Analysis Paralysis

*Valdís* · 09-08-2019, 11:18 AM

Weak sunlight started to break from the clouds but it still felt terribly distant for being high noon. Valdís was scouting out the sweetgrass basin as a temporary home for Legion. Hopefully, temporary. In truth she didn't know how long the effects of the volcano would last and what they'd have to return to when it was finally safe again. Some areas were likely to be totally devastated while others could still recover. Legion had been fairly close to the volcano and she expected the buffalo knolls to suffer heavy damage but maybe, just maybe, the range would be spared the brunt of it and they'd have some familiar territory to return to.

The sweetgrass basin dipped into the land and displayed a great variety of grasses that were sure to attract prey. She was slightly worried about the fact that the basin was in a depression. The flurry of ash in the air seemed to cause more precipitation than usual and she worried about it all collecting at the bottom of the basin and making a soggy awful mess, particularly in the spring when everything begin to thaw. Of course this assumed they wouldn't be able to return home by the season change but the eruption was so massive she was trying to plan for at least two seasons worth of time spent in their new home.

She supposed it would work to create a den higher up in the basin and facing at a slight downward angle to prevent water and moisture from draining back into the den site. The fact that prey were likely to seek this area out made it very desirable though of course it wasn't the only option. The dancefloor of the gods was also a nice area. It was also rich in grasses and likely to be a destination for hungry prey. In addition she knew it had many valuable herbs though with winter here she wasn't sure how many of them would be good to gather any more.

Valdís walked out to the edge of the basin and gazed out at the dancefloor. It looked bleak now but she was sure than many large prey would gather in this area making it a prime place to hunt. There were no trees but a river ran through it providing a source of fresh water. The question was would the river remain running during the winter? It was proving to be a colder season than usual but the water was still running at a good pace. Still, as the season went on she expected it to freeze. It was probably best to assume the worst that way they'd be prepared regardless. She turned her head back to the interior of the sweetgrass basin. One think she hadn't really found was a good source of water in the basin. That was concerning but she imagined the frequent rain and sleet would create numerous puddles. However, she wasn't sure if she wanted to rely on the weather to provide drinking water. She hadn't explored the whole area yet so perhaps she was overlooking something.

Her gaze shifted northward to Atlantis Island. It was another potential candidate. The prey would be confined to the island and it was unlikely any had fled after the volcanic eruption. It was hard to get to but the rocky edges would be a good defense against other packs. Valdís was certain that with so many resources destroyed there was going to be an increase in conflict over the remaining sources. Chaos would probably relish in the conflict but she had other preferences. This was about survival and she'd rather they set down roots in a place more defensible. It was a large island with mountains and forests but the issue was the prey. Like many islands it had only small prey and it wouldn't be easy to support a pack on the island. She sighed. All in all it was probably best that they remain in the sweetgrass basin but the dance flooor was also another good option should they need to move for any reason.

She had inspected the Emerald Island earlier seeing the wealth of green on the island but ultimately she'd been disappointed. The rich green color was courtesy of the soil and not from an abundance of plant life or a warmer climate that would hold off winter's chill. Ultimately that island had proved to be a bust. Many other lands in the west seemed to be barren and devoid of life and she wondered about heading farther north. Being a wolf from the north originally she had to admit the idea appealed to her even if it didn't appeal to most of her pack mates. She could understand the logic in staying farther south. Things were hard enough with the volcano not to go adding the harshness of northern winters to the pack troubles. She would work to be content with where they were at and hopefully they would be able to return home soon.

"Talk" "You" Think

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