இ۵Ŗace Ågainst ₦atureஇ۵

[Soriams]

((Heh, this argument should be fun… Resin, just do me a favor and give Ahote a chance to respond before she gets too far. I just keep lining retorts up in my head. >:) Also, I hope you two don't mind the last part about them being lost...))

((A Masters, huh? Masters = 4 years of school in 2 x twice as expensive as the 4 that lead up to it / internship + 18 hours of credits and thesis with no sleep. Now I REALLY don't envy you.))

Ahote
Male | 46 | Fighter
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Skidding down the hill, Ahote didn't hear a reply to his call, nor did he really expect one. However, one thing that was starting to worry him was that he hadn't seen Attican since he had left the riverside. At first, he had simply assumed that the Keeper was doing the same work he was and keeping himself well hidden while he tracked back and forth across the forest. At the exercise and fresh air started to mellow out his anger some though, he began to wonder if he was right, and just how he was going to find any of them without being able to call out. If only they hadn't all been so rash in their decisions to run off and do this and that, maybe they could have set a meeting point to join up and follow the pack. Or something anyway. Really, any plan would have been better than the random chaos that they now engaged in.

Suddenly, Ahote's thoughts were cut short when the sound of a dry twig reached his ears. Ducking quickly into the end of a burnt out log, he backed into the darkness, feeling his burned side scrape painfully agains the inside wall. Biting his tongue to keep from crying out, he watched as a pair of the two leggers walked slowly past. It seemed as though the mass of tracks had confused them enough that they had all split up in order to search a wider area, but they still didn't seem to be having a good time finding anything. These wore the skins of reindeer, their scraggly hides nearly touching the ground behind them. The long sticks they carried seemed rather limp in their hands, as though they weren't particularly interested in the hunt at this point, and they idly poked at the burnt shrubs as they passed. Strangely, the didn't seem to sense Ahote's presence at all, and actually stopped just outside his hole. He could understand nothing of their gurgling calls, but one this was for sure, this pair at least wasn't taking their task seriously. Were they pups? Or just insubordinate? Either way, Ahote was grateful for their laxness, and before long they once again wandered off.

Heart racing, Ahote crept out behind the two creatures and watched until they were out of sight, before darting back towards the river. If anything, his trail would then lead the hunters right back to where they had started. This turned out to be much more difficult than he anticipated, as the two legged monsters seemed to be everywhere. More than once, Ahote had to duck under a shrub or press his way deep into the scorched remains of a tree. Strangely enough though, none of them seemed to even know he was there unless they heard him make a move. Even then, it seemed impossible for them to actually locate him so long as he stayed out of sight. Had they no sense of smell at all? Or was it just that his burnt hide smelled so much like everything else around them that they couldn't pick it out? Whatever, it was lucky for him and he grew bolder in his his movements. His senses seemed much keener than their's, and he was able to hear them coming long before they could spot him.

After what seemed to be a painfully long time, Ahote reached the bend in the river where the pack had crossed. Not sure what else he could do to help, he decided that perhaps the best course now was to follow the pack and hope that he would stumble onto Resin and Attican along the way. Panting heavily, he set off in the direction the pack had gone, soon coming across their scattered footprints and the swatch they had cut through the trees. The sight made his heart leap up into his chest. For everything they had done, if even one of the humans were to stumble upon this trail, they would find the rest of the pack in no time.

Now limping heavily on his three good legs, Ahote pushed himself to move faster. Hopefully, anything that followed at this point would come across him first and he could slow them down long enough to keep them from following the pack. Keeping his nose to the ground while he followed the mass of footprints, Ahote was startled when they all came to a sudden stop. In front of him, for as far as he could see, there was nothing. Not a single print nor any hint of a scent. What on earth had happened here? Had they all just been lifted up into the sky by the ancestors? Spooked by the strange scene, Ahote slowly backed away.

After a moment of looking at the blank woods in front of him, Ahote shook himself and turned around. Whatever had happened, there must be a logical explanation. Maybe someone had figured out a way to cover their tracks? At any rate, it was plain that he wasn't going to be able to follow their trail and hide his tracks in theirs. All he could do now was fall back and meet up with the others, and hope that the pack had continued southward las planned and maybe they could meet up again later.

Doubling back once again, all this sneaking around and hiding was starting to wear on Ahote. He was twitchy and jumped at the slightest movement, more than once dashing into cover for no reason at all. Great Wolves were meant to be the hunter, not the hunted, and he was quickly growing tired of it. Eventually though, he once again reached the hill he had stood on when he had heard Resin's call. The two legs were gone from below, but there was now no telling where Resin could have gone either. There was nothing left beyond the dim hope of randomly running into them at some point.

Sliding down the hill once more, he picked up where he had left off, tracing confusing tracks in the snow while slowly turning his course southward. His pace was faltering though, and he was reduced to moving at not much faster than a pained walk, nothing more than fear and desperation driving him onward through the pain. No matter how much it hurt though, he was still mostly intact and was able to remind himself never to go too far in one direction without turning back once more. In some small way, he was now grateful to the sun for having eaten the trees, as it gave him a clear view of the sky with which to orientate himself. Without it, he would have been hopelessly lost.

Ahote was doing just that, looking up at the sky when suddenly the sound of feet at a run could be heard behind him. Panicking, he bolted away, pressing himself into a hard black mass, that had once been a sprawling juniper bush. Almost instantly it showered him in ash, threatening to make him sneeze. Holding his breath as the the sound closed in on him, it seemed as though this moved much faster than any of the other creates he had encountered, and he dared not move a muscle until it had passed. The footfalls came to a stop beside him, and Ahote cursed in his mind, hoping that they hadn't noticed his trail leading up to the bush. Strangely though, none of their chuckling sounds could be heard, and as the movement stopped, the world outside seemed to grow eerily quiet.

Ever so slowly, Ahote lowered himself to the ground, pressing his chin to the ground so that he could look out. There, not more than a few feet from him was a dirty, black paw. Instantly, hope surged through him and he let out the breath he had been holding. "R-Resin?" he said in a quiet voice, not moving an inch until he got confirmation that he wasn't hallucinating. At which point, he drew his tired body out of the bush, looking up at her with harrowed golden eyes.

Soon enough though, the relief of finding her again washed over him, and he couldn't help but wag his tail.Seeing the anger in her eyes though, it soon stilled and he offered no greeting. In a flash, all of the mixed feelings that had been smoldering in the pit of his stomach flared up again. Her indignation had brought back his own anger, and he drew himself up to look at her. He would let her have her say, and then she was going to hear his wether she liked it or not.


((I'll post for the other two later. I just wanted to get this up for now.))

[Resin]

((Just to clarify, it's totally cool that people have other things to do. I just like to keep track of people so I can remove dead characters from the first post. Life is way more important than roleplaying. (: I wish everyone the best of luck with their school, work and groundings. :b
I feel horrible for having Resin be a jerk to Attican. She ticks me off sometimes. She's going to do the same to Ahote to an extent. She'll have loads of apologizing to do later.
My fiance landed a job and he starts early in the morning, so I'll be posting once he goes to sleep. (: Shouldn't be too long now.))

[Soriams]

((Awesome! Congratulations on his employment! I hope that makes life easier for both of you. And no worries about Resin, it will be fun to write out their little tiff. Ahote isn't exactly in the best state of mind either.))

Lani
Female | 57 | Hunter
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Lani scrabbled over the logs like a mouse on a wire, her chubby form easily keeping balance as she moved. For the time being, her mind was far from the imagined danger that had roused the whole pack to move on in such a flurry that they haden't even bothered to call in their hunters. Had she been the type to dwell on such things, Lani might have been miffed by such a slight, but as it was, she was just happy to have her Attican back and be moving along and leave the whole mess behind them.

Traveling at the end of the line, Lani indeed got her chance to laugh at Hrafn, and nearly had to bit the tip of her tongue off to keep from completely giving them away. Grinning at him, she danced on along the log past him, and nosed him in the back of the head from her perch. "What's the matter pup, to much work for you? Would you like me to help you up? Maybe I could carry you for a bit if you're tired," she said, her voice good natured in her teasing. Receiving nothing in reply beyond an indignant sneeze she snorted and made room for the big black brute to pull himself back up. Of course this was hard, they weren't fleet footed little rabbits to hop about like this. They were Great Wolves, and their big paws belonged firmly on the ground. Even she had more than once place where she had to dance about across the rounded surface like fawn to keep from following Hrafn's example. However, a bit of good humor never hurt anything, and Lani made sure to help the others keep their balance as best she could.

Eventually, they ran out of trees, and not just the fallen ones. Before them opened up a valley filed with blessedly white snow. Just as Pilot did, Lani leapt into it with abandon, rolling and kicking her feet up in the air. Her white pelt had picked up more than a little of the black ash, leaving her looking more like Curse than herself. Leaving a great swatch of scared snow behind her, she finally emerged with her white pelt restored.

Grinning from ear to ear, Lani was just as happy as the others to sprint off through the open snow. This felt much more like home, and a heady sense of freedom washed over her as they sprinted across the ground. Even Vali, as stuffy as her fellow hunter was, seemed to be enjoying himself. Of course he would never smile, at least not where the others could see him, but his head was up and he stretched his back just like the others, his feet eagerly eating up the ground below him. Glancing over to Pilot, Lani let out a bark of a laugh. It was good to see such happiness plastered across the young fea's face, and she frolicked next to her like a pup, nipping playfully at her then bolting off as though begging her to give chase.

Soon they would all be back together again, and for Lani, wherever the pack was, that was home. She had known many of them all their lives, including Resin and much of the rest of the pack, and just to pick up a stray whiff of their scent was enough to make her giddy with anticipation of their homecoming.

Wolf
Male | 20 | Straggler
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"Oh... Right. Okay," Wolf said in response to Xani's explanation. That made much more sense than what he was thinking, and he shook his head, amused by his own ignorance. He supposed each one of them had to have a name, and a story to go with it. Curse seemed a curious name to have chosen though, and surely the owner had a difficult life to go along with it. Perhaps, assuming they all survived this, he would hear more of her, and how she came by it. For now though, he was more than content to bob alongside Xani until they were safe. Whatever safe meant anymore.

Pondering his own thoughts in silence for a while, while his companion did the same, Wolf's mind eventually came around to something Resinalpha had said in the few moments he had spoken with her. She had said he was welcome to join them as they traveled South, and that made him wonder where they were going. Were they looking for something? Or were they just running from something, like they were now? Considering that there was nothing else really to do other than keep one foot moving in front of the other, he turned to Xani once again, "So, why are we going South, anyway? Is there something you're looking for up in the mountains?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Then again, as Wolf thought about it further, he guessed it didn't really matter why or where they were going. He was just along for the ride. He would go wherever they went so long as they would have him. Even for the few short hours he had spent among them, it was infinitely better than the years he had spent alone. Smiling to himself at that thought, he considered what it must be like to grow up with so many voices around you, like the pups who followed behind him. How different, it would have been, had he awoken to find himself surrounded by faces and minds besides his own. Such a wealth of knowledge they had, collected between them, passed from young to old and then on again. It seemed wondrous, and silently he wished that he could take it all in, drink from it until his mind was full and he finally understood what it was he was meant to be.

[BlackJaguar]

{{Nah no worries, drama is always good in a rp, and esp with this sort of plotline and with what they've all been through it's definitely warranted. I like it. Ah I am also happy for you and your fiance! That's great news to hear! Best of luck on his new job and especially his first day.

Thankfully Soriams, my two spare years for the Masters is at least coupled with my specific certification I need for my job so it isn't so extraordinarily drawled out. Wildlife Ecology/Zoology.. if you couldn't tell already I have a slight fondness to animals. ha.

Also, I'm thinking about having something happen to one of my wolves this bout around with the humans. I like the potential inpredicability from them and their mixing with the hunters becoming the hunted due to intelligence... but I can't decide which one it should be. No death, just, something. What do you guys say? Attican or Pilot?}}

[Resin]

((Thank you very much, Jag and Soriams! (: We're both pretty excited to be working again. Hopefully I can head back to school soon as well. Finish up my editing degree. I'm completely jealous about the zoology degree. I've always wanted to do the same, I just couldn't bring myself to do it for some reason.

I took little breaks in her conversation to let Ahote speak. As for Attican or Pilot... if Attican has some sort of interaction with the humans, Resin won't be able to NOT get involved. Might be a good way to show him that she still cares though.))

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

As she walked towards what she believed to be Ahote, she muled over the thoughts in her head. Being harsh to Attican really bothered her, but how else would she ever get her point across? Being nice obviously did nothing other than give others an invitation to walk all over her. It made her appear weak. She was an Alpha foremost; a daughter, friend, etc. only after. Once her ire lessened, she would have to apologize to him, she knew. As of that moment, she was too angry and upset to apologize to the ancestors themselves.

The sudden flares of reddish colored fur became more and more frequent. As she drew nearer, she intentionally came up behind him and stepped heavily upon a crumbling, blackened stick. The loud snap made the brute jump for cover and Resin couldn't help but smirk, though the expression died quickly. His slow realization of her presence gave her anger time to resurface. Both he and Attican had seemed genuinely happy to see her, but she was not happy to see them.

Snapping sticks and crunching snow and debris sounded from nearby. Fixing Ahote with a cold stare, she motioned with her head for him to follow. If he was in fact capable of following direction, he would do so. Veering silently to the left, the shady female crouched low, her soot colored body blending in with her surroundings. Yet another reason that she had needed to do this alone. Both Attican and Ahote stood out like lanterns in the dark. She was but a shadow among many.

Picking out a satisfactory hiding place was a bit difficult. Hiding one wolf would have been easy, but there were two of them. In time she spied the perfect place to lay low for a while. A half burnt pine had fallen over to rest upon the blackened corpse of another. Beneath the boughs of the partially burnt tree was a hollow, shaded place where both wolves would be able to squeeze in to. Motioning for Ahote to go first, Resin took off silently, taking a few moments to cover their nearby tracks as best as she could manage.

Returning to the chosen hiding place, she settled herself inside, tucking her tail around her hip as she laid upon her stomach. For a time she sat silently, not even able to look at him. Once she opened her maw, she wouldn't be able to shut it until she said her piece. Flicking one black ear, she began. "Did I not tell both you and Attican to go find the pack? Did either of you stop to think that there was a reason for that? The lives of many are more important than the life of one. They only have Xani to protect and lead them while three members of high rank are out gallivanting around."

With a growl, she finally decided to look at him, her yellow orbs burning coldly into his own. "Either I am Alpha or I am not. Everyone has an opinion, but my word is the final word. If you and Attican don't trust me to do my job, feel free to have me voted out of my position." She could do what they could not, apparently. With the flip of a switch, she could shut off all personal emotion and do what had to be done. That is how she left them behind. Had she kept that switch in the on position, she would have stayed to help the injured Ahote and exhausted Attican on their journey back to the pack. Leaving them behind had been difficult; not knowing whether or not the two-leggers would find them, but it had to be done for the good of them all and so she did it.

"As I already told Attican, your lack of faith in my abilities is disheartening." Again she flicked that ear in her annoyed way. "I had laid down a trail leading North. The two-leggers were following it. I was prepared to return and find you so that we could all go back together. Now look at us." The Alpha shook her head. "Did it ever dawn on either of you that I might know what I'm doing?" Again she fixed him with that endless stare of hers. Now, instead of just anger, hurt and doubt lingered in her gaze.

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

The big black brute snorted at Lani's playful jibes, but couldn't help the smile that formed on his maw. If picking on him a bit made her happy, he would endure. Their behavior when they started running across the white plain instantly lowered them all to pup level, but no one seemed to care. Hrafn, seeing Lani nip at Pilot and inviting a chase, did the same to the old white wolf. He lightly nipped the tip of her tail then took off as fast as he could go. Though she was chubby, she was likely much faster than he was. She didn't have to carry all of his bulk around, so as he ran, he fully expected to receive a return nip to his rump.

As Hrafn ran by Pilot, he smiled happily at her, a stupid, toothy grin on his face. His tongue lolled out the side of his mouth as he ran. He even took a moment to bump shoulders with Vali and could have swore to the ancestors that the silent brute cracked the tiniest of grins. Hrafn didn't make a big deal out of it, he was just happy to have been the recipient of such an uncommon display of emotion. If the situation that they were running from wasn't so dire, Hrafn would have thrown his muzzle to the sky and howled out the excess of emotion that ran through him. Unfortunately, quiet was the key word.

Following the tracks that they pack had left, eventually the four wolves wound down through what looked like a stone canyon of sorts. No trees on either side, just jutting rock walls. Hrafn mumbled to himself, "This would be a horrible place to get ambushed." Though he still didn't know what danger they were running from, he imagined that they could be attacked from above or boxed in from both sides. Shrugging the sour thoughts away, he continued to run with the rest.

Running around a curve, he almost ran smack dab into the furry rump of a packmate. Skidding to a halt was difficult, but Hrafn managed. "Home at last." He said with a smile, his tongue lolled out as he panted to catch his breath and cool himself after their long run. Casting a glance behind him, he made sure that the other three arrived safely as well before heaving himself back to his paws and seeking out Xani. He greeted wolves along the way, taking a moment to place a lick atop Azaria's head and bump shoulders with Mirage. He greeted the new female in passing. Lokia, was it? "Nice to see that you've chosen to come with the pack."

With a dance in his step, he loped forward towards Xani and her new shadow, Wolf. "Mission was a success. It took us a bit longer than expected. We did all that we could to throw them off of our trail." He looked about once more, doing a visual scan, then tilted his head in question. "The others aren't back yet? They should have been back by now." Hrafn furrowed his black brow and stared towards the stone canyon behind them.

[Soriams]

((Ecology / Zoology? That's awesome! I'm glad you have something waiting for you once you finish your degree. There is absolutely no reason for me to get a masters in my field, as the only thing it would do is qualify me to teach college level courses. And I am defiantly not a good teacher… Not to mention the closest school that even offers one is like, 1000 miles away. Bah. I suppose I'm just a little jaded, eh?

Anyway, I am kinda leaning towards Attican having the issue, if for no other reason than it seems more logical. Pilot is almost back to the pack, and if she were to run into trouble now, it would bring it down on top of them. Besides, Attican just saw some humans nearby, so that makes sense too. Beyond that, like Resin said, it would give them all a reason to come back together and book it back to the pack.))

Ahote
Male | 46 | Fighter
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Standing before Resin, Ahote met her cold gaze evenly with his own, refusing to look away or flinch back. Over the past few days, he had again and again been pushed to his breaking point, and each time had pulled himself back into center. Each time, something inside him was stressed, and the constant pressure had bent it so far out of shape that it could never be put back into place. The fevered dreams that were forgotten just as soon as he woke, and the terrifying vision from earlier, all too had had an affect on him. The most recent was not so easily put aside as the others and haunted him still, fluttering just on the edge of thought, and he acutely felt the fear and sudden revelation of mortality acutely. Perhaps it was the wolf he used to be rebelling against the sadness and guilt that had kept him trapped so long, or the affection that grew in his heart for the grey wolf before him, but whatever it was, Ahote wasn't about to back down now.

Before anything further could be said though, an ominous rustling sounded nearby and Resin signaled that they should find shelter as if he didn't know that already. However, this was no time for an argument over something so trivial as a little miff to his newly reborn ego, and he simply followed her. By this time, he could no longer bear weight on his rear leg, and though structurally sound, it was nearly useless with the tightened eschar that had formed over it. It was difficult for him to crouch down and crawl the way she did, and this put him a few paces beside her, his limping gait holding him back. Reaching the place she had singled out, he pushed his way in, once again having to shut his eyes tight and clench his teeth to keep from whimpering as the blackened boughs clawed at his burnt side like greedy hands. The second his weight was off of his tired legs, he felt them go numb and he knew it was a mistake. Should they lay here too long, he would be unable to get back up.

A few moments Later, Resin pressed her way in behind Ahote and settled herself on the scarred ground. Where as she brooded, looking at the ground, he fixed his eyes on her, struggling with the mix of powerful emotions that fought within him. Part of him longed to embrace her, hold her close and wallow in the reassurance of her touch. Yet, like the wounds on his side his heart was raw and open, his love for her burned, scalding and tearing at him from the inside. Fear of loosing her and the casualness with which she would throw her life away, as though she herself meant nothing only fanned the flames, making them rise up into a passionate rage.

For the most part, Ahote kept himself well in check, holding back the flood that threatened to overwhelm him. However, when Resin finally decided to speak, her words hit him hard, like stones thrown against a dam, threatening to break it open. Her growl very nearly drew one in return from him, but instead he drew in a sharp breath, continuing to meet her gaze without flinching. The final words that followed were more than he could bear though, and he could no longer stay silent. "Opinion you say? When's the last time you stuck around long enough to hear anyone's opinion but your own?" he began, his voice quiet but holding an angry seething the bubbled just under the surface. "You act without thought and throw yourself head-long at every danger that comes your way like a bull in the rutt. You want us to vote you out of your position? Is that why you moved Xani up to the position of Beta? We all thought maybe you had finally grown up enough to admit that you couldn't do everything yourself. But I guess we were wrong. You just wanted someone to plough forward in your absence so you could run off and do as you please without having that nagging bit of conscience to hold you back," he paused in his tirade to swallow, his throat raw and protesting the abuse he now gave it. "Oh, and incase you didn't notice, there is no way to follow the pack. Somebody smarter than us found a way to cover their trail, and it disappears without a trace about a half mile from the river."

Ahote did growl then, so firmly in the grip of his anger that he practically shook. Into that wild fray, Resin flicked her ear back, and quietly inserted yet another string of mordant, self appreciating lines. "Faith!" he roared, sending his taxed lungs into a coughing fit. Recovering, he spit out the black sputum and clawed his way forward to pin her eyes with his own. "Attican and I have so much faith in you that we would blindly follow you into the gaping maw of the devourer if you'd let us. But recently you haven't given anyone even the flick of your tail to follow," Shaking his head, he struggled to his feet then, standing splay legged above her. "Neither one of us will just stand idly by while you make a martyr of yourself, Resin," he said, firmly, and just like that all the strength of fury went out of him and he hung his head. She had heard him, and no matter how she took it, he had said his piece and in its place a great weariness settled in on him. Though the fire was gone, the spark that had created it still lingered, and the tenderness that kindled it finally had a chance to return. Looking down at her grey form, Ahote pressed his forehead to hers, "I love you too much for that…" he finished, his voice soft and distant.

Gathering his legs up under him, Ahote hobbled past Resin to peer out from under the tree. Whatever had made the noise was gone for now, and they needed to move before it decided to come back. Turning back to Resin, he cleared his throat as he stifled another cough, speaking softly and quickly, "You spoke of Attican, have you seen him? We should collect him and keep moving," he said, turning back to the entrance as though he expected her to follow. He wasn't accustomed to giving orders, lest of all to Resin, but right now they fell out of him feathers from a frightened goose. "If I rest for too long, I'm not going to be able to get back up…" he finished, finding that admitting to the weakness was much more difficult than he thought it would be. With that, he pressed out of their blind and back into the desolate forest. He genuinely hoped that she had seen the Keeper, otherwise finding him was going to be like searching for an icicle in a snow drift.


((Thanks for the opening, Resin! What you said all played in exactly with what I wanted to have Ahote say.))

Lani
Female | 57 | Hunter
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Dashing away from Pilot, Lani was surprised when her tail received a playful nip in return. Letting out a little squeak, she looked over her shoulder just in time to see Hrafn's grin as he bolted past her. Beaming, she took after him like a bolt, her squat little legs flying over the snow. She might not have been big, but Lani had spent all her life chasing things and running them down, and her age hadn't quite caught up to her yet. This meant she was quick, surprisingly so for a creature as pudgy as she was.

Thus, Hrafn didn't get too far ahead before Lani was able to tag him and dance away from him, nearly bowling Pilot over in the process. Only at the last minute was she able to hop out of the blond fea's way and avoid a collision. This didn't dampen her spirits in the slightest though, and she pushed forward along the path, pulling out ahead of the others.

Quickly crossing the wide valley, the land began to rise up in front of her, and Lani slowed her pace, falling back in line with the others. Before long, the slopes of the hills grew steeper and steeper on either side of her, and she soon found herself running through what appeared to be an massive chasm. With more than a little bit of awe, the white hunter looked up at the rocks the towered over her on either side. Never before had she seen such a thing, the only thing even remotely like it was the ice rift they had crossed earlier in their journey, and that she had been on top of. It was a far different matter to find yourself at the bottom than it was to peer in from above.

Suddenly, Hrafn put on the brakes in front of her, and Lani shot past him, flying into the retreating pack like a furry avalanche. Spry enough to avoid doing any real harm, she apologized to those she had trampled, ensuring with her wide smile that there would be no hard feelings. Her next thought, was to find Attican, and make sure that he was taking care of himself. She might have returned empty mouthed, but that wasn't her fault. Surely he would understand.

Bobbing through the pack, Lani looked this way and that, hoping to catch sight of his greying pelt. "Att-ican," she called out, in a sing-song voice, circling back to see if she had missed him on her way in. However, the Keeper was nowhere to be found, and slowly the smile faded from her face. Where could he be hiding? "Attican?" she called again, this time a tinge of worry wavering in her voice.

He wasn't here.

A furious mix of worry and anger rose up in the little white wolf then, and she forced her way up to the front of the pack. "Xani! Where's Attican!" she demanded, causing poor Wolf to startle half out of his skin. The straggler quickly ducked around to the other side of his security blanket, and Lani took his place at Xani's side. "You… You didn't leave him behind again, did you?" she asked of the Beta, resentment forming in her voice. The Hunter had yet to notice that Resin and Ahote were also missing, and her only thoughts were for the Keeper. It didn't matter that Xani could swat her like a fly, her worry made her bold and stupid and she stubbornly stood by her waiting for an answer.



((Ug… Was just looking over some of my recent posts. This danged new-fangled computer at work has autocorrect like a flipping cell phone. (Which, mind you, I didn't notice until now either >.< )) So, I apologize for all the recent typos!))

[-Starchild.Keith-]

(Wow. I'm sort of surprised how long this is...)

Xani
- Female - 21 - Beta -

The pack continued on, pushed by Xani to continue on their path. The rocks became more ominous as they went on, causing the beta to slow down every so slightly. Her eyes roved the formations around them as her ears flicked nearly constantly. If anything so much as disturbed a snowflake, her eyes moved towards it instantly. Every time, it was luckily nothing more than a slight breeze or, occasionally, a small critter. She paid them no mind as she continued on.

After turning a small bend, Xani called for another small break. The pack was just around a bend in the canyon, and it was a bit over halfway out. She leaned down to snap up a bit of clean snow before sitting to rest her weary feet. Wolf was still next to her, as always. Suddenly, a slight commotion in the back of the pack had her on her feet in an instant. Her muscles tensed and she prepared to bolt, stopping only as she spotted someone she knew- Lani. The relaxed pose of the hunter let her relax for a moment, trying to settle her heart rate again. Just as she sat down, the noise of someone approaching made her turn.

Xani's eyes brightened as she saw Hrafn. As he came towards her she stood, moving forward just enough to bump her cheek to his in greeting. She was very glad to hear that the mission was a success, a small wag coming into her tail at the news. At the mention of the others not being back yet, however, Xani grew concerned. She knew they weren't with the pack, but hoped that perhaps Hrafn's group had found them. Her tail stilled as she hung her head sadly. Just as her maw opened, however, Lani came barreling towards her.

Xani felt more than saw Wolf jump behind her, obviously scared at the sudden approach of the rambunctious packmate. She turned to glance at him, nodding a few times to show that she was a friend. The tone of Lani's voice, however, made the beta perk up a bit. Her stance instantly became dominant as she stared down the other fae. "I did not leave Attican behind. He, Ahote and Resin all stayed behind. I followed the alpha's orders. I trust them to handle themselves, and I want you to do the same." Her normally low voice turned into more of a growl at the end, as if challenging Lani.

As Hrafn turned to leave, however, Xani instantly turned towards him. "Hrafn... Please don't leave again. At least not yet." She wasn't ordering or begging, but simply asking her new friend to remain with them. "It's strange to be the only one of high rank around, and everyone here trusts you. After we get out of the valley and are able to hide safely, you can head out if you want. Deal?"

[Resin]

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

When Xani pressed her cheek against him, he couldn't help but smile. Behind him, his thick black tail swished a mile a minute. That had been unexpected, but not at all unwelcome. In fact, Hrafn rather liked receiving affection from the usually morose Beta. Her answer to his question made him shake his lead slightly, the swishing of his tail dying instantly. "We didn't see them. The smokey smell was so thick, that I didn't smell them either and I'm not sure if any of those tracks belonged to them."

Hearing Lani come forward, Hrafn winced and moved aside, allowing the two females to speak face to face. The older wolf's words were harsh and biting as he expected. Xani's words were clipped and precise, but not at all what he expected from her. It seemed that her new found position was teaching her a bit of restraint. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about that. He rather liked the wild, untamed Xani.

Since the females seemed as if they would be at it for a time, Hrafn turned to leave and possibly rest for a bit before they left. Xani's words halted him and he looked over his shoulder before turning fully. Her plea for him to stay brought another smile to his face and he nodded, moving back towards her. "Of course I'll stay. I hadn't thought of leaving." The massive black brute deposited himself in the snow nearby. "I only leave when it's asked of me." Hearing that the pack trusted him sent a warm feeling spreading through Hrafn's chest. It was good to be appreciated.

"You're in charge. What's our plan now? We didn't see any danger on our way here and I'm not completely sure what we're running from, but I think it would be safe to rest for a little while. This could give a chance for Resin, Attican and Ahote to catch up to us." He cast his golden gaze around them. "Perhaps if we moved to a more secluded spot, we could rest and watch for them. Post a sentry in each direction." It was a thought. The older wolves and the younger could get some much needed rest. The others could regain a bit of energy just in case the danger found them and they were forced to fight.

((Yeesh... Family drama. So time consuming and depressing.))

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

Of course she expected him to say something in return. Who wouldn't have a retort when being verbally attacked as he had been? His first few statements were easy to brush off after being heard. His next statement struck close to home, however. "You just wanted someone to plough forward in your absence so you could run off and do as you please without having that nagging bit of conscience to hold you back." He shot at her. It still seemed as if he had more to say, so she allowed him to continue.

His reaction to her 'lack of faith' comment, though justified, was not something that she would have expected from him. She winced when he roared that one word back at her. Not so much because of his anger, but because the two-leggers were still close and could possibly hear them. Despite his size and former status, he had always been on the meek side. This outburst from him caused the dark female to arch one brow. Not from the words that he said, but from the force with which he said them. In fact, it took her a moment after his initial reaction to even absorb the words that he all but growled at her. Then just as quickly as it had risen, his anger faded and he hung his head momentarily before pressing his head against her own.

"I love you too much for that…" His soft spoken words made her blood run cold. Though he couldn't see it, her eyes widened in a slightly panicked manner. That... hadn't been expected at all. Rage she could understand. Sadness and fear were easy to deal with. Love? She wasn't new to the emotion, but she was way, way out of practice. The concept of reciprocated affection frightened her just a bit. Where did this leave them? Before she could even think of anything to say in return, Ahote had risen stiffly and pulled himself out of the hiding place.

Without realizing it, she followed his instructions, sliding easily from the pine cover. He questioned her about Attican and began to limp off, but she stood still, staring mostly at the ground. She saw everything around her and nothing. She spoke in a soft voice, though she knew he would hear. "You were closer to the truth than you realize." One dark ear flicked. "There have been many days where I've cursed my position; where nothing would be better than to be free of the responsibilities that hold me to the pack. I would be free to go off on my own and live a life of peace or die a peaceful death."

"Guilt binds me to the pack. Guilt and some sick sort of obligation to see this vision business to its end." Soon she was able to raise her gaze to meet his. "Had I not been an Alpha... had I been a plain, non-rank instead... I would have stayed with my brother when he died." She swallowed hard, then bared her teeth momentarily, tongue lapping at the pearly whites. "Yes, I throw myself into dangers path. Yes, I wander off to be on my own. Yes, I promoted Xani to groom her for the Alpha position one day. More than once I have hoped to die while doing something reckless." Shaking her head lightly, the dark female shot him a slightly pleading look. "But I have always been relieved to be alive afterwards."

Lowering her head, she padded past the patchwork brute. "Being a martyr has never been my plan. I have only ever done that which I believe to be right no matter how dangerous. Better me than one of you." Still she ignored his proclamation of love. With so many dark thoughts boiling inside her brain, she wasn't ready to deal with it just yet. The time would come where she would either accept or reject his affections, but that time was not now. Not once did Resin deny the feelings that she had for him, nor did he doubt the feelings that he had for her. She simply wasn't in the right frame of mind to look at the situation with the care that it demanded.

"I passed Attican, yes. We had a... falling out. He should be on his way back to the pack. We should run into him if we hold this course." Without another word she started forward, but slowly. His burns did not go unnoticed, nor did his limping. More than once she saw him wince at the pain. And, if those signs weren't enough, his admittance of pain and stiffness was enough. Thought it would take them quite a while, she moved forward at a very slow walk with his comfort in mind. This slow pace would also give her time to think about how she was going to apologize to the Keeper for hurting his feelings. She would also take this time to consider Ahote's words and decide what to do with them.

[BlackJaguar]

Pilot

32 - Fae - No Rank

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Just like her heart raced in her chest as she ran, so did Pilot's spirits. For as long as she had been within ScarPaw it seemed a heavy blanket of worry had never quite left the group. Multiple dangers both big and small had the group nearly constantly running for terror, the sheer will to survive being the driving force for their movement. Technically her's and the other trio's run was no different here, after all they had been separated to start with because of an intelligent danger that sought their hides, but the shared elation of them in that run to rejoin the mass gave an exuberant feeling.

Her paws plunged into the already track-riddled snow, her own smaller imprints marking their spot in the mix. Her tail waved in swing with her stride, tongue poking out form time to time from her mouth. The clean air was amazing. Having been in the smog for so long it seemed that her younger lungs had come to accept their punishment, learning how to adapt enough through it. But now with that gone and behind them they literally took a huge sigh of relief, the cool air rushing cleanly down her windpipe.

Over time the small dots of the Pack got larger and larger. What once was a few black and gray and white dots now became figures of wolves that slowly the fae was starting to recognize. There was Xani in the front, that one Wolf character sidled right next to her. Piper's brownish frame came into view, as well as a few other packmembers that Pilot had also choked up the courage of talking to. Their outlines got better in detail the closer she came, the running group eating up ground much faster than the Pack. Rather quickly the fae found herself skidding to a halt, although with much more grace than her running companion Lani. She chuckled lightly through her heavy pants, giggling as some of the wolves had not been aware of the barreling female until it was much, much too late.

They had done it! If they were not supposed to be quiet Pilot would have barked a few timed for joy of it all. Without more than a few moments passing, the catch-up group melded into the mix. Both Lani and Hrafn seemed to immediately go to the front, mister mute-miser ducking his way into the side and out of sight completely. However Pilot could have sworn that she saw a bit of a bounce in his step as he walked in... Ah, no matter, they were together again and that was all that mattered. That safety in numbers thing again right?

Due to the large mass number of wolves and the fact that she still had a bit of a hard time recognizing everyone, Pilot was still vaguely unaware that the Alpha and a few others were still missing. After all since her inclusion Resin had really only been with the Pack once, right after the caribou hunt. Who could blame Pilot for not noting her absence?

Her head wandered happily away for a bit as her breath returned, glad to have the 'herd mentality' for a while and let the others do the thinking in regards to their movement. She trailed lightly at the back, looking out at the beautiful scaping of the ridge that they were currently on. Thee land below them looked like it went on for absolutely forever, the ends of the sky meeting up with the ground right in the center. It was breathtaking. Never had the little blonde female seen anything like this back in her home in the caves.

If only her family could see this.

Thoughts trailed themselves chronologically through her mind, each one of her small clans inhabitant faces popping their way in as she remembered them one-by-one.There was her mother and then her father, and that older wolf that always just seemed to stick around.. The few other mated pairs, and that one sweet grandmotherly one, and but then of course there were her brothers. A small smile edged to the corner of her maw as she thought of them. Rowdy boys they were. Always keeping Pilot on her toes as the only female of the litter. Had to be tough in order to survive that kind of sibling "abuse." The smile grew a little bit bigger. If it had not been for them, Pilot may have never been strong or courageous enough to ever even have gone on her journey... And then again she wouldn't be separated from them either. Her eyes blinked slowly, trying to keep from going misty-eyed.

Eh, but now was not a time to dwell. Pilot shook her head lightly, shoving the thoughts away for later. It was of no use anyways, what was done was done and things could not be changed. All that the fae could hope was that everyone was still well, whether they still resided in their caves by the ocean or had moved. She was here now and making a way for herself, claiming a new group as her own.

Speaking of, Pilot could hear a bit of commotion stirring at the front of the group. Unable to see over the sea of bodies she poked her head up the best she could over them all to either get eye or earful. Lani's voice could get unmistakably picked out above everything else, the tone sounding distressed. Worried as to what may be going on the wolfess nudged herself through the throng, trying to get to the front to possibly help.


{{Okay, here is Pilot's for now. Attican's is a doozy and my brain is mush and I cannot get through it all as I'm already half asleep. Have half done, will finish up in the morning hour. Apologies for the delay it is not intentional}}

[Apocalyptic_Punk]

((First and foremost I wanna apoligise, I started my internship on the 10th and my life is sooo very limited right now. That being said, I'm not giving up I will try to post 1-2 times a week Tuesdays are my best day for posting right now unless my boss decides he wants me to come on Tuesdays too, though I won't mind cause that gets me closer to my goal faster. So that being said I'm not gone, just...limited in how often I can post. ))

Isis
{{Fae||fighter||36||W/The pack||

It seemed to Isis at the moment that they would run for ever, that this danger would never end, that it would go on and on and on, never ending. Isis though despite her misgivings was used to danger being a part of her life. It had been for a long time her lot in life, always running and hiding from what ever danger came her way. She barley noticed the pack coming to a stop, in fact she walked past several tiers of the pack before she noticed. She came to a stop panting lightly, she hadn't reached full blown exhaustion yet, but she was hanging on the edges of it. She tilted her head taking in the pack checking on them as she moved through the pack now towards the front where Xani, the new comer whose name she was certain she'd caught was just wolf, odd, and Hfran she caught sight of Piolet and The old Female Lani, along with the brute that had gone out with them. What had his name been Vali she thought.

Shaking her head to clear it from its train of thought, she came to a stop before Xani waving her tail in greeting. Will we be resting for awhile, or are we keeping on?" She asked studying the pack behind them now. With the brief stop she could see wolves dropping into the snow to rest as best as they could, some pulling clumps of filthy snow from between their toes. With a sigh she focused back Xani to wait to see what the newly named Beta wolf would say or do.

Mirage
{{Brute||Omega||10||With Azaria|}}
As soon as the pack stopped he dropped into the snow curled into a ball and closed his eyes letting sleep claim him again almost instantly, his ears moving constantly as he listened to those around him, he trusted in the young red pup who was laying beside him at the moment to wake him if they started moving again. He let his mind shift through dreams which were abrupt he barley caught onto their meaning before the dream shifted away again. He floated back towards the surface of wakefulness listening to those around him, as they talked lightly among themselves, pure exhaustion was the only thing that kept him from moving.

Kuolema
{{Brute||Loner/fighter||14||W/the pack