almost impossible to navigate without some sense of where you want to go. Misshapen bushes surround the beaten path on all sides, overgrown, thick with ivy vines, thorns and a multitude of bitter white berries and stinging nettles.
In an area where the ground slopes slightly above the normal level, a partially-hidden hole can be seen, likely leading into a den.
=================================== Exits ===================================
Larkspur is still missing, and Storm is at her wits end to say the least. The alpha has spent a good part of the day searching, checking for scent trails and still has found nothing. She has made her way back to the den site, head lowered while her maw twitches as she takes in the scents. A faintly huffle escapes her as she flops down near the den and just stares off.
Miakoda has been off, probably searching, but she returns empty-handed. No Larkspur at her side. She seems a little reluctant to come back to the densite for obvious reasons. It's stressful here. The Alphas are sad and stressed. And that doesn't make a very good or productive environment! But, here she comes anyway, ears laid back and head held level as she heads towards Storm, greeting her with a soft nuzzle. "How are you holding up?"
Toban has been keeping quiet and to himself. Playing doesn't really seem interesting at the moment, not with everything thats been happening. He sighs heavily and noses at a branch. When he hears the noises of someone returning, the boys tail falls into overdrive his backlegs dancing with anticipation...but no Larkspur. His hears droop as he looks to the others as well finally voicing a concern, "Is Larkspur dead?"
Storm ears perk an she looks over to Miakoda, hoping it seems.. But as no Larkspur is there she sighs. Where is /she/? "I don't really know.." She offers back to miakoda before looking to Toban and blinks some. "No honey.. She's not dead, just..lost." At least that is what she wants to believe, she won't even think about Lark being dead, the thought has never came to her that she might have died in the river.
Miakoda turns an ear in Toban's way, and her head lowers a bit, frowning slightly. She glances to Storm as she speaks, and she smiles reassuringly to her and to Toban. "Right, that's all. Just lost," she assures with a smile as she settles down onto her haunches. "And this is why, Toban, you should never wander off on your own. Do you see how much trouble it causes? How much it worries not just your parents, but the whole pack?"
Toban ducks back tucking his tail. "Yes Miakoda..." His voice is fairly quiet as he retreats back several steps. Scrunching up his face he looks intently on some stray flower. His face softens slightly and he sighs, "Maybe she's just hiding like when we play hide and seek..." He knows its a stupid idea..but its all he has.
Storm sighs some and shifts to her paws moving over to Toban, nosing at him softly. "We're find her dear.. Don't worry." The alpha murmurs softly. "I just what you and Halidari to stay save understand?"
Miakoda smiles a little to Toban and nods at his obedience, seemingly pleased. Obediant cubs are no trouble. Disobedient cubs are the troublesome ones. Sighing inwardly, she settles down onto her haunches and glances between mother and son. "Thorne was scanning the riverbanks," she informs. "Bodhi wants to cross borders and search. He seemed to be very intent on doing so on his own the other night when I told him about Larkspur, but I reminded him that we work together as a pack and not alone." She sighs a little. "He'll probably come speaking to you about it soon."
Toban leans into the nosing and and tries to offer a couple comforting licks, "I'll stay...but maybe I could help instead? Maybe she went somewhere little that I could go but you cant because your to big" The thought of being able to help gets the boys tail going again as he looks between the two adults.
Storm smiles a bit at Toban and snuggles him, a forepaw softly curling around the boy to pull him closer. "Maybe.. You could come with me next time how's that?" She questions softly. A ear twitches as she hears Miakoda talk about Bodhi, which makes her sigh at the thought. "If he keeps this up I dono what I'm going to do with Bodhi."
Miakoda looks down at Toban with a small smile as he listens to him. "That would be very helpful," she agrees with a nod, "as long as you're with someone. That's right. You can search the ltitle places while we search the large ones. Great idea, Toban," she compliments gently, tail flicking a little. Her eyes soon turn back to Storm though, and she gently nods. "I know what you mean. Most times ... or at least this time, he means well. But he's just so very impulsive about things."
Swiftwings has arrived.
Toban's eyes light up even having offered something to the pack and the search for Larkspur. Laying down he allows his mind to wander thinking of all the small places that could be over looked.
Storm nods to Miakoda while settling back to her haunches. "I know.. But I can't have him doing this all the time when something happens.. He could get the pack in more toruble without even thinking about it."
Miakoda nods. "I know, I know," she agrees quickly. "That's why I told him not to go. He already crossed over the border without us knowing.." she says with a slight wrinkle of her nose. "He told me that he met with .. cougars. I asked why, he said it was because he was curious and he believes that we shouldn't ... how'd he put it?" She thinks. "I can't remember exactly, but he believes that we should make allies, I think." She wrinkles her nose again and then watches Toban with lifted ears.
High above the tops of trees an eagle flies alone. Swiftwings has taken a sudden interest in the forest, perhaps allured by the prospect of ample prey, or maybe attracted by some other reason. But whatever the reason, the bird of pray hovers above, looking down and spying -- Bottom Dwellers. Wolves. Golden eyes narrow as he begins to circle lower and lower.
Toban lifts his head raising his ears, "Cougars?!" Toban seems less certain about stepping out onto the path now as he stands and walks a few paces to the exit. He glances over his shoulder, his eyes wide with uncertainty, "Do you think Cougars could have picked up Larkspur cause she was bad? Maybe they took her away from us and want to get me next?" Always one for a vived imagination...
Storm frowns at this while looking to Miakoda. "With cougars?.." She questions with a unsure tone. "What is going though his head." The feline's have not bothered them but she would rather keep it that way. Blinking she shakes her head and nuzzles Toban. "No no.. They wouldn't have done that dear. Shhs now."
Miakoda shakes her head to Toban quickly. "Of course not, honey. Bodhi went to /their/ lands, and .. from what I can guess, their lands are nowhere near ours. I've never seen a cougar in the forest. They have their realm and we have ours," she says with a slight, yet reassuring smile to the youngster before looking back to Storm. "Have you spoken to Felstride lately? I haven't seen him, but has he any idea as to what we should do next? Where we should search together?"
Lower and lower, Swiftwings descends from the sky and makes a slightly cumbersome landing upon a low branch. Too many bushes and branches and things here! But the wolves have caught his interest, and as he neatly folds his wings to his sides he listens to their conversation with piercing eyes. Cougars? A dark chuckle emits from him, a rather deep sound for an avian. "No matter where I go, cougars seem to follow," he comments, sounding amused.
Toban jumps and barks out at the eagle. He lays his ears back and looks at the large bird for a time before speaking up, "Have you seek Larkspur? You can fly...have you seen her?"
Storm shakes her head some. "No.. We've been passing one another lately it seems."There relationship is a bit rocky at the moment with everything that' shappened lately. A ear flicks and she peers upwards snuffling as she looks for the voice before catching sight of the bird. "What do you mean?"
Miakoda ohs softly to Storm, ears laying back momentarily before she nods. She opens her mouth as if to speak, but then closes it as the bird takes her attention. Blinking, she too looks to the eagle, but she remains quiet after glancing to her packmates.
Swiftwings stares blankly at the wolfchild with an expression that might make one assume that he's looking at something as insignificant as a particle of dust. He clicks his beak softly before spreading a massive wing to idly preen through his feathers. "Hm?" said in the direction of storm, pausing his self-groom after a moment to turn his eyes her way. "Cougars," he says again as he folds his wing once more. "I'm sure you've heard of them. Large predators. The mountain dwellers. Seem to have a taste for .. " a glance to Toban, "your kind. Unfortunate, really. It would've been my first taste of wolf if she hadn't gotten to the morsel first."
Toban stares blankly at the bird and lets a growl rise in him as he moves back twards Storm. His tail remains tucked. He doesn't like what this bird is saying. To him it sounds like a cougar ate Larkspur...He growls fiercely. "Shut up!" Tears are welling up in the boys eyes as his mind plays out the possibility.
Storm blinks while shifting on her paws, moving closer to the tree that the eagle is. "What.. What are you talking about. What cougar, what wolf?" She can just imagen.. It has to be Larkspur. Her stomach tenses, form quivering as she stands there.
Miakoda keeps quiet, though her frown is etched all over her face as she watches the eagle. "Storm.." she begins but then holds her tongue, looking a bit apprehensively over to her alpha, then to the tearful Toban. Frowning again, she returns her attention to Swiftwings.
Swiftwings chuckles again, that same dark sound as before as his golden eyes stray to Toban. "Fiesty, are you? Would you be so in the face of a cougar? Ground Dweller offspring are all the same," spoken languidly, carelessly. "Brazen. Outspoken, yet in the face of real danger .. heh, very much dead." With a vague rustle of his feathers, he smooths himself out before looking back to Storm. "Not the quickest of the bunch ... group ... whatever it is you call yourselves, are you? I saw a young wolf with a speckled nose be devoured by a cougar," he informs. "Somewhere a little ways from a river. The thing was already injured. The lucky cat had an easy meal. Had it in her mouth by the time I was near enough to snatch it up myself."
Storm ears twitches while she wraps a paw arould Toban pulling the boy closer to her as she hears the eagle. Her ears slick back and her head lowers as she closes her eyes. This can't be happing.. Larkspur can't be dead, she still feels very much alive to her. She would know, mother's always know. The alpha says nothing else now, what is there to say?
Miakoda winces. It feels like something heavy has dropped in the pit of her stomach, and she looks apprehensively towards Storm, brows furrowing a bit. She moves nearer to her and nuzzles her deeply, still frowning as she steals a look to the eagle. "What do you know of it? Who was this cougar?" said tensely as she keeps herself very near Toban and Storm.
If Swiftwings is aware of any heartache he might have caused, he seems very much unaware of it. "Hm?" said to Miakoda with a slow inclination of his head. "How am I to know? I don't follow the doings of predators on the ground," said aimlessly. "Why, was this .. /your/ child?" asks with a note of sadistic glee and he leans forward on his branch, looking from wolf to wolf. "You lost your child? Ah .. and the cougar found it, killed it, and carried it off toward the mountain where the other cougars dwell. A true story of misery," said with a slow shake of his head, not sounding very somber at all. "Were you never taught the art of parenting, or do the lot of you mate aimlessly and leave your children to fend for themselves?" A birdish smirk. "Unable to ignore the urgent call of the wild, were you wolf?"
Storm takes in a faint breath and looks worriedly to Miakoda before looking back to the eagle whom she now glares at. "Yes.. your rather brave up in that tree now aren't you feathers?" She questions with a thick growl erupting from her maw. "I bet you wouldn't be so sharped tounge down here.." The alpha could go on but what's the point?
Miakoda's growl sounds as well as she stalks angrily towards the eagle, but he's far too high for her to do anything much but glare and snarl at him. "Get out of here!" she snaps angrily, snapping up at the air. "Storm, don't listen to him. I'm sure ... I'm sure Larkspur is fine," she says, though not sounding nearly as convinced as she'd like to. They've been searching for so long with no luck whatsoever. And Bodhi /just/ talked about the cougars the other day. Could one of them have murdered Larkspur?
"Ooh, a hostile bunch, are we?" coos Swiftwings with a light and highly sarcastic shudder of his feathered body. "No worries, I have no intention of lingering for very long. Only swooped by in hopes that another youngster would be caught unawares, injured and alone.." said with a pointed look to Toban. "I never pass up an opportunity to do a little cleanup. Survival of the fittest and all. Disposing of the weak-links. You should be glad," spoken to Storm. "Your infant has completed its purpose here. A cougar is fed and happy. Life moves on," said carelessly before he spread his wings. "Good.." a chuckle at the word, "day, wolves." And with that, the eagle takes flight again, flying off to other parts of the forest.