Post by Curiosity on Feb 6, 2009 1:33:07 GMT -5
Characters Involved:
Haze, male wolf, alpha
Larkspur, female wolf, alpha
=== Cavern of Echoes ===
Returning to the den after his impromptu meeting with the betas, among others, Haze is nearly ready to call it a night. He slips easily inside the den's entrance, padding over towards where Larkspur and his pups lie, careful to avoid the puddles of cold water that dot the cavern floor. Seeing she's now awake, he smiles at her as he settles down close to her form, the pups at her belly between them. "How are they?"
Larkspur's tail sways as Haze nears, and she reaches out to nuzzle him before answering, "They've been pretty quiet for the past little bit." The 'thank the stars' is implied with a grateful sigh. The she-wolf presses herself against Haze. Though he wasn't gone terribly long, she's glad to see him again.
Haze seems pleased at the answer, lowering his muzzle to the four and looking them over, inhaling their scent, one mixed of both his and Larkspur's flesh and blood...in other words, perfect. When his eyes return to the new mother, however, they shift away again briefly, his look one that Lark no doubt recognizes as one meaning he's got something on his mind that he's a little confused about how to say. "I met a young she-wolf this evening who lost track of her family during the floods...she said she was chased off by cougars recently." His amber eyes meet hers again, as though to silently convey the full meaning of those words to her, and the tragic memories of her father's death associated with them. "She said they were to the east of here, up on the mountain. Wasn't Maulisho from there?"
The warm fuzzy feelings inspired by the proximity of her mate waver when she realizes he has something that's bothering him, and they are cut short entirely at the mention of cougars. Ears slicking down, she averts her gaze to the ground, meeting Haze's only briefly. "Yeah, she was," the female's reply is soft, her mind on her father and childhood adventures. She pauses a moment, then adds, "You...don't think they would have followed her here, or anything, do you?" Her eyes shift to the sleeping forms of their children, sparks of fear in her eyes.
Haze shakes his head. "I think we're pretty safe this far south. Aside from the scattering of horses I've seen north of us, we're pretty isolated around here. I'm more concerned that the ones responsible for Felstride's death might be up there with her and the other cougars there, though." He doesn't think they're of the tribe his mother had mentioned to him as a pup, not with the way Silver spoke of their meetings, like Cyrus surely does, but they could easily be living under that cover. The brindle-furred wolf shifts again, the look still in his eyes. "I told Cyrus and Eclipse that we'll go visit them to learn what we can." Which means she'll obviously be left behind, what with her pups reliant on her, and he'll be the one leaving her for a few days -- with the way the pair has been attached since they first reunited, it can easily be judged as the source of his discomfort. "I'll come back as soon as I can, and I promise that I'll be careful. The pack will also be helping to watch over you and the pups while I'm gone." He pauses to gauge her initial reaction, and then adds as further incentive: "While I'm there, I'll ask around about Maulisho, see what she's been up to, tell her to come visit the pups, all right?"
Larkspur shifts uncomfortably. He's leaving and going into /cougar/ territory? Granted, she trusts Maulisho's tribe...but what if her father's killers are hiding amongst them? What if she loses Haze, too? Or her brother, or his mate? She doesn't know if she can handle much more loss. What the she-wolf /wants/ to say, is 'I don't care if the pack is here to help, I want /you/ here.' But she doesn't, because that's childish and not alpha behaviour. Here Haze is doing something responsible (and possibly dangerous!) and all she can think about is how much she'll miss him. Her sour mood is slightly lifted, though, with his promise of catching up with Maul. Tail waving wearily, she administers a gentle lick to Haze's cheek. "As long as you /promise/ to come back soon, I guess the plan sounds alright." Smile.
Haze's tail smacks happily against the ground when she gives him a lick -- well, at least she's not too upset about him leaving. "I promise. We'll be fine, Lark," he answers before rubbing his muzzle up underneath her own, then settling back down with a little canine sigh. "It's weird, being alpha of your family's pack. Do you think they like me?" He's obviously very concerned with what his mate's family thinks of him - even more so now that he's in charge of them.
Larkspur can't contain a surprised bark of laughter. "Oh, Haze! Of /course/ they like you. Mom wouldn't have suggested us as alphas if she thought the pack wouldn't your leadership. Besides, what's not to like? /I/ think you're wonderful. You're going to do just fine as alpha. You're already a great dad!" One of the pups stirs in their sleep and she paused to glance, make sure everything is ok. Just a dream. "Just think positive. Confidence, Haze! That's all it takes." She offers him a great big grin. /She/ believes he can do it, and the pack trusts him. All he needs is confidence in himself.
Haze practically blushes under all the fawning affection. D'aww. "Thanks, Lark. It means a lot to hear you say that." Confidence? Well, he might have to work on dredging up a bit more of that. But he'll try, at least, and that will hopefully count for something along the way. "I guess we shouldn't wake the pups when they're so quietly sleeping, huh?" he says in a more hushed voice, smiling over at his mate as he shifts into a more comfortable position in preparation for his own rest. "I won't be leaving yet, love. I'll be here a few more days, at least, before we go." Just a reassurance that he'll still be here, at least for a little while longer.
"And I /mean/ it, Haze," Lark adds emphatically. Mimicking the male, she carefully shifts, trying to avoid nudging the pups into wakefulness. Yes, for now, she will enjoy this shred of quiet time nestled up to her mate. Cuddling up as close as she can, she relishes the comfort his nearness brings. And as for the few days before his intrepid cougar trip, she replies, "Gooooood. The more you're here the better." To punctuate her statement, she affectionately nuzzles him. After she pulls away, her maw parts in a yawn and she can feel sleep eagerly tugging her toward dreams.
Haze seems content to watch over his mate and new pups for a few moments longer before sleeping himself, filled with a nearly overwhelming feeling of love like he's never felt before as he looks over the five of them nestled up warmly together. He's got a lot on his plate now as an adult, more than he ever expected to have - being a good mate, father, and now alpha - but as long as he has these adorable bundles of fur to raise and this beautifully strong she-wolf by his side, he doesn't think it'll be so bad. The valley-born male curls up protectively beside his family, pups warm between their bellies, nose-to-nose with Lark as he fades away from the waking world.
Haze, male wolf, alpha
Larkspur, female wolf, alpha
=== Cavern of Echoes ===
Returning to the den after his impromptu meeting with the betas, among others, Haze is nearly ready to call it a night. He slips easily inside the den's entrance, padding over towards where Larkspur and his pups lie, careful to avoid the puddles of cold water that dot the cavern floor. Seeing she's now awake, he smiles at her as he settles down close to her form, the pups at her belly between them. "How are they?"
Larkspur's tail sways as Haze nears, and she reaches out to nuzzle him before answering, "They've been pretty quiet for the past little bit." The 'thank the stars' is implied with a grateful sigh. The she-wolf presses herself against Haze. Though he wasn't gone terribly long, she's glad to see him again.
Haze seems pleased at the answer, lowering his muzzle to the four and looking them over, inhaling their scent, one mixed of both his and Larkspur's flesh and blood...in other words, perfect. When his eyes return to the new mother, however, they shift away again briefly, his look one that Lark no doubt recognizes as one meaning he's got something on his mind that he's a little confused about how to say. "I met a young she-wolf this evening who lost track of her family during the floods...she said she was chased off by cougars recently." His amber eyes meet hers again, as though to silently convey the full meaning of those words to her, and the tragic memories of her father's death associated with them. "She said they were to the east of here, up on the mountain. Wasn't Maulisho from there?"
The warm fuzzy feelings inspired by the proximity of her mate waver when she realizes he has something that's bothering him, and they are cut short entirely at the mention of cougars. Ears slicking down, she averts her gaze to the ground, meeting Haze's only briefly. "Yeah, she was," the female's reply is soft, her mind on her father and childhood adventures. She pauses a moment, then adds, "You...don't think they would have followed her here, or anything, do you?" Her eyes shift to the sleeping forms of their children, sparks of fear in her eyes.
Haze shakes his head. "I think we're pretty safe this far south. Aside from the scattering of horses I've seen north of us, we're pretty isolated around here. I'm more concerned that the ones responsible for Felstride's death might be up there with her and the other cougars there, though." He doesn't think they're of the tribe his mother had mentioned to him as a pup, not with the way Silver spoke of their meetings, like Cyrus surely does, but they could easily be living under that cover. The brindle-furred wolf shifts again, the look still in his eyes. "I told Cyrus and Eclipse that we'll go visit them to learn what we can." Which means she'll obviously be left behind, what with her pups reliant on her, and he'll be the one leaving her for a few days -- with the way the pair has been attached since they first reunited, it can easily be judged as the source of his discomfort. "I'll come back as soon as I can, and I promise that I'll be careful. The pack will also be helping to watch over you and the pups while I'm gone." He pauses to gauge her initial reaction, and then adds as further incentive: "While I'm there, I'll ask around about Maulisho, see what she's been up to, tell her to come visit the pups, all right?"
Larkspur shifts uncomfortably. He's leaving and going into /cougar/ territory? Granted, she trusts Maulisho's tribe...but what if her father's killers are hiding amongst them? What if she loses Haze, too? Or her brother, or his mate? She doesn't know if she can handle much more loss. What the she-wolf /wants/ to say, is 'I don't care if the pack is here to help, I want /you/ here.' But she doesn't, because that's childish and not alpha behaviour. Here Haze is doing something responsible (and possibly dangerous!) and all she can think about is how much she'll miss him. Her sour mood is slightly lifted, though, with his promise of catching up with Maul. Tail waving wearily, she administers a gentle lick to Haze's cheek. "As long as you /promise/ to come back soon, I guess the plan sounds alright." Smile.
Haze's tail smacks happily against the ground when she gives him a lick -- well, at least she's not too upset about him leaving. "I promise. We'll be fine, Lark," he answers before rubbing his muzzle up underneath her own, then settling back down with a little canine sigh. "It's weird, being alpha of your family's pack. Do you think they like me?" He's obviously very concerned with what his mate's family thinks of him - even more so now that he's in charge of them.
Larkspur can't contain a surprised bark of laughter. "Oh, Haze! Of /course/ they like you. Mom wouldn't have suggested us as alphas if she thought the pack wouldn't your leadership. Besides, what's not to like? /I/ think you're wonderful. You're going to do just fine as alpha. You're already a great dad!" One of the pups stirs in their sleep and she paused to glance, make sure everything is ok. Just a dream. "Just think positive. Confidence, Haze! That's all it takes." She offers him a great big grin. /She/ believes he can do it, and the pack trusts him. All he needs is confidence in himself.
Haze practically blushes under all the fawning affection. D'aww. "Thanks, Lark. It means a lot to hear you say that." Confidence? Well, he might have to work on dredging up a bit more of that. But he'll try, at least, and that will hopefully count for something along the way. "I guess we shouldn't wake the pups when they're so quietly sleeping, huh?" he says in a more hushed voice, smiling over at his mate as he shifts into a more comfortable position in preparation for his own rest. "I won't be leaving yet, love. I'll be here a few more days, at least, before we go." Just a reassurance that he'll still be here, at least for a little while longer.
"And I /mean/ it, Haze," Lark adds emphatically. Mimicking the male, she carefully shifts, trying to avoid nudging the pups into wakefulness. Yes, for now, she will enjoy this shred of quiet time nestled up to her mate. Cuddling up as close as she can, she relishes the comfort his nearness brings. And as for the few days before his intrepid cougar trip, she replies, "Gooooood. The more you're here the better." To punctuate her statement, she affectionately nuzzles him. After she pulls away, her maw parts in a yawn and she can feel sleep eagerly tugging her toward dreams.
Haze seems content to watch over his mate and new pups for a few moments longer before sleeping himself, filled with a nearly overwhelming feeling of love like he's never felt before as he looks over the five of them nestled up warmly together. He's got a lot on his plate now as an adult, more than he ever expected to have - being a good mate, father, and now alpha - but as long as he has these adorable bundles of fur to raise and this beautifully strong she-wolf by his side, he doesn't think it'll be so bad. The valley-born male curls up protectively beside his family, pups warm between their bellies, nose-to-nose with Lark as he fades away from the waking world.
