Preparing for Winter [PACK MEETING]

[Cypress]

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[atrb=background,http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac298/Wonderwhy_wolves/cypress-1.png] The geyser erupted with the same force and timing as it always did. It was the most reliable thing in the tundra, the only safe haven, outside the dens, from the bitter cold from the tundra. It also had healing mud pools that put strength in weary limbs and eased pain from bruises and wounds. It was from such pool that the Empress of the Empire emerged from. Her encounter with the rouge, Kraots, had left her battered and wounded. The fact she escaped with her life was a miracle in itself. Even thinking of him sent a dark shadow over her heart. He was related to Arkham, her beloved....and that was foreboding more than anything. She was dripping with the sulfur enriched mud, it was a sickening color, but it was a soothing ointment to her ailments. At least the caked mud would hide her injuries for the time being. Not that many of her pack mates had seen her. However, that brought up another point to her. Her pack was dwindling, and it needed to be strong for the winter that approached. Her pups were old enough to start to hunt with the pack, but not experienced enough to provide for the pack. Changed needed to be made. Her Arkham had thought up new ranks and started setting the wolves to their squads. It was a good move, she just needed to memorize the details of it. For now she needed to know who was still loyal to them, who was still around to show their strength for the Empire. Perhaps a festival was required to lift the spirits. She would discuss the matters with the pack, once she had them assembled. So the small yagi tilted back her weary head and howled loud and long, echoing her call over the expanse of the tundra. Her message was this, "ALL EMPIRE WOLVES REPORT TO THE GEYSER. IT IS TIME FOR A MEETING!" She repeated the message a few times before she fell silent and listened with prone ears for answers and approaches.

[°Nepara°]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/nright-3.jpg,true][scrolly:h(360),w(200),sy] Nepara Stretched as she emerged from her den. The call of Cypress, the lovely female alpha that had let her join the pack... seemed to have a strong yet wavering voice. Something was up. Time to make her way down the side of the cliffs and to the other side of the geyser's! She giggled as the white bundle of fur extended and elongated, parachuting above and over the hot air. The stubby eremus skidded to a halt before the lovely yagi as she panted. She popped a squat as she awaited her fellow pack mates arrivals. Her entrance stunning as she did her famous swing rolling tire flip. "Nepara Chameau here!" [/scrolly]

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[Xiomara]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/xback-4.png] Xiomara had been nearby when the call went out, enjoying the solitude but growing restless from a lack of purpose, a concerning matter indeed for when the female Yagi grew restless, she tended to be a rebellious, grouchy, cantankerous individual with little regard for others. The call reached her ears through the blowing wind and she lifted her head up to listen, a pack meeting, how marvelous she thought darkly, so now in her black mood she'd have to be around others. Swallowing her temper she begrudgingly made her way to where the scent of a wolf was coming from, ears turned back. Her eyes were as cold as the northern climate, a steely grey that barely bordered on blue that could chill souls with the right gaze. Now they remained cloudy, shrouded over with the poor humor that had been following her since that one day. The large female had not always been so difficult tempered, she had never been the over zealous type either, but Xiomara could say there had been many days when she was actually considered pleasant, but no more. The sullen black pelted she wolf finally made it to the source of the call, posture still held strong but without great pride, it was force of habit and simple size that allowed her to upkeep this vision of strength, though her heart was not in it. Somehow she needed to break the melancholy before it transformed into its darker variation, for that would surely result in banishment and fighting. Although a little tumble wouldn't be so bad, she thought almost wistfully. Before her stood a female, a small one at that and perhaps not what she would have pictured as empress for the pack for surely none other than the Empress would call for a meeting. Shrugging her shoulders lightly she concluded that it did not matter, a small yagi leading was better than the biggest of any other breed. She came forward without fancy manners, mustering enough good temper to give a perceptible nod of good will to the yagi and to voice, "Xiomara to answer your call, my thanks for permitting me entrance in your pack." Short, simple, and straight forward was her ways, and with all she considered needed saying she waited for the other female to acknowledge her show of respect. While waiting she gave the odd colored eremus a brief glance, the sight of the other female stretching her body always a curious vision to behold, but Xiomara could not muster enough enthusiasm to express her interest beyond a glance. The wind, less fierce in this area, tousled her forest green mane, a cooling caress on her nerves and against her thick pelt. She supposed it was required that she at least acknowledge the presence of the other wolf, she would want no less her self, and so she obliged manners by nodding her head in the white wolf's direction. The eremus did not seem the fighting sort, not exactly the yagi's type of crowd, but she was a pack member none the less and deserved no less then a polite response. Xiomara's Song

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[Sky]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/sback-3.jpg] [scrolly:h(420), w(340),sy] When Sky heard the howl, she was a good ways off, and she groaned slightly. She was in the middle of a dive, trying to ambush her prey. However, the young female found that it was harder then it looked. She was feet from the ground when she lost control, and tumbled out of the sky. She rolled head over tail a few feet, then managed to stop. The jackalope she had been stalking had disappeared, and try as she might, she could not see hide or hair of it. "Serves me right for being such a klutz.." She grumbled. She was actually skilled in the air, but the dive was to advanced for her. She was about to head back to the snow hills when she remembered the howl, and she tripped in her haste to take to the air. She gave a few powerful beats of her large wings, and lifted herself into the air. Soon after she caught a draft, and she put most of her effort into finding where the howl had came from. She had forgotten what it had said, but she caught the scent of another wolf, and followed that. She was just in time to see a wolf parachute over the geyser. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she hovered in the air, she had seen that wolf before, but she had no idea she could do that! She could also see two yagi, one she recognized as the Empress of the pack, Cypress. The other she had no idea who she was. Sky, remembering what she was supposed to be doing, shot down toward the earth, still a good distance away from the Empress and the others. She landed, then spotted another jackalope. She was distracted again, and pounced. The creature had no time to run, and she caught it and killed it quickly. She carried it as she ran and tripped over to the other members of the pack. She gave a bow to Cypress, showing her the necessary respect. "Sky here, ready for duty." She nodded to the others, giving the white wolf a questioning glance. She was still not sure how she felt about a wolf that could stretch or shorten their own body parts. She shrugged, then turned around, scanning the area for members to come. [/scrolly]

[lacey]

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[atrb=background,http://i54.tinypic.com/wa4pxt.png] It had been quite awhile since she had seen the others of the pack, and she was well aware that there were very few of them left. Those who had joined the pack had either sauntered off and left the pack behind, or just vanished into this air. In a place such as the Tundra, it wasn't too strange of a thing. It was difficult enough this time of year just to get around, even though winter had not come at its fullest yet. She knew that it would get worse even then, and with things the way they were, she wondered what would happen. Would the pack die off finally or would her leaders make a decision to find a way to save them all? She didn't have plans to leave any time soon, because she loved this pack far too dearly to do such a thing to them. But...the chances of them all dying in the upcoming winter were great, especially since no one in the pack was a specialty hunter. Elk, deer, and any prey in general would be difficult to come by. Lacey sighed, staring up at the sky as she stood there in the snow, not too far from the geyser herself. She had seen the Empress go to the geyser and cover herself in mud. She was smart enough to know that not only were they warm, but they had healing properties, things that took the pain of small injuries away, even larger ones at some point. The snow was cold all around her feet, but she was far too used to it by now to care much. Her original intentions for the day were to come out and begin stocking up on what herbs she could gather from the barren areas. She would need it, all things considered. She might have been gifted by the Great Spirit with an incredible healing ability, but there were chances that she could run out of the energy to heal and there would come a time when herbs would be needed. Though, no one ever really got hurt enough for her powers to be called upon, but she knew the day would come whether she like it or not. Listening to her leader's call, she turned around and began to saunter over slowly. Her pace was light and calm, though she knew there was something wrong with the highest ranking female when she approached. Even from where she stood behind the others, she could smell the blood beneath the mud that covered her coat. She frowned, her golden eyes darkening slightly as she looked her over. She watched as Nepara, Xiomara, and Sky all arrived and greeted their Empress accordingly. Once they were finished and sat back, she walked to them, stopping a moment between all of them. She nodded at each, "Greetings, Nepara, Xiomara, and Sky. I am Lacey, the Empire's Doctor." Though her voice was soft and rather on the quiet side, she still smiled at them. Over her last many months in this pack, she had managed to gain some self confidence. Most times, she did not stutter around anyone, unless they outright intimidated her or flattered her. The oddly colored Yagi padded over to her leader, bowing her head low to her. Her African Kudu horns nearly touched her own back, and then she lifted herself into a normal standing position. "Greetings, Empress... I might seem nosy, but...are you hurt? Please, let me know. I am the Doctor, so I could heal you." Her voice remained on the lower side, wanting to keep the rest of the pack from panicking. If there was a chance that her leader was harmed and in pain, then she didn't want everyone to have a heart attack thinking there was some monster on the loose who did this to the one they were supposed to look up to for strength. The female stepped back, wanting to give some space, yet sat close enough to the others to appear as though she had finished saying her greetings to her leader. In Lacey's eyes, Cypress almost did not look well, in more ways than one. The cause of the possible stress was questionable, but she kept her mouth shut for now.

[Cypress]

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[atrb=background,http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac298/Wonderwhy_wolves/cypress-1.png] Cypress turned and blinked as the strange eremus came her way. It was odd how she changed her body with such ease...yet her demeanor gave the older female a smile. Which was rare in itself. She gave a warm greeting to Neopara, "Hello, I see you are adapting nicely to the tundra.." Her ears twitched as she heard another arrive. She was surprised when a large, dark female yagi came on the scene. She did not know this female, but she suspected her mate had allowed her into the pack. There was a tinge of jealously behind her fiery eyes, however she concealed it well enough. The female gave her a respectful enough greeting, which was appreciated. "We are in need of strong individuals if the pack will survive. I'm glad to have another like you at my side." She gave an answering bow, as customary where she grew up in meeting fellow yagi. "I am Cupressus, leader of the Empire." Her voice had it's authoritative tone. It was her pack, it needed her to survive. However she could not do it alone, she needed her mate by her side. However it had been a while since she had seen him. It was his idea to change the ranks around, she felt it better to let him announce it. She glanced around the tundra, looking for Arkham, or any of her children. How could she run a pack if her family wasn't here to support her in it? Her troubled thoughts strayed as Sky arrived to the scene. She nodded in acknowledgement, "Thank you for being punctual." Soon another yagi came to the scene, not of her blood though, she turned to see the less than confident Doctor Lacey come up and greet her. She felt that she had at least come out of her shell a little since they last spoke. The timid yagi was not timid in her diagnostics. Her ears went back a little as Lacey pointed out her injuries. At least she had the tact to speak it only to her, under her breath. "Not now." Was all she said, her tone dismissing the subject for the time being. She didn't want weakness pointed out in front of her pack mates. Her wounds could be tended later in the day, with less attention drawn. She needed to be strong, especially in a pack meeting.

[°Nepara°]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/nright-3.jpg,true][scrolly:h(360),w(200),sy] Nepara wagged her tail as it became long and plumed, kicking up a bit of snow from behind her until she sat down and calmed herself. She had yet to really meet much of the other members but she already liked the empress so what more mattered? That and this new yet older member that was also a doctor, seemed reliable and friendly if not a tad bit shy. "The pleasure is mine..." she responded to Lacey, at least she knew who to become close with in case she became paralyzed like before. "Ah yes, having a den connected to the underground of the geyser's keeps it incredibly warm. You wouldn't believe it!" the shorted eremus found great joy that one of the leaders of the pack had addressed her and her situation. To tell the truth, her den was more of a secret hidden cave than just a small sleeping area. Heck, probably the whole pack could reside there and be comfortable. If not at least for the winter months untill it was more bearable during spring and summer. [/scrolly]

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[Arkham]

The large mass of the Emperor stood stiffly at the edge of the geyser clearing, atop one of the many rocky cliffs surrounding the area. For some reason, there was hardly any steam rising from the muddy pools, making it easier for him to seek out any one that dared to step out into his view.

He held his crania up high, proudly, but inside Arkham was writhing and fretting. His ruby optics hadn't left his mate since that... abomination had attacked her. Allegedly he was his own son, but the Emperor was too stubborn to admit it. Even though they were almost exactly alike in many more ways than one. A dark growl filtered from his throat as pack members answered the Empresses call, and breathing became difficult. If his own 'son' could do that to him, to his mate, anyone could.

Since the incident, something inside the Emperor had snapped, taking anything close to common sense away with it. All he saw was his hurting mate, and his trust in other wolves -not that there was much in the first place- had all but fried in the never ending boiling of his blood. He stepped out and down from the rocky edge as one female got to close too his hurting mate for his liking. Thick legs working to propel his massive build across the clearing and over to the pair. His sabers exposed themselves from under curling lips, another snarl warning the female to back off.

The Emperor's mental state had deteriorated somewhat, he could not see clearly since that day. He couldn't possibly think reasonably. His frightening detachment from his pack could be well seen, well heard as he turned to glare at the others present. His mind was in overdrive, his body ached for vengeance.

[Xiomara]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/xback-5.png] The Empress' response was certainly satisfactory, she was glad her strength would be of use to the pack. "I could only hope for that." With her greeting answered she moved off to the side, barely hearing the doctor's offer to heal the Empress. Xiomara herself had healing powers, but she would never offer them to others for she considered this a way of shaming and pointing out the afflicted wolf's weakness. Of course the female yagi was a bit of a harsh individual, though she would not offer the help she would not withhold it either, she simply responded to others in the same manner she wished to be treated. It seemed the pack was a small and odd bunch of wolves, but Xiomara deduced one had to be a bit touched to wish to try your survival skills in such a land. The lack of the Emporer's presence was certainly not impressive, she would have thought that he would have wished to be at his Empress' side, scrunching her nose up she dismissed that thought, no doubt the wolf would have a good reason for his absence. And just as the thought was banished from her mind the male yagi made his grumpy appearance, snarling at the doctor who but offered assistance for what her post demanded. Sure it had been fool hardy to offer assistance in front of the pack, even if she had done so quite discreetly, but the intentions were evidently good willed. Her cold eyes, startling in their steely intensity watched Arkham approach, judging body language, tone and other small verbal cues. What was causing this odd aggressive response? Glancing back at Cypress she wondered if the Empress' injuries played a part in the behavior. Particularly prone to seeking justice Xiomara could not quite let Lacey's good attempt go without positive response and so she decided to offer her aid should the doctor. Turning to the doctor she said pointedly, "I am no doctor, not really my area of interest, however I do possess healing powers of my own, should you need them to help you out let me know." Straight forward and to the point were the she-wolf methods, there was no reason to engage in useless formalities, she could be of use to the doctor and she simply stated as much. Turning her head back to the Alphas she wondered what the meeting might bring of interest to her, hopefully some direction would be given, for as much as wandering about at her will was enjoyable, lack of direction led to a restless and rebellious yagi. Xiomara's Song

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[Artellia]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/aback-7.jpg] Artellia sauntered into the meeting area luxuriously, her movements were fast and yet there was an almost liquid grace to them that gave off a relaxed predatory illusion. Her long serpentine tail twisted languidly behind her as her elongated claws dug into the cold ground as she walked. Already a few misshapen wolves had gathered, but her Tsu was no where to be seen. Her heart felt as miserably cold as the land for she had not seen her lover for a long stretch and her mind and body ached for his companionship. Champion actor she did not however act as she felt, putting on the best smile she could manage under the circumstances as she approached the alphas, staying a good distance away from the powerful pair. The leaders still made her wary for some reason, though she would not be the first to admit it, and she preferred to keep larger boundaries for her own peace of mind. Giving a small bow that was more of an inclination of her head she said quickly, "Good day, Artellia to answah ya call." Nervously she eyed the ill tempered brute that stood at the Empress' side and moved off to sit beside a winged wolf, much more comfortable with their appearance. Sitting down she wrapped her tail around her body, a way to control heat and gazed around the wolves with her warm golden eyes. Such a small group she noted, but among them were some rather fearsome looking individuals, and notably a large yagi population. Shivering she wondered what was to become of them during the winter months when the land would become harsher and unforgiving. In fact Artellia had just began to become accustomed to the climate, and all by her lonesome self it could be noted. If she ever saw Tsu again the hybrid would receive a fierce tongue lashing before she forgave him. Looking about her she noted the heat rising from the geysers in the cold air, this was her favorite sot as it was one of the warmest and if the geysers were not so muddy she would be inclined to live in them all winter long. Her stomach rumbled lightly with hunger, she had been neglecting hunting of late, too upset but her lack of companionship, the female myou needed male company, she was not afraid to concede this, in fact she thrived on it. And the fact of the matter was there was only one male in the whole group, being the Emperor, which made for a pretty sore place for the myou to be indeed. However she had joined for Tsu and would not leave without further indication on the hybrid's part. Artellia's Song

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[Sky]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/sback-3.jpg] [scrolly:h(420), w(340),sy] Sky smiled pleasantly at Lacey. She seemed very nice, though Sky had not met her. "Hello, Lacey." A sudden movement made Sky jump in fright, before she realized it was the Emperor. Though that did not provide much comfort. She heard a noise behind her and turned to look at a large greenish female as she sat next to her. "Hello, my name is Sky," she wagged her tail slightly, trying to look friendly. It wasn't a hard thing to do for the chipper female, and she grinned happily at the myou. The keiyou wondered what the meeting would be about, and she turned back to Cypress and Arkham, interest written all over on her face. She glanced over her shoulder after a second or so, looking for other pack members. Sky looked over at the small group, wondering how half of them were going to make it through the winter. She fluffed up her coat, that was already naturally fluffy. She was sure that she would be able to make it through the winter. Perhaps not always warm, but warm enough to survive. She looked again back to the alphas, waiting for them to tell the small group why Cypress had called the meeting. She glanced down at the dead jackalope she had forgotten, then pushed it forward, offering it up to any of the pack members. She had been hungry when she caught it, but the keiyou was now too excited to eat. [/scrolly]

[Cypress]

(( Waiting on more pack members to post, so I can see who needs ranks changed around))

[Cypress]

((Guess not.))

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[atrb=background,http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac298/Wonderwhy_wolves/cypress-1.png] She did not have time to see Lacey's reaction to her reprimand before her mate stormed into the scene. He was tense, he was angry, he was being hostile toward their loyal pack members. Her ears went back a little at his behavior. Ever since Kratos had attacked her, Arkham had been losing it. She admired his fierce loyalty to her, however it was scaring the members. She moved to his tense side and licked under his chin softly, whining a greeting and whispering in his ear. "Arkham, my love. I need you here with me. Calm yourself, you are among trusted. They are not loners, they are our pack. Come back." She recognized the state he was in. It was all too familiar. She had seen Bathsheba slowly deteriorate, she was not about to let the same fate befall her mate. She placed herself close to his side so she could keep on eye on him. She turned to the other pack members that were arriving. "Thank you all for coming, we do not usually hold meetings at the geyser, so we will allow for more members to find their way here." She was trying to be gentle to the pack, she was usually so strict, but she needed to show them she could be kind and considerate. In the back of her mind though, she was contemplating reprimands of her offspring that had yet to show their faces at the meeting.

[Aspen]

Aspen cringed at the sound of his mother's call. He had been sort of avoiding his parents at all costs sense his return home after his unfortunate excursion. The scolding was harsh and the young heir still felt guilty for his carelessness. He had missed behaved and repented, though he had noticed something else had been on his parents mind lately. Aspen's curiosity was only dampened by his latest act of disobedience.

In this mindset, Aspen took his time in getting to the pack meeting. He noticed Nepera talking to his mother and cringed. He also noticed the many females around. In fact the only other male there was his father, who looked a little on edge. The brown and silver pup jumped as Arkham charged a she-wolf near his mother. Something was defiantly up.

Giving a little yip Aspen hurried over to the group. Tentatively went to sit near his parents. He didn't talk to anyone, he didn't really have anything important to say, so he just held his head up proudly and attentively.

[°Nepara°]

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[atrb=background,http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/nright-3.jpg,true][scrolly:h(360),w(200),sy] [[skip nepara if you want... dont have much muse for this post or much to say 83]] [/scrolly]

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