W a r r i o r D o g s || ShadowPack

[Tordier]

Rive
59 Moons
Chihuahua Mix
ShadowPack
Omega
With Thornheart

It would be many moons before Rive officially joined the elders' den, but with Thornheart inside, it already felt a bit like home. Following her lead, Rive settled herself in the soft bedding, facing the elder at an angle so that they could easily make eye contact. Before Rive could say anything, it was Thornheart that spoke first. What she said came as a surprise. In a way, it was a welcome distraction, for the omega momentarily forgot all about her concerns of moments prior.
Rive was eternally grateful for her place in ShadowPack, fed and protected from all harm. It was a much better than she could ever have found for herself on her own, but despite that, she had never thought of herself as someone to envy. Yet, Rive had a feeling that was not Thornheart's point. Instead, she listened intently, soaking in the ancient dog's words as if they were treasures of great value. Slowly, Rive's tail brushed back and forth behind her, gently rustling against the bedding she laid on, her ears pinned back humbly.
"You really think so?" Rive asked, once Thornheart fell silent again.
She could tell that Thornheart was thinking deeply, though she had few clues as to what. It was probably just the sad news. Something like that would bother anyone.
"I'll-", she hesitated for a moment before her soft, shy voice gained strength and Rive continued. "I'll remember that, Thornheart."
The Chihuahua mix gently lowered her head to rest her chin lightly on Thornheart's paw. Her chest felt oddly warm and full with appreciation for the friend she had found in Thornheart.
"I'm glad you're here."
Her tiny head bobbed slightly as she spoke, still affectionately resting her chin on the elder's front paw.

[Ember1989]

Snowstorm

She dog| Siberian Husky| 12 moons|Tag: Jaggedfang, pack

Snowstorm quietly padded toward the two newcomers. She felt a bit sad at the sudden loss as she managed to get Spottedfeather’s body on her back. She didn’t care how heavy the body was. If they weren’t all buried soon the camp would smell of death. She went and buried Spottedfeather in an area of the camp not too close to the dens. Digging the hole wasn’t that hard. Burying a friend made her sad. After a few minutes of digging she dragged the body to the hole and pushed it in gently. Snowstorm then buried her and went to get Hawkfeather. She didn’t ask for help, mostly because she was sure that the pack was still in shock over the three deaths.

[qerrat]

Thornheart
♀| 216 Moons | Shadowpack | No romance | Elder | Location: Elder's Den | Tags: Rive
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Thornheart smiled at Rive, her thoughts of lonely dogs she had seen melting away. "I know so. Friendship is a far greater treasure than power, and there is no friendship without love. And I know you will remember, Rive, and never forget it." She edged closer to the small omega, finding that her heart naturally changed to match her companion's. "I'm thankful to Starpack that I'm here," Thornheart chuckled, completely honest about what she had said. The ancient she-dog was thankful beyond words to Starpack for her extended life, and all the dogs she had been allowed to meet and talk with.

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[Tordier]

Rive
59 Moons
Chihuahua Mix
ShadowPack
Omega
With Thornheart

Any previous worries within Rive's tiny body had melted away, to be replaced by the fond closeness she had found with this dear friend of hers. It was refreshing, like being taken away from all of her worries and sheltered in another world, filled with nothing but peace. It left her mind open for other thoughts. Rive found herself intrigued by Thornheart's comment about StarPack.
"What do you think it's like in StarPack?" she wondered aloud. "It's... hard to imagine, for me. I hope it's nice, though."
There were probably a lot of dogs in StarPack. Several names came to mind, but there had to be countless dogs Rive had never known. What must it be like, to live in a place like that? Thornheart was so wise about this sort of thing, and Rive's curiosity was already piqued at the thought of hearing the elder's opinion on the matter.

[qerrat]

Thornheart
♀| 216 Moons | Shadowpack | No romance | Elder | Location: Elder's Den | Tags: Rive
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Thornheart closed her eyes, thinking. "When I imagine Starpack," she said finally, opening her eyes to look back at her companion. "I imagine a huge, lush, green field, with oaks growing in different areas all around. I do not believe that there will be Leaf-bare, only life and warmth. And all dogs who have gone to Starpack, no matter their clan, will be living side by side as forever companions." She paused for a second, imagining the beauty of a place like that. "Now," she chuckled, "This is only what I believe, or you could say, what I wish for. I've always wished that Shadowpack had more unity with the others, because none of us are that different, so for me, that has always been apart of my picture of Starpack. Unity." Thornheart stopped again, thinking of the countless dogs she had seen come and go. "I always hope for all the dogs I see to go to Starpack, for I believe that every dog deserves eternity there."

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[Ember1989]

Snowstorm

She dog| Siberian Husky| 12 moons|Tag: Jaggedfang, pack

It had taken her a while on her own but she had buried all of the dead herself. Now her body ached, but she didn’t complain. Snowstorm sat down, worried for the pack’s future. They needed a new deputy. She looked from Jaggedfang to Velvetstar. Who would replace Flowerpetal?

[Tordier]

Rive
59 Moons
Chihuahua Mix
ShadowPack
Omega
With Thornheart

With Thornheart's voice playing the part of narrator, Rive's eyelids drifted closed to reveal a colorful world hidden behind them. Her imagination painted a vibrant picture of what StarPack could be. Lush, green grass coated the ground and swayed gently in the breeze. The sun cast golden beams upon the land, creating an aura of hazy warmth and comfort. Sparse patches of oak groves were scattered about, providing shade and shelter for any who wanted it. At first, this scenic backdrop was the main attraction in Rive's daydream, but then, there were voices. Dogs, most of whom were strangers, shared this meadow. They frolicked joyously, or napped peacefully, or sat in circles, laughing at each others' stories. It was a frightfully beautiful place that faded to blackness as Thornheart's voice quieted. So lost was she in her fantasy that finding herself in the elders' den was somewhat of a surprise to Rive.
The omega blinked, training her gaze up at Thornheart and observing the elder's distant expression that Rive had come to recognize as a reminiscing of sorts, or perhaps remembering. Rive had lived long enough to know several former packmates that were no longer with ShadowPack as well, but her knowledge of dogs from other packs, or even outside of them altogether, was lacking. Thornheart seemed to think that dogs from all walks of life had more in common than they were different. Rive was unsure of her own opinion. They were supposed to be threats to ShadowPack, after all.
"Really? Even dogs outside of ShadowPack? But aren't they dangerous?"
Rive paused for a moment, and then began to think out loud.
"Then again, we all believe in the same StarPack. I don't think they're lying about that... So we must all end up in the same place. How strange. It's so different from how things are in life."

[qerrat]

Thornheart
♀| 216 Moons | Shadowpack | No romance | Elder | Location: Elder's Den | Tags: Rive
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Thornheart chuckled. "I've had many friends through this life, and some were from Shadowpack, but there were quite a few others from the rest of the packs. And you are right, we all believe in Starpack, so in the end, our true values will be the same. And values are what shapes us. If you valued nothing but power, and didn't think love had any worth, you wouldn't love, but you would have power. And we are all dogs. Each of us feels pain, we all hunger for food and drink, and we all bleed the same, red blood. And I think where you live, what you smell like, and where you live couldn't ever be equal to those facts." Thornheart paused, thinking, then laughed. "But I suppose these are the ramblings of a dog that's lived long enough to have met and known many dogs."

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[Tordier]

Rive
59 Moons
Chihuahua Mix
ShadowPack
Omega
With Thornheart

While both Rive and Thornheart shared the quality of being camp-dwelling canines, that had not always been the case for the elder, who no doubt had experienced many opportunities to build bonds with dogs outside of ShadowPack. For an isolated dogs like Rive, the differences between packs were so much obvious than their similarities, but Thornheart was starting to grow a curiosity within the omega regarding all the parts of life she had missed by accepting the rank that she had. The trade as well worthwhile, in Rive's opinion, but it as only natural to wonder what life could have been like, had one taken another path.
"You know I like your "ramblings", Rive assured Thornheart warmly. "So what is it like to have friends in other packs? Tell me all about them."
The little mixed-breed shuffled her haunches a little deeper into the bedding beneath her, clearly readying herself for a good story.

[qerrat]

Thornheart
♀| 216 Moons | Shadowpack | No romance | Elder | Location: Elder's Den | Tags: Rive
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Thornheart looked up thoughtfully. "When we're all pups, even warriors, we're told that the other packs are to be feared. I used to think that was to keep pups from venturing into enemy packs, but I think now we say this because we believe that other packs say this. We all forbid interaction with each other, friendships, and such things because of fear. Sometimes I wonder if Starpack truly forbade interactions between packs." She paused, temporarily lost in thought, before continuing. "Perhaps the first dog I truly became friends with from another pack's name was Stormpaw. We were both apprentices, and met when a young Skypack apprentice said that he could climb the great oak, bigger than where the leaders sit, and terrifying huge. Anyways, every one of us apprentices wanted to see this, so we sneaked away during the gathering. He did manage to climb the oak, but on his way down began to fall." Thornheart closed her eyes, the picture perfectly clear in her mind, even after all those years. "I am sure that he would have died, had it not been for us; me, Stormpaw, and three other dogs. We dove forwards, and took the full weight of his fall between us five. He survived, with just a good bruising, and so did we." The elder opened her eyes again, a dream-like smile on her muzzle. "Each of us were from a different pack. None of us knew each other before then, and I think that together, whatever pack you're from, whatever the situation, we can all work together."

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