—`ϡ . 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚 𝙧𝙪𝙖𝙙𝙝 . ৴´ ↟

[Aniki]

𝑁𝑖𝑎𝑚ℎ 𝐺𝑜̀𝑟𝑑𝑎𝑛
[the healer] [location: her cabin] [Tags: august] [Mentions: n/a]
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indentindentNo matter how hard the wolf ran the fire licked at her back paws, smoke was heavy in the air making her lungs burn as she pushed herself to flee the area. Shouting rang from all around her making her confused thinking she was getting away yet it seemed like she was running towards the sound instead. Her body was starting to give out; her legs shaking uncontrollably making running impossible. Her eyes darted around her and spotted a hollowed-out tree trunk barely big enough for her to crawl her way into trying to make herself as tiny as possible, but it was no use, soon the flames and shouting surrounded her and she let the pain take over.

indentindentNiamh woke with a start, nearly falling out of her bed, her legs caught up in her sheet. The crisp breeze danced over her sweat-covered body slowly cooling the burns that the fire had gifted her. She eased herself up, her back against the headboard as she ran her hands down her face. The normal trick of counting backward from ten did nothing to calm her racing heart. She patted herself down looking for burnt skin luckily finding none. Stumbling out of bed on legs like that of a newborn deer, Niamh slowly made her way from her bedroom to the small kitchen of her cabin. Flicking the stove on, she filled her favorite kettle up with water and placed it on the flickering flame. Just seeing the small flame of the stove made her shudder. Looking out of the window above her sink, Niamh could still hear the nighttime orchestra playing softly in the background.

indentindentThe shrill whistle of her kettle cut through the sounds of the night, making her jump in fright before realizing where the sound was coming from. Shutting off the stove and moving the kettle quickly off to keep the noise down, she prepared herself a mug of juniper berry tea with a spoonful of raw honey. Taking her steaming mug, Niamh went to her front porch, curling herself up in her favorite chair and taking a long sip, not caring that the tea burned her tongue. It was the fourth time this week that she was startled awake by strange dreams. No matter what she did to help herself go to sleep could help keep the nightmares away. While the contents of the nightmares changed just slightly, they would always end with fire and smoke.

indentindentKnowing that there was no point to try to go back to sleep, Niamh slowly drank her tea before uncurling herself from her chair, her joints groaning as she did so, and stretched out. Her muscles felt so raw as if she genuinely ran for her life. Grimacing, Niamh made her way inside taking the time to dump out what little tea was left down the drain as she made her way into the bedroom to get ready for the day.

indentindentLooking into her mirror she was greeted with tired eyes with deep purple bags underneath them with a pale sickly complexion was made her look as if she rose from the dead. Her hair was one giant tangled mess making brushing it out extremely unpleasant wincing at each snag her brush caught. Once her hair was in a more manageable state, she quickly plaited her hair wrapping a bandana around her head and tossed the braid over her shoulder. From her closet, she pulled out a patchwork skirt in different shades of brown that stopped just shy of her ankles; an olive willow blouse with long sleeves; a rich brown cardigan, and her favorite pair of battered-up brown leather shoes. Securing her light gray apron with its front pocket already packed with her herb scissors and gloves, Niamh gave one last look in her mirror before heading out to get an early jump on today’s work.

indentindentNormally she would tend to the garden on the left side of her cabin, but today she was pulled towards the forest. A heavy fog covered the ground with small droplets of rain slowly sneaking through the lush canopy above. The heavy scent of rain filled her lungs as she took a deep breath. This was how her forest was supposed to smell. Rich with a crispness not filled with smoke that burned your lungs. It didn’t take her long to find what was calling to her. Her beautiful patch of lush willow herb was slowly burning. The large flames had long died down leaving glowing embers behind. The smell was rotten and acidic making her eyes fill with tears. Unable to see the much-needed herb suffer as it was, she quickly fled the scene and returned to camp.

indentindentBy the time she made it back home, the sun was peaking over the horizon and the caws of the seagulls could be heard coming from the port not too far away. She had just untied her apron when August burst through her door.
"Aye, I saw it too." Niamh sighed and took in August's disheavled state. "I think we both know what this means."

[Aniki]

𝐴𝑙𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑎 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑠
[the beta] [location: her cabin > forest] [tags: malik] [mentions: august, malik]
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indentindent Despite the very annoying beeping coming from her nightstand, Alexandra buried herself under her sheets. She knew the longer she ignored the alarm that it would just get louder and even more obnoxious, which made her fling her arm out of the warmth of the cocoon she was wrapped up in and slapped around her nightstand until she was able to find her phone. She lazily dragged the still-beeping phone into her cocoon and finally shut it off. Glaring at the time on her phone, one that she knew would be there but hated to see anyway, and seeing that it was six in the bloody morning Alex couldn’t help but groan. She hated morning patrol but today was her day to do so. Muttering some colorful words under her breath, Alex slowly got out of bed. She padded her way over to the bathroom and started to get herself ready for the day.

indentindent Once she was ready enough, she headed out of her room and down the hall to the stairs. August’s bedroom door was closed which meant he was either still gone or he managed to slip in undetected and went back to sleep. She was half tempted to bang on his door as she passed but decided against it. While she would find his displeasure entertaining it would not be the best way to greet him for the day. At the bottom of the stairs, she turned left and headed into the kitchen. Opening the fridge she noticed how little was inside. ’So he isn’t back yet,’ Alex nodded to herself as she pulled out the almost empty carton of creamer. As she started a pot of fresh coffee, she reached up above to get herself her favorite mug. It was a gift August got for her for her twenty-fourth birthday. It was a simple, large white mug with the phrase “I’m Not Obligated to Tell You What Is in Here” written in big, bold lettering. It was a simple thing but she loved it nonetheless. As the rich, earthy smell of coffee filled the kitchen Alex started doing her simple stretches, hands above her head; down touching her toes; leaning down to one side then the other; a few toe raises; and a few others to help wake her body up. Once the coffee was finished she doctored hers up and took it to the front porch.

indentindent The land was starting to wake up as she watched the fog that covered the ground like a thick blanket slowly start to thin out. It would stay for a bit longer before it cleared out around the cabins. The soft pitter-patter of the rain made the normally cool the early autumn feel even colder. It was clear that it rained heavily during the night with several larger puddles spotted around the cabin grounds. Once she had her fill of her coffee, she placed her mug on the bench seat on the porch for her to gather after her patrol. With a full body shake and a slight tickle across her skin, a large white-blonde wolf now stood instead of a human.

indentindentTaking a deep breath, the earthy tones came in sharper and filled her lungs making her feel one with the forest around them. Stepping off the porch into the rain, Alex decided on her path before heading left and trotted her way into the forest. Normally she would have done a simple one-mile lap around the pack’s cabins but with the bits of information that the pack had gathered over the few weeks of new humans coming into town, she knew that this patrol would be a longer one which was why she set her alarm thirty minutes before her normal wake up time for morning patrol. As she moved along the forest floor jumping and weaving between fallen branches, she couldn’t help but notice how eerie quiet it was. She took a moment to pause so she could truly focus on the sounds or lack thereof of the area. Sure there were a few bird calls and some chittering between squirrels, but normally the forest was much louder in the morning with everything waking up and starting a new day of survival. There was something in the air that was out of place. The scent was very light where she was but it was not a smell she normally would find so deep in the forest. No, this smell was something that happened in the evenings with her pack around her laughing and spending time together around a bond fire. Not by itself in the middle of the forest. Knowing how dangerous and uncontrollable a forest fire could be, Alex knew she would have to find whatever was causing the burn to see just how dangerous it would be.

indentindentSo, instead of going down the route she had planned, Alex started following the scent doing her best to follow it as it danced its way through the forest. Luckily with the rain she knew that the likelihood of the fire spreading would be slim so that gave her hope. She wasn’t sure how long she trekked until the smell became stronger. That is when she noticed the burning in her nose with each deep breath she took. Alarm bells were going off in her head as she slowed down and carefully inched forward. She quickly had to turn away from the patch of something that was now nothing but small embers. The wretched smell made her start to gag. She made a quick note of where she was so she could tell the others and ask Niamh what she found before turning around and leaving it far behind her.

indentindentIt wasn’t too long after that when she picked up a new smell as well. It was a scent of a male wolf that she only met a few times and each time it was barely for five minutes. Racking her brain she tried to come up with the male wolf’s name. Something that started with an M… Michael? No that didn’t seem right. When looking back on it she couldn’t tell you why she followed his scent but at the moment it was because she was curious as to what he was doing around pack territory. Even that was a flimsy excuse. While the pack did have a large span of territory it wasn’t the whole forest. Where she picked up his scent was easily three-ish miles outside their normal area. Perhaps it was because of the burning patch that made her want to follow. See if he knew anything. Yeah, that was the reason why she was going deeper into the forest.

indentindentShe was so caught up in her own head that it caught her off guard when a low growl came from somewhere around her. Freezing she narrowed her eyes as her gaze swept the area around her. While she could not see him she knew he was close.
indentindent”I know you are out there,” she all but shouted in her mind. ”I have questions and I demand answers, feral.” She spat at feral like it tasted rotten in her mouth.

[broken*]

❆. ── ❝ MALIK TAMIR ❞
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( 27 years ) ( male ) ( dubh feral ) ( location: his cabin, the forest ) ( tags: alexandra )
❆. ── ❝ if they stand behind you, protect them. if they stand beside you, respect them. if they stand against you, defeat them! ❞


it all started out as just another day, blurring together with the majority of his days these past years, where he spent his time primarily alone. get up, go for a run, eat something, see if there was anything interesting going on in the forest, finding something to drink, occasionally end up with some company short-term, sleep. not much really changes for him, and that's precisely the way he likes it; his wolf can be in almost full control nearly all of the time, with his human mind really only needing to take over on the rare occurrence that something out of the ordinary happens. malik enjoys the structure of his routine, the unspoken promise of the forest that he can go to sleep knowing the next day will be almost exactly the same as the last day was. this allows him to have a plan while primarily relying on his animal instincts to take care of him, and allows his human memories to stay buried deep down in his unconscious mind, precisely where he prefers them to be.

that morning, malik had shaken himself out from under a pile of blankets, each in various stages of disrepair due to how long he had some of them, his normal sleeping arrangement. glancing at the large pile of faded colors and different materials, even his wolf was able to feel a sense of pleasure as brief flashes came to him of where specific ones had come from. some of them he had stolen from people who had gone camping in the woods but wound up too close to his location. others, he had stolen off of drying racks right out of peoples backyards, on the rare occurrence that he went close enough to town for that. some he had found just blowing around, likely thrown out as garbage by wasteful people. but his very favorite few had been provided to him by one of his only friends in this world; the female werewolf from a local pack named niamh. those blankets were something special, as some had been hand-made by the sweet niamh, whereas others had been picked out by her for him especially; regardless, there was something about them that made them special, and even in his wolf form he couldn't help the warmth that fluttered in his chest at the thought.

malik's large wolf form made its way easily through the old cabin, avoiding certain patches of wood that he knew were rotting or weak as he made his way for the front door. it had long since ever been locked, but he was still able to push it open and closed with his muzzle to keep out certain weather or unwanted intruders, for the most part. nudging at the door with his nose, he slipped through the opening easily, gently kicking it shut behind himself. standing on the run-down front porch, he felt a chill in the air as he looked around at the forest, causing him to shake the sleep from his fur briefly. he didn't keep up with time or seasons the way that a normal person did, having long since forgone the use of any electronics or connections to the human world, but his wolf always could tell instinctively when the seasons were coming up to a change, or when the weather was going to get bad. 'the chill of autumn is here.' he thought to himself, grateful for the fact that his wolf's fur had already started to thicken up, the second coat in its early stages of growing in to keep him warm as the cold months came.

the day passed by relatively smoothly in the beginning, much as it usually did, with him taking care of his usual business. it didn't bother malik or his wolf that there was a fog in the air which dampened his fur, even when the light sprinklings of rain stopped; it was a way for him to get partially clean without having to find a large enough water source to fully bath in. he eased his thirst at a small trickling stream that he knew was around the area before allowing his wolf to take control and attempt to hunt them something to eat. only, something was off about the forest today, he noted, as the usual birdsong was silent, and he saw far less small animals like squirrels or rabbits scampering about. he had finally been able to catch a lone capercaillie bird that had seemed overly-confident in its judgment that whatever was wrong had gone away. malik's confusion was soon answered, however, as the scent of something sour hit his nostrils, causing them to flare. instantly, his wolf was on alert, as this was not a normal scent he had come across in his time in the forest, although there was a hint of something on the breeze that was somewhat familiar. his deep brown eyes widened at the recognition of this second scent; fire. something was burning.

the large black wolf held the limp bird in his mouth tightly, weighing his options as he looked around himself. the scent of the burning wasn't fresh, which made him think that perhaps the fire itself had started to die down, and he was just smelling the remnants of the smoke and whatever had burnt. knowing how devastating wildfires could be, and the danger one would pose to his life, malik made the decision to slowly approach the area where the scent was coming from, to ensure he didn't just return to his cabin and get burned down in his sleep. cautiously, he approached the clearing, muzzle wincing up in displeasure as the acrid scent grew stronger, until finally he was able to peak out of the treeline and into the field. just at this moment, the rain started back up again, and his wolf felt a bit of the tightness in his chest loosen as he watched the rainfall continue to put out the blackened ground before him. the human in malik tried to rack his brain and remember what had been here, if it was anything important or just a field, but he couldn't get a clear picture. shaking his head a bit, he sent up a thanks to the nature spirits above that the rain had stopped the fire from spreading to a dangerous level, turning on his heel as he made his way back towards his cabin.

the lumbering black wolf had nearly made it back to the small clearing that held his cabin, when his entire body tensed. he froze in place, ears swiveling to catch the sound of what had made him tense up, and there - he heard it again. soft paw-steps following him from the direction he had just left; likely a pack wolf, but why would they seek him out? normally the nearby pack left him alone and aside from a few very rare friends, they had no reason to follow him. nostrils flaring to take in the strangers scent, he could tell that it was not one of those few friends of his, and slipped quickly into the heavy brush nearby, dropping his prey under one bush, his warm brown eyes locking on the smaller white wolf that appeared just where he had been a few moments ago. he let out a low growl, rumbling through his chest, in warning to let the she-wolf know that she was caught, and watched her body language change as she heard him. his wolf didn't fully understand all of the words that she spat at him, but he was keenly aware of the harsh note of cruelty in her tone that rang through his head, deciding a bit of intimidation was in order.

slowly, he made his way out of the shadows, his dark fur blending in so perfectly with the darkness that for the first few steps, all the she-wolf would have been able to see would be his bright eyes. his ears were pinned flat against his skull as he bared his canines at her in warning, another low growl reverberating from inside of him as he stopped just at the edge of the shadows of the trees. malik's wolf stood up tall and proud, every muscle on his body tense and ready to attack if need be, as he glared down at the smaller female. in his human form, malik stood nearly a head above most other people, hitting the height of six foot seven inches back when he was around eighteen years old. and so, in his wolf form, he was a large beast as well, especially well muscled due to being in his wolf form the majority of the time when he went out and did things. his wolf was far more likely to attack an intruder over talk things out, but the human inside of him fought for the tiniest bit of control, and so he was able to respond briefly to the female's words. "my home. you intrude. know your place. leave me be."

[`silver]

𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐔𝐋
tags: supposed to be drew, but I failed mentions: adaya, niamh, drew location: edge of coille ruadh > elgin town center

A dense fog furled humid tendrils along exposed skin, lapping with an uncomfortable stickiness that had Haneul adjusting the collar of his button up shirt. He'd worn a normal amount of layers today - a silkier button up shirt tucked into pants that matched the texture of his longer, somewhat form-fitting coat that brushed familiarly at his calves - an outfit that blurred him into an ambling shadow against the overcast morning that winked gently through the thick air. His footsteps didn't dare disturb the silence that clung to the air, the very forest itself seeming to hold it's breath as if in preparation for something that was bound to break through it's quietude with a clamorous resonance.

Clamorous it was - in both sight and sound. He recognized the hum of a newer engine approaching through the trees, sweeping up a whirlwind of brown and yellow leaves that danced in the disturbing uproar of an all too new and glossy truck that cut through the edge of town, blaring DRLs catching clouds of fog that scattered towards the tree line he walked along. He acknowledged the uncommon sight with the capturing of the license plate number on the fender of the vehicle before shrugging his shoulders uncomfortably as a sensation of uneasiness raised phantom hackles. A flood of images to played across his thoughts as he took a moment to pause his gait, watching the vehicle drive further into town as it's wide tire tracks left their imprints on the unpaved earth. They were same tracks that'd haunted his dreams for the past few days and their appearance normally signaled he was at the end of his unconsciousness.

The dreams had begun with distant lumbering through the trees that he'd recognized to be somewhere in the depths of Coille Ruadh by their lush, untamed hues and foliage, but from a perspective where he was simply watching rather than being the one to traverse so haphazardly through the arbors. Snapping twigs, getting caught in peaty soil -- the movement of someone or something that didn't quite know what they were getting themselves into and yet still continuing to move in a particular direction. Deeper into the forest until eventually the movement defined itself, gaining in confident stride until it changed into something less human and full of a grace he didn't naturally possess. A husk of a powerful body that rippled with strength, gliding through loam and vegetation with a whisper of a presence until the imagery settled on an area where the trees thinned and sunlight beamed down on an array of magenta perennials.

The moment he stepped forward to take a closer look at the delicate flowers, their radiance was hushed by hues of black and gray as his surroundings were turned to charred remains that reeked of exhaust and petrichor. Footsteps from heavy boots lined the dusty ground, disappearing where tire tracks had began and led away from the initial scene.

Whatever the case was, it felt like a warning that he should heed.

Haneul had settled into the foggy town in the hopes of finding some kind of solace in the place he’d come to visit as a child. While he’d never thought to find himself returning to an area that had been connected to his former home, there’d always been that quiet pull in the back of his mind to escape the reality that he’d come to face from an all too young age and his mind associated a place like that — out of all the ones he’d been to — to Elgin. More specifically Coille Ruadh. Unlike all the other wolves he’d met, they’d had their division of sides between their humanity and their wolf such as being forced to transform into a beast when the moon grew full, but for him there’d never been a time where he’d itched to shed his skin. He couldn't see himself favoring a different form other than the one he currently possessed. When given the chance or handed a certain prowess, humans tended to be fascinated by their existence alone and in turn, it created the hunted and the hunter. The taste of the taboo, something so grotesque in which a regular person one exchanged words with or painted memories of, could appear in an unearthly light that shone not of the moon, but of the instincts that run rampant through their thoughts. To understand control was the first step in leveling one's humanity with the desires that tore into beastly hearts, separating them from the mundane crowd that they sought to blend so quietly into.

It'd never been Haneul's intention to integrate into society as peacefully as he was now. He would've been lying if he'd said he wasn't simply biding his time, awaiting the next pocket of disturbances that required his attention. He lived in disquiet so solace could never be in the forefront of his mind and these dreams that'd begun to lap at his thoughts even into the brighter hours of the day were slowly gaining in traction to have him believe that something would soon be afoot. Until then though, he'd have to continue his own manner of slipping just under the radar of both man and wolf alike.

Haneul thought he caught a faint whiff of smoke coming from somewhere deeper in the woods and while his eyes searched briefly, his mind wandered elsewhere as he decided against any streak of curiosity that his heart would've favored. If there was an issue, it would be dealt with accordingly by the rest of the pack, he figured. It'd been some time since August had sought his words and in his place, the newest addition to the pack had made an appearance at the bar. Adaya. It was her and Niamh that tended to frequent his institution aside from an all too familiar blaze of blonde hair that belonged to Andrew Yang.

Never in his life had he met someone so persistent. He would sit somewhere in the room and wait practically all day for Haneul to finish his shift, ordering drinks to draw him closer and using sultry or whining tones to get his attention even when he ignored him entirely. How convenient it was that he happened to be tangled in the mess of werewolves as well. Shaking his head to himself, Haneul brushed off the gentle warmth that flooded his chest as the thoughts warped towards the fact that Drew was likely still cooped up in his home, curled up in a comfortable swathe of blankets and patches of weak sunlight.

The quiet, jingling timbre of the door to the bar a few hours later had him raising his head slowly, languidly placing a now clean glass upside-down on a cloth behind the counter. Dark eyes greeted those whom announced their presence, a quiet but consonant acknowledgement following suit when he found them to be no one out of the ordinary.

"Welcome."

[འབྲོག་ཁྱི]

𝖳𝖧𝖤𝖱𝖤 𝖠𝖱𝖤 𝖥𝖤𝖶 𝖳𝖧𝖨𝖭𝖦𝖲 𝖳𝖧𝖨𝖲 𝖶𝖮𝖱𝖫𝖣 𝖢𝖮𝖴𝖫𝖣 𝖭𝖤𝖵𝖤𝖱 𝖳𝖠𝖪𝖤

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⯭ ── ⋅ 𝑨𝑼𝑮𝑼𝑺𝑻 𝑺𝑻. 𝑨𝑵𝑫𝑹𝑬𝑾

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𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖫𝖮𝖸𝖠𝖫𝖳𝖸 𝖮𝖥 𝖠 𝖣𝖮𝖦 𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖨𝖳𝖲 𝖯𝖱𝖤𝖸, 𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖨 𝖫𝖨𝖤 𝖣𝖮𝖶𝖭 𝖥𝖮𝖱 𝖸𝖮𝖴 !

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tagging; niamh
mentioned; mercer, (everyone)
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location; healer's home
feeling; distressed, indecisive

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The heart inside of August's chest was pounding faster than it ever had. Thoughts were forming into a whirlpool in his mind, and he was having difficulties latching onto a single one. He couldn't decide what to do. The door frame creaked as he righted himself so that he could stagger to a chair, where he fell like a drunken body. Niamh's lilting voice brought him back into the moment and the storm in his head slowed, if only by a little. For a moment, all he could do was stare at her and try to even his breath before he really did faint. In and out, steady. He was tired, but this danger had filled him with an unpleasant energy. It was difficult to know you had no choice but to face something you had never truly prepared for; because you hadn't had the time, because you hadn't thought to, because you believed that ignoring it would make it disappear...
indentindentHe brushed a hand through his sweaty hair and leaned forward in the chair, bracing his elbows on his knees, trying to think.
indentin"I... I don't know what to do," he admitted. It wasn't easy, but right now, it was easier than trying to figure this out on his own. Being the alpha, or rather, what was expected of an alpha, was the furthest thing from his mind. All he cared about was that no one died, that no one got hurt, and if hunters were coming for them, brazen enough to lurk right outside of their home and torch their fields, he didn't know how to do that. He needed help, advice, someone to help him think. He hated putting this on Niamh, but he trusted her, and that's what mattered.
indentindentShould they stay and defend their home? Or just leave and pray that they wouldn't follow? He was about to ask Niamh for her opinion, when a promise he had made a long time ago swam to the forefront of his mind, and in a flash, overtook all of his worries.

indentindentNot all of those now living in Coille Ruadh knew that August hadn't been the first wolf to arrive here. Or at least, he wasn't the first to live in these cabins. All these years later, he remained uncertain what had happened in the time between he and his friends taking off for a break from their studies and him waking up on the other side of the island. He knew now, because it must have happened, that somehow, he had been bitten, and in the haze of that first transformation, something had drawn him north, all the way to the coast. And even after he had awoken, disoriented and lost, something new inside of him had kept him walking until he came across another person who that new thing within him recognized as kin.
indentindentRhona had been the last surviving member of the pack that had first built the home within the Heart of Coille Ruadh. She had taken him in, most likely saved his life, or at the very least, spared him the terror of having had to figure it out on his own. She had fed him, clothed him, given him a safe place to stay. But even at their first meeting, Rhona had known she was dying, that she had lived a long life marked by both good and bad, and her final moonlit night would be arriving sooner than later. Maybe neither of them knew, but as she had taught him how to adjust to life as a wolf, she had been preparing him to take over the pack's home. The last of the old pack would pass, and another would grow in its place. And with a home in Coille Ruadh, she had passed on both a secret and a promise.
indentindentRhona may have been the last of her bloodline living in the Heart, but she wasn't the last living in the forest itself. For she believed that her grandson, a man by the name of Mercer, was still alive and feral in the depths of the forest. She had not seen him in years, but she could feel it; there was not an ounce of doubt in her mind. And were something to happen, whether a man-made threat or a natural disaster, she had made August promise that he would do everything within his power to ensure that Mercer survived. Even as August feared for the safety of his pack — his family — he knew that he owed her this much. He had made a promise, and he intended to keep it. We might be stronger together.

indentindentAugust stood, and his heart was still racing with anxious energy, but his mind had stilled enough to see the beginning of a path forward. He turned to Niamh again, searching for the way to tell someone about a secret he had kept for years.
indentin"Niamh, I have to tell you something," he began, his voice slightly hoarse and constricted from the volley of emotions he had just endured. "We aren't alone in Coille Ruadh. We might be the only pack, but there is someone else. A feral."
indentindentHe couldn't keep himself from pacing in the space that was filled with the belongings of a healer, being careful not to walk into the bundles of herbs that hung drying from the rafters or the precious-looking jars of preserved plants. It was only now that he noticed the familiar blend of scents in the air inside, almost a fragrance of its own in how it seemed to exist only within the rooms of this cabin. The rain pattering against the windows and tapping on the roof brought calm to his mind, but he had never considered himself to be particularly talented when it came to words. He thrived in honesty, and perhaps it was best to come out and say it.
indentin"A woman, a wolf like us, lived here before the pack. She had a grandson, and — she never told me what happened, but something must have, for him to become the way he is. Feral, I mean." It was strange to say it out loud, as if a hush followed it each time but only in August's mind. Like speaking the name of something dangerous, a disaster that had claimed more lives than it was possible to comprehend.
indentindentAbruptly, his troubled eyes snapped back to Niamh, and he quit pacing the wooden floor.
indentin"I made a promise to protect him. If hunters are coming for us, they're coming for everyone in Coille Ruadh. I have to find him, Niamh, but..." He ran his hand through his hair again. He was rambling now, but he had to get the words out. "If everyone knows that we're under threat, I can't just leave. I don't know where to begin. It isn't right to keep this a secret, but I have to find him and bring him back here. I promised."

[Aniki]

𝑁𝑖𝑎𝑚ℎ 𝐺𝑜̀𝑟𝑑𝑎𝑛
[the healer] [location: her cabin] [Tags: august] [Mentions: alexandra, harper]
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indentindentNiamh looked Auggie up and down frowning at what she saw. The poor man looked like he was barely holding onto his sanity. While she was incredibly worried about what the burning of one of their most important herbs meant for the pack, it was apparent that something else was raging havoc on his mind. Knowing Auggie needed a moment to wrangle in his thoughts that were clearly going hundreds of miles per hour in his head, she quickly went about gathering up some of the dried herbs to start a pot of calming tea picking out chamomile, a small dose of catnip, and lemon balm. Mixing the perfect amount of each she poured the loose herbs into a tea bag and set the kettle back on the stove to heat up. Niamh also took the time to get out of her good honeycomb knowing that Auggie might want a little sweetness. It didn’t take long for the tea to be ready and she poured the steaming mix into a simple purple, clearly handmade mug and sat it in front of the empty chair at her table.
indentindentNimah gestured to the drink and nodded in approval when he took a long sip before pacing around again. Knowing that she would probably need some help with this conversation she poured herself the remainder of the tea and took a seat across from August watching him pace about. She let me talk, knowing that interrupting him would be pointless. She furrowed her brow with all the information he was dumping on her. She knew of Rhona or could put the pieces together from the stories the townsfolk talked about an old red wolf that haunted the forest around Coilla Ruadh. Hearing that August knew Rhona was news to her.
indentindent ”… but I have to find him and bring him back here. I promised." Niamh closed her eyes as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Yes, it was clear that August would not be able to rest without going to find this other wolf, but that would just cause a bigger stir with the pack. No, it would be much more than a stir. Depending on how he goes about telling everyone - hopefully, better than how he is telling her now - there would be a lot of shouting and in her opinion justified anger. Taking a deep sigh Niamh made eye contact. She had two options: either tell him something that would make him feel better about himself or tell him how much of a mess he has unintentionally created. Nimah knew however that at this moment what she felt and the urge to shake him and ask him what he was thinking not only making such a promise but keeping it hidden from their family would do no good. He clearly came to HER because he knew that she was a voice of reason and that is what she will be. Once alone she will release the bubbling concoction of emotions that she was doing her best to keep from coming out.
indentindent ”Sit and drink your tea.” It didn’t take long for August to slowly sink into the seat and take a sip of the tea again. She watched as he fidgeted in the seat clearly waiting on her approval or to be scolded. Niamh took a deep sigh, breathing in the herbal mix of the tea. ”I won’t lie to you and say that this will be easy. We both know how a certain blonde will react to this news.” She gave me a pointed look. ”However, it would be wise for you to go find this other wolf. How feral are we talking here, Auggie?”
indentindentShe turned her head to look out the kitchen window as she slowly pieced together a possible plan. One that he would more than likely not like but with the danger of hunters hanging above their heads it would be a smart idea to consider. ”I suggest two things before you go: one is that you tell the pack. I know you are worried about what they will think of this promise you kept to yourself, but they deserve to know. It will be tough to tell but you need to do it and you know it. The other would be to take someone with you to go look for this other feral. Our forest is now a dangerous place and I would be very mad at you if you get injured. I suggest either Alexandra, Harper, or myself. You will need someone else with you.”

[`silver]

𝐋𝐔𝐀𝐍𝐀
tags: mercer mentions: niamh location: edge of the willowherb meadow > stone ruins

Dying flames lapped up magenta flowers with ease, turning their soft, reddish-purple hues into monotonous grays and a deep charcoal after being swallowed up by a light that rivaled that of the sun. They'd been uprooted, cut at the stem at irregular sizes and overall disrespected by the hands of multiple humans that'd trampled any sign of life out of the circular meadow, disgracing what could've been a fairy circle at some point with ashen footsteps and ruthless greed. It made Luana's fur bristle up with unease, chestnut hued eyes reflecting the flames with an amber glow that seemed to undulate in her eyes like a lantern being brandished through a stormy wind. Her chest heaved with a heavy breath as she attempted to steady herself, her legs carrying her forward of their own accord as a wild light arced through her already glowing gaze. The hunters were moving around the burning piles until the meadow reeked of charred earth and the sickeningly sweet scent of a dying flower and Luana forced herself to come to a halt before she made another hasty decision, her maw clamping over their arms or necks replaying through her instinctive mind as she could only watch them destroy one of Niamh's most important herb stores. All of the willowherb, burnt to a crisp for the sake of their greed. Why can't they just find something else to do?

Her footfalls ran silent as she paced, ensuring that she remained downwind as she gave the hunters a wide berth but didn't quite allow them to leave her sight as they talked amongst themselves about the burning of the willowherb being the first step of a grander scheme to flush out any of whom remained in the so-called 'legendary' forest of Coille Ruadh. She could only assume that meant that these were seasoned hunters looking to find any wolves that still traversed the expansive arbors, but for whatever reason, they'd begun their search far closer to the cabins than expected. How would they have known to start looking in Elgin, let alone Coille Ruadh for lone wolves or even a pack? Her mind briefly wandered to the newest addition to the pack that she'd met and seen a handful of times lurking amongst the cabins as well as in town when she decided to stretch her luck. There was a chance that the omega had been followed all the way here, but from where she wasn't really sure. The scents of the hunters as well as their intentions were strong, but marred by the ash that now darted away from her paws as she stepped carefully around the edge of the burnt grass and flowers. The hunters likely had no idea how many wolves were truly in Elgin, let alone where they lived, but from their perspective that she already knew all too well — where there was a will, humans would always have a way. Money held such importance to them that it directed every aspect of their lives to the point that when given a new chance at a reward, those that were the most desperate or lacked empathy would indulge themselves in the idea of killing a few animals under the guise of a greater good. Even if they knew that those animals were no less human than they were. The real problem lay with how far this particular few would go to reach that greater, self-imposed good.

Panic spread across Luana like a cold flame, clawing beneath her skin with an unforgiving uneasiness as she watched the meadow breathe it's final smoky breaths in the early morning fog's rolling wake. It struck too close to home. Mundane anxiety weighed a heavy burden on her chest as she felt it churn into a storm of fear that overtook her thoughts in mere heartbeats, paws whisking over peatier earth and unmarred grass as memories foiled at her once steady thoughts. Instincts fed on her thoughts the further she ran, mocking her with their harsh imprints of memories she sought to keep boxed away along with her humanity. A gray flame as deep a charcoal as the meadow now threatened to swallow her in a colorful recollection of defined bodies strewn across verdant grass, dripping with crimson that rivaled the hue of the once untouched flowers that lined the willowherb meadow. She could see the spectrum of expressions again, from wolf to hunter. They all carried the same looks as crimson left their lips, their fallen forms and eyes that no longer saw. She needed to get away again. To curl up in a tight ball and squeeze the memories from her thoughts until her limbs ached or run until she too lost all breath. Like they did. The silenced yet fulfilled faces of her adoptive alphas struck her. Like they did.

Blackberries and.. something like a softer, muskier earth tone. Her chestnut gaze landed on a familiar structure that normally stood in a place that resided a few miles from the pack cabins and she'd now somehow found herself witnessing them and their most frequent resident once again. Steady. A deep exhale left her chest as she leaned against one of the stones that made up the ruins she'd managed to find herself in. The scent of smoke had been stripped from her pelt, thankfully, though the shaken feelings still remained until she composed herself, ears swiveling every which way as the silence of the deeper part of the forest soothed her and breathed soft solace into her heart. "Mercer. You can hear me, yeah?" Pressed up against one of the rocks like her life depended on it, Luana gave another huff that had her eyes sharpening to a proper focused look as they landed on a wine-colored coat that caught in several patches of sunlight, rendering it an array of purples and reds. "Hunters have appeared closer to the pack cabins. They've left now but.. not without doing some damage to Niamh's willowherb stock." Her legs felt shaky even with the warmth of the stone seeping into her suddenly weary muscles, her stark white coat dropping onto a patch of soft grass as she flopped over onto her side to rid herself of the last of the panic that threatened to lance through her thoughts. "Considering they took the time to destroy something, they probably don't know how many wolves are really here and..", her eyes pried open, gazing almost sightlessly at the ruins as she allowed the thoughts to sort themselves in a fashion that held a different perspective. "I don't think this is a random group, their motives are so.. muddled."

[འབྲོག་ཁྱི]

𝖡𝖱𝖤𝖠𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖨𝖭 𝖫𝖨𝖪𝖤 𝖠 𝖫𝖨𝖮𝖭, 𝖡𝖱𝖤𝖠𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖮𝖴𝖳 𝖫𝖨𝖪𝖤 𝖠 𝖫𝖠𝖬𝖡

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☾ ⋅ ─────── ⋅ 𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐄 ⋅

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𝖫𝖤𝖦𝖠𝖢𝖨𝖤𝖲 𝖠𝖱𝖤 𝖥𝖮𝖱 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖲𝖠𝖣, 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖶𝖨𝖢𝖪𝖤𝖣 𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖧𝖴𝖱𝖳

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tagging; luana
mentioned; the coille ruadh pack
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location; the overgrown ruins
feeling; dismissive

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Rain trickled down through the autumn-thinned layers of the canopy, making their circuitous way to fall into Mercer's coat. His maroon fur stuck out like serrated edges, as if groomed by some loving tongue that all true animals remembered somewhere in the fibers of their heart, but he could not. The tang of blood from the half-eaten fish at his feet mingled with the droning rain, and suddenly he was thrust back into a fragment of a different time. Raindrops created rings on the surface of pooled blood, and a light summer sky cast everything in an eerie pale light, but the birds were singing, loud as a chorus, all the while everything stood silent in the trees around him.
indentindentAnother place, later, blood-soaked and proud, going home. His grandmother's face — no, not her face. It had been too long, he had forgotten its details, and so he remembered her presence by the things that framed it: her hair, her clothes, her posture. Her voice, that he remembered. So clear as it chose to reveal to him all that she had kept secret for so much of his life. Feral parents. She had taken them from him. And the inevitable that approached like a drowning tide, a mountain, an avalanche. He had fled from his skin then, lunged for her body that now seemed so small in comparison.
indentindentWhat had overcome him to steer to the side at the final moment? He could have killed the killer of his parents. And yet, he had gone away instead, back into the rain, into the cavernous mouth of Coille Ruadh, his chin still stained red. The snare that had tightened around his throat the further he went, until it had snapped. His connection to the only thing he had for a pack, his grandmother, the betrayer, had scattered into the leaves. Away, away. His mind fleeing from himself, the passing moons, the thundering nights.

indentindentA harsh growl cut through the dawn hush of the forest, and Mercer jerked his head up to survey his surroundings, only to understand that the growl had come from himself. Beyond the curtain of trees, the waves of the sea were lapping at the shore, creating a background of strange murmuring music. A gravelly huff from his jaws, clouding in the air cooled by rain, and he shook his pelt out to calm himself down. His hunger had gone, and so he abandoned the fish he had caught from the coastal shallows to trudge further into the trees, deep enough to a place where he was seldom found unless he wished to be, which was rare these days.
indentindentThe rain went on as he picked his way down a familiar path marked by nothing more than his scent and the bent grasses where he had walked earlier that morning. The autumn had pressed down on every living thing in the forest, stripping leaves from the trees, wilting ferns, and imposing on its creatures a kind of approaching dormancy that only the hares and squirrels seemed to flee. An image of winter crossed his lupine mind, a picture of white fields of glittering snow among bare trees dark as pencil strokes against the landscape. A kind of deafening silence in the snowfall that he noticed himself missing in spite of the hardship his instincts knew the season would bring.
indentindentFrom among the boughs of knotted bark and undulating ground rose the shape of the ruins, which seemed almost a part of the wilds until one looked a moment longer. Most of them were little more than a layout of the buildings that had once stood in the area, but the bones of a few walls still reached upwards, defying the idea that these stones had been here as long as the rest. They reminded Mercer of the stone walls that lined the roads of his childhood, but the image faded quickly, and he went on, merging into the landscape of discarded rubble around him. He was about to take his usual path, a turn even further away from civilization toward the ravine where he had made his home, when he stopped by a scent that didn't belong.

indentindentThe fragrance of unplaceable flowers mingled with soft musk cut through the sweet, watery scent of rain, and before he even saw her, an almost passive rumble rose in Mercer's throat to echo a reminder that this wolf he knew was pushing against the edges of the unspoken boundary they had established between themselves. He loomed in the shadow of what remained of the stony walls that were now pockmarked and veined with moss, taking slow, heavy steps to follow his nose to a place he could see her. Gnarled roots had intertwined themselves among the stones, and trees now grew where the roof would have once stood. The bleached skull of a long-dead rabbit splintered under his claws, and the sharp sound cut through the steady drone of rain like a slow gunshot.
indentindentHe stepped out into her field of view, a thin veil of fog shifting between them. The rumble in his throat turned into an almost-imperceptible sound. She had dared closer than she had ever been, but instinct had long since told Mercer that he could trust her. It might not have seemed like it, but he would not have allowed her on his territory otherwise, let alone into his head. There was a slight shift as his nostrils moved to take in the air, and the notes of emotion radiating from her confused him, but he did not take a step closer. He kept his distance, watching her with yellow eyes. The white wolf had sprawled herself on the leaf-dappled ground that he knew to be soft with moss, and he took it as a sign of trust. The sound in his throat ceased altogether.
indentindentWhat Mercer did not know was that to another wolf, his feral mind was like a landscape of pounding, echoing red, sawtooth words piercing in and out of any connection they could hope to make. It had been too long since he had last been human, a stretch of time he had neither counted nor thought of. You can hear me, yeah? Carried into his mind in a voice like a soft touch, and he said nothing in return, only twisted his ears back as a sign that he had agreed to listen. For now.
indentindentBut as she continued, his mind echoed a word back, stark as a splash of blood on fresh snow. Low and rumbling.
indentin"Hunters." The word provoked anger within him, but Mercer stood outwardly indifferent, in spite of himself. They were after the pack, and the pack was not his concern. He did not understand why she cared, or why her scent on the air was so filled with concern. They would not come here. They would destroy the pack and leave. As if she had asked, Mercer shook the rain from his red pelt and began to turn back into the ruins, his mind echoing with a permission he hadn't given before. If she was afraid, perhaps she was afraid of having to return to the pack's lands.
indentin"Stay," his voice rumbled. Had he not sincerely believed they would remain safe in the depths of Coille Ruadh, he would not have said it.