Re: The Winter Den

by Skye June 23rd 2011, 2:37 am

Altair's ears drooped but they had turned slightly to where Taru's whine sounded. He curled himself inwards, away from the plants. He knew that there were only two plants but he could barely swallow his own saliva when it accumulated in his maw.

"One clover at a time then," she said quickly, trying to cover up her slip.

Friends try to do things to please friends, Altair. Try. Slowly, he uncurled and looked at the herbs. His long tongue stretched out and the herb was carefully put ontop. He pulled it back and chewed slowly. His pale amber eyes betrayed his fear as he prepared to choke down the bitter herb.

A loud yelp escaped his throat as the herb made its way down to his stomach. The pain! It was like a burning coal was being forced down his esophagus. The trail it left still burned afterwards. He whined as he made his tongue reached forth and get the other. The second time he only whimpered but his body convulsed violently.

"Happy now? The gentle giant has consumed those blasted plants." His irises were dull but a faint sparkle gleamed near the pupil. "The sooner I get out of here, the sooner I get to see if you truly are faster than Elysia. And the sooner you and I," he looked at Mahina. "Can go see Rune to see if I am able to be here. If starvation and dehydration don't get me first."

by Spirit June 23rd 2011, 3:01 am

Spirit's gaze shifted off of Soran as she noticed some commotion going on over by the den. From what she heard it seemed Altair had somehow fallen ill. The white she-wolf frowned. Illness and winter were a dangerous combination. One too many times Spirit had seen fellow pack mates pass on from illnesses. Spirit froze as thought of her mother came up. Her gaze fell to the ground slowly, finally resting on her paws. She hadn't thought of her mother in a long time and with good reason; it brought back heartache.

Shaking her head Spirit rose to her paws, cleaning the last of the blood off her muzzle. She turned to Soran, putting a smile on her face. "But enough about me and me deafening ear." She winced slightly but ignored it, trying to play it off. "I was thinking of going around to scout the territory a little bit... Would you like to come with me?" Spirit glanced at his shoulder. "Though if you aren't up for it you can stay here if you'd like." Her tail flicked lightly behind her, flicking snow away that had begun to settle on it.

by **Soran** June 23rd 2011, 3:34 am

Soran cleaned the remainder of the blood from his muzzle as he finished off the hare; though the hunt was rewarding, he felt the familiar longing for larger prey, the scent of the hunting grounds, and the thrill of the hunt. Shaking his head away from the thought, he gazed over to where Spirit had been staring. The large form of the loner he had seen earlier was visible against the snow, and he recognized the dark female known as Taru.

Assuming the situation was already under control, the delta rose to his paws, grateful that the snow had already numbed his would. "Sure Socks." He replied, noticing as her gaze flickered to his shoulder. "Though I think it best watch your other ear. You never know if someone might creep upon it and have a taste." He said, stifling a laugh as he crossed ahead of her.

(lame..)

by Spirit June 23rd 2011, 3:46 am

Spirit turned her head to watch Soran pass by her, a playful grin spreading across her muzzle. She followed after Soran, trotting along beside him in the snow. "I suppose you're right. After all I hear they're rather tasty." She stifled a chuckle. Spirit was past the other days events. As dramatic as it may have been she wasn't ready to let the wound haunt her.

Spirit allowed her pace to slow down briefly as she raised a paw to the snow, quickly bringing it down to swipe at it, sending snow fly over Soran. A laugh escaped the she-wolfs throat as his brown coat was nearly covered in the white winter powder. She quickly scooted off to a nearby tree trying to hide behind it before he could turn around.

by **Soran** June 23rd 2011, 4:55 am

Soran slid to a stop in surprise as Spirit flung a white curtain of snow at him, coating his chocolate brown fur with bright flurries. Shaking his head free of the snow, he turned quickly to face Spirit, only find that she had disappeared. A playful smile twitched at his muzzle as he considered the thick trunks of the tightly packed trees. All the tension from yesterday's events seemed to have evaporated quickly, leaving nothing more then two carefree wolves playing in the snow.

Soran’s tail flicked away a piece of snow as his gaze shifted downward into the maze of paw prints in the snow. Aside from where she had scooped up the flurries, there was a tangle of trenches that led away from him into the cover of a nearby tree. Grinning to himself, the delta crossed over towards the trunk of the tree, noticing a bit of white fluff here and there around the edges. He lowered himself into a stalking stance that seemed to bit at his shoulder wound, but he stood firm behind the rough bark, ears flat against his skull in concentration.

by Guest June 23rd 2011, 4:57 am

He suddenly sprang off the ground, his powerful legs pushing him at a quick pace towards shadow and the injured bull. The scent of blood drawing him closer towards the two. Once he was at the side opposite to shadow, he locked his jaws on the front leg of the elk. Trying to topple it over while running. Even though the elk was injured, it was still a bull and therefor still powerful enough to break ribs. He had to watch out incase it tried to kick.

by Spirit June 23rd 2011, 5:04 am

Spirit could feel herself start to shake, not of fear but anticipation. Why hadn't Soran found her already? She was sure he would have, so why wasn't he here? She shuffled her paws, she could always peek around the tree... but what if he was right there, waiting for her to just leap into his trap? Shaking her thoughts Spirit decided to make the bolder move to peek. Not sooner than she stuck her snowy head around the corner she caught Soran a mere inches away. She jumped in surprise, stumbling backwards and tripping over herself, plopping into the snow on her back. A laugh escaped her throat, she could still feel her heart pounding in her chest from the brief moment of fright.

by Guest June 23rd 2011, 9:23 am

Elysia slowly blinked open her eyes. She raised her head, her pelt prickling for a reason she couldn't quite name. Fear dropped like a stone in her stomach. She had lost Taru, as a friend because friends were worthless. But Altair? He may be dying. He may be dying and she had abandoned him. Her heart clenched as images of the grinning giant of a male entered her mind. She smiled slightly. She liked his presence, in a way he made her feel safe. Elysia quickly stood, shaking her fur to dislodge the snow. Her fur was soaking wet and it chilled her to the bone. She looked back to the den. For Altair.

She broke into a sprint again, arriving quickly and appearing through the trees. Taru was where she had left her. The scent from the den was growing more rancid. Elysia whimpered. She padded slowly to the den, doing her best to appear neutral to Taru. Dont look, dont acknowledge, dont need. She could feel the heat pulsing from the den. She looked to her own fur, soaking and cold. With the quickest of sideways glances at Taru, she slipped into the den. She could see Altair's form. For some reason he was sitting up. She approached slowly, saying nothing at all.

Wordlessly, she laid down and pressed her cold skin against Altair's burning pelt. She wrapped herself around him, exposing as much of his fevered skin to her refreshing cold. It was a double sided thing though - she was freezing and he heated her up, he was burning and she cooled him down. She gently laid her head on his paws, looking up at him with her chocolate amber eyes. She blinked. "Don't leave me."

by Guest June 23rd 2011, 11:08 am

Pulling his body to the side, the bull fell onto its front and rolled slightly. Spinning Insomnia as he fell with it and landed on his back with a thud. "Is it dead?" He asked the black female who had been on the side of the elk, since he didn't want to move. The fall had winded him and his breathing was laboured but not to the point of anything broken.

by **Silver** June 23rd 2011, 11:13 am

"There are pain killers and such things in there, eat them and you won't hurt for the next dose. " Silver said, before slipping away. She walked to the back of the den, retreating into darkness, letting them try to persuade Altair. She needed no attention in this, did she? Would she have the strength to eat medicine when hers became as progressed as his? She had eaten herbs that fight it, but it wouldn't kick in until she was like him.

She laid down at the very end of the cave like structure, resting her head on her paws. Her body shook slightly as heat spread through her, and a loud, congested cough was the only proof that she was still there. It seemed to bloom like a flower, sprouting from nowhere and growing quickly. It's petals seemed to spread heat throughout her, the fever felt as if she were being lit on fire. She shut her eyes tightly, thinking.

It's only pain... only your nerves... Ignore it... she said to herself, trying to keep from making noise. She had taken medicine, she would make it. Or would she? She did recall taking smaller doses than him, perhaps too small. Smaller doses of both the pain killers and for the fever.

Then, it felt like someone had thrown gasoline into the fever-fire of the sickness. She coughed again, in spite of herself, and it the sounds of her congestion echoed through the tunnel. She tensed, but that only worsened it, and she curled into a tight ball of fur. She could have been mistaken for a rock, had she not been shivering.

by Skye June 23rd 2011, 3:50 pm

Altair moved closer to the presense of cold. It was so refreshing and he wanted more of it. When he saw the darker bracken coloured pelt of Elysia, he was slightly surprised. He had not expected her to return despite the reassurances of Taru. His pale amber eyes sought her brown orbs. For the first time, he noticed that there were amber tints hidden in the fae's chocolate hues. She, too, was looking up at him with her head on his paws.

"Don't leave me."

"I won't." He rasped. His voice was hoarse from the herbs but he smiled.

His ears instantly swiveled towards the sound of the cough. The moment broken, he looked into the back of the cave, to where Silver was laying. Panic and adrenaline flowed like fire through his veins, but on the outside he maintained his calm composure.

"Mahina." He looked towards the pretty cream-and-brown fae. "Give Silver another dose. Make sure she swallows. She should be able to, after all, she's a million times stronger than I am."

by Guest June 23rd 2011, 3:54 pm

"Mahina." He looked towards the pretty cream-and-brown fae. "Give Silver another dose. Make sure she swallows. She should be able to, after all, she's a million times stronger than I am."

Mahina made her way over to Silver with two leaves of the herb in her paw. She lay in front of her friend and set the herbs in front of her muzzle. "Silver, take some more..." She said, nudging the female lightly.

by **Silver** June 23rd 2011, 4:05 pm

Now, Silver understood. As soon as the smell of herbs entered her nose, she wanted to vomit. The very thought of eating right now was horrendous, all she wanted was to lay undisturbed. Her eyes opened, and were almost red, inflamed with pain. Discharge made it look like she was crying, and she might as well have been. She reached forward weakly, and with one jerky movement snapped up the herbs. She almost gagged, and groaned as pain flared in her stomach.

by Guest June 23rd 2011, 4:33 pm

Shadow stepped closer to the elk. The light in it's eyes. faded. Shadow nodded. "Yes, it's dead." she said, "Well, I guess we should tell the pack."

by **Dakota** June 23rd 2011, 5:13 pm

Taru felt sudden joy at the smell and sight of Elysia. Her muzzle broke into a wicked smile, a large, toothy grin. Elysia settled down next to Altair, whimpering a few words that the other female didn't catch. With Mahina, Silver, Elysia, Altair, and herself, the den was growing crowded. "They could be contagious," Taru repeated the words with less urgancy. If they could catch it, they would, whether or not they stayed beside the sick ones, the winds had a way of making sure. They would feel a sudden breeze and think nothing of it, only that it brought a comforting warmth from the south, not realizing it probably carried the germs of both Altair and Silver. A sense of self-preservation washed over her, urging her to run away from the sickly wolves, but she didn't. Her pale eyes shifted to Elysia, trying to catch her gaze. Failing multiple times, so she decided just to stare. Then, the words just started to run.

"My name is Taru, but I have many nicknames. I was born, but not fully raised in the Centre Valley north of this territory. My father was named Centaurus, his mate was Sunspot. They had my slightly older brother Malik and me, the runt of our small family. My father raised me and my mom seemed to raise Malik. On an elk hunt, Malik fumbled and my father saved him but ended up being killed himself. Malik blamed my father's death on me and my mother drove me away in a fit of rage. I nearly died on my own before an old loner took me under her dieing wing. Her name was Silence. She died two months after finding me, went peacefully in her sleep of old age. Then I found this pack," Taru finished with a slow breath, continuing to look at Ely. It was her turn now.

by Skye June 23rd 2011, 6:16 pm

Altair looked towards Taru and then to Elysia. It was very obvious that the two faes would become friends, assuming if Elysia was ready to be open about her past. He swallowed painfullly and lowered his ears. He felt as if he were intruding on this because Taru had meant to speak to Elysia but with him so close to the dark bracken colour she-wolf, he had over heard.

"I don't think it's contagious," he said quietly. "Not unless I bite or scratch you. After all, my wound came from the cougar's claws."

by **Bear** June 23rd 2011, 6:21 pm

Falco had watched as his two fellow hunters launched their attack on the elk. He continued to chase it to where Shadow and Insomnia had attacked it. Through the scuffle he managed to clamp his jaws around it's injured leg, helping Insomina drag the beast to the ground. His jaws had locked and the tinted white male wasn't going to let go until it was death. Falco's ears twitched as the animal gave it's last agonizing breath. Fal let go of it's leg and panted slightly, he wagged his tail to his fellow hunters "Good Job, you two are two of the finest hunters I've seen" he managed to blurt out through panting.

Falco licked his blood stained maw and looked around before grunting. He wasn't about to drag the bull elk back up that mountain side! Falco stepped back and licked his black pigmented lips again and caught his breath.

Falco let out an echoing howl, he was callig the whole pack to eat, his melody would prove loud enough for the furthest of ears to ear. After his main howl he let out a few smaller ones before sitting down and waiting for the pack to join him.

(Calling everyone to the kill!!!)

by Guest June 23rd 2011, 6:28 pm

"Wow... I've never been a good hunter. I was trained to be a warrior. And I don't have the build to be a hunter. Hmm." said Shadow, suprised. She sat down, suddenly noticing a cut in her side. It wasn't deep or long and it didn't hurt that much so she licked it clean. That and a few other scratches were her only wounds. Thoughts of her brother came back to her. He had always been a good hunter. She shook her head and waited for the pack to come.

by **Silver** June 23rd 2011, 6:41 pm

Silver's eyes opened to slits as she heard the familiar howl of Falco, announcing fresh food to the pack. She grimaced, the thought of eating anything was horrid. She swallowed, and had a coughing fit for a moment, before lying limply on the rocks. Slowly, the pain dimmed and her lungs cleared, and she was once again able to talk.

"It's not just from the scratches, it's mainly from the feline's face. Amethyst wasn't as near to the panther as us, so I hope she wasn't infected. You all go eat, before you catch it. " She said, it was more of an order than anything. She hadn't meant it that way, but her persistence in keeping the pack healthy sometimes made her like that.

by Guest June 23rd 2011, 8:00 pm

Elysia tore her gaze away from Altair, looking to Taru for the first time. Taru had confessed, confided. Elysia blinked, both surprised and confused. So what was true? Were friends worth it? She looked to Altair, burying her face in his warm soft fur. Surprisingly, she felt like she needed his comfort more than he needed her. Her tail flicked as she shifted to be closer to Altair. The idea of losing him struck her like a blow from the cougar's claws, filling her belly with dread and molten fear. It had taken this much for her to realize how much he had meant to her. Elysia withdrew her face from Altair's fur, tilting her head at him and smiling weakly.

"If you leave, I'll follow." She pressed against Altair and turned to Taru. Was it her turn now? But there was Silver, and she didnt know how much Silver knew. It didnt matter now though, she would know everything. "My elder sister was alphess of this pack before Maiara. Her name was Pallatsera. Pallatsera, me and my littermate Versitha were born on the eastern edge of the mountains. Pallatsera was a yearling when we were born. All I ever wanted was to be just like her in every aspect. She dispersed, but promised that we would find each other. I took this to mean we would be together forever. I worshiped Pallatsera. When Versitha and I finally dispersed, we stayed together. I spent all my time searching for Pallatsera, though Versitha just wanted to join a pack. We argued and seperated. I regretted my actions and have spent the past year searching for Versitha, though really more for Pallatsera. I finally found this pack, asking after Versitha only to learn that I was a few months too late to find Pallatsera." Elysia reburried her face in Altair's fur, clenching her teeth with grief.

"She drowned, with her pups. Now all I am is her memory. The older pack members, they look at me and are filled with sorrow." She looked to Taru for the first time. "No matter what I do, no matter my pup-hood dreams, I can never replace her." She finished, looking away from Taru. Did this make them friends. Did this make them equal? Even? She looked between Taru and Altair, her gaze lingering on Altair's amber eyes.

by Guest June 23rd 2011, 8:13 pm

Mahina looked at Silver. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pull herself away from the den, no matter how much her stomach growled, begging for food. All she could do was stay as close as she could to Silver and Altair. She lifted a tentative paw, and scrabbled the air slightly. She moved her paw to the wall of the den, and on the dirt, she scribbled, until she found she had drawn two wolves next to each other, nuzzling each other. Mahina placed her paw in the drawing and looked to Altair, she couldn't bear to loose him, or Silver for that matter. No doubt in her mind that without either she would fall apart to the point of no return. Don't take them, great Lupus don't take them from me!

by Skye June 23rd 2011, 8:40 pm

Altair smiled at Elysia as she finished her tale of her life. He had not known about her sister nor had he known that she had been born with a sibling. Through the entire thing, he listened and soaked up the information. At least now Taru and Elysia had no walls between them. However, Altair still had plenty of walls, ones that he been erected ever since he had been free. Would he break those down? Yes, but not at the moment.

"Elysia, Taru and Mahina," he looked at each fae in turn. "Please go and eat. Keep yourselves strong and if you do, I will make sure that I remain strong as well."

by Guest June 23rd 2011, 8:56 pm

Mahina looked towards Altair. Her paw was still placed over the drawing, and without wiping it away, she nodded and trotted out of the den, hoping to return to be with her friends, no, two of her best friends, as soon as possible. She made her way to the kill, her head low. She hoped she wouldn't encounter the one's she didn't wish to speak with, which was Soran and Maiara. Quickly, she tore off a chunk of meat to the kill and hurried along her way without a word. Mahina lay in the snow in the clearing she had been sleeping in earlier. She ate quickly, thankful she had escaped without confrontation. When she finished, the mottled fae lay there in the snow for awhile, drawing figures in the snow, each one featuring two wolves. Mahina looked in the direction of the den.

by **Dakota** June 23rd 2011, 10:39 pm

Taru felt confident. She and Elysia would indeed be friends, because they needed one another. The female listened, smiling softly at Ely, "Don't worry. All I think of when I see you is happiness," the female spoke kindly, knowing not of any Pallastera or of her leadership. Her tail flicked, deciding of her actions. "We should got get something to eat together," she offered Elysia a cnahce to walk with her. Her face was gentle, supporting. Even if Elysia didn't wish it, she would stick by her side. Sliding over to stand next to the female, her tongue sliding out in leisurely pleasure.

by **Soran** June 23rd 2011, 10:42 pm

Soran stumbled backwards as Spirit had just as she had confronted him from around the tree. Paws slipping on the slush, he slid backward and thumped lightly against the base of a tree. He grimaced for a moment as the pressure of the ground met with the open wound on is shoulder, renewing the pain of ivories against flesh. Shaking it off, Soran looked to where Spirit had slid in the opposite direction. A laugh welled up inside him as he caught site of the white she-wolf, her dark grey paws sticking out of the snow. His ears perked suddenly as Falco’s familiar howl sounded, calling that they had just taken down prey. Though he had longed for fresher meat earlier, the male didn’t feel a need to waste a perfectly meal on an already full stomach.

((lame..))

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