இ۵Ŗace Ågainst ₦atureஇ۵

[Apocalyptic_Punk]

((I'm still here, and my sister was grounded from the internet, She will be back on tomorrow I THINK, and she's told me she is still interested as well, I'm sorry, I've been fighting writers block, Gonna try to work out a post here today))

Isis
{{Fae||fighter||36||moving||

Isis had been resting for too long, because when Resin returned, the pack was being rushed to their feet. She struggled to them and shook herself out blinking the sleep from her eyes she looked to Resin but did as she was told moving swiftly she checked on elder members of the pack, moving as quickly as she could. She nudged an elder female gently urging her on, the older female smiled gently and kept up as best as she could. It was true this journey was wearing on all, young and old.

But, it was the never ending danger, on and on as it piled on top of them, First it had been Drago, mad and wanting to kill, then it had been that illness, which had plucked members of the pack like grapes from the vine, so many lives lost there. Then the sun beast, which all had escaped, with a soft sad sigh, she had no clue what this new danger was, but she was so tired of danger, she wondered honestly if it would ever end. She nuzzled the old female again, making a note that she was limping and heavily. Making a split second decision, she slowed her pace to match that of the elder, staying beside her.

If the danger came, and she knew it would, close enough to concern this old female, she would protect her, keep her safe. She grumbled softly looking over her shoulder checking on Resin, Ahote and Attican. Spying the small red pup darting away from Ahote's side and through the pack towards Xani. She turned her gaze forward. "Come on now, my friend," She said gently. You're not going to let some young pup get away with showing you up are you?"

The Older female let out a grumbling huff and picked up her pace, still limping but she slowly caught up with the tail end of the pack.

Mirage
{{Brute||Omega||10|| W/ The pups|}}

Mirage jerked awake as soon as Resin ordered it, his mind was still muddled and confused he shook his head as hard as he could, watching slowly as the pack moved around him. He blinked as something bumped into his leg, glancing down, he spied the young Tan male. Waving his tail reasuringly as his Grey and White brother came up beside him. "I think it is best, if we keep up with the pack yes?" He asked gently

The Tan nodded and his brother imitated him, and soon the three were moving, slowly though it was. He was thirsty, his head was clouded and confused still. He lifted his head his yellow eyes checking over the pack, first a head count on the pups around them, they were all there, he could see Azaria towards the front near where Xani was, she was struggling to keep pace with the older female, but she was determined. He nodded and turned his head scanning the rest of the pack, his eyes glimpsing something grey and black in color drifting along at the edge of the pack. He furrowed his brow as it seemed this creature was being followed by smoke.

And then it all came back to him, he staggered the lost pack, with the old female, yes of course but he would have to deal with that later. Swallowing he nodded to the two male pups who were watching him in concern, then he picked up his pace. "come on now, lets not get left behind," He said with a quick grin, grabbing a few mouth fulls of snow on the run to wet his parched throat.

Kuolema
{{Brute||Loner/fighter||14||running with the pack

Fear ran rampent through the pack as soon as Resin was upon them, urging them to move, but now silently as they could. With a soft sound of confusion as his only show of concern the young brute regained his feet, moving quickly he ran the back and outer edges of the pack, making a note of the old female using the woods around them as supplemental cover he would keep an eye on her. He picked up his pace ringing around past Xani, and then slid back to the far side of the pack, keeping an eye out for any serious stragglers as they moved.

[-Starchild.Keith-]

(I am as well sorry for not posting. College is not easy and things were busier than I thought...)

Xani
- Female - 21 - Beta -

As soon as Xani spoke, Hrafn was gone. She watched no more than a second before sprinting back to her place at the head of the pack. As she moved, she eyed the scenery. It was steep, uneven terrain on one side and open plains ahead of them. Wolf was currently leading them towards the plain, which seemed like the right thing, but at the same time dangerous. She was suddenly confused and alone, unsure of what to do.

Xani soon reached the front and nodded to Wolf. "Good job. You seem to know where you're going." She slowed the pace just a moment as she eyed the scenery. Still unsure of what to do, she called for a brief rest. "It is only for a moment, everyone. Don't sleep or anything." Turning from them, she moved her gaze to the surrounding area. The mountains would be hard to traverse except for the most physically fit among them, but the valley would leave them wide open for an attack. She shook her head, looking back behind her.

There was nothing as far as the eye could see, but that meant nothing. Sighing, she turned. The only thing she could do was lead them through the valley and be aware. If the beasts showed up, she would leave the pack under control of someone else and attack. A huff escaped her as she turned. "We are going through the valley, everyone. If you see ANYTHING strange, please alert someone nearby. Everyone spread the message to me. If anything happens and I must leave, I want Wolf to help guide through the area, but I want Curse to lead us." She was unaware of the name that the former straggler had now assumed, but turned and headed for the valley immediately after speaking.

[Resin]

((I understand. Thanks for letting me know. I'm just trying to weed out the people that don't want to play. A lot of people just quit and you never hear from them again.))

[BlackJaguar]

{{Ah. Okay, a lot more situated now then I was. Birthdays, packing, travelling, bad weather, unpacking, books, classes, groceries, necessities, etc etc, all without a car this time (left it behind) to help take care of it all. Anyways, at any rate it is over and I am back again. c:}}

Attican

73 - Brute - Keeper

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When it came to rank, Attican had a lot of leverage. Often it was never used, a voice of reason only actually voiced when he deemed it truly necessary. Even then it was usually used in a calm manner, neither aggressive nor pushy. More like... subjective. Like you still had the option of not heeding to him, but if you did, you would have his disappointment and disapproval at paw. It was very far a few between that he actually gave out real orders, telling one what he said what was going to actually happen.

To be honest his system worked rather well over all. He never over-advantaged other wolves, never abused his power for his own gain. Never made it so that they had any reason to distrust him. Essentially everyone in the Pack respected the Keeper to some degree, either because of his advice, or at the very least because of his intense loyalty to the group. Simply put, many wolves did not want to disappoint the brute and therefore usually listened when he had something to say. His diplomatic weight was powerful when it was needed, especially if something seemed dangerous or potentially ill-thought out.

...However his sway did not reach this far. Resin's plan screamed "NO" in the back of his head so much that it practically radiated out of his facial features. His amber eyes were stone, as deadlocked as his jawline was. His feet were planted firmly in the ground, forced there by his muscles. His tail stuck outwards, like a perfect point. It took such self-restraint.

There was nothing that he could do.

Resin was not only the strong-headed Resin, but she was also Alpha and at some point whatever she said went. That was that. No advice he could give or any command he barked out would have any sort of weight. It simply did not hold a candle to the first in command. Slowly his stony began to melt, an ear pulled back to his skull defeatedly as he realized this. While he still had the right to retort or give his opinion a) it wouldn't matter b) she told them not to and c) she was going to do what she wanted anyways. He bit his lip, chewing down on it so forcefully that it actually drew blood.

"Stay safe. If either of you end up injured by the time I get back, you'll be in a world of trouble."

"Resin I-" he cut himself off, that reeling fishing rod feeling tugging at his insides again. It was useless.

"Good luck."

It was all he could manage to say. Even as her fleeting darker figure became obscured by the black and snow, he could feel the physical pull to want to go after her. Being alone was not smart, it did not matter who you were. The world of trouble seemed to be descending on her, one slip up and she had no one to help her out but her very self.

He stood for a minute, the two brutes now standing stock-still in the snow. Multiple scenarios ran past his head, all endings not exactly being the most desirable. Slowly his attention turned back to the patchy wolf next to him, looking him over. "We should get going." He said meekly, mouth in a firm line. "Are you doing alright?"

Not waiting for an answer the brute took a few paces forwards, his gait much more natural than it had been then right after he had awoken. He turned his head back, seeing if Ahote would follow him. There was no question in the Elder's head that the Fighter had intense feelings for the Alpha, that much was obvious. For every tug that Attican felt to follow he was sure that Ahote felt it tenfold.

It looked like the still-stiff brute was weighing his options. Follow, or not follow? Seeing the falter written over the brute's face Attican grunted quietly, flicking his eyes towards the direction the Pack went in motion. "We can't help her, if anything we'll be a burden. She's a big girl, she can do it." Even as he said them the Keeper felt the betrayal behind the words. After all, wasn't he the one that had just blindly hauled himself into a literal inferno, in search for the two missing wolves not too long ago? He should be the last one saying these things now.

The cold wind blew through his coat suddenly, penetrating deep down enough that it caused the older brute to shiver for a second. He hunkered down as it passed, pulling his head back up once it was over. Torn into so many directions at once, the wind almost seemed to pull all the thoughts out of his head altogether. For once there was nothing he could really do.

He sighed inwardly. "I know. Trust me I do."

Pilot

32 - Fae - No Rank

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Pilot walked her way across the charred treeline, eyes scanning for any other black carcasses that could act as a meal for the Pack. It was strange, any other time and a meal like that would not ever even be considered, but now here she was looking for it. It was absurd. But at the same time food was food and that had been her orders - Get food. As she moved she left distinct footholes in the snow, marking literally her every step. Of course the fae did not think a thing of it, snow did that and that's basically all a Great Wolf ever trod upon. She did not know of the two-legged danger that could literally be around any corner she turned, so why would she ever think anything of leaving prints?

The blonde wolf stopped when she approached a black mound. At first she thought it had just been a rock and had almost passed it by, but with a squint closer in its direction revealed the 'rock' to still slightly be steaming. A few steps into the burnt forest and yes, quickly the very recognizable smell of cooked flesh met her nostrils. It was smoky and ashy, the hairs of the creatures totally singed off and the flesh black. Her nose crinkled to it, still not very appealed by the scent. The poor beast looked to be a young caribou, no chance of it being over the age of one. Pilot lowered her head and came closer, looking for a good place to try to grab the beast to drag it out. At first she tried a leg, but it was literally so cooked and burnt that the end just came right off altogether. She spat out the char in her mouth, scraping her tongue against her teeth in disgust. "Ew." She exclaimed to no one but herself, shaking her head.

Okay, this was going to be harder than she thought.

Eventually the wolfess did manage to drag the carcass out of the forest. Her small jaw clamped around the beast's neck, having to readjust every few paces to keep the cooked thing from breaking into little bits. As she moved she tried to not think about what exactly she had, the thoughts that she was carrying the sun's regurgitation hadn't exactly left her head. Some prize. Being so focused on her grip on the meal and the fact that Hrafn followed her trail across the blackened edges of the forest, Pilot did not see the large brute coming. Almost like a dark apparition it seemed he came out of nowhere, suddenly standing straight in front of her. Vali was off to the side, his leading now over that the female had been found.

"Wait, whoa!" She exclaimed, the jolt from her startle causing the brittle neck in her mouth to tear and fall to the ground. "Shoot." She looked to the two of them, both ears swiveling backwards once before resetting forwards. Her face was expectant, especially considering Hrafn had not gone on the hunt. She looked to Hrafn, already knowing that the other brute would be of no help as to tell her why they'd come. Perhaps he came to tell that someone had actually caught a meal worth eating?

... Nope, danger. To be honest the news did not surprise the fae. Although her actual time within the Pack had been little, there had already been quite a reoccurring theme with them - danger. There was no explanation of the threat, but the voice behind the words told Pilot enough that it was large. She nodded, and turned with them, leaving her burnt prize behind.

With the help of tracks and Hrafn's keen eyes it took no time at all to get to Lani.

"Danger had followed us again. The Alpha has moved everyone out and has instructed everyone to keep as silent as possible. She mentioned something about the things hunting us being as smart as we are, so they'll rely upon sound. Xani is leading everyone South. A big swath of tracks will lead them right after us, so I think we should help them out. If we can leave confusing tracks, it may buy us some time. You don't have to, but that's what I'll be doing. I'm not sure what this danger is, but if I can keep it at bay, I'm going to try."

There was not a moment of hesitation for the female. "I'll help." She spoke immediately, silver eyes looking to the three in all seriousness. Vali sneezed, the gesture apparently meant for his offered assistance as well. Pilot looked at him confusedly for a second, mind slightly bewildered by him. What the heck, just talk already..

A small conversation went back and forth between the older female and the trio's visitor. A plan seemed to hash out quickly, the idea to take the original burnt beast and tear it apart, using the limbs and things to obscure what they could. Pilot found it to be a little strange, but to be fair she couldn't think of anything else that would work any better. She nodded quietly, watching and slightly smirking as Hrafn crinkled and stumbled his way with the carcass. Now he knew what they had been trying to deal with. He warned the three once more, putting emphasis on on the danger parts. "No I'm here to help." She said definitively, no hint of doubt in her voice. Vali seemed to second the notion, tail swinging back and forth as he grunted to pull his own dismembered chunk off.

Having waited her turn, Pilot was last to grab some sort of portion. Three legs had been torn off and the last one left had been disfigured so much that it really looked like it could serve no purpose at all. Sighing she looked her options over, knowing that there really was no time to waste on the matter. They had to get working.

Ah man, there was really no easy way to go about this was there? She had no other choice. Holding her breath the best she could, Pilot climbed on top of the disfigured creature. She slipped a few times, some of the outer layers quite literally slipping its way off to reveal the brown cooked insides. She grimaced, oh how gross. Digging her paws in as fast as she could, she clawed her way to find the spinal cord, wrapping her jaw around it. While everything else tore and crumbled, at least this strip of bone still held its composure. A few quick yanks and the fae had a decent portion of it herself, the cooked meat giving way to her muscle easily. One more tug and she had her prize, a good long strip of bone, some of the meat still around it. Perfect. Gladly jumping off she followed the small group, off towards the area that the Pack had began their retreat.

It did not take long to return from where they had come from. Sure enough there were literally thousands of tracks left all over, directing whatever the danger was to the exact location of the Pack. Without taking more than a moment to assess, the wolves began to do their work, swinging their portions of charred meat back and forth in attempt to cover up what they could. It took a bit of trial and error to find what worked best. After all, if you swung the thing in front of you.. well.. your own tracks get left behind it, essentially rendering your work useless. Pilot grumbled, starting over towards the water. 'Walk backwards this time you numbskull,' she thought to herself, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

Once you got in a rhythm though it seemed to work out okay. The spinal cord seemed to hold together decently well, only sometimes some of the cooked meaty bits falling off. But there was nothing that she could do about that. Perhaps the threat hated the smell as much as they did, or perhaps even more. Maybe the scent would be so revolting to them that they would avoid this area altogether. Yes, she hoped for that.

Stuck in her thoughts as she worked, time passed quickly. Before she knew it their work seemed essentially over, most of the other wolves "tools" having crumbled almost completely. Hers wasn't the same as it had been at the beginning either, but she still had a swingable portion. Spying a log, she dropped the bones as she stepped onto the wood, thinking that her feet would not make prints this way. As she did so, Hrafn began to speak again, causing her head to turn to his direction.

Although his own knowledge of what was feared was not very much, it was more than the hunting trio had had, so due to that it made him their sort of temporary leader. It seemed that he too had observed the fallen logs and devised an idea to use them nearly completely as a walking device to their destination.

A small smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth as she watched the big black wolf teeter precariously on the strip of wood, looking rather out of place and character. However it seemed that it was doing its job, hiding the wolves advancements as long as he walked along it. Following along, she looked back, seeing if the other two were readying to do the same thing. It was like a strange game of follow the leader grown up edition... except the stakes of the game being far more serious than a playful paw to the head or fun tussling match like they usually got when they were puppies.

Not too far away from them all were bands of two-leggers, physically on the search for Great Wolves. Having flushed creatures out with their fire it was now just a searching game in order to locate them. Unfortunately, despite Pilot's hopes, the smell of cooked meats did not deter or revolt them. Instead it could actually potentially draw them in, like moths to a flame.

[Soriams]

((Ah, I feel bad for you guys going back to school and all the associated tribulations. I wish you all luck on your adventures though!))

Ahote
Male | 46 | Fighter
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Ahot must still not have quite all come back into himself, because he could of sworn Resin proposed some ridiculous plan where he and Attican were to follow the rest of the pack while she once again ran off by herself. Confused, and more than a little critical as to how this could possibly accomplish their return to safety, he just stood dumbstruck while she issued orders and said her goodbyes. A second later, she had leapt out into the blackened forest and vanished, her smoky pelt melding with the burnt trees and stained ground. Just like that, Resin was gone again, and Ahote felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach.

Why? Why was she always pushing them all away to run off on her own and face every danger head on as though she could conquer the world in a single growl? It was almost like she didn't actually want to be around any of them anymore, simply sending them all on their merry way while she shouldered every burden alone. It didn't matter that he might have very well have done the same thing when he was alpha, risk himself to ensure the others safety, but this was ludicrous. If these creatures were indeed as dangerous as they all seemed to think, then her plan was suicide. Even an alpha had to pick their fights carefully, no matter how brave and strong and beautiful they were. Didn't she realize how much they cared about her?

Standing still as a statue while his mind battled with itself, Ahote didn't even blink when Attican spoke to him. The fear from earlier had not yet fully left him and now mixed with anger. A powerful concoction, it quickly overwhelmed any scrap of reason the injured brute might have had left. Raging like the sun as it scoured the earth, it started with one little indignant spark that suddenly found purchase and flared up with such ferocity that it seemed to have been forced into him from the outside. Slowly, a deep growl grew in his chest, and he looked over to Attican where he shivered in the wind. "No," was all he said, his voice holding a horrible finality to it that seldom touched the words of the normally gentle fighter.

"I will not let her go again," he growled, pulling himself up to his full hight for the first time since his injury. The burns pulled painfully across his side, only fueling the anger within him. He was beyond all of that now, and no matter how he would pay for it later, emotion now ruled him and he would go after her. "I'm through with her martyrdom and mindless acts of heroism. She might be Alpha, but she can't always have it her way," he said, scowling like he was reprehending a naughty pup. Without even realizing it, Ahote had dug his claws into the ground beneath him, and as he stalked forward it fell from his paws into little abused clumps. Had he still been trapped outside of he body, Ahote would not have recognized the wolf that now burned with determination and fury. Something inside him had changed, and there was no going back.

Where Attican had been beaten, Ahote had finally found the resolve he had lost so long ago. He was finally able to focus on something besides his own shortcomings, and move forward onto something greater. Stopping next to the Keeper, he looked over at him, their gold eyes meeting for a short moment before the Fighter once again looked out in the direction Resin had gone. b]"I love her too much for that,"[/b] he said, his voice a distant whisper.

Shaking himself, Ahote pushed the surge of emotion down where it threatened to blind him, crushing it into a festering seat of embers. When he found her, he could deal with that, but for now he needed to pay attention to the matter before him. "She wants to buy the pack time? Then that's exactly what we'll do. We might not be fast enough for her liking, but we can still run interference, and confuse them further. It is just as much our duty to protect the pack as it is hers," he said, not needing to look at the brute beside him to know he agreed. With that, he took a right turn to the direction in which Resin had run, well off course from the way the rest of the pack had gone and paced out into the woods.

Testing his limbs, Ahote picked up as much speed as he could. Despite all of his fiery determination, the burns pulled painfully at his every movement, forcing him to limp heavily on his left rear leg. Soon enough, he fell into a hopping gait, only putting that foot down once ever three steps. He let this hoping, quick pace carry him slightly northward and well west of the path Resin had taken. He wove between the trees like a drunkard, stopping suddenly and backing up over his own tracks. Running Crazy Ivans only to set up another long course having it suddenly stop and go back on itself. In all he was doing a fantastic job of tiring himself out and not making much forward progress at all, which was exactly what he wanted. Anyone attempting to follow the trail would think its maker had gone mad and suddenly split in three.

Ahote had just crested a little rise when he heard Resin's pointed call, and he turned back to look. Though the swatch of trees made it hard to see very far, he could just barely make out the sketchy forms of the two-legged beast as they searched a spot near the river. They were strange, and their behavior odd as they painstakingly followed whatever trace might have been left. He couldn't quite make out what exactly they looked like, but they did indeed stand up on their hind legs and carried something with their fronts. Each one was a different color, the scraps of fur hanging off of them as though they were ashamed of their own skin. Without a second thought, Ahote let out a long howl, and watched as their heads shot up, immediately looking for the source of the noise. Quickly leaving the riverbank, they headed in his direction, seemed determined to locate the owner of the sound.

Satisfied that he now had their attention, Ahote turned and skipped down the hill. No matter what else, he would run them ragged in their search. Though he hated to even consider the possibility, he resolved to take as many of them with him as he could, should he be cornered and unable to escape. That would be the least he could do.

Lani
Female | 57 | Hunter
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Lani watched while Hrafn too got to share the lovely experience of digging his teeth into the blackened carcass. Overall, it was hard not to laugh at his reaction, but she swallowed the giggle that rose in her throat, staying silent. Yet, when he asked if they wanted to run ahead and join the pack, Lani shook her head. "No, this was my idea and I'll help. The pack has carried me for fifty-seven years. Maybe it is time I actually did something to return the favor," she said, a small bit of humor still twisting her voice. Pilot too agreed, and Lani nodded, picking up her torn off limb.

Following Hrafn back in the direction of the trail, she put the end of the the thing back down to the ground, fussing with it to see what would work best. After several failed attempts, and nearly loosing half of the limb when she tripped in an hidden hole, the Hunter finally settled on running back and forth with the thing at her side, adding her tracks to the trail on one side, and erasing them on the other. It wasn't quite as effective as the way Pilot worked, staggering backwards, but it was enough to obscure the trail more.

Finally, after what seemed to be a painfully long and exhausting time, the three of them came to a stop, discarding what was left of the smoked stumps. Happy to be rid of it, and thoroughly regretting her suggestion, Lani spit out the bits that clung to her teeth, sputtering as she found it clung to her whiskers and muzzle. Right about now, the muck that Iparok had licked out of his toes seemed more appetizing than the ick that clung to her.

Turning her attention back to Hrafn as he spoke, she leapt up onto the log behind him. With her smaller stature and little paws, she had a much easier time balancing than he did, and was able to quickly follow him. "Ha! This is kind of fun, actually…" she said, doing her best to keep her voice quiet. A smile creeping onto her face despite the direness of the situation, she looked back over her shoulder to see how the others faired. She assumed the little wolf, Pilot would do well enough, but as long as she had know Vali, he was all paws. Silently, she wondered just how long it would be before the stocky brute ended face up in the snow. If that happened, there was a good possibility that she wouldn't be able to stop herself from laughing. At the very least, she would never let him live it down.

Wolf
Male | 20 | Straggler
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Wolf let out a a great sigh of relief when Xani returned, smiling to her. She seemed quite flustered though, and looked out at the valley before them. "Uh… Thanks. I've lived here as long as I can remember. If you're wondering, this ends just around the bend of the cliff in a mess of hills like we just came down out of. Then it's awhile yet until we hit the real mountains again," he said, nodding even though she wasn't looking in his direction. He had pretty much described to her the extent of his knowledge on the world and those mountains were where it ended. Beyond that, he would be running blind just like the rest of them.

Moments late, Xani had called for them all to stop, and Wolf too paused. He didn't lie down though, instead he took to following Xani around while she spoke to the others. While he wasn't quite sure what she meant by strange, and just about everything was strange to the scrawny straggler, he did take in that he was to continue helping to guide them through the valley. What really puzzled him though, was how a curse could lead them anywhere. Sure, he had cursed stones when he had stubbed his paw, or even considered the weather a curse when it was particularly bad, but he never thought about it leading him anywhere besides to feeling silly for talking to rocks.

Xani picked up her pace then, and Wolf padded after her, quickly catching up to once again pace beside her. "Ummm, excuse me, but what curse are we following? I've never followed one before…" he said trailing off. Instinctively, his feet led them in a gentle curve around the rocks that now towered over them and before long they were once again on flat land. Here, it was much easier to pick up speed and they could make good time crossing the open space.

[Khaleesi Stormborn]

~~..: Azaria::.5 years.::Pup/hunter in training.::With Mirage..:..~~

Azaria had been a little put out when Ahote had told her to go on ahead and warn Xani they would be slow, but she took her message to the elder female willingly, and left her with it, meandering her way back into the pack but trying to stay close to the front. Her smaller form melting into the larger frames of her elders. She picked up pace easily having to run more when the others loped along easily. She was tired, probably not as tired as those that had faced the sun beast alone or in pairs, such as Mirage, Resin, Ahote and Attican. She noticed off offhandedly that Xani, the new blond wolf female, and Vali were missing from the pack.

Wrinkling her brow in concern she stayed among the elder wolves, though slowly sliding back til she was among her playmates, the twin brothers. She didn't feel like playing but in truth wanted to see how Mirage was doing. The only slightly older black male was moving as fast as he could, his head low, his mouth open and his tongue lolling from his mouth. She moved close to him, and even with only five years in age between them, their size difference was noticeable, her red coat bright against his black. She rubbed her head gently against his shoulder and smiled gently when he glanced at her. I'll stay here with you, She said gently. Don't want you getting left behind again She said in the same soft tone of voice.


~~..:Lokia.::45 Years.::Former Keeper of the Pinefrost Pack.:: Edges of the pack:..~~
Lokia stayed with in the trees as the pack began moving, this was not her pack, this was not her home. But the black male had seen them she was certain of that. After waiting for only a few moments she gave a heavy whine, and stepped forward, slowly placing one soot filthy paw in front of the other, soon picking up her pace she felt a weight lift from her very soul. She had failed her people before, but she would not fail them...no no she would not fail this pack. She picked her pace still sticking to the trees, she could feel the spirits of those she'd loved and lost frolicking among the trees around her, and then slowly each one darted into the sky. She understood then, they'd been staying because of her, because she had not moved forward, she had not moved on.

She wanted to howl, she wanted to call out her goodbyes, something she'd never done, as she watched one pack mate after another leap to the heavens, joining those who had gone before them. But something stilled the cry in her maw, she would sing to them later. Much later, she dropped her eyes back to the earth and leaped over a log a cloud of soot and ash flying into her face as she landed. She sneezed once and slid through the tree's keeping this new pack just in her vision, entering the hills with them, and leaving behind Pinefrost forever.

~~..:Kavik.::49 Years.::Hunter.:: With the Pack:..~~

((Sorry guys, got grounded life sucks, I'll post as Kavik next post!))

[BlackJaguar]

{{Eh, it's what I get for wanting a Masters. Ha.}}

Attican

73 - Brute - Keeper

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The Elder only half-listened to the Fighter's words, his antsyness growing with every passing moment. He too felt near betrayal on his part as he prepared to leave for the Pack, but what else was he supposed to do? His tiredness still did not render him to be the full brute that he usually was, his mind clouded in fog. "I'm sorry," he murmured, shoulders slumping. Ahote paused for a second before speaking again, this time Attican tuning himself in more to what he was saying.

"She wants to buy the pack time? Then that's exactly what we'll do. We might not be fast enough for her liking, but we can still run interference, and confuse them further. It is just as much our duty to protect the pack as it is hers."

"Well, yes.." he agreed almost warily, that betrayal feeling sinking even deeper into his gut. He pressed his eyes together gently, as if drowning out the thoughts that danced around his mind. That was a big mistake. "But at what point do we become a hindrance instead of an asset?" The dirty brute turned to look at his companion, but his eyes couldn't see what wasn't actually there.

"Aheh.. WHERE do you think you're going??"

Attican's eyes peeled back and spun towards the direction that Ahote just disappeared to. It had happened so fast and in a literal blink of an eye. Hadn't he just closed them for no longer than a moment? One second the supposed injured brute was there, the next, GONE. How could he even have run that fast??

"Gods be--" his voice crumbled out to less than kindly language, stamping his front feet harshly into the snow. He cursed to himself and everything else around him, condemning it all to violent demises. What really was he to do now? "Ahote get back here!" He yelled, the sounds carrying only a few feet before the wind whisked it away completely. It now seemed to whip vigorously around him, just about as confused in its directions as the Keeper was.

Dangerous and intelligent two-leggers lurked around any potential corner. With them came weapons that were created to kill, the skill and ability honed in specifically from its wielder. Resin was off to literally scout them out, the Pack fleeing who-knows-where in some other direction. Ahote had just launched his injured butt in search of the Alpha, and no one knew the whereabouts of the four separated wolves.... Oh yeah, and then there was Attican, stock-still in the middle of it all standing like a sooty dumbstruck peabrain next to a charred treeline.

He cursed to himself again, blood pressure rising. So many variables tore into himself at one time. His heart was here, his responsibilities were there, his orders were this, and his physical demands were set to that. Why couldn't everyone stay together for once, and why couldn't the world seem to give them a break already??

In some ways Ahote had been right. While Resin's position was to protect the Pack, sometimes doing so meant that you have to take care of yourself too. For them. One cannot do everything alone. He head flashed to finding the two in the dugout, the great wall of earthened sun threatening to claim them. Without him being there who knew if they would have mustered up enough to get out alive? Even himself in his own unthought 'rescue mission' had not found the Alpha and Fighter by himself, he too had help from an unlikely friend.

One simply could not do things alone. They weren't solitary ice bears, they were Great Wolves and Great Wolves lived in groups for a reason. They were to work together.

"Augh," he muttered, balling up his muscles. One thing was for sure, Ahote was a timebomb at best, his injuries carrying the potential to take out his mobility in an instant. Attican couldn't just let him go alone and potentially get caught by the two-leggers, one trailing set of eyes to spot him and the brute was good as dead.

Was it smart? No.

Was it his orders? No.

Was it dangerous? Yes.

Was it his responsibility? It was now.

He forced himself to push forwards, dipping into the burnt treeline. Following would not be easy, after all literally the entire point of going in there was to obscure tracks and make following them futile. Footprints went every which way, some disappearing at moments altogether and others coming out of what seemed like nothing. Attican tried his best to create his own pairs of strange prints, but all the doublebacking and faking made it hard to advance any way forwards. Plus trying to spot Ahote's actual tracks was essentially impossible.

He doubled back around once more, still very much into the heart of the forest. His nose pointed upwards for any fresher scents that could be caught. However between the wind and the heavy smell of 'burnt,' it proved rather futile. His hackles on his back raised instinctively, frustration setting in. No followable prints, no scents, no ability to howl or communicate, no sense of direction. No.. anything.

At the moment, despite his wants and efforts, there was nothing that the Keeper could do.

[-Starchild.Keith-]

Xani
- Female - 21 - Beta -

Xani nodded as she listened to Wolf speak. Once in the hills, it would be better- safer, more hidden. Hopefully there would be a calm river they could swim down or rock to cross so that those hunting them would be thrown off track. The more confusion the better. She had little doubt in her mind that Resin and the others could find them again regardless of whatever else happened or how much they hid their scent.

Just after they started off again, Wolf's voice floated towards her. She allowed herself a sideways glance, trusting her feet on the flat floor of the valley. She smirked slightly, but it quickly disappeared. She wasn't in a happy mood at the moment. "I don't mean we're following a curse like some follow legends or visions." She paused, remembering with a bit of humor that the pack was actually following a vision at the moment. "There is a fae in this pack whose name is Curse. Resin trusts her, and she seems trustworthy enough for me as well."

Turning her head back around the front, she focused herself on running. Her mind wandered slightly to the eccentric male beside her, wondering what his true story was. It then wandered to the missing members of the pack- Resin, Ahote, Attican, Hrafn, Pilot, Lani and Vali. The sheer number of them and the fact that most were highly ranked sent a slight shudder down her spine. If she were killed, the pack would follow Curse. If she were killed or lost... Xani forcefully pushed the thought from her mind, refusing to think that way.

[Resin]

~|Hrafn|~Hunter|~ 46 Summers|~

"They can't be too far off." The large black canine called back to his three companions. He was glad to see that Lani was in a better mood than she had been previously. Hrafn didn't like tension between himself and others unless one party was deserving of it. He didn't feel that he had been deserving of her snarky remarks, but she was upset about Attican, so he had understood and let it go. Now that things were somewhat normal, he felt much better. He even managed to grin as the older white female pranced along the fallen trees.

Periodically they would run out of trees and would have to move across the soot covered snow. More than once a charred log crumbled beneath his bulk and he tumbled into the grime below. Coming up with a muzzle full of soot, Hrafn sneezed loudly several times and sat, having to catch his breath afterwards. It hadn't been very dignified at all and the brute felt slightly embarrassed about his misfortune. Grumbling, he heaved himself to his paws and continued on, leaping on to the closest fallen tree.

With the forest still smoldering here and there around them, it was difficult to sniff out the band of wolves that they were trying to rejoin. He didn't think that they could have gotten that much of a lead on them. Granted, the four of them had been screwing around out in that clearing for a while. He still couldn't get that nasty cooked meat taste out of his mouth. As he thought about it, he wrinkled his nose, baring his teeth as his tongue flicked over them, trying to rid him of the bits of meat that had wedged themselves in there. Though they had taken a while doing their duty, Hrafn imagined that the rest of them wouldn't be able to move too fast. The elderly, the sick, and the pups set the pace for a pack. None of them had had much rest, so they were sure to be moving slowly.

In time he caught sight of their tracks leading out onto an open expanse of crisp, white snow. There were no trees here, so the snow remained unscathed by the char and debris. Since they had already marked the area with their prints, Hrafn padded out into the open and took up a few mouthfuls of untouched snow, thoroughly enjoying the icy liquid on his parched throat. He hadn't quite realized how thirsty he had been. This also helped wash some of the nastiness from his mouth. "I guess they went that way." He grinned and looked back behind them, scanning the area for anything amiss before starting down the path that the pack had made.

Once they were out in the open, they flew across the snow. There were no obstacles in their path, so they were able to run full out, closing the distance between them and their disjointed brethren. It wasn't long before he could make out the mass of moving bodies passing between walls of jutting rock. Fortunately (and unfortunately) nothing here was able to be burnt. There would be snow for everyone to eat should they become thirsty and they would be able to breathe clear, clean air. "There they are. Home sweet home." Again the thought went through his head. He hadn't been with the Scarpaws long, but he felt as if he belonged here. This was his home. These wolves, both the ones running with him and the ones running ahead, were his home.

~|Resin|~Alpha Female|~ 40 Summers|~

Still hunkered down close to the ground, Resin watched as the two-leggers milled about, communicating with one another in that strange, garbled language of theirs. She couldn't detect a pattern in their speech and wondered if it actually meant anything at all. She did, however, keep hearing the same sort of word over and over. "Amrak? Amarok? Amaruq?" As they said this word, they pointed back the way that they'd come. Resin wondered if that was their term for Great Wolf.

The band of humans had finally passed her spot and were out of sight, the clumsy sounds of their passage dwindling to nothing. Resin was just preparing the turn back towards the pack when a howl to the north rang out. Her blood ran cold. Ahote. He had defied her orders and was now putting himself in jeopardy. Anger and fear filled her and for a moment she could see nothing but red. It took her minutes to compose herself. Those minutes could mean life and death for her careless companion. Shaking out her coat, she started off in search of Ahote. Somehow he had skirted the area where she had been hiding and had gone farther north than she had planned.

With a growl, she found his tracks... sort of. He had run rampant through the forest, leaving trails going this way and that. He was obviously attempting to confuse their enemy, but he was also confusing her. Stopping, Resin closed her yellow eyes and inhaled deeply. She was infuriated and his confusing trail was adding coal to the fire. In taking this deep breath, she attempted to calm herself.

A sound to her left caused her eyes to shoot open. She had just begun to lower her head and bare her teeth when Attican stumbled into view. Seeing the Keeper didn't stop her ire, it only made it worse. Her snarl was deep, her growl deeper. "I should beat you both bloody. Did I not give you both orders? Despite what you two may think, I'm more than capable of doing my job which was finished, by the way, before you two came running out here like mindless pups." She didn't like belittling the wolf that had been like a father to her, but both he and Ahote had crossed the line too many times as of late. Either she ruled or she didn't.

"Now, rather than rejoining the pack where I'm needed, I have to head into another dangerous situation to retrieve our stupid friend." With another snarl, she lowered her head and stalked off towards where she believed Ahote would be, leaving the Keeper with her last words. "Your lack of faith in me is disheartening." Though it was difficult, she made her passage quietly. Stalking just outside the two-leggers field of vision, she passed them for the second time today. Their two legs were much slower than her four, so overtaking them was easy.

As she walked, head lowered and eyes forward, she thought of Ahote. Despite her feelings for him, right now she wanted to rip him to shreds. His inability to follow her instruction and his lack of faith in her was going to end up damaging those feelings. She was the Alpha, HIS Alpha, for a reason. She had the final say as to who did what or went where. In return for their obedience it was her duty to place her life on the line to protect them. He had been an Alpha at one point. He should know that. Both Ahote and Attican's inability and unwillingness to follow her orders was a weakness. Perhaps she would have to rule more harshly than she had been.

Pulling left, she continued following the edge of his crazy trail. Climbing a small hill, she saw a marred track of snow that he must have left when he slid down the embankment. Growling to herself again, she did the same and kept at her mission, trailing the insubordinate brute. In the distance she thought that she saw a flash of reddish fur. Perking her ears, she took off at a run. The flash of fur showed itself again and she narrowed her gaze before throwing herself into a quick run, dodging trees, shrubs and rocks. Ahote was still running his confusing trail, so he would be easy to catch up to, though he'd soon wish that he wasn't.

[BlackJaguar]

Pilot

32 - Fae - No Rank

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As the group of four moved, the mood around them seemed to get lighter and lighter, much to Pilot's gladness. While they still had the potentiality of danger, and it would be stupid and ill-advised to think otherwise, the sheer thought of movement could sometimes provide a false sense of security. Just moving made you feel safe, like you were getting away.

There were a few times that both brutes biffed in the snow, each time with them coming up rather sheepishly back onto a log. While it was indeed slightly humorous, Pilot did understand that it was hard for them both. Even she herself with her nimble little legs and body had a few times where she almost bit it. With their massive sizes and paws it seemed a miracle itself that they were even able to balance upon them, nonetheless walk miles.

On and on they walked, their progress slowed simply by the fact that footprints were to be used sparingly. While at some times it was simply unavoidable, other times they delegated together on which path to take. Finally the seemingly never ending horizon of soot began to clear, clean snow not too far in the foreground. All four wolves picked up their paces, the sight giving encouragement.

"Yes!" She exclaimed ecstatically, possibly a little more louder than she should have. Her head pulled back instantly, almost with a 'did that just come out of me?' face. The fae couldn't help it though, fresh snow and Pack footprints meant that they were finally close to their goal, finally going to be reunited with the mass group. It was encouraging to say the least.

Following Hrafn's lead, the blonde fae jumped off her rock she'd been standing upon, walking to the middle of the tracks. She rolled in the white powder happily, taking just a moment to express her elation. "Well," she asked, turning to the three, "what are we waiting for??" A great smile pulled on her face, legs antsy in anticipation to move.

...

Oh how great it felt to run! No more teetering on logs, no more carefully placed steps, just the simplicity of running and the speed it gave you to cover ground. Her legs thrust themselves forwards, her claws giving her sure placement with every stride. Between the four of them it almost sounded like a small herd was thundering by. She laughed to herself, the wind from her movement eating up the noise. She sidled next to Lani, the same happy grin still plastered all over her face.

They were so close now, the female could almost taste it. Just like Hrafn she too had not been with ScarPaw long, but something about it dwelled within to want to stay a part of it. Perhaps "home" was the right word, but Pilot had not quite thought about it yet. All she knew that right now she felt a place to belong, and that was a very comforting thing be.

Attican

73 - Brute - Keeper

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Attican had continued his blind path to nowhere as he figured the best use of his efforts right now were to confuse the two-leggers as much as possible. Ahote and Resin were safe as long as the danger couldn't find them, right? He jumped up to a log, the crisped wood cracking slightly to his weight. He walked down its length, looking around from there.. hmm. Now what?

His stomach growled absently, seeming very out of place for the situation. He looked down at his belly for a moment, almost incredulous of its indecency. Uhuh, body, there were more important matters at paw then your crying need to be filled...

Engrossed in his work the big brute did not see the Alphess come up to him until she was only a few wolf-bounds away.

"I should beat you both bloody. Did I not give you both orders?"

Ah yeah. He knew he should have been expecting something like this when they were reunited. Anger was to be expected, especially in a time of worry. For now he was just glad to see her still in one piece. Ignoring the tone he smiled gently to her, opening his mouth to speak and explain.

"Trust me it was not my plan to-" Her barking words cut off his explanation, not even giving him the ability to talk. Whoa, that was not normal. His nostrils flared slightly indignantly, listening again.

"Despite what you two may think, I'm more than capable of doing my job which was finished, by the way, before you two came running out here like mindless pups."

Attican's fur raised without his knowledge of it doing so. Excuse me? This time the tone did not go unnoticed.

"I am not a pup." He said flatly, his eyes becoming much more serious. If she had listened he would be able to tell her what actually was going on and perhaps gain helpful knowledge and insight on it. Instead it seemed that she still sat upon her high horse of rank, feeling like that she was the only one to protect.

Regardless of his cut off from earlier he tried once again, licking his whitened maw.

"Ahote ran in as-"

"Now, rather than rejoining the pack where I'm needed, I have to head into another dangerous situation to retrieve our stupid friend."

Hot tendrils of anger began to lick around Attican's chest. Two for two on getting cut off. Yet again his side of the story was not given the time of day or at least the respect of hearing it out. Although he tried suppressing it, a growl escaped him, his massive head clenching his jaw shut tightly.

It seemed that she did not understand that literally everything the Keeper did was to protect the welfare of the Pack. Newsflash Resin, the Pack needed an Alpha. And if on one of her sainted "I-must-be-the-only-one-to-face-danger" trips she actually got injured or in fact killed, then where would the group be? Leaderless.

"Your lack of faith in me is disheartening."

"Bite me." He seethed, true anger set in now. His eyes locked with hers, almost daring the owner of the yellow ones to follow through with his offer. He'd deal with the consequences later. This was not a normal disposition for the usually calm, 'brighter side" wolf, but his limits were crossed. Even Attican demanded some sorts of respect. This was not his fault. He did not ask to be so exhausted that his body struggled to keep himself at par. He did not ask for the two-leggers to suddenly show up out of nowhere. He did not ask Ahote to suddenly dart into the wood, and he did not ask for himself to get mixed up in all of this. All he did ask for was enough respect to explain it.

And apparently he wasn't worthy enough to get it. He turned around as she did, the two wolves going in separate directions. He would not be following her. If she didn't want him, then at some point his efforts were useless. All he had been trying to do was retrieve Ahote and assure his safety. "Perhaps if you put some faith in me you'd realize that we all actually care and that I might actually know of things that I talk about." He spoke to himself, tail flagging up and down in irritation. He halted his movements though when a strange rustle came from his Eastern side.

Ducking down below a blackened bush, Attican pressed his belly to the ground. His head shoved itself into the charred foliage as he squinted to see what was beyond it. About 20 paces out was a triage of beasts, ambling along on just their back paws. Two-leggers.

Their faces were dark and furless. Exposed, wrinkly skin sported short, nearly non-existent muzzles and beady, forward-set eyes. Atop their heads were weird patches of dark fur, looking like the only bit that their body possessed. No wonder they wore animal skins.

And boy did they. Right off the bat Attican could single out three caribou hides, and at least two muskox. One wore a brilliantly bright ice bear pelt, nearly blending himself right into the snowy horizon. Quite a few feathers adorned their bodies from different places, ptarmigan, raven, and eagle feathers mostly. In each of their hands were long sticks, at the end a weapon fashioned from either bone or rocks tied onto it, ready to pierce whatever it was thrust towards.

The Keeper didn't dare move, at the moment trying to swallow the anger that consumed him not moment earlier. Despite a thundering heart he tried holding his breath as the threats walked past. Thankfully for at least now it seemed that this bunch did not have any of the small, brainwashed four-legged cousins that his previous Keeper had spoken of. Thank goodness. One whiff from them and surely they would have found the brute faster than he could blink. Slooooowly, the triage walked past, seeming more engrossed in their untranslatable conversation then what potentially lurked in the burn that they were passing.

Once out of range, Attican stood himself back up, shaking out his pelt as he did so. The fire in his heart hadn't quite left yet, but the physical sight of the humans doused him enough to think straight.

Return to the Pack.