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 Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 11:58 am
 Participants: Vervain, Bloodroot
Location: The Northern Wood
Time: 04:50 am
Weather Clear, 53°Weeks.
It had been weeks since they had arrived in the southern lands, weeks since he had met with the little white b***h, weeks since she had described to him the spires and the forest around them. He felt like he was suffocating each day, traveling to new hovels and searching the length of the mountain ridge. He was not sure of how many miles they had traveled, now, only that his paws never seemed to stop aching, and that his eyes were likely gaunt and red from the lack of sleep. They stopped, each night, much earlier than he had allowed before, but he, himself, often never found the comfort of unconsciousness until the very early hours of the morning, and bird song always woke him. It was engraved into him to be up with them, to start a patrol and secure the area, and his body had yet to give that fight up. He was not hungry, at least; none of them were. Strychnine had done a good job of keeping them fed, and it seemed that the prey here was healthy, fat, and free of the radiation that was slowly choking the north with starvation. Even still, he felt uneasy, doubtful that he would be able to find what they needed and provide for his pack.
Until yesterday.
He had spotted a stream making it's way down through the mountains, several small waterfalls tumbling over cliff faces and cascading to the forest foor below, and he could make out the faintest tips of trees beyond those peaks. He had taken them further up the ridgeline, ensuring there would be no easier way into what he hoped to be promising, and had stopped them there for the night, sending the twins out to hunt and devising a plan for the next day while Hyacinthe took the time to gather herbs and berries. This night, he didn't sleep at all, eager and anxious as he was to head up the mountains, and when he heard the first bird of the morning, he was on his feet and shoving Bloodroot as quickly and quietly as he could. "Get up," he hissed, his voice a whisper in the early morning light, before he stole away from their nest site and quickly darted and dipped around trees and the thick foliage that seemed to build so close to the rocks. He did not want to be followed, this morning. He did not want the hunter to rouse and stalk them, as she so often did. He needed to make sure they weren't walking into an ambush, and logically, his best scout was the correct choice to bring along.
Vervain waited, just up ahead, until he saw the other male through the greenery, and tipped his nose back in the direction they came from. He did not wait for Bloodroot's questioning, or acknowledgement; he simply went. He would follow. He always followed.
489 :Word Count
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Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 11:59 am
 Bloodroot's smaller frame seemed stiff this morning, so much so that when the other male awoke silently and gave him a quick push, he hardly moved. Perhaps it was the poor sleep he was receiving, or the close proximity of the twins keeping him from relaxing. Whichever case it didn't matter much, all he knew was he was not happy with this wake up call, and even as his lips lifted in a silent snarl he found himself desperately trying to cling onto the last remains of his sleep. The rough, hissing voice of Vervain on the other paw nearly woke his mind instantly and just as his eyes opened and locked on the larger males frame, he was off. Disappearing into the treeline outside leaving Blood behind with a deep, annoyed groan. Taking his time rising, the creaking of limbs that had laid too still the night before the only sound in the cramped nest. Something follow by a hushed, deep breath as he turned to peer around the sleeping group, taking time to study the softly snoring female before he slowly wandered out of the cover they slumbered in. For the past few mornings things had been the same, wake with the birds, wander around the area in pairs of two or three before regrouping when Hyacinthe awoke and they set off together. By now it had become habit to follow after their fleeing alpha. Though he had never disappeared this quickly before.
So nose twitching, he followed the ever familiar scent of his friend through the trees, his pace a slow and steady jog as he stayed on track. Almost making a beeline for where Vervain waited a short distance away. "Wha-" His voice broke the quiet morning for only a second as he began to call out to the other. Yet he seemed to have other ideas as, with a quick motion of his head. Vervain was off once more. Though this time things were much slower and it only took Bloodroot picking up his own pace into a brisk jog to take his place a step beside his friend. With a light clearing of his throat he turned his gaze to the path ahead of them. "You seem full of energy this morning." His tone was flat, laced with the remains of sleep that clung to his own frame. "Where are we headed today?"
Word Count | 400
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Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 11:59 am
He knew it was likely not fair, really, to be rousing Bloodroot first of all of them. It was probably - no, he knew it was something that irritated the other male, his snarl indicative that he, too, had not had the best night's rest. He could have chosen either of the twins for this. Strychnine had a decent nose for hunting, and Strychnos was good for muscle, but, truth be told, he was not as comfortable around either of them. They had been raised by Father and Hyacinthe, just as he and Bloodroot had, but had been raised in a different time. They were older than the twins, though he could not be sure by how much, and it made for a bizarre barrier between them. He supposed this would be how it would always feel with any of the newer generations beneath him.
It mattered not. Bloodroot had the best eyes of all of their scouts, including those with two working eyes. Somehow, losing vision in one had resulted in a more observant wolf. It did not make him feel good about it, but he hoped it softened the wound for the other, if only slightly. Which, really, was another reason that he tried so hard to keep an eye on him, given he had been the cause of that. Sure, he would have died if Vervain hadn't also saved him, but insult to injury wasn't his prerogative with his companion.
He could feel Bloodroot's curiosity from behind him, becoming instinctively aware of the other male once he was at his side and keeping pace. He kept an ear out, just in case, for any sound behind or around them, and occasionally turned and scented the air to ensure neither twin had followed them this morning. When he was confident they hadn't, he visibly relaxed, finally taking a moment to stretch his stiff bones in a forward motion, locking his back legs up each in turn and drawing himself forward as he released tension from his ligaments. "If I'm right, we can finally be done with all of this wandering and sleeplessness," he murmured, catching Bloodroot's eye with a spark in his own. The idea of finally being able to settle down and mark a border had him brimming with energy, a fire he had lacked over the past few days. "You can have a proper bed. We all can." He was playing on Bloodroot's fatigue, perhaps, but he was hoping the other would wake up a bit more and match.
"Did you see that river coming off the cliffs back a ways down the ridge?" he questioned, the faintest of grins tugging at his black lips. "There's something up there, and I intend to find out if that's the dragon's spine Hyacinthe has been hinting at."
480 :Word Count
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Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 11:59 am
It was much to early to wake up, and while the alluring call of sleep still sang to him, a quick and heavy shake of his coat allowed the chill of morning a brief chance to bite at his skin. The cool prickling helping him in his attempt to rid himself of at least a little bit of the fatigue that clung heavy to his frame. "Lets hope you're right this time..." His head would lift with his words and he's paused mid-step to peer off behind him in the direction he assumed it was that Vervain had mentioned. Though whatever river he spoke of was well out of view by now. "I'm sick of sleeping with those twins." He'd growl as he turned back to face Vervain, quickly picking up his pace to clear the short distance between them with a few long steps. "I always feel like their listening, watching. It unnerving." Even through his displeasure, his voice began to settled into a more lighthearted tone as the continued. The quick motions of their steps warming his once stiff joints, and with a long, quiet yawn he blinked and finally found himself able to pay a bit more attention to their surroundings.
Nostrils flaring as he took a few deep breath, scenting the area for any sign of trouble or even just life in general. Though aside from them it hadn't seemed like anyone had been through the area recently, and if they had, the light rainfall from the night before would have given them away. In a way the clear mapping of scents in the air comforted him. It made things just a little bit easier to focus on. "How on earth do you plan on getting us up there to look, anyway? I hate to break it to you, but I'm not very good at climbing up the sides of cliffs." A smile tugged at his lips as he briefly glanced off towards the sheer cliff face beside them. "And last thing we need is for you to fall and break something."
Word Count | 346
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Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 11:59 am
Anyone else, and Vervain might have snapped at them. Anyone else, and he would have pinned them to the ground over such a comment. It was less that he was actually concerned with being doubted; he knew that many of their brethren doubted him, especially right now. Moreso, it would have been for the sake of keeping up appearances, always appearing to have the upper hand, even when he was truly unsure and lost. From Bloodroot... The comment almost made him laugh. He could not blame him. After wandering the base of the mountain ridge for so many days, hoping and praying to whatever forces Hyacinthe believed in, and having so little success, he really couldn't blame any of them if they started to wonder what he was doing, or where he was going. He knew that Bloodroot put very little faith in the oracle, especially now, but try as he might, he couldn't prevent himself from trusting her. She knew -something- was out there for them, something that would be ideal, and he had to cling to that in the ever dwindling hope that he could save what was left of his family, and rebuild.
"Yeah, yeah," he snorted. "I didn't have many options for the journey." Foxglove had remained behind to watch over things in the meantime, and while he was partially concerned the other male might just assume full control in his absense, he hoped the other would have enough sense to know that a move like that would ultimately kill him, and the rest of the pack. His loyalty to Cocklebur had been unwavering; it had not quite transfered to Vervain. Wolfsbane, too, needed to stay back in order to provide, where he could, and he was not about to take their druid into unknown lands when that position was so vital to the survival of those who had fallen ill. His ear flicked, and he thought a moment, before nodding in agreement. "Strychnine is... overenthusiastic. This trip means a lot to her. I can't tell why. Her brother..." Truth be told, Strychnos unsettled him more. He shook the feeling off, shrugging. "Like I said, not a lot of options, and at least one can hunt and one can fight."
He wasn't really sure how long it would take them to get back to that river. It had been an hours journey the day before, and he hoped he could cut down on that, but he knew that pushing too hard now would mean feeling worse later, when they made the return trip. Still, he trucked on, keeping his pace brisk as the sun slowly began to make his appearance over the horizon, a glare biting through the trees as their bases. "There's got to be a way up," he said, not bothering to hide the hint of desperation and hope within his tone. Vervain paused at the second comment, turning to peer at Bloodroot and lift an eyebrow almost playfully. The farther they got away from the others, the more relaxed he began to feel. He hadn't been able to shrug off the burdan of leadership for nearly a month, now, and it felt good to banter like he used to. "What, are you calling me old? Think I might break a hip?"
548 :Word Count
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Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 11:59 am
"Sometimes I have to wonder if the extra muscle is worth it. Nine seemed a bit emotionally unstable, and Nos?" He paused to forcefully blow out his nostrils, a noise that said everything to him about the male but also nothing at all. "He's.. Well maybe he's worse, or not. He doesn't really do much other than brood in silence." His tail lifted a bit as the made their way down the path. His own shoulders feeling lighter. Body more awake, and with each step they took away from their little makeshift pack his mind and mood improved considerably. "Once the rest of the pack joins us, hopefully they'll find other things to keep themselves occupied." Sending a thoughtful glance over to Vervain who stayed a step or two ahead of him, Blood raised his damaged and scarred brow. His grin wavering faintly before he forced it into a more neutral expression should Vervain look back to him. His own attention turning to the path laid out before them.
"Who knows though." He Finally spoke, his own voice holding that same flat tone he'd spoke in when they were surrounded by their pack members. Though the slight shake towards the end belayed a faint amusement he tried to hide. "I mean you have been looking a lot more grey now-a days. Lets just hope your mind doesn't start going with age." He held himself together in the beginning, but after he spoke he broke. A toothy grin crossing his muzzle with a deep, throaty laugh. "Just let me take the lead this time. If I fall I'm sure the pack will love you all the more for it." Picking up into a brisk jog, Bloodroot took a quick second to bump his shoulder lightly into Vervain's own. "Just try and keep up, Old wolf." He called behind him as he broke into a sprint, his paws sure-footed on the soft ground. It was silly of him, he knew that, but they had also been too reserved. Too closed off. He needed a moment to break free and enjoy what this short time gave him. Freedom, even with his Alpha at his side he didn't want to feel those eyes upon him. Always questioning his abilities, his worth, and out here in the lull of early morning he let his paws fly across the ground. All the while his gaze was lifted to the wall. Looking for any kind of break in the sheer cliff face, while his ears twisted back trying to 'see' if Vervain had taken up his challenge.
Word Count | 430
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