Windy Peak

As Kitara listened to the barks it made her desperate seeing the other wolves she hurried and started to dig from all angles. Cracking through ice and trying to uncover wolves hidden deep below she managed to unseal a large space near the base of the pile. Sending the pile sliding and the top layer tumbling off freeing some snow.

Kitara, please edit your post so it is in third person. Thank you.

The white scout slowly turned his head, not liking the sound his ears were getting, not one bit at all. Phantom's golden orbs were frozen in horror as he watched the terrible scene unfold. The male couldnt seem to move, not yet anyways. Was this really happening? It had to be, he could hear the yelps, barks, and howls of those wolves that were falling with the snow as one. The amount of wind coming off from the mountain, ruffled his nape. The young scout flattened his ears. Everything was frozen in time. His forced his incisors to clench into eachother. Not even having to look down at his own pelt, he knew, that if he were in there, his pearl pelt would be lost in that massicure. A low whimper finaly found it's way outside of his locked fangs. Phantom was fearing for the lives of those that were upon this mess. His normal medium high tail, was low, down next to his hind paws dragging across the rocky surface. All of a sudden everything was moving much faster now, as like a torando would. While shaking his head Phantom managed to see some horrified faces of those around him. The next glance he had up, some of the others were already running to the rescue. He had to help! The aroused wolf's tail pointed straight out and he crouched, ready to spring. Being scout, he held an advangtage of speed againest some of the others with different ranks.

Phantom quickly found himself plunging through the snow with others at his side and all around him. They would have to reach the middle where hopefully the others were. Grunting as his talons gripped into the snow, he kept pushing forward until he had a feeling deep down that they were near the others now. Swiftly turning his head he saw the others begining to dig for their pack members. He joined them a few inches away from the others. If they wolves were traveling closely together, they would hopefully be closer together and easier to find under the snow blanked tha was burying them. It was a race againest time for those trapped beneath. If they were to slow, they would die. Phantom kept digging. Moving with the wind, as he always had. he heard Finn speaking with another. One he had found and a famillar voice at that. It was Arisah's voice. Soon came another, Falco. Phantom looked up and snorted towards Finn, "Thank goodness you found them!" The young brute began to dive himself into the snow like his ansectors would have done while hunting in the deep snow and like the northern foxes do for some mice hiding within the snow. He wasn't going to give up until he found a familar face trapped inside. That was however stopped when Finn and Falco spoke out and gave the idea of having a head count of all those that went on that dangerous jounry to Windy Peak. "I think that's a really good idea." The white brute stood there, waiting while listening for moving claws int he snow just in case.

Lelio rolled his eyes as Gale popped through the snow. It had been plainly obvious that the alpha female had a soft spot for the darker male. what is it, with chicks and the troubled males? He thought to himself. Laying own the male cradled his injured leg to himself, the cold making the pain even sharper.

fear was growing in him, when he realized that the scratching above him had lessened, and practically stopped. What if the three of them were never found? Would they just be frozen in this ice pit, till it melted?

Lelio closed his eyes, and tried to shut the fears out as well, but they just continued to grow with each passing moment and the air getting thinner thanks to sir handsome over in the corner.

(I'm not actually at the peak at the moment, but I thought I'd post here for continuity)

When Cinnamon opened her eyes it was to find herself completely alone. Slowly, stiffly, she uncurled and rose to her feet. Then she blinked. Once, twice, three times. The ground was a blanket of white all around her. Catiously she touched it with her nose. Snow. Slowly she looked around, straining nose and ears. The salt smell was still there, and an almighty crashing was audible in the direction the others had been planning to go. But how long had she been asleep. Judging by the weather it had been more like a coma than a sleep.

She twitched. There was no scent anymore, nothing to tell her which direction her pack mates were. With a thump she sat down, curling her tail onto her paws Linnea style. Then she took several deep breaths, filled her lungs to their limits once more and howled

"BANISHING WINDS! WHERE ARE YOU?"

Gasping she stopped, straining her ears for an answer and hoping she would hear it over the crashing of the sea.

Kitara's ears twitched her feet stopped flailing in the snow pile. She had heard something, another wolf? Then she looked back at the wolves starting to increase in number so I figured they would be fine. Kitara ran through the snow until her feet ached once again. Started to near the salty breeze. Her eyes squinted as if she knew where to look. Having no better choice she let out a howl. Stopping after a bit she slanted her ears waiting for a reply

Finally, in the distance she heard an answering howl. Barking to let them know she'd heard, the brown female broke into a rough lope/trot, using all her skill to eat up the distance between herself and her pack. She wanted to be near them, wanted to be home again.

Linnëa dug desperately towards Adena and the other wolves that were fighting to help them escape, until her paws could at last fit through the small hole that had picked open. She blocked the light that filtered through it with her right paw for a few moments. That paw was the strongest, due to her left shoulder throwing a fit earlier. And then she began to pull the snow inside towards herself to further expand the hole. In this manner, she picked at the exit, her eyes unfocused as she simply felt what she was doing rather than watching. The hole became wider, and wider, until it was large enough for her to squeeze through. But, however, it was not large enough for Gale or Lelio. She continued with them in mind, and a few moments later, the radius around the hole collapsed and fell, several pieces of ice painfully cracked her in the head. A shivering thing, she looked to the males behind her, and then began to ascend from her icy prison and into the sunlight. She squinted, her eyes moving away from her pack as the alphess moved to look up the mountain, to see what had gone wrong. She was no expert in avalanches, and gave up after a few moments of staring. It had probably just been sour luck on their part, being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

She moved then to look at all that were near and digging still. "T-thank-k y-y-yo-ou." Her voice was filled with gratitude, and shivering. It was enough to cause her teeth to chatter. She stood, posed on three legs, her left was hanging limply and lazily as her shoulder proceeded to let her know she had aggravated it. But this would be the last time it would do so. So far, though, her only other casualty was a mild case of hypothermia. Mainly it only caused her to shiver, and messed up her speech patterns a bit. A light smile tinged at her lips as she watched them all quietly. She then looked left, and right. "I believe that is all that were trapped. It seems so."
(Lame.. XD)

Linnea, yes, Arisah had seen her stumble and be swallowed up by the snow. It made her anxious to realize she was the first to be found, wondering how much longer those left trapped had before the air in their prions became too thin to breath. Another thought, one she sent straight back into her mind with stubborn disbelief, contemplated what they might do if someone had been injured too badly, or crushed by the avalanche. It was too terrible to contemplate, and such thoughts would save no pack member, so the scholar simply did not allow them to remain long on her mind. “Nothing worth worrying over, Finn,” she replied. The snow she’d packed around the scrape on her paw had stemmed the bleeding and numbed the pain.

Nodding her agreement that they could use a count, Arisah padded quickly after Falco and Finn, toward the rest of the digging pack, letting her pale gaze sweep over them all quickly, clinically. They were a hodge podge of scratches and small injuries, but nothing that appeared too serious to wait. She would help deal with them later, once Linnea and the others were safe.

Just as she was nearing the others, a howl caught her ears, a familiar and distant sound, though Ari couldn’t quite place it at the moment. Another, unfamiliar, echoed it and while under normal situations it would have been something worth investigating, Arisah bent to the task and began clawing at the snow, lending her paws to the task. It was with great relief, moments later, that Adena’s dig site unearthed Linnea, followed by Lelio and Gale. As the alphess spoke that the last had been recovered, Ari was fairly certain she could actually feel the weight and worry unclench from around her heart for a moment, before returning more lightly as she began to once again look for injuries.

Linnea looked the worst of it by far: her shoulder hanging almost uselessly, her body wracked with tremulous shivers, scratches here and there it seemed. “Linnea, we need to get you warm, before hypothermia sets completely in. How bad is your shoulder?” If the pain was extreme the best, and up here only, thing to do would be to ice it. The snow would help the swelling, but with the female shivering as she’d been doing, ice was the last thing Arisah wanted to do if they didn’t need to.

Lelio looked up at the hole above him that Linnea had dug and wondered if his paw would survive the attempt out of it. It was swollen, and sadly no longer hurt, he knew this was not a good sign, but was resigned to not thinking about it now. Getting up he balanced perilously on three legs and attempted to squeeze his rather large frame into a whole that, while it had been made bigger just for the two males, was still rather small.

He wiggled some more and was finally able to flop his body on the snow above and simply rolled over to look at the sky above him. He too a glance down at his paw and saw that it hung uselessly from his body let a dead tree branch, it pained him to see it, even more than the fact that he could lose it all together. Looking around, it seemed that all the pack was safe just as the alphess had said. He let out a grateful sigh for that and stood once more on his three good legs.

(wonder if i should keep Lelio maimed...Shall think on it...)

“Linnea, we need to get you warm, before hypothermia sets completely in. How bad is your shoulder?”

Linnëa looked back to see Arisah, and contemplated her answer. No, she was definitely not okay, but her shoulder just had a fit. "I j-just ag-gravated my-y should-der." She replied, finding it harder and harder to speak with the least shivering interruptions possible. It was not only aggravating, but concerning even to the female herself. She found herself confused, and some memories were almost slipping away from her mind. She winced at this. It was hard to not remember some things in her life that were important to her, and she gave obvious signs of distress.

And, as Lelio collapsed on the snow behind her, the alphess turned to see his paw. She winced. He may be annoying, but he was injured. Gale, too, was injured. This brought even more thoughts, thoughts of rejection, to the forefront of her mind. Her face contorted in mental pain, as she found herself forced to look away from the hole. He didn't like her. Her eyes moved to Crimson. He didn't like her either, but she was more comfortable with that then she found herself with Gale not liking her. They both liked the fiery female Adena, whom she now owed her own life to. But she was not jealous for the female. She found her lucky, as if she had won the lottery, and the lottery was the affection of Gale and Crimson. And, though she wished to tell everyone to leave this place and seek shelter she knew she was likely incapable of such a task. What if leaving was not priority? There were no herbs in the snow, and they needed to travel down the mountain, to the forest, to find something for those hurt. But she refused to attempt to direct anyone in her state. She was confused, cold, and shivering, and figured now was a good time to let Crimson lead, since her judgement may or may not be reliable. Her eyes flicked off of Crimson too. And, for now, she laid back down, curling up into a pitiful heap of shivering khaki hues until Crimson figured out what was to be done first.

“Well, at least all this cold should keep it from hurting too badly or swelling up too much,” was the healer’s ironically optimistic reply to the alpha female. Linnea’s clipped, stuttering speech and visible distress threw Arisah’s anxiety into overdrive. They had to get her warm, the sooner the better. Her shoulder too was worrying, but it was the lesser of the two. A bad leg was far preferable to lost limbs or death, they could deal with it later. As the scholar was opening her mouth to address the worst of the situation, Lelio tumbled out of the snow, favoring a badly swollen paw. They needed plants, things for pain and healing and swelling, but they were none here and none close. Wondering what new ailments Gale’s emergence would bring, Arisah quickly focused her attention on what they could do for now. “We need a wolf or two to curl up with Linnea, share your warmth, rub your fur against hers,” she asked of the pack members around them. It wasn’t the quickest method, but it was the best they had for now.

She turned then to the Lead Guardian, eyeing his paw critically. “Lelio, you should lie down too. Cover your paw in snow, it’ll reduce the swelling and slow the blood flow.” She watched his movements carefully, working to determine just how badly the paw was hurt. With any luck, it was just a sprain or a wrench, and would heal with time and rest.

Turning her gaze once more, she sought Liafi, looking to the master scholar for any further ideas. Their resources were limited, but perhaps the other female would know something Arisah didn’t, or think of something she’d perhaps forgotten—some lesson learned in her own history that might make more use of this dismal, snow covered mountainside than Ari knew to do.

Finally her pale eyes shifted to Crimson, looking hopefully at the alpha male for guidance and orders, and perhaps, even more so, a little extra hope.

Tired, but glad to be nearly there, Cinnamon ploughed her way up the snowy slope, using her chest as much as her paws on the steepest bits. Never had she seen snow this deep before, not even on the Winter Treck with Howling Stones. When she opened her mouth to bark it was filled with snow at once and she had to pause and spit it out before continuing her clamber.

Eventually she scrambled onto a level bit, only to skid to an awkward stop with a gasp. Half the mountainside seemed to have collapsed. And on the pile of snow were her packmates, most of them unknown. Some dug, seeking those trapped, while rescued ones lay erilly still on the snow.

Slowly, carefully, she picked her way across to a strange male who was on his feet. Or on three of them at least, the fourth was held in midair, swollen and useless.

"Let me see that" She met his eyes firmly "I may not be a healer but I know a little, and it would be cruel to leave a packmate hurt, especially this seriously." Then she paused and glanced back at Linnea, then returned her gaze to the male "although at least you have the sense to try and keep moving rather than freeze"

“Well, at least all this cold should keep it from hurting too badly or swelling up too much... We need a wolf or two to curl up with Linnea, share your warmth, rub your fur against hers, Lelio, you should lie down too. Cover your paw in snow, it’ll reduce the swelling and slow the blood flow.”

Linnëa nodded in reply, finding no need for words to be uttered to answer the healer. She was extremely greatful for her help, though snuggling for warmth would be awkward, the was almost excited for the warmth. Her eyes moved. Soon, Cinnamon, the new lead healer whom had been gone for some time was running through the snow. She watched as she approached, her blue eyes calm and quiet. Her mind was slurred still, fuzzy, and it made her anxious because she had gotten rid of her illness some time ago. She curled up further, pulling each leg and appendage closer to her long coat. That was the main issue here, long and fluffy, but not too thick.

"Let me see tha. I may not be a healer but I know a little, and it would be cruel to leave a packmate hurt, especially this seriously although at least you have the sense to try and keep moving rather than freeze"

She almost snarled in reply to Cinnamon's look, and her last statement, apprehension suddenly flowing through her. "Was-s tha-at an insu-ult-t to m-my intell-ligence?" She said, her eyes growing dark. There was absolutely no reason for that statement, or the Scholar's snappiness. Her gaze was almost challenging, as if daring the female to say anything like that. Ever. Her tail began to tap the ground in irritation, as her un-amused gaze watched the brown wolf. Not only was her tone of voice, when she had been gone for some time, authoritative and demanding, but she had also made a crude comment in Linnëa's direction. Though this was not the time for disputes, the khaki female was already annoyed by the other. It was a mean thing to say, and out of the blue, there was no reason for it. Likely her reply was not as nice, and unneeded as much. She let out a breath, turning her gaze away from Cinnamon. She did not need to waste her energy on cranky wolves.

As she saw the wolf start to approach the heap of snow Kitara shook herself. As her paws leaded her back to the mound which was hopefully rid of wolves. Kitara decided to try to fit in the scenery. Hanging her head low she stifled a small "Hello.." As if slipped out of her maw she paused. She was very cautious was she really ready. Kitara shot a short glance at the wolves, then resumed hanging her head low. Maybe this was her chance to find a home once again.

Out of the many hundred miles her heart beating pounding through her head. From the terror she had faced alone scarred for life. The many days she raced on without food or shelter. Although she is afraid to take a risk, Kitara closed her eyes. She was willing to try, to it give it a chance. Her head rised and she slowly placed one paw after the other. Until she was standing atleast 6 feet from the shaken and cold wolves. Her paws stung with the shards of ice and rock gashed into the pads. Blood stained her every paw print. Kitara was ready to take on the responsibility of being in a pack. Even if it meant to shed blood and fight until the last bone in her body was broken. Or even if the last drop of her blood would save them. She wad willing to follow their commands.

"Was-s tha-at an insu-ult-t to m-my intell-ligence?"
Cinnamon looked over at the other female, realising she'd jumped into it up to her neck
"No, Linnea, it wasn't meant to be... But I was worried, you lay so still after comming out the snow, yet you are a scholar and a healer, so would know about trying to stay warm." She flattened her ears and went down on the snow in submission "As for my tone, which I know displeased you... I was shocked and frightened to see what had happened. My normal reaction is either to cower, or to try and help."

She looked up at her former head of rank "I ask your forgiveness, most humbly"

"No, Linnea, it wasn't meant to be... But I was worried, you lay so still after comming out the snow, yet you are a scholar and a healer, so would know about trying to stay warm. As for my tone, which I know displeased you... I was shocked and frightened to see what had happened. My normal reaction is either to cower, or to try and help. I ask your forgiveness, most humbly"

"The submission is not needed." She said simply, without looking to Cinnamon. Of course, it had been mildly insulting, and her tone had been somewhat mean and demanding but she could understand it was not meant to be so. However, it still caused her to be somewhat unsettled. And the fact that Cinnamon said she would cower or try to help as a reaction made her even more confused. Since when had she ever seen the brown fae cower? She simply decided to question it, and to move on. But all else she found herself able to think about was Gale. He still did not like her as anything more than a good friend, and lately he seemed to have gone into silence once again, as he had been back when she had first joined the winds.

Then, the thought about her first joining brought up horrible memories of the past. Her rabid mate, craving her blood. And before that, her closest friends dying before her eyes. Everything back then was a blur, tinged with blood and fighting. It was terrifying. She shut her eyes. She still had yet to tell anyone here of her past. Would she ever? Probably not for even longer. She almost wanted to tell someone, so they would understand her current pain and confusion. Pain, because she found herself falling for a wolf that did not feel the same, and confusion because she did not know why her first mate had to go rabid in the time she would have needed him most. Back then, the only thing that had kept her from going mad was the cold nights when they would lay together, simply enjoying the quiet companionship each other gave off, and even the quiet murmurs of pups when spring would come and the war would end. But, those dreams had been ripped away without reserve, ripped away by a disease of the brain that would have killed him anyways. And the worst part, perhaps, was that it was not the disease that had killed him, but her. Even if it was self defense. So many thoughts and feelings were brought up now, since Spring was coming.

Maybe another thing that caused her distress was that, for a short time, Gale had fancied her, but she was too late to respond in any way. He had moved on quickly, deciding on Adena instead.
(Since spring is coming I figured it would be a nice muse if she got really confused about her new, revised past, and such.)

Kitara looked at the wolves she collasped inside. She needed someone to love her to tend to her needs. Her paws ached and she felt as if her legs would give out any moment. Kitara wanted this so much, to be cared for and given a second chance. She padded closer to the wolves and waited for someone to notice her. She bowed her head and sat patiently. All her body wanted to do was curl up in a ball and take all her pain away. Her legs went limp and her body froze. Kitara wasn't feeling too good, she suddenly felt dizzy. She wobbled to her paws and walked over to a tree. Her stomache released a acid, she spit the horrible liquid out. Out of the blue she had become sick.

Hers paws dug a small in snow while she was still able to stand. Then she laid in the nest feeling hot and dizzy, her eyelids shut. Her paws still bled and her bones ached from her long journeys. The food she ate was small or rotten. So far her life wasn't the best she wished to die in her sleep. Painless and peaceful. But part of body trudged on into the future. She was so close to hope she must not give up.

( Not to be a pest, but I posted two pages ago and I can't really post again until I have something to respond to... so yeah :/ )

Under normal circumstances, the appearance of Cinnamon would have been one Arisah would have met with great enthusiasm. As it was, she dared not leave the injured wolves, though a surge of gratefulness shot through her—more paws for the helping and healing would be gladly met. However, that gratefulness fled quickly at the female scholar’s comment about sense. Ari was about to make a reply, when Linnea’s temper flared and beat her to it. She let the two of them work it without intervening not wishing to cut off or herself disrespect the alpha female’s ability to defend herself. She did, however, watch closely and warily, not even noticing the appearance of another wolf.

Afterwards, however, she put in gently to Cinnamon, “I know her lying down isn’t the best way to go about it, Cinnamon, but she’s re-aggravated her shoulder, and I’d rather her not put any weight on it until she has to, it’s a long trip out of the mountains.” She was fairly certain it couldn’t get more stiff or injured than it was, and so wasn’t as concerned about it being left still as she was about warming the wolf up. Cold was her primary concern for the moment, and while the snow she was laying on was chilly, if they could get some shared body heat, it would help insulate the female soon enough.

Arisah turned toward the other scholar, and wolf she knew only slightly, but still respected greatly, and breathed out a greeting, “It’s good to see you Cinnamon.” And truly, it was wonderful to see another packmate here. Her help was appreciated, especially as she had come so quickly up to see to Lelio’s injuries. They needed to get that swelling down, and two heads were better than three, so she asked the more seasoned scholar, “I thought maybe a snow pack to ease his swelling and numb the pain for his paw, since there isn’t anything for herbs to help either here. What’re your thoughts?”

Waiting for the tempered wisdom of the other she wolf, Arisah looked over to Linnea again, checking the still shaking wolf, about to see again is someone could help warm her when Finn called out. Knowing Lelio, and Gale when he appeared, were in the best of paws with Cinnamon there and Liafi nearby as well, Ari turned to ask, “Can someone help to warm Linnea?” before padding quickly to the collapsed wolf she had never noticed approach.

On her way toward Finn and the wolf, another unfamiliar figure caught her eye: another she-wolf, hanging just beyond the circle of gathered wolves. It seemed as if the pack’s presence had garnered attention. Attention which had gone unnoticed as the Banishing Winds wolves worked frantically to save their packmates. Stopping next to Finn, Arisah barked out a cautious greeting to the stranger in the distance, alerting her that her presence was known and at the same time, letting the pack know that another wolf was in their midst, before joining Finn in trying to nudge the first wolf awake. It wasn’t much of a greeting, but it was an invitation of awareness and a greeting of recognition—the best Ari could do while there were injuries to be tended to. “Come on now, wake up.”


[Was gonna wait to reply, but figured Ari'd have some sort of reaction to Cinnamon appearing and the scuffle-ish with her and Lines. Also, wanted to give some sort of segueway for Botswana. Sorry it's not much Bots, but at least it should give her an excuse to come into the action]