A new beginning (claim)

Walk | Talk | Think

She had been just about ready. The slim supply of plants that she had gathered lay spread out within the small alcove in the mountainside that she had chosen for their storage until their pack would go rogue, a small, self-satisfied smile about her face. That should do it, she thought proudly as she stared downward at the collection of plants that were familiar to this area, ones that she was still growing used to and would need to know of when they no longer had a stable place to call home. It was such a tremendously difficult endeavor that they set themselves on, becoming the first pack of rogues to wander with no sedentary residence, but she had every confidence in them to make it happen. They were strong, hardy, and from the north; they could do anything.

But she had never expected things to change again so quickly.

The call she heard was distant, faint, but so very familiar. The voice that rang out drew her to it like water drew all life, her head turning at its sound to stare off into the trees. In her stomach, the tiny bundles of life stirred, but so did worry. Why did Awaken call, and from such a distance? His voice was eager, but was what excited him the same that would excite the others? Her dark brown eyes turned momentarily back to the plants set before her, a little sigh exiting her muzzle as she decided they would be fine enough here for her to leave them. And leaving her alcove behind, she hurried to answer the call.

She traveled far, though not quite so far as she had with the pack when they had changed homes the first and second time, the migration from the volcanic wasteland included, but the distance was still quite large. The scenery had changed somewhere along the way, becoming wholly unfamiliar and, because of it, somewhat scary. Who dwelt in these parts? A sheltered little creature, Mercianne barely made it outside of her pack's territories let alone made it appoint to learn about those that surrounded her new home. She was still adjusting after all. Change just seemed to be a constant piece of her life now, oddly enough, and she just hoped it was all going to be for the better.

When she found him, it was not under the circumstances that she would have even remotely expected. He stood within a territory that had once been claimed - the scents continuous but strangely stale of dominance - and with others around him, faces that she had never seen and had no names for. And not all of them were friendly. Two stood by idly, accepting enough of his presence, but one bared her teeth, stance square enough to suggest a possible fight should she decide to leap. Her stomach twisted at the sight, despite the other wolf being smaller and leaner than her mate, and a sudden strength of will spurred her into action.

Without quite thinking of the dangers to herself and the small lives that she carried within, Merci trotted swiftly around the gathered wolves, making straight for Awaken's side. Her head was low, her ears and tail mostly tucked, doing her best to seem as nonthreatening as possible since she hardly knew how to defend herself the way that her mate did, but where she was headed was where she belonged: standing beside him through thick and thin. A quiet, timid whine stretched from her muzzle as she came alongside him, pressing her face immediately into the dark fur of his shoulder. Whatever was taking place here obviously outweighed any short greeting that she could have given him aside from this and so she held her tongue, but as she rested her shoulder against his side, standing closely to him, her dark, nervous gaze traveled over these unfamiliar faces one at a time before they set themselves on the aggravated young she-wolf, recognizing that the brunt of the tension to the current situation was stemming from her.