Speech

The ground shook beneath the slate alpha's paws and for a moment he stared around in wonder but then something shifted, the movement was too real, too- Starting awake Torin gaze around the dimness of his den, feeling the comforting warmth of his family around him, but already the pups were stirring awake, something having woken them. Dust rained down on them from the roof and Torin instinctively curled himself around them to shelter them from the falling earth.

A deep sense of dread curled around the man and once the tremor subsided he extracted himself from the den, dual-toned gaze searching the horizon for- It wasn't hard to spot it, glowing as it did in the night sky, a brilliant storm of molten fire raining from the peak of the volcano. He'd heard tales of it erupting once before, long before his lifetime, and as Torin stared now for a moment his mind struggled to grasp the scene before him. The ground would shake again, another burst of color in the sky and he realized quickly blowing towards them was a foreboding cloud of ash and smoke, ready to choke anything in its path. Instantly he tipped his head back, calling for his pack to assemble, right there in front of his den.

OOC. Gonna keep timeline fluid on this one, Torin will react and give orders as/when he sees fit/when I can so no strict posting order but please do try to be timely with this one. I'm gonna give everyone a week to post and start moving things over to Emerald Island. If your character is not posted by then I'm going to assume they are not on pack lands anymore. If you don't think you can have them at least show up within one OOC week please contact me and I'll work out an IC reason for them to be absent.

Art by Vhitany

and just like that, shit happened. shit seemed to happen a lot but none quite like this. Holland had been in the process of going back to his den when the tremors hit. he stumbled ungraciously to the side, a mess of lanky proportions, before straightening. Torin's call only alerted him that the whole of Lirim felt it too. if the pack felt it, he wasn't so crazy after all. he quickly rushed over to where the leader's den was, wondering what the heck they were going to do now. Holland hadn't quite grasped the severity of the situation though. he was trying to be optimistic. for once. as the skies darkened and the world he knew went ka-put, he tried to hide his nerves. subconsciously he looked for Kairi in the gathering crowd but didn't find her at first. then he locked eyes with the alpha, giving a curt nod and a questioning look. "should I... gather supplies?" he asked quietly, trying to gain some semblance of control over their situation. hopefully not for the road he thought grimly. "SPEECH"

"Papa!" Siobhan burst out of the den behind her father, eyes wide and trying not to fall over from the tremors. she immediately ran as gracefully as possible to Torin's side, sticking to his front legs and cowering. the sky was dark and scary, with flecks of red like blood... "what's going on, Papa?" she cried, losing her chipper composure in the fact of uncertainty. Lirim was her whole world and also her playground. the thought of the world itself being against them... it was a scary thought indeed. Siobhan's purple gaze stared at the sky once more, her ears flattening against her head as she gasped. the shock of it hit her at once, and she fumbled for reality's hold. but this was the reality. this was real life. and her place in the world now was in danger. "are we gonna die...?" Jewell's death had shaken her badly, and she wasn't sure how to deal with mortality. she thought, maybe, this was the end. the end of what, she didn't really know. the world, maybe? their way of life? Lirim was so peaceful, so safe. the thought of moving anywhere was beyond the girl.

The young Valentine boy had been snuggled up quite contently next to Sio, the only one he liked to sleep next to. Actually, she was the only one he really tolerated in his personal space. He couldn’t get to sleep without some part of him touching her. It wasn’t a fact he thought about but it was a habit not easily broken. Especially if he wouldn’t even admit to its existence. He was already stirring when his sister jumped up from their sleep and followed after their father. Lach enjoyed his sleep, and didn’t move until Torin’s call echoed through the den. He blinked back his sleep and found his way from the den. He didn't miss the tremors or how… weird the whole world felt. He didn’t feel afraid though, he knew his dad would protect him from anything. The young boy yawned as he plopped his white rear next to his dad and he stared towards the east and its unnatural glow.

She was on her den, under the mantle of night. One should be asleep by now, being on the Morpheus's domain, but the young warrior wasn't, she was awake. Awake on her den's entrance, watching the mountain with narrowed eyes, she could see a thread of grey coming out of the top, and it seemed a bit thick. She had a bad omen about this, she wasn't going to sleep while there could be an imminent danger building up there. She needed to tell this to Torin, she wouldn't care to wake him up this late, this could be a life and death matter. So she stood up and with agility, she trotted toward the alpha den but then, a ferocious earth shake took place beneath her feet, it seemed the bad feeling wasn't the product of her imagination. Despite the dangerous situation, her facade was serene, showing the opposite others may do in situations such as this. She knew fear could make one do stupid things, fear could blur one's common sense, a thing she wasn't going to allow. So with bravery on her veins, she raced and found her way to the alpha's den. Observing more wolves had gathered there. "Mr.Torin. We need to go." She said calmly. "We have little time before the place is filled with ash." She said still calm but with some urgency within her vocals. "Can you see me?"

Stock by Castlegraphics of deviant art

Lili was dreaming she was a giant, stomping around in the packlands, the ground rumbling beneath her paws with each step. Her father was tiny beside her, brushing against her leg, grinning up at her and releasing a howl in triumph. Lili jolted awake then, suddenly aware the ringing of her father's howl was echoing in the small den and the warmth of his sleeping form and that of Sio and Lachlan were gone. There was a rumbling in the air, and it felt heavy, oppressive with some kind of threat she didn't yet understand. She rose and shook herself, surprised to find dirt in her pelt. Lili moved from the den to her father's side, eye growing wide as she saw the destruction in the distance and realized the pack was gathering. The girl pushed her way to her siblings' sides, brushing up beside her sister, gaze turning towards her father and silent for once and she sensed some kind of danger, fear settling on her tiny shaking form. "Can you see me?"

Speech

Torin silently thanked whatever gods there might be that his pack was already springing into action. First to show was Holland and as the man asked if he should gather any supplies the slate alpha immediately nodded. "I'll trust your judgement on what will serve best, but only bring as much as you can carry, we're going to need as many wolves as possible helping to move the pups, if I have extra paws I'll send them your way."

Small forms pushed into his legs and Torin gazed down at his children as they congregated at his paws, his heart breaking as his daughter lifted her sweet voice in fear. "No little bean." he said nuzzling Sio's head and cooing gently to try and soothe her fear, and any his other gathered children might be feeling. "But we will be going someplace safer." He said inclining his head in response to Eir and her words, silently wishing the young warrior had been a bit more tactful in front of his children. Making them panic now would not serve. "In fact I want you and Eir to go scouting a safe place for us to stay? It's a very important job, can you do that for me?" He nuzzled his daughter again then inclined his head so he was meeting Eir's gaze. He lifted his head then to speak to the young woman. "Head west of here, the further the better, I know there is an island on the futher most western coast, if no one else has evacuated there I want you and Siobhan to set up a base for us there."

Torin glanced down at his other children, silently hoping more of his pack would show soon, eager to whisk them beyond danger as soon as possible. But for now he'd keep them as safe as he could.

Art by Vhitany

The ground shook, his den shook, something he had never experienced before. Eyes shot open, wide with panic as he got to his feet, hackles raised. A low growl rumbled in his chest as he made his way out of his shallow den, lips curled as if to fend off whatever it was that had shook him awake. Eyes widened further and jaw dropped as the distant mountain spewed red liquid and dark clouds. Ears fell back to his skull, dread filling his gut. He was just heading towards the main den area when he heard Torin’s howl. Groaning, Sandor moved quicker, forcing his sore shoulders and flank to work despite the stinging pain as healing scabs cracked and split open a bit. They didn’t gush blood, but they did drip a few drops here and there. Sandor arrived as Torin began speaking, answering whatever question Holland had asked before speaking to Siobhan. A flicker of relief would go through him, both for what the alpha said and that Siobhan was safe. The wolf mentioned going somewhere safe, but Sandor did not comment, his jaws pressed together, creating a firm line along his lips. He agreed, they needed to go somewhere safer, it was just…mildly frustrating as he was just getting used to this home. Torin issued commands out for Sio and the wolf called Eir, but nothing further. Stepping forward, ignoring the pain in his wounds as best he could (his jaws were clenched tight), Sandor moved through the wolves gathered so that he wouldn’t need to raise his voice. Once to the front he would stop, pausing long enough for the burning sensation to wane before he finally relaxed his jaws. “How can I help, Torin?” He asked, voice somewhat hinting at the throbbing pain he felt. He’d been through worse, he could handle it. "speak."

well, it seemed they would indeed be moving. Holland rarely held attachments to material objects, but his den had been perfected to hold patients and his stock had been growing. to leave them behind was like admitting defeat, and also allowing for vultures to pluck at them. he bristled slightly at the thought of anyone coming on Lirim's land when they were forced to leave. "very well" the healer replied curtly, giving the alpha a nod before turning to go to his den. he'd carry as much as he could carry and of the more useful variety. he couldn't help but stare around briefly as he left, trying to still find Kairi among the growing group. but her absence was felt and he knew deep down he wouldn't effectively move off of Lirim's lands without her. he'd keep coming back to see if she was there if she was absent here at this meeting. Holland knew this. it troubled him, but that's how he felt. without a word to the others, he'd exit briefly to gather what he could and return. / BRIEF EXIT, WILL RETURN NEXT ROUND "SPEECH"

"we're leaving?" Siobhan didn't understand, so there was some childish attachment to this rather doomed piece of land. she stood in shock, staring up at her father with scared eyes. if Papa said they had to leave then it was probably for the best but... she looked sadly around for her friend, Sandor, who was absent. would she have time to find him? especially since Papa gave her a Grown-up Task she would complete to the best of her ability. Lili and Lachlan were with her, but Siobhan had been asked instead of them. she tried not to hang her head at being separated from them for long, puffing her chest up instead. this very adult task would be important to Lirim's survival. at least, that's what she thought. "yes, Papa" she said, turning away to walk to Eir's side. she gave a friendly wag of her tail to the yearling. "let's go!" the sooner they set up a 'base', the sooner everyone would be happy again. she completely missed Sandor until he spoke up, causing her to bounce a bit but remain by Eir's side.

Oh drat. Just as she felt like she was getting her paws underneath herself in Lirim, the world had to go and explode. Rags ambled towards his call at a relaxed pace. On some level, she had already resigned herself to death. It wasn't like she was expecting any allowances, special treatment, or assistance. Why would they go out of their way for someone who was just barely not a trespasser?

She arrived late, catching the very end of Torin's command. He was sending his daughter out to scout? Rags bit back a hoarse laugh. At least it would give her something to do. Sio was more physically capable than she was. Ah, to be young again... to be useful again. If the plan was to evacuate, well, she had supposed that she better get on with it. Rags eyed the wolves gathered, recognizing most of them. There was Holland again, and of course, the little ones. Eir she had seen from afar. Would anyone even really miss her if she just disappeared? Swallowed up by flames. Gobbled up by lava. She idly daydreamed about the many different ways she could come to end. The journey ahead would end one way or the other.

She waited for the alpha's response over her warning, she didn't think about being tactful or not, as a pup, her elders never had it with the youth. Back there, no one was treated swiftly or with any softness. No, the house of the Ragnarok, everyone was taught life's dangers from day one and after. That was the way her father had to make their children ready, to make them strong and be ready for the challenges that will come sooner or later. But she knew no every family had the same costumes as hers, there were those who preferred the softer side of life, those who did spoil them. But well, Eir was glad she was raised well, as a self-sufficient girl that if needed was ready to fight. Leaving that to a side, she spotted more packmates coming. But then, Torin spoke.  "In fact I want you and Eir to go scouting a safe place for us to stay? It's a very important job, can you do that for me?" She just nodded, without questioning. Following the authority's word wasn't hard for Eir, her own childhood was surrounded by such. "Head west of here, the further the better, I know there is an island on the further most western coast, if no one else has evacuated there I want you and Siobhan to set up a base for us there." "Okay." She said as turns her body toward the direction Torin suggested them. Driving her cyan gaze to the pup Siobhan. "Stay close, we must walk fast." She suggested her as slowly starts walking further west. Hoping the child would follow. "Can you see me?"

giving a last look to the wolves gathered, she hoped they all made it to the base camp in one piece. Siobhan had grown to love each and every one of them; she wouldn't want to miss them if she could help it. despite the disasters around them, she felt confident that they'd make it in one piece. she gave a solemn nod to Eir before allowing herself to be led away, passing by Sandor to brush against his shoulder briefly before exiting the area with the yearling. she appreciated that her friend wanted to help Lirim so early on in his membership. "o-okay..." she said to Eir, frowning at the ground. with their healer gone to get herbs and supplies, Siobhan had to have confidence they'd all make it. a few of her siblings were still missing sadly, and she felt a bit of fear in her stomach because of it. she hoped Aryn, Paddy, and Mama were okay. / EXIT WITH EIR, NEW THREAD MAYBE?

He didn’t know the full extent of what was going on. It started off as a restless night, unable to get a full deep sleep, filled with tossing and turning. Then came the shaking of the earth which at first he had thought it was all apart of a dream, until he fully woke up. Bits and pieces and dirt fell from the ceiling of the den and instinctively he tried to shield his sister’s from harm right before his father and mother shielded them all. Then rushed from the den and pushed along to fallow his father while he watched his mother run off to help with uncle. He could honestly say deep down he was scared. He huddled with his siblings while his eyes and ears moved about seeking answers as to why the earth was shaking all of a sudden. Two of his sisters were whisked away and he looked to his other three siblings with worry showing in his blue eyes.

Everything had happened fairly quickly. From waking up and helping to shield her babies from the earth falling in the den, to helping Torin usher them all outside. She got them fallowing their father before turning away from them and running towards her uncle’s den. She needed to ensure that he had been woke up and help him get to the meeting that her mate was calling. When she arrived Eurydice was already getting his tall father out of the den, the older man moving much slower due to the arthritis that plagued him. Derecho settles to walk beside Frost’s left side, while Eurus walked along his right, keeping him steady as they moved across the shaking earth. It didn’t take them horribly long to make it to the meeting spot, but it was long enough that Derecho saw one of her daughters fallowing another pack member, leaving. Her heart aches as her mind feared what could happen, but she knew they would all be safer if they left here. She moved back over to Torin and her children as she waited to hear the plans.

Even though he was now old enough to be on his own the male had chose to make a den near his father. He had seen him deteriorate since the time they traveled to the fight tournament. Eurus didn’t know how to handle the sight of his titan of a father going downhill. He could see him aging and getting weaker, he noted how often he was in his den sleeping. Frost was the only parent Erurs had and he had made sure to stick close, bring him meals, and continue to try and help where he could.

Eurus had already been awake, just returning from patrolling the borders when the first wave of quaking began. Immediately he returned to his father’s den to wake him up. The older man was fast asleep and it took Eurus a bit to wake him up. When he did Eurus gathered the herbs he had been taking for pain while his father got to his feet. Then Eurus helped him from the den as Derecho arrived to provide her aid. Together the trio went to the spot Torin was calling everyone together. Once they arrived they Briefly settled while waiting for what the instructions.

His age had caught up to him quickly, the arthritis that had been effecting him and grown a lot worse. He was growing skinnier and it was harder for him to get around. Frost had been failing and he hadn’t yet been able to come to terms with it. He was sound asleep when Eurus had entered his den and it had been a deep enough sleep that it took some time for him to realize someone was trying to wake him up. His eyes fluttered open to see Eurus with slight panic in his eyes. As he struggled to get himself up and moving his son carefully gathered the herbs he had been taking for his joints and his pain. Then together they left his den. He was surprised to see Derecho joining them to help get them to the meeting and they moved as fast as the trio could manage. When they arrived Derecho went to her mate’s side and as Frost stood beside his son, his back end would sway gently with weakness. His back end was the worse part of his failing body and it was easy to see how it was slightly caved compared to the front end of his form.

Speech

Torin swung his gaze to the pup that approached and he softened his gaze a bit. He felt a bit of pride and admiration for how eager the pup was to help. He thought quickly wanting to reward Sandor for his drive, ever the parent even in the face of a disaster. "Go with Holland, tell him I told you to get 5 extra herb bundles, big enough for you and the remaining pups to carry. Then help him with whatever he needs." He nodded in the direction of Holland's retreating form.

Then as more of his pack surged around him Torin scanned their faces. He felt his heart drop as he noticed the absence of his father, sister, and cousin. Though Frostbite's children being absent also didn't escape him. He silently prayed they'd show soon, or that at the very least they were safe. He licked at Derecho's muzzle as she rejoined him after getting her uncle then he nosed at his remaining children's heads. Then he glanced around again, taking a deep breath and summoning his voice. "I'm sure most of you have noticed the volcano by now, while I'm sure we're decently far from the eruption I've decided to temporarily move the pack further from the eruption, just to be safe. I've already sent Eir and Siobhan to scout out an island on the westernmost coast. I've also sent off Sandor to help Holland grab enough herbs for the pups to carry."

He glanced at Eurus then turned to look at his mate for a quick moment. "Eurus and Derecho and I will each help the pups make the journey across once Holland and Sandor return, as well as to help any wolves who might not feel totally confident making the crossing alone." He glanced at Ragnheiðr and Frostbite, suspecting that may be the case for either of them. "My number one priority is getting everyone safely across. Then I will be willing to listen to suggestions for moving forward, but for the sake of everyone here I feel it is better to get as far away from that ash cloud as possible." He silently prayed the missing members might show, he has fewer adults to help than he wanted and his concern for the elderly former alpha and the clumsy Ragnheiðr were only just barely outweighed by his fears as a parent.

OOC. Next round is due by the 20th, feel free again to be liquid with your responses. Anyone who's characters have been not posted at all in this thread (or talked to me about your character) by then will be assumed to have been left behind (aside from pups). If you feel you don't have a response to this round don't worry about not posting, a new thread for moving over to the island will be posted soon.

Art by Vhitany

Sandor waited patiently as others arrived for his orders to be delivered. While he waited, he couldn’t help but sneak glances to Siobhan. His friend seemed excited, but understandably upset. She was having to leave the home she’d known all her life, he knew what that was like and offered a sympathetic smile, but he wasn’t sure if she caught it. As the wolf she was grouped with began to lead the way, Siobhan stepped forward, walking next to him, her shoulder brushing against his own fleetingly. A current of electricity zipped through him from the contact, his stomach feeling as if he had eaten a bunch of butterflies and they were trying to get out. He stiffened slightly, but a smile pulled at his lips. The feeling only lasted until the contact was gone, once gone he returned to normal and he felt…odd about that. He wanted it to never go away. Sandor nearly wanted to turn and abandon his question and Torin to follow his friend, but he remained where he was, feet firmly rooted to the ground. As she disappeared to complete her task he turned back to Torin, not even thinking about the fact that it was her father….and he had pretty much been love struck staring at his daughter. Perhaps he should have been. Sandor froze as he noticed Torin was staring at him, his ears fell back slightly, uncertain. However, that uncertainty faded quickly as Torin told him to go with Holland to get extra pouches for the pups to carry. He nodded quickly with a grin and turned to follow Holland, his wounds stung as the scabs continued to crack and open, but he was finally able to do something, he wasn’t going to let Torin or Holland down. -temporary exit Sandor to go with Holland- "speak."

Aryn sat quietly beside her father and siblings as the pack gathered, cotton candy colored gaze set upon the distant erupting mountain. Her tiny form vibrated with fear though the thoughtful pup did not want to speak it aloud and instill more worry for her family. She listened as her dad began barking orders to the pack, swallowing down her fright as best she could. The child would not say much, understanding how important it was that everything get done accurately, swiftly, and without interruption. Her twin was given a job to do and Aryn gave her a soft smile of encouragement, watching proudly as she departed with Eir. There was no envy in this young girl's mind, she loved her sister dearly and was glad that their father was giving her a chance to step up and help the pack in her own way. Aryn was content to stay relatively useless for now, unwilling to make an attempt at something important and possibly fail. She didn't want to be the reason why the pack went without food or herbs or anything else after their move. Torin had finished handing out assignments for the now, and Aryn looked up at him to observe him. While he was outwardly calm and in control as an alpha should be, his daughter could see the worry in his eyes. While Aryn was just as worried - possibly more - she wanted to help him in her own way. She moved closer to her dad, lifting her gloved paw to place gently upon his own. "It's gonna be okay, papa." The pup whispered reassuringly, giving his paw a comforting pat. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."