Nova Mountain Pack Meeting

• This Pack Meeting is mandatory. Failure to attend may result in removal from the pack. If you are absent it will be assumed that you are in attendance for IC purposes—but as no NM members are currently absent, EVERYONE is expected to reply.
• An optional hunt will follow. Your character does not have to stick around for the hunt, but it is strongly encouraged that they do.
• No post tables. Blockquote is okay. Do not change the color of your text.
• There is no posting order. Reply as you have the chance.
• Each round will last 5 days. The meeting will last for two (possibly three) rounds; the hunt will last for as many rounds needed for completion.

The Path of Blood

Bronx had changed in four months more than he would have even imagined changing in over four years of his previous life. The most recent surprising change was his respect for the medical profession. Of course, he respected it as much as they heal stuff, which was most certainly a great bout of brilliance in any battle or at any scene of injury, but at the same time his opinion of Medics had been rather clear: I fight; they clean up the mess. It had placed he and whatever powerful beasts that stood by his side far above the weaker souls who skittered about collecting herbs. But this afternoon he was high in the mountains, pacing the edge of Moonlight Ridge with a healthy, rangy, almost limp-less stride, because of a Medic and her skills – and hence his mental hierarchy had drastically changed.

After his meeting with Sinistra, Bronx had approached his sister at once, concerned for her wounds but by no means at all annoyed that she had not told him – he understood full well why she had not told him. In fact, Mister Red Eyes would hopefully soon find out why she had not told him. It was then that he had discovered the latter nature of their oncoming pack meeting – a hunt, so he left the new Eta to it and moved into the mountains for an automatic border patrol and one hell of a deep think.

Upon hearing his Alpha’s howl, the sleepless Guardian approached at once, relatively near to Sinistra already and smoothly by his side with a lowered head. “Afternoon, Sinistra,” he greeted gruffly with deadpan light-heartedness, expecting the rest of the army to arrive soon enough.

The bi-toned female was loping back up the Mountain after a quick scout, still debating just where the pack hunt should be, and how the hell she was going to run it without looking like a dumb ass. The last thing she really wanted to think about was the hunt, but more over the reaction two of the resident black wolves were putting to an attack on the new Eta. Allure understood Bronx' reaction, he was her sibling, confidant, and best friend. Sinistra, however, just seemed to be out for a vendetta.. and perhaps Allure's case was the best way he could get it.

She heard the howl, her frame still as she listened to it. Sinistra, calling the pack together. What the hell? She wasn't damn well ready for this. A huff escaped her jowls, the cool autumn air bit past her, ruffling her black and white pelt. Quickly moving forward, it only took her minutes to find the meeting, and she had managed to be one of the first. "I suppose you thought that was time enough?" Her tones were meant be to sarcastic, but they came out quietly, and her aqua eyes trained themselves nervously on Bronx. She moved swiftly toward her brother, bumping him gently beneath his black muzzle before she sat herself by him, releasing a soft sigh. This was all madness.

Avatar: Ness

Tobin was wandering, as was his habit, when the call came. It was odd, he thought, because usually such calls happened later in the evening. For some reason, he had never really thought of pack meetings as an afternoon thing. The beta's golden ears tipped toward the sound, contemplative. Should he return home to grab the kids first, then head onward? They were old enough, now, that they should be able to get themselves there. Heck, they probably weren't even in the densite at this time. It made his heart ache to think how much they had grown, but there was a bright promise for puppies in the spring. Of course Arsenio and Tantamount would never be replaced, but they were no longer sprightly bundles of furry joy. They were growing older, slowly but surely they were becoming adults. Just as Indris had.

Ah, but he was dawdling. The wolf - a great lover of running - set off at a somewhat reckless sprint. There was a flow of energy in his muscles, in that coil and spring, the push of his paws against the mountain ground. It exhilirated him. If there was one physical activity he loved (besides hunting, as every wolf did), it was running. Which was how he had met Styx, why he had named a few trees that he passed particularly often, and also the reason that he often seemed in a hurry most of the time to a lot of wolves. It wasn't because he had to be in a hurry, though, it was because he wanted to be moving that fast.

As he drew near, though, the leader slowed down so he didn't barrel into someone on his final approach. His tail flicked upward, slightly, confidence and leadership displayed in that simple movement. His mate wasn't here yet, nor were either of his children, but they would be on their way, he was certain. The golden lieutenant moved to Sinistra, nudging his muzzle underneath the king's in a sign of submission, ears flat and tongue flicking out to run against the leader's jaw. The beta male, above all else, was a vassal to the alpha. Stepping back, he settled behind and to the right of Sinistra. Watching the pack, but also able to see Sin when the alpha started to speak.

It felt good, to all be together again.

Table by Chelsie
January WLC start: 445

The squeal of the rabbit had been like a rush of ecstasy in her veins as the huntress sank her teeth into the vulnerable flesh of its vibrating throat. It didn't take long for the silence to press and throb within the inner of her ear and the thrashing movement of its hind legs to still, after growing invariably weaker. Moments later, when the throb in its neck had definitely ceased (and that pulsating couldn't be attributed the thunder of her own heart) she let her grip loosen from its stronghold and dropped her catch between eagerly awaiting paws.

She was about to tuck in, already excited to quash the rumbling contractions of her empty stomach and feel the warm crimson bathing her tongue, when the rising crescendo of Sinistra's familiar timbre filtered through the Nova Mountain air with a summons in its lyrics. Siaqi was quick to abandon her kill with a recklessness that could obviously be forgiven given the circumstances, and the churn of the out-of-practise fighter's limbs agilely brought her up the craggy face of the Mountain, leap by leap. Nimble and used to achieving such elevated heights, by the time she drew toward the Meeting clearing, her chest wasn't heaving heavily with the effort of her climb.

She breeched the circles edges, twisting her ears atop her streamlined skull as cadmium blues flickered over the few – Bronx, Allure, Styx – that had arrived before her and offering a small smile and a nod of greeting as she slipped in. To Sinistra was her usual deference display, before she moved instinctively toward her mate, with the forefront of her teeth nibbling gently at his cheek ruff in greeting, whilst aligning her bodice so that she could seat herself next to him.

thanks to vero for my amazing avatar. :)
Jan WLC — 429

These days Amy was not in a very good mood; considereing her recent happenings, The Devil, Bronx angry at her, falling in love with Takashi. Yeah, she was pretty tired of everything. Howevere, she set that all aside when she heard Sinistra's call for a meeting. Oddly enough she was excited to go; partly because she was curious as to teh events they were to talk about, and another to be with her whole pack.

Even if she believed everyone was lying to her, she still felt comfertable in her own home. Nova Mountain would still be held higher than any other pack on her list. If she could be mad at any one of the packs, it was Silver Creek. So, with that decided, she headed off to the meeting grounds. Luckily, Amy had been there before; so it took no time to get there. The last meeting she was at, everyone was talking about the sickness. So what could this meeting be about?

Upon arrival she noticed only a few had shown up before her; Sinistra of course, Bronx, Styx, and two she had never met. All was seen through smell of course; she could catch their familiar scents as she walked into view. The blinded female made her way to find somewhere to sit. While passing by Styx she wagged her tail playfully and nodded a 'hello'. The last time she saw her was when the squirrel told them he was Sinistra, and Amy almost believed it.

When she passed Bronx her head lowered a bit more; afraid of his angry temper. Sh didn't say anything more, afraid of what he was thinking of her. Instead she jsut walked by slowly. It was a pitiful sight; the poor girl looked like a beat puppy. Tail halfway between her legs and shaking in fear. When that was all over, she sat down by herself, because she had no idea where she was, and nodded hello several times to Sinistra. But, she was facing teh wrong way of course. Silly her. Her back was turned away from everyone else. Eh, she at least tried right?

signature/Woovis | avatar/Woovis | table/

January WLC: Ambition 337 Riddle 44

One tawny ear flicked in mild surprise as she heard the demanding call of Sinistra. A meeting, hm? Well, maybe she wasn't so surprised, then. It had been quite some time since all the wolves of Nova Mountain had gathered together. Jubilee shrugged and made an abrupt change of direction until she was trotting toward the designated meeting place. She wasn't far off from it anyway, so getting there wouldn't take long.

When she arrived, her trot slowed to a walk and then slowed even further as she entered the circle. Her ears were wisely pinned against her skull, kempt tail lowered to a respectable height. The petite girl made quick work of glancing around to see who had shown up already. Sinistra, Siaqi, and Tobin were of course there. A shy smile was offered to the three as she moved along. Bronx, Styx and Allure were also there, to which she offered the same shy smile. There was someone else there, too - Ambition, was it? Gray eyes peered curiously as she saw the female facing the wrong way. She looked afraid withdrawn into herself. Wasn't she blind? Frowning, Jubilee made a beeline to her and stopped by her side, tawny maw next to her ear. "You might want to be facing the other way," she said in a soft whisper. Her tones were not mocking or anythig of the like. She remembered Ambition as an amicable wolf from the last pack meeting and hoped she would not take her words the wrong way.

After her suggestion, she moved a few inches to the side and took her seat right next to Amy. Her head was lowered as she looked in Sinistra's direction - or more specifically, at his paws. Poet wasn't here yet - where could he be? Jubilee frowned again. She was just being impatient.

It had only been one day since his arrival although it felt like months. He had made his entrance rather quietly, an apprehensive shadow on what appeared to be a flourishing mountain; the decision to join Nova's ranks would evidently go quite well by the looks of things. Thus far he had not come upon a soul which was both disappointing and slightly unencouraging; the tawny boy would have liked to have exchanged words with at least someone before "settling in". Finding a den had been taken care of, thankfully.

The sun was at its zenith, a few wispy clouds streaked by on their rotating paths, and two black birds - solitary figures upon the painfully blue backdrop - dipped languidly overhead. He sucked in a breath, amber eyes following their unpredictable swoops like a feline's upon a mouse - fixated. It was only when they disappeared behind the far off ledge of trees did his glassy gaze stop. Everything was quiet here, as if he'd left behind the real world somewhere on his journey and instead reached a utopia - someplace wonderful. A small smile played across the male's face. Dantalion finally felt at ease.

A high pitched howl permeated through the crisp autumn air, its tone unfamiliar yet purpose clear - a meeting was to be held, and his presence was required. Without even thinking he fell into a run, pace steady yet leaden with purpose. After some time a gathering of figures came into view and he silently joined them without muttering a word.

A pair of equal-sized peaks moved cautiously through a bush, which seemed rather haphazardly placed upon the mountain at the height Tantamount had achieved, almost as if he were stalking something. He was not keen of killing, and nor was he overly good at one would call social skills of a wolf, but that did not mean he was not still open to learning. His tri-coloured eyes, wide circles of blue flavoured with sea-green and gold rings, peered out from the bush he had concealed himself behind, though they did not hold much curiosity or real fear. His puppy months had been plagued by an unshakeable timid nature, and whilst he was still considerably shy, he was now changed. The adolescent was no longer simply timid, but somewhat emotionless as well. What would have scared him to hell and back before hardly broke his calm exterior at all, even though it might make his heart lurch forward and break the bonds holding it together. Chena had left him, had left Indy and Arsenio, Siaqi and Tobin; his family had been abandoned by the spirited female cub. Ever since the event he had not been the same, and his confusing teenage years were just making everything worse. He was larger now, though still small in comparison to what he should be, albeit lanky and somewhat clumsy. A timid, silent klutz; it was a new experience for him, surely.

Sinistra's call was almost disregarded by the youth, but there was a sort of urgency hidden deep within the rich folds of the leader's voice that drew him, the inexorable runt, forward. His paws, wide and awkward, pressed then against the stone. Perhaps Chena had been discovered; maybe his sister, the dear lady that had gone searching for a cure for the illness of the valley, had returned to them. For young Tantamount that would've been a momentous ceremony, and certainly, Indris and Arsenio would be pleased beyond belief. His parents would also be overjoyed, he was certain, along with each and every wolf that had had a connection to her. Her disappointing disappearance had hit the white boy hard, and her return would be what he needed to shatter his cloud of depression, if it could be called that, to break apart the emotionless mask he had woven himself.

When he reached the meeting point, he moved immediately to Siaqi, his mother, and sat down beside her, leaning his muzzle into her fur and breathing deeply, nuzzling her. The comfort of his mother was one of the only things left that nervous, shy young Tanta found normal in the world; with her and his father, there was peace and hope yet. He blinked in Sinistra's direction once, but did not say anything, simply lowered his head and folded his ears back, emitting a very small whine.

This post has been edited by Tantamount on Oct. 20, 2006 - 4:21pm

SIG BY KARM

The child was free from his leg splint finally, and he had never felt more great about something. He would for hours on end walk and run around aimlessly, just feeling the actual presence of movibility in his once-shattered leg. But now, as his ear rang with the sound of Sinistra's howl (so familiar from such a distant past), and he was racing with aim ― toward the spot the song had resounded from.

When the lanky youth arrived in the loose circle of wolves, disappointment prickled at him as he noticed how many were there. Many he had known (and he thought this with a sense of pride), such as their Alpha, his parents, Bronx, Styx, Jubilee, and, already there before him, his brother Tantamount. Obviously oblivious to the occation, Arsenio put on a lop-sided smile adn approached his family, sitting next to Tantamount and playfully pulled his ear between strong, white teeth. He let go, looked to Sinistra's stern yellow eye, and stood still. Well, as still as he could get ― his tail occationally wagged but with an involuntary sort of intent.

And only after he looked around the assortment and realized the stern expressions on the faces of his Alpha, Bronx, Allure, and a few others, he realized something was serious about this meeting. His smile faded, replaced with slightly more mature interest.

amazing avatar & table are by akumu! ♥

Cass, hearing the call, scrabbled to her paws and was off, after her father, who had been at another location. Following the sound, she made it to where a crowd had gathered; pups, and adults. She saw an ebony male with a commanding air, and immediately lowered her ears and dipped her head, and when she saw her father went to walk and sit beside him, keeping herself close to his body, shying up a bit. The pups there were older, if only by a month or two, than her, and she was still a little new. She saw Ambition, and Bronx. She looked around; Nova Mountain was an impressive lot, and she was proud to be part of it.

She looked at the others' faces, and Sinistra's expression was serious, gravely so. She blinked a few times, blue-green eyes raising to look at the sky before dipping again, and sat neatly, tail curled tightly about her. The dark puppy remained still, wondering about the gravity of this meeting. Her expression was thoughtful as she pondered possibilities, but she maintained a tight grip on reality and consciousness. Cass was known to daydream. At least her father was here. She looked around once more; observing others' postures and expressions, and her thoughts once more re-rooted to what the objective of this meeting was.

The group seated there was quiet, apart from the whispers the wind supplied, and Cass felt somewhat uncomfortable in that ambience, but that soon lessened, till it vanished, but there was nothing more piercing than the sound of silence.

Calliope was cranky, to say the least. It was truth that the situation between herself and her mate was improving - but the situation between Allure and herself was only deepening, though silently and inwardly now. No other would know of the distaste the two would have for each other any longer - now it would just brew inside her, perhaps more now intensely than ever. But for now, she would keep her maw shut and her opinions to herself, and do what was reasonably best for her. For all of them.

She had just awoken from her slumber when her lover's call rang out above the chirping of the Mountain's midday birds, above the late October wind brushing through the fire-hued leaves. It sounded far off, and she knew from the tone of his voice that it was a meeting call - which was quite unfortunate, seeing as she was the farthest place on Nova from their arranged area of congregation. "Just my luck...", the Theta grumbled angrily to herself. Honestly, what else could have gone wrong? The snowy vixen was simply having an utterly bad stroke of luck. Reasonably the worst she'd had in a very, very long time.

Trudging up Nova with the greatest of speed (if any sort of trudging can be done with speed at all), she knew she hadn't the slightest chance of making it on any decent time. The realization of that fact didn't help her pace any, especially when combined with the symptoms with lethargy. She sighed frustratedly, giving resignation to her inevitable tardiness. The only thing she prayed for was that she made it there before Allure, by any stroke of luck.

Finally, she reached her destination - and was shattered to see her sitting in close proximity to her mate. Granted, it would make sense that Bronx was close to Sin, and Allure would be close to Bronx, but it stung all the same. Her jealousy would never quite cease. Glancing around, she realized that she was one of the last to arrive, which she had figured would be the case due to her long distance trek. Giving a nod to the group as a collective, she found her place beside her mate.

better off i sparkle || on my own

gorgeous avatar by kat

Life had its ups and downs, and Sebille didn't know which of those it was. She was in love, she had adopted Korima as her son, she had moved up to Kappa in the ranks and really felt at home. But it wasn't the same, because Serguis hadn't come home in days. She'd been out looking for him on occasion, but he just wasn't there. Not in his den, and she knew his scent anywhere, and had not come across it on the mountain since the 'incident' and she told him about what really happened. He had seemed understanding and advising then, but perhaps secretly he hadn't approved?

Then it hit her. What if Serguis was out there looking for Takashi and her crush was in danger? Sebille knew just what Serguis was capable of, and suddenly she was filled with fear. Yet, the howl of Sinistra spurred the female into action and she swiftly trotted into the direction of the meeting place. She doubted Serguis would even be there, but she needed her family and Korima, especially. The two practically thrived on each other, there to lean on and away when not. She felt like she had a purpose, at least.

Yet, Korima hadn't arrived yet, as she found out in the circle. Styx was, Jubilee, Allure, Bronx. At least she knew most of them. Giving a brief but low bow, Sebille sat herself next to Styx as she was the nearest friend there. A twinkle in her eye met some of her friends, but not Bronx nor Sinistra, they were too high up or she didn't feel she was allowed to meet their gaze. Styx and Jubilee got a smile, the friendly wolves had been some of the first to meet Sebille. Now, just to wait for Korima.

Amazingly gorgeous SET by Orli! <3
OCTOBER WLC START: 102

Taigi and Sebille will be mainly absent (but will post when I can) until December 1st, due to crap life, illness, bad mood, novel writing and utter confusion. Sorry to all in MRC threads and generally, especially for Taigi.

Argh! was the young timber wolf's initial reaction to the call, but not because he dreaded the thought of attending a meeting. It's just that he had just made it all the way down Nova Mountain, and knew it would take him a good while to get back up. He envisioned himself tumbling in late to the meeting, every other Nova wolf already present, stammering some idiotic excuse for being tardy. The worst part about this mental image was probably how realistic it truly was. With that disturbing image playing repeatedly in mind, Poet turned around and hustled back up the mountain, teeth gritted and paws bordering on frantic.

Well, in about ten minutes' time, Poet's mental image came true - minus the stammered apology/explanation, thank goodness. As he approached the meeting place, he was dismayed to see that a great number of wolves had arrived before him. Pretty much the whole pack. Crap! He paused, took a deep swig of air, and tried not to grimace as he entered the loose ring of wolves. He knew many of the canines gathered, and he focused on smiling and nodding at them all, rather then feeling like a douche for being late. There was Sinistra, Bronx (to whom he gave a rather tentative smile; Poet still wasn't sure where he now stood with the Guardian), Allure, Styx, Tobin, Siaqi, Amy, three males he didn't know: two tawny, the other dark brown, Tantamount, Arsenio, Soma, a little coppery puppy, Calliope, and a tawny female he didn't know. And of course, there was Jubilee. His heart never failed to beat a little faster at the sight of her, and now was no exception. But before he could greet her, he had to greet his fellow leaders. Fellow leaders... How odd that thought seemed, that he was one of them!

Quickly the tall wolf approached Sinistra, reaching up to lick the dark fur right under the Alpha's chin. For a moment he debated whether to apologize for lateness or not, and decided to keep quiet. Good choice. Then he moved over to the Beta pair and his good friends, Tobin and Siaqi. To each of them he offered a brief bump of his muzzle against the neck and a little swish of his tail. His greeting was a bit more cautious than usual, however, given the whole.. incident with Chena. Things were still so uncertain between he and the Phases he had wronged. But now was no time to discuss it, so the young Delta nodded once to his leaders and then back-peddled a bit to sit next to his mate. Luckily she was positioned somewhat close to Team Sin-Tob-Siaqi, and so he could still sit loosely near them, in what he assumed (and hoped) was his proper place. Turning to Jubilee, he flashed her a quick smile and licked her cheek, trying to keep it relatively non-sloppy. With that done, he turned curious brown eyes to Sinistra, and waited for the meeting to truly begin.

I might be a bit slow as I move back to college and get settled once again. :)

Having just arrived at his new home, Silvain found himself yielding to the need to recover from his journey. He slid into a dreamless slumber and remained in this state of much-needed repose for several hours, when from faraway, Sinistra enunciated a commanding howl. The silver-toned male abruptly broke into consciousness at the sound of a distant, yet authoritative call. Still groggy, he gave his well-shaped skull a few weary shakes, ‘lids widening to reveal a pair of intensely golden spheres. Cream-flecked triangles pressed forward, meticulously analyzing the stream of sound and after a few moments, a single ear flicked back slightly, Silvain’s narrow muzzle dropping in a brief, unconscious nod of comprehension.

Though the voice sounded unfamiliar, he knew it could be none other than Sinistra, his new leader, who would be foolish to ignore. The young male gave his entire figure one last shake, as though in effort to purge his fatigue, and set off at a brisk gallop towards the origins of his leader’s call.

After a fifteen minute’s journey through the still unfamiliar territory, he came upon the gathering of wolves. Glancing around, he nodded a quick greeting to these strangers , however, now was not the time for formalities and introductions. Such occasions would inevitably occur in the future, and more important was the devotion of attention towards their leader and his purpose in calling them. Silvain recognized Sinistra from the unmistakable signs of submission being directed towards the black wolf, and he too, stepped forward. Ears pulled back and amber eyes averted, the subordinate extended a respectful nudge beneath the other’s chin before retreating towards his packmates and settling amongst them.

Out of Character
I am on absence/HIGH scarcity, but I didn't want to risk removal.
In Character

It didn't take long until Yuna finally realized that she was needed at some pack organization. She was in a tough noogie, as seeing that she had hurt her paw quite drastically trying to climb up a high ledge only just that morning. So, as she began to hobble towards the result of the call she couldn't help but wonder if they would just start without her. She was very mature in the case of being injured, seeing that she had lived in solitude her life since being casted away from her own mother. She didn't need someone to babysit her around the clock. She wasn't the type who cried over little things, she cried over things that weren't necessarily the most decisive. She had little quirks about her that got her upset. She was a bit more love-emotional than anything - though that part of her hadn't come into store yet.

So, upon her limping way to the meeting, she'd only seen about three wolves she knew. One was one of her rather acquainted friends, Arsenio. Arsenio was a kind guy, around her age and she could relate to. Then, there was Mr. Bronx. Yuna liked the guy a lot, though a bit intimidating by his size and eyes, Yuna had still come to agreement with herself that he was an understandable fellow. Siaqi and Styx, Yuna knew as well. Though not very much Styx. Styx had come and gone in a heartbeat and Yuna couldn't quite remember her name. But Siaqi had helped her through fear. So, with the one she knew the most, she hobbled on over next to Arsenio, and seeing the whitish male pup beside him, Yuna's insides tightened. Who was the stranger? She didn't know him, what if Arsenio's wolf friend thing over there didn't like her? Of course, she wasn't very in tune with the rest of Nova Mountain, but she knew that she should just sit beside Arsenio and shut up. So, she did.

Angustirostris could not be more ashamed of himself and his behavior in the pack. He was hardly a helpful member, but he was determined to do more for this pack. He had made the decision to join this place, and he would stand by the decision no matter what. Lips curled as he wandered around, wondering silently to himself. It had been so long since he had last met someone else from his own pack, which was quite a shame, really. His ears flattened, and eyes narrowed with disgust and contempt, the harsh, cold feelings directed mainly at himself once again. Why couldn't he do anything? Was it perhaps because he didn't feel like he was truly part of the pack yet? It seemed the most likely. He felt like a stranger, like he didn't really know anyone. He was more of a mysterious onlooker than one of them. Angust sighed.

When he heard the howl, he couldn't have felt more relieved. It had happened at the right time. The sad thing was that he was quite a while away from the alpha's sounding call. He paced around, lapped up a few gulps of water, and then dashed off, limbs moving quickly as he reached the mountain and climbed up it. Though he went as fast as he could, Angust still seemed to be late. But that was no surprise. Upon being there, he immediantly located the leader, and bowed his head deeply, before letting the rest of his body fall into a submissive stance. He was one of the lowest ranked here, and he knew that submission was a must.

Blast.

Being almost completely inactive for a space of several months is certain to have a rather major--even if only temporary--effect upon one's strength and stamina. Danflower was currently suffering from that problem, having only recently recovered from a rather lengthy serious illness. Determined to throw that particular burden of his back as quickly as possible, however, he was pushing his physical limits both day and night.

It seemed that that would pose a problem this particular day, unfortunately--a rather serious problem. As it was, when Danflower heard Sin's howl, he was almost as far away from the leader's position as was possible within the pack boundries, and to make matters worse, he had just arrived there at the end of a very strenous--at least to one in his recovering state--exercise. He was completely exhausted, and--judging from direction of the howl--his destination was uphills quite a ways.

So, having already pushed himself past the limit, it seemed as if he was going to have to push himself a little more.

Those details aside, Danflower was almost crawling by the time he arrived at the pack meeting. (Fortunately, he was close enough in time to catch Sin's words). Inwardly, he cursed himself; apparently, he was late and had probably held up the meeting.

As quickly as he could manage, Danflower took a place at the perimeter of the gathering, his body language both submissive and apologetic.

The better side of Tantamount, the one not tainted by his adolescent angst or the awkward anger that had accumulated with his teenage months, was curious as to what had happened in the scuffle. As his attention was averted from Sinistra to Allure, the obvious victim of the attack, he could only begin to imagine. He found it hard to believe that the quiet, peaceful residents of Silver Creek would have such a vicious creature in their midst, but neither could he believe that Sphinx would not have done something about it. Either way, the Salvajes were becoming less and less safe as the days progressed, and he was only thankful that he continued to grow older and stronger. The tug on his ear, compliments of Arsenio Jlyha-Phase, went practically unnoticed, although he did shoot his brother a playful grin in response. The meeting, as grim as it was, was not really the place for cheerful romping, and so soon afterwards his expression returned to somber concern, and even his body language suggested maturity. Tantamount had always tried to act like the oldest, the most mature, the adult of his siblings, and even now he remained so.

The warning given to all of the Nova Mountain wolves stuck in Tantamount's head, and he made sure that he would never forget it or make any exceptions. However, his friend Lasair was a part of the Silver Creek pack, he believed, and how hard it would be to turn her away! The Phase youth continued to listen, although his spirits remained turned away, as Sinistra included a threat of sorts about any other situations. Tantamount could not remember having any qualms with members of other packs, however, and so remained silent, although he did remain on the subject for a moment or so to try to remember. No instances, no bad karma.

SIG BY KARM

It turned out that he was by no means late. Shortly after his own arrival, a light-colored pup appeared; then yet another young wolf arrived. The next to arrive was an adult female, and then yet another pup. He wondered whether it was more than a coincidence that there were so many of them here. The two male pups seemed to be at similar levels of maturity, but the female didn't look as if she was their sibling. She seemed younger than them, but not so much younger that she could have been from the same parents but a different litter.

Two females arrived next, and then two males. Then came yet another pup, followed by two more males. Now that most - or perhaps even all - of the pack was gathered, Anthrax was completely dumbfounded by the size. He didn't bother to count all of them, but just by glancing at the others, he found it safe to assume that there were more than fifteen of them. He had never even seen a proper pack, let alone one this large. While growing up, he had just lived with his parents and a couple of siblings. Although he had known that this pack's numbers would be greater, he had never imagined anything like this. The sight of nearly two dozen wolves in close proximity was nearly breathtaking.

The alpha proceeded to speak, first stating that one among them had been attacked without good reason by a member of Silver Creek. He proceeded to explain that Nova Mountain's relationship with the 'Creek wolves was less than friendly, and that the option of taking further advancements in the rivalry wasn't completely ruled out. Anthrax was somewhat surprised to hear all of this; he had met a wolf from Silver Creek already, and he had seemed completely friendly. However, he didn't doubt that the pack as a whole was problematic. Conflict was terrible, but to some extent, it was inevitable.

Swiftly to his side was Bronx’s much-treasured sister who, he recalled, had been given so little time to prepare a pack hunt. Nevertheless, he assumed that Allure at least had a few prey-related aces up her sleeve so Sinistra’s justified haste wouldn’t be too crippling on her responsibilities. Then came Styx who received a brief dip of the muzzle from Bronx – far more than anyone else (who wasn't a leader or loved one) would get from him. This Medic had his respect – his utmost respect, and he was more than content upon expressing this physically. He dipped his head briefly in submission as the Betas arrived and took their place, returning Siaqi’s friendly acknowledgement, and avoiding an amused smile as Ambition’s physical stance had to be corrected by the next-to-arrive Peacekeeper.

A few strangers then saw fit to arrive – four males, the last of whom he soon determined to be none other than Tobin and Siaqi’s second son, and young Arsenio’s brother. Although he knew the next crowd, he didn’t acknowledge them apart from with automatic glances (he would have acknowledged Calliope as a friend, but didn’t for the sensitivity of his sister), noting Sebille’s averting of eyes but at the same time finding himself wondering briefly if this was supposed to be her true personality. He certainly had not received such submission upon their first meeting. What the fuck are you doing? she had exclaimed when he had been forced to assert his dominance, what the hell will you get out of this except a few minutes of glory? She had been not only ignorant and disrespectful but exceedingly arrogant. What had changed all that? Well, he had saved her life, for one, and had generally been nice, lenient and accepting to her. Where was the gratitude? Long since gone, apparently. Even worse was the fact that he had not yet told Sinistra about their first meeting – she, in Bronx’s opinion, should not have been given the rank of Kappa; she needed to settle in her place until she accepted the hierarchy properly – despite what she had said. Nevertheless, the Alpha had enough on his plates already. If Sebille had been using Bronx for forgiveness and now dropped all respect that was not related to rank, then so be it.

A few more arrived, including Poet (no longer “Hero”, alas) who he greeted with a swift and submissive dip-of-the-head (in all honesty, Bronx had to get used to the quarter-of-his-age youth who seemed out-of-character in his acceptance of submission but hey… Bronx was used to it now) and more of those he recognised. The flow of oncoming Nova Mountain wolves began to slow and then finally stopped. Bronx turned his fire-light eyes away from the party and up towards the host.

Intelligently, Sinistra’s words were not “let’s go to war!” or anything similar. Inwardly Bronx scolded himself for doubting that their Alpha would at least be careful about this. Nevertheless, he was straight-forward and though Bronx did not so much as blink as Creek and Nova wolves were banned from visiting one another (Tiamat and he were not stupid: they met outside the confines of their territories), he glanced away briefly at the Alpha’s last words, his eyes straying for a moment to Styx as her care was offered to Allure.

“Although the following is by no means a recent development,” Bronx said to Sinistra rather suddenly, “it might be worth noting that I’m on bad terms with high-ranking Creek wolf named Kimoto. When I was afflicted badly by the illness a month or so back , I was delusional and mistook him for an old enemy (this was outside any pack territories). I recall speaking the enemy’s name several times and verbally threatening Kimoto – not knowing, of course, who he was. Kimoto didn’t take a second to mention that I had mistaken him for someone else and instead accepted my threats and we fought. Even though I was in an extremely poor state-of-mind due to the disease at the time, I’m quite sure I would’ve withdrawn if he had said his real name. He fought back and I eventually withdrew as my fever subsided slightly. He and I were never on good terms to begin with – he once stalked me to Mount Shadow and only walked away when a Shadow friend of mine insisted – but I certainly wouldn’t have attacked him and the fight wouldn’t have happened if he had simply spoken his name...” he paused briefly and added, almost apologetically, to the Alpha, “I thought it was a matter not worth bringing up in the past, but I think it belongs here – or else this little Bronx-Kimoto event might be sprung upon us at some point.” Though probably not. It was, after all, the fault of that asinine fool, Kimoto.

Siaqi was close behind him. The golden leader wagged his tail, leaning into her as she sat next to him, licking the side of her muzzle with gentle affection. He wanted to smother her in wolf kisses, but of course that was inappropriate with so many present, so he withheld his affection. She knew he loved her, anyway, it was just his gut feeling that dictated he should express it as often as possible. His gaze flicked to her, warm with affection, before flicking back out toward the center that was starting to form for the pack meeting. He wanted to see who else was coming. Ambition arrived next, a wolf he was unfamiliar with. Her behavior was strange - she sat facing away from them - and the leader blinked in confusion. That was odd.

Before he could get up to try and figure it out, though, Jubilee showed up and gently corrected the blind wolf. He smiled softly, nodding in greetings to the young female he had known since she was a pup. Another strange wolf came after Jubs, then a wolf named Soran he had met in the Swamp. The beta nodded to each to welcome them to the pack meeting. For as much as it was Sinistra's meeting, Tobin was still a leader, and therefore a host to this gathering. Another strange male, then the arrival of both of his sons in quick succession. Tanta sat next to Siaqi, so Tobin leaned over to gently lick the side of his son's cheek. The poor shy boy had trouble with these things, and his father wanted to reassure him. Arsenio was in a mischevious mood (as always) and of course immedietely started to try and instigate something with Tanta. At least the growing boy quickly realized it wasn't the appropriate place and settled, though.

More wolves he didn't know, then Poet. Tobin regarded the Delta with a friendly nod. Another wolf he had accepted as a pup, now all grown up into a strong adult. It was funny, too, that two of the puppies he had accepted were now mates - future parents, someday, too! How time flew. There were a lot of wolves he didn't know apparently, and very few that he did who had stayed, for the rest of the Novians that filtered in were unfamiliar. Then the meeting began. The beta looked loyally at Sinistra, skin prickling at the announcement. That was irritating. Yet it was strange, to the golden male, because he had never really had trouble with any Silver Creek wolves he met. In fact, he and Tiamat were close to friends. Maybe that was because he had helped save her life, though.

Trouble was brewing, and it was compounded by the statement from Bronx. Allure had been attacked, Bronx had fought a wolf during the sickness time. The leader twitched his ears. It made him unhappy, to think that wolves from the Creek could not even visit here. Tiamat, of course, never really liked to anyway, given her past experiences here with Sinistra, but Takashi should have been welcome. Tobin would have to make a visit to the Creek - of course not crossing the borders - to let the Silver beta know what was going on at the Mountain. Of course he woud ask Sinistra first, given the "do not go to Silver Creek" rule. Even if Sin said no, though, there was a certain headstrong bit of Tobin that would war with his loyalty. They deserved to know, at least, that they were all on Nova's bad list, right?

Table by Chelsie
January WLC start: 445

She regarded Poet's affectionate greeting with a shy smile, likewise with Sinistra's silent thanks. Gray eyes shifted to the side as she studied Ambition for a moment, hoping the other female wasn't offended by her help. She hadn't made any gestures to confirm that she was feeling so, but Jubilee couldn't help but feel a bit nervous about it. Looking back just in time to catch Tobin's smile, she returned that as well. My, she was doing quiet a bit of smiling today!

Sinistra's words didn't exactly catch the young Peacekeeper off guard, but perhaps it wasn't necessarily to the degree of what she was expecting. She turned her head in what she hoped was an inconspicuous manner to look at Allure, noting the injuries she carried. A frown settled on her maw before she looked back to the Alpha after only a few seconds. There was no use in gawking at the Hunter - she probably felt bad enough as it was. When Sinistra continued, Jubilee felt her spirits fall just a bit. He said that "other actions" would be taken, and surely that was implying violence toward Silver Creek. As the pack's Peacekeeper, she was natrually not going to agree with violence as a means to an end. But, the youth also realized that tensions had been growing lately and this conflict had gone on long enough. The new rule prohibiting the pack to go to Silver Creek didn't surprise her at all. A thoughtful expression crossed her face - she would definately have to talk to Sinistra about the whole situation sometime soon. Perhaps after all business was taken care of here?

Her encounter with Hassain sprung to mind when Sinistra demanded to know if there were any recent run-ins with other wolves. The whole experience was embarassing and humbling to Jubilee, but she supposed she should bring it up anyway. "I had an ... altercation with a wolf from Mount Shadow a few days ago - Hassain was his name," she said in a quiet voice, though still loud enough to be heard. Jubilee spared Poet a quick glance - he would know exactly what she was talking about - before finishing with, "It is nothing to worry about." After all, there was a war brewing.

Amy was quickly corrected by another wolf who mentioned, she was facing the wrong way. Oh crap. I am so sorry. She half said to Jubilee and then to Sinistra (eve if he probably couldn't hear. After that, the minutes went by in a blur. More packmates had arrived, onces she knew, ones she didn't. Course, she couldn't see them all arive, but their own scents fill her nose.

Then, when they all, or mostly all, were there, Sinistra spoke. Silver Creek obviously was not on good terms; which was odd, Amy had only met nice Creekers. Like Takashi, Tiamat, Levi (when he was there), and February; and probably several more. Why would anyone want to hate them? Of course when the alpha spoke more, Amy had a flash of memory. That 'Mark' guy was from Silver Creek! Sir, She said before speaking the rest, A Creek wolf hurt me deeply a few days back. He never gave me his name, but his scent checked out Silver Creek. It was hard to think about what he said, and then her attitude afterwards; it was rather uncalled for. He asked me why I wasn't dead yet, since he noticed I was blind. And then she forgot all about his apology. I asked him for his name and he said it was none of my business. Finally, he said for me to call him Mark. Which she still thought it was a silly name.

But now, what will she do if she couldn't go see anyone at Silver Creek. She was hopine maybe they were allowed to see creekers outside the pack lands, but she wouldn't want to risk it. Then, her mind jumped to Takashi. Oh god, he was a Creeker and a leader! If Nova Mountain was angered, Silver Creek was probably equally angered. How would this effect her firendship with him? Well, at least she gave up on trying to have a relationship; now it would never work out. And if they decided to go further than friends, well her leaving for Silver Creek might have Sin lose respect for her. And Amy liked Sin too much as an Alpha to do that.

This was going to get frustrating, for everyone it seemed.

signature/Woovis | avatar/Woovis | table/

January WLC: Ambition 337 Riddle 44