Great Plains (Main Den)

“Is that so?”

"Such is what I have been made aware of, yes. However, I know how hard trust is to come by; I will take a lesser role if you wish it." Nocturne's voice still held no emotion and the detest was completely out of his system. He did not trust them, but he did not hate them. It was more of a wary defense that caused him to hold his head a tad higher than he should have.

The sunlight wasn't harsh, but it still beat down on Nocturne's black coat. The heavy, almost fleece-like fur that covered the massive expanse that was his body did nothing but absorb all heat, no matter the amount. However, the male gave no indication that heat was affecting him in anyway. His golden eyes seemed to soothe from earlier and offered a slight kindness. Many wolves surrounded him now, whether they had come to see Gale depart or to see himself appear remained to be seen. Then again, he had seen anger and pain in the eyes of a few of the members before he appeared. That gave him sign enough that the others who joined the previously small group had only come to see the previous beta depart. Nocturne's own golden eyes turned towards the horizon where the Wanderer had vanished. Why would he leave a life as good as this? He had everything he could ever want here, besides the she-wolf he wanted to be with. Nocturne looked between Adena and Linnëa, gentle curiosity in his gaze. Who had he preferred? The two females were both very beautiful in their own right and unique for sure, but who really held Gale's heart in their paws?

"I can see that I am not accepted here. I am not so much a fool. I wish you all luck in the pack and I hope you can gain pack the respect here that you all once held in your old lands."

As Nocturne turned to disappear into the night like Gale had done only hours before, he noticed that Linnëa was padding away as well. Had she decided to follow the wolf who had left? That was not the case and he knew it. Gale had clearly gone to the west, like the wind and the delta was heading for the east, towards the sea. The scent of her sickness was heavy in the air and he wondered for a brief moment how no one else detected it besides himself and the light coloured male who approached her before she left. However, the sickly scent did nothing to cover the scent of oak and moss and something... Darker. The coal black wolf nodded once to all the wolves who surrounded him and walked away with dignity and grace. His pawsteps were calm and collected as he followed the herbal aroma of mint. Did Linnëa not smell the headiness of pine, the wind and the muskier scent beneath it? How could she not? It would be as familiar to her as her own smell. At least, Nocturne would have thought so. With powerful strides, he quickly found the khaki female. She lay within the large pool of mint but even it could not cover the musky scent. Nocturne looked up at a large bush across from the river and met green orbs that held hints of yellow within their depths.

"You've done a lot." He murmured, looking at the green with his golden eyes. A low murmuring reached his ears and he nodded, not breaking eye contact. "Indeed. They would be lost had you departed for good. Do not leave this home. They need you." Another bout of murmuring occurred but this one was quieter. "It will be hard, but you must remain strong. Those you loved before are lost to you; you need to let go." A snarl echoed on the tree trunks and the green orbs became enraged with barely contained violence. It took the shadowed figure a lot to remain where it was. "That is where you are wrong. I have experienced loss, but I did not allow it to control me. Letting go is the best thing you can do. Your choice between the two will be a hard one, but you will be able to do it and find happiness. They would have wanted it." Nocturne finished speaking then and turned away, towards the north. He reached the edge of the mint patch before he looked back and flicked his tail towards Linnëa. "The position is yours again, my friend. Maybe one day you'll be able to tell me about how this all ended."

Nocturne's scent faded into nothing and the dark figure stepped out into the light. Its coat was dappled with leafy light and shadow, but the colour of its fur was easy enough to make out. It was a large male wolf with a long fur coat made of a large magnitude of hues. It was a perfected mixture of tans, whites, blacks, and many different shades of browns. A stripe of ginger was present on the top most part of his muzzle. His lower chest and underbelly were white--a colour that shone brightly--like the first snow fall of the season as was the very tip of his long, almost fluffy tail. His tan paws made little noise as he slipped into the river and swam to the stony shore across from where he previously stood. He did not waste time shaking the water from his coat; instead he walked straight to Linnëa and gently prodded her with a wet nose. There was a small smile on his face as the wolf stretched his neck back up to reveal a very familiar face.

It was Gale.

Linnëa stirred, finding suddenly that she had indeed succumbed to slumber and that something or someone poked her. Her eyes snapped open then as she realized it was a someone. Concerned for a moment, she looked up to see someone she did not expect. Confusion flickered in her eyes, clear as day now from the water. He had left? Or had he changed his mind? Well obviously now he was back. He sure did not last long long upon leaving. Not long after the confusion came bright joy, and she slowly stood on her paws. Mottled and smelling peculiarly minty fresh, her tail began to sway happily. Her mind may have been clear, but she still was not rested nor had the mint passed through her system yet.

She also still found herself unable to speak. Her eyes could say everything plainly though. They gained an accusing look for a moment as she looked at him, but it didn't last too long. She was just glad he did not leave. She did not like being scared as such, her friend trying to flat out leave and all, but all that really mattered to her was that Gale had not left.
(Lame.. I'm going to pass out XD)

Falco looked up at Crimson as the male began to speak. He was a little strange at first, to Falco, but, that was probably because the two hadn't encounted each other before. Falco sat, ears perked, listening keenly to Crimson, waiting on what he might have to do to work his way back into the pack.

“Lead Hunter you say?”

The male was questioning Falco, and the white brute didn't like to be questioned nor doubted, but it seemed that Crimson was doing neither, it was more of a rhetorical question. Falco waited patiently for Crimson to think over his words and speak.

“You were here before me, and if you held that rank then you must have deserved it Falco.”

“We need to hunt soon, and so it is now your job of finding a suitable prey source. It should be large enough so that it feeds the pack, but nothing too risky. In the pack’s current state, that would be a foolish move and we can’t afford to make any of those right now.”

“You can go with whatever group you want,”

Falco had thought that he had earned his rank as the Lead Hunter, and gave a nod to the male, it was a sutiable task for for a well suited wolf. Though Falco's dilemna was that of who would he get to take with him, they needed something such as a bison or elk to feed the pack easily, his ears flicked, he had hunted an injured bison on his own after he left the pack, but it didn't leave him too well. The other herd's members had tried to attack him, but he managed to dodge most of their hooves and bring down the beast.

Falco gave one more quick glance to Crimson before turning away and looking for suitable followers. He sat and studying those around him who would be suitable to take on the small hunting expedition.


(lame. Dunno who's where, so will wait and see :D )

That's a great idea Phantom, it'll be good to know if familiar herbs grow here or if we'll have to learn new ones



Phantom chuckled lightly as he spoke, "That makes two in a row now." The white male smiled, he considerred himself to be on a role lately since the depature of his former mate. Scout, he needed to live up to his rank name anyhow. This was a chance. Phantom grunted and bowed his head and stuck his front right leg in the air, "You can lead, if you like." His golden eyes flickered back upwards at the others, something else had just happened. The dark male who called himself Nocturne had asked to take Gale's place as beta and was declined of the rank and was now gone? The white brute was now officaly in a confused state of mind. He shook his head quickly and at least tired to refocus on what was happening. "Maybe when the herbs and plants grow, i could help you gather them if you need the paw to help."

Linnëa heard paw steps. Clear and crisp on the earth, she turned to see their creator. She saw only a figure for a moment before her vision focused. When it did she was happy to see Adena. Her eyes brightened and she smiled contentedly, though it vanished swiftly as she saw the confusion on her face. What was wrong?She took a step back, becoming confused herself. She figured Adena was likely upset Gale had almost left, but other than that she was clueless. She just couldn't think straight or hold a thought for long, and it made her feel horrible. She was used to having such an intelligent and crystal clear mind, but when she did not have that then it was so easy for her to get frustrated with herself. Like dirt on her paws, when she tried to move on or come to a conclusion it would just slip away. Her tail twitched, as if she would just pounce on the thoughts and hold them down. Exhaling, she dismissed the impossible.

"So, are we still going for a tour of the territory?"

Linnëa nodded at Adena, smiling to try and pass on the smile to the troubled pack mate. However, soon after she spoke, the orange, brown and cream fae frowned at the ground. Linnëa frowned as well, finding it hard to say yes when she could not speak quite yet. Clearing her throat several times, she still found no words. It was like the illness she had was just created specially to annoy her to madness. With an exasperated sigh, she turned to the nearby stream, intent on getting another drink.

Her paws made imprints on the damp debris and pebbles that lined the bank. Her eyes moved up as she looked up, seeing the snow covered mountains that laid far away in the distance. As well, dense forest and an earthy scent that flowed from it that was so familiar it made her stare blankly. It smelled like her old home, though she knew better. It was not. But it seemed to have the same composure as it, and it stirred joy inside her heart. An unmistakable smile of recognition for the smell flickered on her, before she broke the look. She drank, and drank, and drank some more to satisfy her thirst. Feeling refreshed, and suddenly full of a strange giddy energy, she could not resist to rear on her hind legs and splash her front in the stream. She soaked her chest and front legs with an exuberant grin plastered on her muzzle. The ripples of it moved outward to reveal her reflection, and she was displeased by how dirty the white of her face was.

She must fix that completely. Plunging fearlessly into the water, she found herself completely submerged for a few moments. When her head popped up, the current had carried her a few feet downstream. She trotted in slow motion to the shallows, suddenly hitting solid ground under the water. Shaking her coat, and using a paw to scrub her face a bit, she left the stream. Content with her full bath, she looked to survey herself in the river again. Pleased by the bright white now and the lack of an entire ecosystem in her pelt, she turned back and began to plod back to the other two.

Arisah laughed lightly as well, glad for a reason to shake out the apprehension that seemed to have taken hold like a burr in her pelt. It was nice to just be easy and light and laughing about something, even if just briefly. “Color me impressed,” she teased, though not unkindly, continuing the light-hearted exchange and good humor a bit longer, loath the let go and return to the heavy happenings going on around them. Shaking her fur—half for the excited anticipation of exploring and half to stretch out her too long still muscles—Ari stepped forward in the offered direction, indicating with the turn of her shoulder that with only two wolves they might as well both lead.

As she was padding forward though, dark furred movement caught her attention and the graceful limbed she-wolf turned her ears and eyes just briefly toward the group, watching the dark furred brute walk off. Was he leaving? Already? (Not that she was sad to see him go, rather completely confused). Resolutely she looked forward again, just in time to focus back in on the speaking Phantom.

Smiling brightly, she nodded as they walked. “I’d appreciated that,” Ari said with content sincerity, glad that perhaps she was finally make an actual friend in the pack, more than just packmate acquaintances.

"I apologize for leaving so abruptly." Gale spoke quietly, the smile fading from his expression. "I thought my heart was out in the horizon, but I was wrong and I know that now." He tilted his head slightly at the accusing look that shone in Linnëa's eyes. The Wanderer knew that the look was definitely deserved; when it disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared, he was confused. Why would she let the accusations flee from her system so quickly? Wolves of the past wouldn't have done such a thing and therefore, he was uncertain of what to think of such an event. Was it because he was a close friend of hers? Such an answer to his question was possible and that's what he went with due to his sudden exhaustion.

The sound of a wolf approaching reached Gale's ears but he did not look up in time to catch Adena's appearance. Her scent wrapped around him and it was that that caused him to look up and see the red female materialize out of the shadows. Adena's steps were slow and seemed hesitant and that caused the former beta to look at her in minor surprise. Normally, the lead scout was so sure of herself and held a confidence that was beyond comparison. Now, he wasn't completely sure what to make of her. He did not allow that to show in his expression; he instead let a small smile show for her.

"So, are we still going for a tour of the territory? Or was that offer taken back when you left?"

At first, Adena's eyes would not even come close to his own. In fact, she didn't even look in his direction. It was like she was refusing to do so. However, she let them flicker between himself and Linnëa quickly before she looked back down at her paws. When the frown appeared on her features, Gale had a feeling that she was experiencing internal conflict. Green eyes waited on her patiently but were startled when the blue-silver hues met them. Did she..? No, it wasn't possible. Adena never had feelings for other wolves, she wasn't the type to harbor a crush. Especially not on him. Then again, others could say the same about him. His green gaze searched hers, but like usual there was barrier that kept him out of all her thoughts.

"Of course we are. That offer was not retracted, Adena." Gale's voice was soft though it somewhat hinted at what he felt for her. He tried to cover it up by coughing slightly. Lately, he was getting bad at keeping his emotions at bay, no matter what they were. "The only question is: Do you wish to experience the new territory with a deserter?"

A slender but familiar silhouette silently wandered through the thinning collection of trees & flora that surrounded her. Her delicate ears fluttered, erecting forward then back as she allowed her golden gaze to wander before focusing on a vast clearing where the sparse trees ended. Her paws barely made a whisper as they struck down upon the earth she walked upon before stopping completely, just nearing the open land.

A worried, yet nervous expression was plastered onto her face as she gazed around. She wasn't one who was use to being out in such opened land, her own appearance giving her away to any other eyes. She sighed softly, her eyes falling down to her paws before gazing back over her back, glaring at the onyx color of her top coating. A sudden low gurgling growl that came from her stomach brought her back to foucs on what she was after. "At least a rabbit or something..." She whispered softly to herself before swiftly stalking into the ocean of tall grass.

Linnëa's paws made wet, squishy noises on the dirt and grass as the drenched female returned to the others. The river was not that far off, so the walk had indeed been short. She also had a good amount of mint dangling from her maw now, which she chewed on with evident delight at the cool taste. She seemed brighter, more energetic, and more Linnëa than the sick blob of fur that had occupied her mind before. However, annoyingly, it seemed she had lost her voice completely from being parched so long. It would return, slowly, but all she could really manage was dull howls and whines, and maybe a croak of a bark. She would manage.

She noticed that some sentences had passed between Gale and Adena in the moments she had not been present, but she did not worry over them. Concern was evident on Adena's face at times, directed towards Linnëa herself. She lightly waved the herb she held at her, but it seemed to go unnoticed. She might have gone to further limits to communicate she knew what she was doing, but did not want to seem foolish. Being awake and lively was amazing after having been in a confusing trance for a while. If she had the energy, it was obvious from the buzzing excitement that Linnëa would be acting rather pup-like. She could not manage that much though, and found quick movements tired her. Humbled by such a thing, she tried her hardest to maintain a calm demeanor. It wouldn't take a master of decoding emotions to see how excited and good she felt though.

She stopped between Adena and Gale, forming a loosely situated triangle. Her body language was relaxed and blowing, but still held the slightest limp out of caution for her weaker shoulder. It was still capable of pain if she moved the wrong way, and even though it happened less did not mean it wouldn't happen again. When Adena began to head off, she trailed the female's shadow, her tail swaying contentedly. She need not look back to see if Gale would come, for she was fairly sure he would. Her mind skipped effortlessly over the thoughts that Gale had left, she didn't want to dwell on that. She was feeling great, getting better, and found no reason to ruin such feelings. That would be something for later, and she did wonder whether she would ask him what was wrong or if she would just ignore it.

Her nose had been twitching feverishly to the familiar mouthwatering scent of a hare that had been close by not long ago. Eager paws quickly carried her before coming to a sudden hault at a curious voice before her. Cheshire froze in her place as her burnt golden gaze flickered up upon the being before her, causing to gasp in surprise & stumble back a foot or two. Her ears flicked back, resting against her head for a brief second before erecting forward as she slowly picked her crouch form from the ground to stand to her full height. Her eyes, holding a soft curiosity but yet also a strong mixture of a nervous & fearful expression apart from her seemingly calm appearance.

She ran her eyes across the wolf before her, studying him for a brief moment from his earthy toned eyes to his pelt which mixed soft browns & whites together. All in all, he didn't seem intimidating; in fact he seemed rather calm. Her gaze fell as she slowly backed up, her tail lashing side to side in unease. She wasn't good with encountering others; even if they didn't seem to pose much to any harm at all. As she steadily backed up, her gaze fell back towards the tree line she left behind, being out int he open gave her away much quicker than she exprected.

Cheshire drew her focus back ont the wolf, her mouth parting open as she was about to speak before a familiar scent she had been hunting down flooded into her nose, changing her timid stance to one with sudden confidence. As eyes scanned over the tall grass, she answered softly to the male, "Just someone passing through that shouldn't be of any importance to you." Her gaze locked back onto him, the idea of him being in a pack was possible, various scents of others mingled in with his but the idea of him being the one in the lead never crossed her mind.

Silently, she walked past the wolf before slipping back into the tall grass. As she made her way, she carfully placed a paw in front of the other before stopping to lower her slender frame. Her moist nose gently kissed the ground before picking up the scent that grew stronger & stronger in it's presence. As she stalked forward, her chest fur stroke against the ground as her tail kept itself straight & lowered. The soft cruching of grass up ahead tempted her to stand up to see how close her small target was but that would give her away just as quick as it did to the wolf who found her.

Slowly pushing forward a bit more, the sight of chesnut & sandy toned hare lazily chewed on stocks of grass that surrounded it. Watching it hop around, revealed it's plump form to her, causing Cheshire's mouth to water with delight at this sight. Her tensed body lied close to the ground, aching & screaming to lunge at the hare but she wasn't ready yet. Silently moving around & a bit closer but the sudden wind change decided to betray her in her last few moments as it carried her presence to the plump hare.

In fear of this she moved in quick, her tensed muscles releasing & propelling her forward toawrds it as she lunged. The hare, quick in spotting her turned & tailed the opposite direction she came from, dropping any strands of grass it had been chewing on. Cheshire was hot on it's trail, shadowing it as it tried to desperately shake her off by running in zig-zags. In it's attempts to shake her off, the hare faultered, misplacing a step that caused it to slip & tumble over before suddenly being swepted up in female's jaws. Cheshire ended it's life with a quick & violent shake before dropping it as she panted softly. Settling down , she curled her tail around her side, wagging it with delight as she began to feast upon her small yet plump meal.

"Yes, a 'deserter' wouldn't come back,"

"But if I were fully committed, I wouldn't have left either." Gale replied with a soft shake of his head. "I'm sure you understand that."

His paws skimmed over the grass as he began to walk after Adena. The blades of yellow tickled his pads and the large male had to firmly close his mouth in order to keep from laughing quietly. In the spring, after the earth's blanket had a chance to turn green again, the former beta would get some sort of relief from the constant tickling. The grass would not be able to cause a reaction from him simply because they would be too soft to do so. In his mind, he could smell the scent of soft, spongy dirt being unearthed and staining the air with it's aroma. It was one thing he was truly fond of, it really was. However, with winter just starting to sink its fangs into the barren landscape of the grassland where the majority of the pack was, he doubted that he would be having that scent in his nostrils any time soon. For him, it would be a small eternity passing before spring would roll in and sweep winter away without mercy. Greenery would poke out of the earth once more and birdsong would fill the air. It would be a sweet embrace for all the animals in the land here and would provide the entire landscape with a change that was most welcomed. Soon, it would engage in a change. However, the one it was about to embark on was far darker and more sinister. At first, snow was pretty to look at but with it came freezing temperatures and winds that could cause a wolf to stop in its tracks from the biting cold.

The former beta shook his head shallowly; not giving away his thoughts. Why had he come back here? It was a question that echoed in his head only for a moment before pulling his attention to it. He had left for the sole reason of finding his heart, his love, his Taru. However, he couldn't do it. The Wanderer had traveled until he was into the treeline when images danced in his mind. Desperately, he had tried to continue moving onward, but the picture would not fade. Had he moved on? It seemed that he had. While Taru would remain in his heart, his thoughts, he knew that his love for her had dimmed. Now, his feelings rested upon a different wolf, one who he had left behind only a few short hours before. With that on his mind, Gale had turned around with the determination of a new wolf. His pawsteps did not take him straight back to the pack. No, he couldn't make a sudden reappearance just yet. After all, he had sent Nocturne to take his place which made him a loner who stood on the new territory of the Banishing Winds. So instead of going straight east again, he went north before going east. His intention had been to watch the pack for some time so he could speak with Crimson about his departure and requesting a chance to rejoin. He did not get the chance to do so however since his wandering brought him to where Linnëa was laying in the mint. Gale had only just beat Nocturne to the location of the delta though the dark furred wolf did not know that. Now, with Nocturne gone, who was watching over the pack beside Crimson?

Crimson. The only male wolf that Gale would ever consider a true friend. His best friend in fact. Crimson, the same wolf who's affections fell upon either Adena or Linnëa which meant it would be wrong of the former beta to pursue either. Never would Gale endanger the precious bond that had grown between the two males. Even though he had never had a friend as close to him who was a male, Gale seemed to know the boundaries. However, his wild nature made it difficult to keep himself at bay from the two females. Especially since it was him and them exploring the territory. Green eyes flickered to the true object of his affections and lingered on her before looking at the forest ahead. Perhaps he should talk with Crimson about how he felt before it was too late..?

"There's an ocean that way." His voice was quiet and he caught up to Adena and nodded to the east. "The smell of salt on the air? That's where it comes from."

Altair's head hung low and his ginger coat was ungroomed. Kira had left him so who did he had to look good for? Like his previous disappearance, his mate must have left in the dead of the night to find a new adventure. That still didn't explain why she left him though. Didn't she love him as much as he loved her? She was his soulmate, his one and only. Kira must have felt like this when the Guardian had departed as well. It was painful.

Crimson and Gale took charge of the pack without any effort. Their words were a lost cause to Altair because the ginger and white brute couldn't pay enough attention to their discussion. All his thoughts were on Kira. Her beautiful icy blue eyes, her soft, gorgeous black coat. It was all gone and he did not know if it would come back. Could he move on with her gone? Altair doubted the very notion. But, Gale had done it. The Beta Male had actually done it twice. Both Taru and Elysia had left him.

Altair's pale amber eyes scanned the grassy area around him. Everything seemed dead to the brute. Never would he move on. Kira was his and he was hers. With a pained look in his eyes, the Guard stood. It would be best if he explored the territory with someone. It would help to get rid of the thoughts that dragged on in his mind.

"There's an ocean that way. The smell of salt on the air? That's where it comes from."

Linnëa's eyes flicked toward the east where Gale had mentioned, her nose flaring. An obvious look of amusement and happiness appeared upon her muzzle. She had heard that rivers let out in oceans, but had never actually seen one since she was very small. The memories of that were dim, for she had already experienced much wonders in her life time, but they were there. Rough sand against her paws, the gentle swoosh of water, and then receding. Waiting for the biggest waves to wash upon the shore so they would clean her paws. Her tail quickened it's swaying pace, but she would have to wait to see the sea.

Even though she stifled her joy at the scents of salt water, she was also concerned about being near it. There were many wonders of it, she had heard of tremendous waves and storms that could cause much carnage about the areas nearby. She wondered if those things were true, and if they would happen while Linnëa resided here. Maybe, but she might pass away before they would happen.

She saw the river again, a short distance away, close enough to be heard. If they planned on exploring the forests beyond they would need to cross it, by rock or by swimming. Linnëa had absolutely no problem with that. Her pace quickened slightly as she moved parallel to Adena. Could Adena swim well? In all the travels, she did not know the capabilities. But, she was a lead scout so it was likely that she could swim. She gave the female a questioning look, then moved it to the river, and back to her. Can you cross this? She was attempting to ask, though she still had to speak without words.

"But if I were fully committed, I wouldn't have left either. I'm sure you understand that."

Adena looked at him with a raised brow. "I understand," she said coolly, but said no more on that matter. She preferred if they would move on from the fact that he deserted the pack and then changed his mind and came back. Adena was still not sure what to make of him now. And what of his rank? Was he still the beta? Crimson had no idea that Gale was back. Adena wondered if she should go back to him and let him know. Perhaps Crimson would allow Gale to take his position again as beta. Though since he left and came back would tell Crimson that Gale's loyalties were not in the same place his were, even if his beta did come back. Gale must have been thinking something similar, for his mood dropped and he kept shaking his head.

Frustration, or perhaps anger, laced her tone, giving it a sharper edge than usual, though it was barely noticeable. She didn't mean for her emotions to come out through her tone of voice. Adena tried to make her voice airy and nonchalant, though even she could hear the anger directed at Gale in it. "Why did you leave?" she asked, looking anywhere but at him. The question was perhaps going too far, but she kept her paws moving at the same, rhythmic speed as if she had said nothing. The frown reappeared on her brow. "That's what I don't understand."

She trotted ahead, snow crunching quietly under her cream paws. Gale soon levelled up beside her, and then Linnëa padded on the other side.


"There's an ocean that way. The smell of salt on the air? That's where it comes from."

Adena lifted her slender muzzle to test the air for the scent Gale told her of. Her sensitive nose caught the sharp salty scent immediately, and her tail swayed a little against her hind legs as a small wave of excitement flashed through her. She had never seen the ocean. She heard stories describing the sea and its waves but had never set eyes upon it. Her silver eyes widened excitedly and her step grew more springy and her pace quickened over the crispy snow. The pack's new territory was beside the ocean. She almost forgot about her confusion at Gale's departure. A smile grew on her face, her frowning brow relaxing.

Linnëa padded a bit away from her side and motioned at the river before looking back questioningly at Adena. At first, the fire-coated female blinked vacantly at the khaki female. Then she realised what she meant moment later. "I can swim," she told Linnëa. "But it has been a while," she added with a smile. Though just the thought of swimming in the freezing waters made her shiver. Even though her coat was thick was warm, it was not waterproof. Her fur would be sodden and she would catch a severe cold. There was also a danger that if her thick fur was soaked through, she would be weighed down in the water, making it more difficult to swim, which was her only fear when it came to deep water in winter. "But can we find somewhere a little more shallow to cross at? The water will be freezing. Wet and cold are not a good combination in this weather." She found a little joy in swimming in shallow pools - in nicer weather - but she also knew the dangers of deeper water. Adena followed after Linnëa. Perhaps if they crossed here they could go down to the sea. Adena knew that they had to explore all aspects of the territory, but she wished to begin with the sea, though only if Linnëa and Gale wanted to go down there as well.

"Have you ever seen the ocean?" she asked Gale in a whisper, looking at him with wide, excited blue eyes. She knew that the water would be very cold at this time of year, but still her enthusiasm didn't mellow. The beach would be lovely in summer, though at this time of year, it would be windy and wet. However, she still felt a need to see it. "Can we go see it?" she inquired, looking up at Gale, for he was quite a bit taller than her.

ooc: This is quite messy, sorry! xD

The sound of approaching pawsteps caught Ari’s attention as they walked off, slowing her steps and causing her to look back over her shoulder as Finn approached. She waved off his apology with a swish of his tail, a silent motion that it was no worry while he caught his breath and continued on. The news of a sick packmate captured her attention immediately and the scholar turned about quickly, giving Finn her attention while trying to recall which wolf Finn was speaking of. Patched color who went on and dismissed him? She hadn’t been paying particular attention at the time apparently, because it took Arisah a long moment to come up with a name and a picture in her mind. Linnea the delta? Ari’d never spoken with the female, but she was a prominent wolf in the pack.

Being sick made sense, she hadn’t seemed very steady on her feet this last day or two of travel but Ari’d never thought much of it, after so much travelling, she had not been alone. Internally cursing herself for being so inattentive, especially as the female was nowhere to be seen, as Finn had mentioned, Arisah wondered what they could do. “Can you describe how she was acting, as best as you know? We can look for herbs while we’re out, but I’ll know better what to look for if I have an idea what’s wrong.” Still, even if Finn could describe her actions well, there’d be no way to be certain. If they could find lots of general things, that would be best. “I’m Arisah,” she added, hoping Finn could tell her enough to work with.

Trying to bury the anxiety that prickled below her pelt, a mixture of worry for the she-wolf and anxiousness for her unfamiliarity with what this new land had to offer by way of healing, Arisah turned to Phantom with a small smile, “I might be taking you up on that offer sooner than expected.”

An unfamiliar howl in the distance caught her ears, one turning slightly in the direction the voice had come from. Arisah wondered if it signaled another new wolf who might join their numbers but kept her attention on the two scouts she stood with.

Phantom's attention was suddenly turned towards the howl (Sixx's) in the near by distance. He bared his fangs. Loner was the first word that came to his mind. "Seems we have a vistor in our mists. I'll check it out." He mumbled to Ari. With that said and her off on her own, he went off also.

The scout moved like he used to when he was first accepted into the pack. Just like the wind that cairred him to these lands. The only thing that ran through his mind as of now was the safety for the pack. He was gladely put himself in harms way to protect his new family.

Phantom soon came up across the stranger, now with a light walk, he crept forward. He kept his breaths short and silent. As if he were in the hunt. Slowly the male raised his head as he came out of the bushes and slowly spoke. "Greetings, stranger. I am Phantom a scout of the Banishing Winds Pack. The pack that has recently claimed this area as its territory. May i as who you are?"



(Writer's black Dx)

Lingering steps crushed fallen debris and foliage. A large fox sized shadow trailed behind a silhouette as a mistress continued her journey. The Fae known as Antheia, searched for a place called home. In mid-stride, whispering conversations echoed her beige lobes.

Shifting orbs caught the sight of a large group of wolves. A pack was it? ever so slightly she mumbled under her breath. A rather large howl sent a churning chill to run up her spine.

Her orbs flickered towards a wolf a couple of hundred meters way from where she stood. "For now I will wait for the right time" she thought to herself, before perching next to a oak tree.

(Bad first post xD)

Falco trotted along the vast landscape, he was on the hunt for a food source for the pack. His ears flicked as he decided to go by himself, his grey tipped paws treading lightly over the hard ground, swift as the wind flowing through the long semi-dry grass. He had smelled a herd of bison not too far away, but knowing he could not take one down on his own, he decided to investigate the herd anyway, see if they were good for picking.

He emerged over a small hill and into a small valley seeing the tiny brown dots appear in the distance, he was already a decent way away from the pack, but the white male sat on the hill staring down at the unsuspecting bison. They were not all huddled together, which was strange, maybe there had not been wolves around here for a while and they had become to feel 'too safe'. A sly grin crossed Falco's muzzle as he saw a new born calf straying from its mother. That would be a perfect target, He would be able to take it down on his own, but the trouble was being able to avoid its parents, and herd.

Falco laid down in the grass and began his decent down the hill, unseen by the eye. Even though his pelt was white and grey, the grass was too long and too thick to see anything hiding in it. Falco proceeded forth quickly, but upon silent paws, his hind paws stepping in the exact spot of his fore's and picking carefully where he was placing them upon the ground.

Now laying only metres away from the calf, Falco decided to play the waiting game, The calf was slowly moving further and further from its herd with out its mother noticing too much. She would occasionally look at it and then go back to grazing, while the calf was experimenting the taste of the grass, in different spots. Falco gave a sigh as he continued to wait. The calf soon walked straight past him, not even noticing him and up the hill slightly. This would be the perfect time to attack and kill the calf with out its mother noticing him.

Turning around slowly in the grass, Falco moved back towards the calf, coming up on its side, ever so slowly and carefully. The white brute cast a quick glance to the herd, they all seemed to be eating, this was the perfect time to strike. And without another moment more, Falco launched into the air, soundless, leaping at the calf, and grasping its muzzle in his jaws. Pushing it into the ground. The were a few faint calls for help from the calf, and it died quickly, as Falco suffocated it. He was glad that the mother hadn't noticed him killing its calf, otherwise he would be surely chased by the herd. If there were a pack of them, the herd would only somewhat challenge the wolves, but seeing as there was only him they would go after him, until they got him. Falco had been chased by bison before, and it was not fun at all.

Grasping the prey around its neck, Falco started a long trip back to where the pack was currently camped. He was exhausted by the time he got back, after dragging the calf that was at least double his weight the few kilometres of hills and valleys. Falco dragged it right up to the pack and past everyone to face Crimson. He pulled the calf around and sat it right in front of the tawny brute. "Food for the Pack, as you wished." he panted as he flopped down into a sit. "I'd say there hasn't been wolves here for quite some time, as the Bison were all spread out, not in a tightly knit herd" he continued, stopping for a big breath in between his words. Falco laid down, his legs were twitching and shaking from the long journey and the built up lactic acid that remained in them. He knew he would be sore in the morning.



(gotta love hunting posts =D )