Re: The Winter Den

[Dakota]

“I will accept you, but only because of Kira. And Altair if you do something like this EVER again…you will regret it…both of you will...and I hope you remember that!”

Taru grinned, Altair had been accepted! This was great, for her and Kira alike. She got to keep a friend, while Kira got to keep her mate. The female nodded slightly, giving Altair a silent look. It stated only that she was relieved, he would be a good member. However, it showed a spark of disappointment, the brute had not really handled the situation well. Altair could have done it a different way, but at least it had worked out. She looked to Rune, admiration on her face, only to see he was now looking at her.

“What would you say if I made you a delta within my pack?”

The shock that Taru felt seemed to numb her whole body. Had her ears deceived her, or had Rune seriously just asked if she would become a Delta of the pack? The realization of him actually speaking the words made the tiny female feel faint. She immediately straightened up, wide grin separating her face. "I would be honored to accept the rank, Rune," Taru replied, bowing her head respectfully. The female knew she would have to work things better, handle situations better. She couldn't allow her emotions to get out of control anymore, but must remain the same wolf that she was. Taru continued to smile wildly, tail wagging with the joy of such a rank. The tiny female looked over to Altair, Elysia, and the other wolves of the den. Could they see her pure joy?

[Guest]

"About a year, though I left for a month or two to look for my sister."

As she heard Mahina use the word 'sister' in her respond, she quickly looked away from her, looking back. Pain rushed through her, her ears flattened. "Oh." Was all she could reply. Luminah tried her best to not make her voice sound such pain that's coming right now, she blinked two times before she looked back at Mahina, letting a fake smile appear on her coffee colored muzzle.

[Guest]

Mahina blinked once as Luminah had a sudden change in personality. "Something bothering you?" She inquired, dropping the subject of her failed quest to find her sister. A stray snowflake from a tree fell on her ear, forcing her to shake her head slightly.

[Rune]

"I would be honored to accept the rank, Rune,"

“There are a lot of burdens one within this rank must carry. It is no easy task and should not be taken lightly.” Rune stated quietly as he leaned closer to the female so only she could hear his words. “Although I’ve chosen you because I know you will do wonders for this pack and you will be able to bare all those burdens even the hardest of them all and one day perhaps you will take the place of a beta.” Rune continued as he moved away from the dark female. For now, he would leave it to her to tell of her promotion within the pack. “Oh, you should be aware that you are now able to accept members when I’m not present or I or any of my betas are busy. However, I shall caution you now…be sure and judge loners wisely...as some don’t act how they really appear once accepted.”

[Bear]

Falco watched as Akera made her way around the side of the calf his grey eyes flicking between her and the Calf as she moved around it, watching the calf to see if it moved slightly, whilst keeping an eye on Akera's movements. She matched his spot and Falco got back to his paws slowly. He nodded slightly at Akera giving her the signal to move in. Falco too started his attack on the elk calf. He pushed off the snow, powerful legs lunging him forth with ease. The calf jolted and squeaked, starting to take off in the direction of the pack's den. Falco was hot on it's tail only chasing it for now.

[Guest]

She nodded her head in a no, still keeping her smile. "No, nothings bothering me." She responded back warmly as she perked her ears in a forward position. As she looked at Mahina, she saw a small snowflake land on her ear, she giggled warmly, letting a big grin appear. Luminah's left ear twitching a couple of times.

[Guest]

Mahina shrugged slightly, averting her gaze upwards. She eyes Luminah's ear, pondering whether or not to introduce the female to a trend they had in the pack. The ear nom. She gave a friendly smirk, reaching forward and grabbing the white female's ear in her mouth, coating it in saliva. "Ear Nom"

[Guest]

Luminah let out a laugh as Mahina began nomming on her ear. She let out a evil smile.

"Ear Nom"

Luminah chuckled at her words as she grabbed Mahina's left ear, nomming on it softly. She let out a playful growl escape her jowls as her tail wagged left and right in playfulness and excitement. She grinned as she was nomming on Mahina's ear, pawing at her face playfully, letting out a short laugh. "Ear Nom at you back."

[Guest]

Mahina got a dumbfounded look on her face as Luminah started nomming her ear. She cuffed some snow in her paw, placing it on the female's head. "Snow head." She commented flicking her right ear while her tail thumped against the snow.

[Guest]

As she let go of her ear, she noticed Mahina put snow on top of her head, she let out a laugh.

"Snow head."

She grinned, letting out a short giggle from her playful comment. As she shook the snow off of her head, which left her fur a bit wet from the melting of the snow, her tail wagging crazily, she poked Mahina, keeping her big grin which showed her alabaster canines, but she didn't care. "Tag, your it." She said.

[Guest]

Mahina blinked when Luminah poked her with her paw. She stared at where the female had poked her, looking horrified. She looked up, grinning sheepishly. She raised a white paw, poking the female back. "You're it." She explained.

[Guest]

She let out a laugh as she grinned at her when she said ' You're it.'. She poked back at her, poking her at her side. "Tag, your it." She let out a short giggle escape her jowls as she rose up on all four of her paws, smiling foolishly at her, turning around and beginning to run around, hoping Mahina would chase her.

[Adena]

Adena

Nobody is worth your tears
and the one who is won't make you cry

-

-

Light steps echoed against the trees. It was an eerie silence, one that made Adena think of home. No, not home, just her birth pack. She had no home, she was a loner. And she hated being a loner. Though she didn't speak needlessly, it was her instinct to have safety in numbers. It felt wrong to be alone, she wanted the security a pack would bring. Then a sound of voices reached her ears. There were many wolves. A pack.

Halting silently, she raised her slender muzzle and sniffed the air. Her big, red-rimmed ears swivled in search of where the sound was coming from. Her silver-grey eyes shut as she concentrated. It was a pack. There was a pack in the vicinity.

Her initial reaction was that she would be found out and chased away. But she didn't mind. It had happened plenty of times before. She only sought to be loved, to be cared for - genuinely. Not like Tamaska. The thought of him gave her mixed feelings. She missed him, she was sad about his death. Never, ever, would she forget his eyes, the way they burned with fury when he saw the intruders. The way he looked at her as if she were one of them. He never loved her back and she hated him for that. All the time they spent together, was all a lie. He was just having fun, playing with her heart.

But it was over and done with. Nothing would change the way things are. Thaking a few hesitant steps forward, she relaxed. It was just one of those routine chases. It kept her going, the way the packs always pursued her kept her coming back more desparate for acceptance. They found her different - too different for their liking, apparently. Her pelt was strange. Her mother always thought it beautiful, she was the image of her father. But mother often lied. She was and insecure creature and would cling on to anything that she had.

Adena began to walk forward cautiously. She wanted to observe from a distance the pack. Every time she did this a little part of her wished they would just accept her. Lost in her thoughts, she padded along as if in a trance. Silver-grey eyes watched the pack. But as she thought, she wasn't watching where she was putting her paws. A twig snapped. Darn Oh well, at least it would speed up the process.

Maybe this time would be different, maybe, but every time she got her hopes up about something, they all came crashing down. She had tried to tell herself to just ignore it, but so far it hadn't worked. The rusty-coated fae padded toward the voices, showing no fear.

[Guest]

Elysia knew she should respond to Taru's greeting in some way. A glimmer of something shone in her amber eyes. She hated to hear Taru's anxious wines and see her worried eyes. She felt Taru nudged her gently, but made no immediate response. Gale's words still stuck with her, what he had actualy said and what had gone unspoken. The way he looked at her, as if he could tear everything apart. It was haunting. She felt like her very center had been intruded upon. In a way, she felt almost violated. He had picked her apart. made her realize all she wasnt but all she should be. Elysia pushed the thoughts away. She knew this person, this closed withdrawn creature, was not herself. She knew she was hurting Taru and making her worry needlessly. She couldnt do this, not to Taru. Elysia had gotten herself into trouble, it had all been her fault. And in doing so, she had spelled her own fate. Now it was time to deal with the consequences.

Elysia watched as Taru turned away - from Link, from Silver, and from Elysia herself. Elysia needed to make things better. She followed Taru slowly, still not having said anything. Elysia could see the sad sway of Taru's head and it broke her heart. But why would Taru want a friend like Elysia? Elysia was a coward, she was weak, she had failed when Rune needed her. She had just stood frozen and let Gale do as he pleased with her mind. She had caused this tension and this turmoil within the pack. Elysia paused as Taru approached Rune, but steeled herself to follow. She hung slightly behind Taru, creeping forward as Rune spoke. So he would accept Altair, Elysia was happy though it pained her to see Rune so upset and under such stress. Kira and Altair needed each other, that much was obvious. His gaze had now turned to Taru, settling on her. The words that came from his lips stunned Elysia.

Taru, a delta. This caused the light to return to Elysia's eyes, if only a small light. Pride was evident in her gaze as she moved forward silently. She stood at Taru's side as Taru accepted, with evident joy in her eyes. Elysia looked to Rune and nodded slowly, expecting the male to be heavily dissapointed with her. Elysia turned, burying her face in the fur around Taru's neck. It was her first gesture since Gale. She wanted to talk to Taru, to explain how she felt, but now was not the time for Elysia's problems. It was a time for Taru's triumph. Elysia stepped back, lowering herself in a mock bow - a fraction of her teasing self. "Oh high and mighty Tee."

[Dakota]

When Taru realized that Elysia was following her and right beside her, a thankful sigh escaped her muzzle. She wanted to be near her friend, especially after such a surprise. The female wanted to tell her everything, about her sudden jump in rank and how she missed her. About to turn to tell her of her new rank as a Delta, Taru realized Elysia had probably heard everything that had just occurred. The only question that was still unanswered was why had Elysia followed her? She had made it perfectly clear to Taru and the others that she did not want to really converse, or even give a proper greeting. This had upset Taru, but it seemed like her rabbit buddy was trying to make things better? It was still confusing to the blue grey wolfess, but the confusion settled like pebbles in a river when Elysia buried her face into Taru's neck.

"Oh high and mighty Tee."

She watched as Elysia bowed before her, causing Taru to grow hot with embarrassment. It made a wide grin separate her black lips and she bowed playfully to meet Elysia's gaze. The female's rump was moving with her wagging tail, glad to see that Elysia was herself again, or something close to it. Pale yellow eyes looking into Elysia's amber ones, Taru read what she could from inside them. It was the distress of Gale that was doing this to her rabbit buddy. The intruding feeling he had given her, the violation of her deepest mind set. When all the pain that Taru could see hit her with a wave sorrow, she lunged at her friend. The female knocked her friend over pinning her softly with a playful smile. She gave her a gentle lick to the face, smiling proudly.

[Guest]

Mahina lowered herself to the snow, watching as Luminah starts to run around, perhaps engaging in a game of tag. Her tail wagged to and fro, and it took a few moments before she sprang into action, launching herself so she was next to Luminah. She poked the female in the shoulder with her nose before taking a side step away, a large smile on her face.

[Guest]

The signal was given. Akera watched as Falco moved quickly to attack the calf. She did the same simultaneously, lunging at her prey. Her mind turned to hunter mode, every sense focused on the elk. As it started to run, Akera started to bolt off after it, her strong legs propelling her forward. Every muscle was tense, every movement calculated. As she chased after the elk calf, all the lessons her brother taught her came rushing back. But she had no time for homesickness. She pushed it away and thought only of her prey. She was the hunter.

[Adena]

Adena

Nobody is worth your tears
and the one who is won't make you cry

-

-

So no one had heard her. Good, she thought as she walked closer. She did not adopt a stalking stance in case someone saw her and thought her a threat. She wasn't a threat, not to a whole pack at any rate. Her cream paws fell with a soft 'crunch' in the snow, her pace calm, relaxed. She could now see some of the pack. The pack was big, but there were too many wolves in the one place for her liking. The thought made her take a step back. She didn't like being noticed, she didn't like when there were lots of wolves in the same area as she, but in a pack, that was how things went. She was being silly. She didn't know what went on in the pack, she was simply a loner.

Her tail waved from side to side slowly, moving like a breeze. Adena stopped. She was near them now. She could hear what they were saying. She didn't want to eaves-drop, but what else was she to do? Storm straight in and sit down in the center of everything? Yeah right. But she wanted to talk to one of this pack. She remained on the edge as always before gingerly stepping forward.

This was it. The routine begins. Speak to a wolf of high rank. Then they look at you disdainfully and turn you away. You lurk. They hate it and the pack rallies to chase you off. That was how things always went. Not that they ever told her that they hated her, but she could see the look in their eyes. The sheer disgust at such a wolfess in these parts. She didn't blame them. They didn't want to have to care for a freak. They wanted their pack to be normal and obviously Adena was far from normal to them. It had never bothered her father. He was liked. But he had an utterly different personality. While she herself was quiet, he was what you could call over-confident. Wolves always liked him. Except Conn, her brother. She had to put her past behind her, where it belonged. She had to live in the present like most.

She wanted to be accepted into this very pack. It seemed tight-knit and something else she couldn't quite put her paw on. But she liked it, it was ... different? She hoped the pack would like her, this pack of all. There was something about it that Adena liked. But she stood warily, watching. But there was no point it wasting her time- or theirs. Stepping forward out of the undergrowth, she looked around. She was in plain view now, and she regretted it. Perhaps they wouldn't notice her after all? Shouldn't she be glad?

I must look lost, she thought. And with that Adena straightened up slightly, not to seem too confident in her action, or disrespectful to the leaders. Someone would soon notice her pelt. She stilled and her silver-grey gaze peered around the clearing cautiously. She dreaded what was about to happen. It seemed wrong to just stand there, but she wasn't about to walk up to a random wolf and start a conversation with them.

[Bear]

Falco heard Akera not to far behind himself, she soon caught up. The calf continued to run towards the den, maybe this was going to be easier than he thought. As he ran he quickly licked his lips, before his tongue lolled out the side of his mouth. He wasn't tired, he was excited over the thrill of the chase. The two hunters had calculated their prey's movements perfectly, but they hadn't calculated their distance to the den well. A rock followed by some trees signaled to Falco that they where only just over 150 meters from the den site. His heart raced faster, they had to stop the elk calf! Thinking quickly, Falco pressed his paws down into the snow, and moved his legs a lot quicker, as he took off up the side of the Calf, it did the same digging it's hooves in and trying to outrun it's hunters. He knew that Akera would do the same, So he kept moving up it's side, loping easily along it's side. Soon reached up to it's fore legs. He started to move in closer to the calf, he leapt slightly and bit into it's leg, tearing the muscle with his powerful jaws easily. Falco let go quickly, seeing that it slowed the calf only a small bit. But anything to slow it up for now was great.

"Akera! See if you can injure it on that side, we need to slow it up before it gets to the den, otherwise we're gonna have trampled pack-mates!" he barked desperately to his fellow hunter. Falco dropped back slightly, but just only enough to come into line with the Calf's hind leg. Leaping again he caught it's thigh in his jaws, this time he hung on, his jaws tearing the flesh of the crazed Calf. He let go and snorted, still racing along it's side, waiting for Akera to do her part. Though it had seemed to slow to a gentle cantering motion, but still quick enough to trample unsuspecting pack mates.

[Guest]

Akera kept her chase on the elk calf. She gave a small smile and sped up. It felt great to run once again. But soon she realized something was wrong. The scent of the pack was growing stronger much too soon. She realized that they hadn't thought about how fast they were moving. Her emerald eyes watched as Falco sped up and started tearing at the calf's legs. Her russet ears perked as she heard him shout. Listening to the order from her leader, Akera pushed herself father, easily catching up to the hind legs. She flung at the limb, tearing through the muscle effortlessly with her fangs. She then moved her jaws up to latch on to its thigh. She watched as it slowed even more, nearing a swift trot. The female loped up to the calf's front leg and ripped through it, her stomach growling at the taste of blood. She looked to Falco for the next order as she hung on to its flank.

[Guest]

She took out a laugh as she grinned, skidding to a halt. She bowed down on front of her, her grin still in place and her tail wagging side to side crazily. "Nice Job!" Luminah said, giving the brown female a nice warm complement. "This reminds me when me and my sister used to play tag when we were pups. And believe me, it was fun alright." She said as a smile transformed upon her black lips.

[Guest]

Mahina gave a small smile, shaking her fur clear of some falling snow. "Me to" she answered, remembering when her and her sister would play tag but quickly resort to playing with sticks in one way or another. Oh how she missed those times, the times where everything was perfect the way it was.

[Guest]

She quickly shook her fur, leaving her left ear bent like a puppy's. She grinned as she found a stick almost coated with snow. Luminah trotted towards it, grabbing it as it was in her mouth. The snow from the stick was melting in her mouth from her hot breath, she swallowed the water carefully as she then laid down on the alabaster vegetation, beginning to chew on it. "Chewing on sticks is one of my habits." She said while chewing on the stick, giving the female a small hint on who she was. She looked up at her, waiting for her response.

[Guest]

Mahina chuckled, padding over to Luminah and opened her mouth, as if she was about to steal the stick. She closed her jaws around an open part of the stick, her canines leaving small scrape marks on it's surface. "My sister and I loved to play with sticks." She winked at Luminah, a small smile on her features.

[Guest]

Marlie sniffed the air. She padded through, and caught sight of a den. She sat on her haunches. "I wonder who this den belongs to..." she thought out loud.

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