A rumbling sound, and the sudden impact of something heavy, jerked her awake. Her violet eyes flung open, her head jerking up. Her world was shaking. What in the bloody hell was going on? She pushed herself to her paws, dashing forward- trying to escape the confines of her den. She dodged one falling stone, only to be hit with in the side with another. She let out a sharp yip of pain, pushing herself forward- with a whine. Her side burned where the large rock had hit her- it had probably cracked a rib. Finally, she pushed herself out into the light, squinting against the harsh light of world. Rocks cascaded down the gorge, and she ran forward, stumbling and falling forward as a large boulder rolled down the side of the gorge, careening into her. She rolled with the weight, her lithe body tumbling over the ground. Panic filled her, as she scrambled to her paws, limping into a run, as she fought to escape the confines of the gorge.

Her body throbbed, her head ached, and the moment that she escaped the confines of the gorge, she tumbled to a halt. The grounds shaking ceased slowly, and she lay there winded- panting in fear. What in the hell had just happened?! Her body ached but she pushed that aside, pushing herself into a seating position, she tilted her head back, a loud summoning call leaving her for her pack. She needed to know that everyone was okay- needed to account for everyone and attend to any injuries they may have. Quivering, she sank back to the ground, her breath coming in gasps as she waited for what could be an eternity. They had to be okay, right? She would be okay, it would take time, but her minor wounds would heal. She was calming down now, her heart slowing as she looked up her violet eyes attentive, waiting for the arrival of her family.

ooc: this is pack official earthquake thread, reply here as soon as you can ^.^ so Roman can do a head count.

Qanik had been patrolling the redwood forest boundary near the snowfalls. An eerie feeling had been making her feel uncomfortable for the last hour, but nothing on the border seemed to account for it. Ghosting through the towering redwood trees, she couldn't help the way her pelt bristled; she half expected to discover she'd been being followed. At first the faint rumbling beneath her feet went unrealized, though she glanced around uneasily. The vibration increased to an audible rumble and the ground began to shake in earnest, feeling much like a massive herd of bison thundering down upon her. When the ground shifted suddenly beneath her, Qanik very nearly went down. She leapt forward, ears flat against her head and pelt fluffed out completely in alarm, racing back to the packland. Just in time, as one of the redwoods crashed ponderously down where she'd been as the ground beneath it crumpled and it's roots could no longer hold it. It was clearly unsafe beneath the trees. Doubling back on her trail she sprinted out of the forest, dodging falling branches as the earth bucked beneath her, often making her stumble or sending her to her knees. She burst out into open land, but kept running. One last violent shake sent her tumbling end-over-end down a short slope, and then it was over. Rolling to her feet, the white female remained crouched cautiously, waiting for the earth to move once more. She quickly did a check over her body, but it seemed she'd sustained nothing worse than bruising and a torn paw pad. She didn't remember that happening, but then again she'd been too focused on just getting away. She'd been lucky; her packmates may not have been. Whether the quake returned or no, she needed to get back to the packlands and seek out her packmates. They might be far more injured and in need of rescue. But before she could take more than a few steps, a howl rose into the air from the direction of the gorge. Roman, calling for the pack to gather. A good idea, but Qanik hesitated, torn between meeting there or searching the lands for trapped wolves. It made the most sense to go to the meeting, see if anyone didn't show, and work from there rather than running around aimlessly. Turning once more, Qanik loped as fast as she could. Without the adrenaline coursing through her, the torn pad was beginning to sting with each footfall, but the white wolf ignored it. Coming upon Roman laying battered just outside the gorge caused a momentary fear to shoot through her, but the alpha was alive and breathing. "Roman," she murmured with concern as she hurried toward her. "You're injured." Injured, and they had no healer. Qanik's pale pelt rippled in anxiety. What was she supposed to do if Roman was hurt badly? She knew nothing of healing. "I can go to another pack, find a healer who will help." She made the offer sincerely, but inside she was concerned. The other packs were far away; travel time there and back might be too long for a badly injured wolf to remain without care, and she still didn't know if she would be needed to search for missing pack members. Speech,

ooc: no muse.... sorry ><

Gossamir scrambled to her feet. The very earth beneath her paws was twisting and buckling and she scrambled out of her den just in time to avoid the ceiling falling in on her. "Qanik!" She shouted, surely the older fae knew what was going on? Scrambling she slipped across the fracturing terra. Her tail waved wildly to help her keep her balance but thankfully it was over soon. Fur on end she caught sight of the two white femmes. "What the hell was that?" She froze as she noticed that Roman was injured. Shit? and she couldn't help. Useless! Gossamir nodded as Qanik spoke. "Allow me! I'm built for speed and it should be my responsibility anyway. Who are our allies again?" Did they have any? Sharpening my words...

Dayton was wandering the pack lands, seeing the territories that were so new to him. He had joined but a few days ago, and already his scent had changed. Any rogue would now be able to tell that he belonged to Tortuga. He smiled as his long legs stepped around a fallen tree. Suddenly the earth began to tremor beneath his paws. The shaking was light at first, sending shivers up his bones. He froze in place, heart quickening. Then the ground shattered. Trees rocked as the earth around Dayton kicked and rolled. He yelped loudly with shock as he was thrown to his side. Immediately the boy curled into a ball, shielding himself from falling pieces of debris. As he pinched his eyes shut, his thoughts went out to his fellow pack members. Hopefully they were safe in this disaster, whatever it was. As soon as the violent quake had begun, it rumbled to a stop. Dayton paused for a moment, cracking open one amber eye to see if the coast was really clear. Then he leapt to his feet and started off across the unstable ground, hurrying to find Roman and the other Tortugans. There were plenty of new rocks and other barriers to jump over now, but the agile boy cleared them without a problem. His thin figure was made for this kind of running. It wasn't long before he came across two unfamiliar wolves. He didn't know their faces, but he recognized their smell. They were members. Dayton nodded at them shyly before his eyes found his leader. "What happened, my lady? Are you hurt?" His expression became very worried, and he listened attentively as the two women spoke to each other. They needed a runner. He was designed for this. The delicate boy stepped forward. "No, please. Let me go. I'm willing to run any distance to find help for Roman." He stared confidently at his injured queen, squaring his shoulders to make him seem worthy. But the darker female had also offered her help. The boy frowned. "Should we both go?" This wouldn't do at all. There wasn't time to decide. Someone needed to find a healer now. Walk. "Talk." Think.

She was worried. She wanted to check on each of the pack, and then she would worry less. Laying on the ground she felt weak- unprotected, but all of these feelings were insignificant to the severe feeling of worry. Qanik was the first to heed to her call, and she felt a slight sigh of relief leave her. The white woman stated the obvious about her injuries, and at her offer to help the queen pushed herself to her feet. She was unsteady, lurching about as she tried to grab her balance and ignore the pain, stubbornly she would shake her head. The next to arrive was Gossamir, who heard the tail end of Qanik's offer, and offered to run for healers. She also questioned if they had allies, but before Roman could answer- another showed up. More relief followed as she noted Dayton, who also offered to fetch help.

"I'm fine." She spoke strongly. She didn't feel fine, but she'd heal on her own. She needed to calm their worries, soothe their fears. "Are you all okay? Have you seen Ritsuka, Melody, and Misha?" She didn't think that she was forgetting anyone. She looked over each of them, but couldn't easily see injuries, but she could smell some blood. "The only ally we have is Glaciem, though I've been scouting about to see what the other packs may say if I try to ally with them." She explained, answering Gossamir's question. "Unless someone else is injured, there is no need to run for another healer." She made a mental note to recruit another, to help Gossamir train.

Glancing about them, she spoke. "While I have you here, Qanik- you're now a Legionary of Tortuga- a beta. Gossamir, you're a cohort, its not a huge promotion but- you've long since earned your place in the pack, you should have been promoted from a new member long ago." She glanced at each of the ladies. "Dayton, you're new, and I thank you for coming when I called. You can expect a promotion soon, once I get a scope of your abilities." She would address each member present, she wouldn't let the crisis that brought each of them together go to waste. "I think we may need to search for the others." She suggested lightly, though she hoped that they'd show up on their own. She felt the throbbing her hip, it'd take a week or two to heal, but she'd be okay. It was the sprained leg that was more annoying. Sprains were agony, she'd almost rather it be broken.


ooc: Okay, if you haven't looked at the pack page recently, please do so. I'm working on seeing if I can change Tortuga's name to something less turtley. And oh look, I turned this into pack meeting with promotions and stuff.

Her world was shaking. Fear dug into her, both for her and her brother. Big white legs carried her over to Roman, a stone digging deep into her paw. She held it up and spoke quickly as Roman asked if anyone had saw Ritsuka. I haven't seen him. I haven't seen any of them. Do you think Ritsuka's okay? She asked, finally going silent once the promotions started. When Roman suggested they look for the others, Blizzard murmured a few words to her leader. I'm sorry, Roman. I hope you heal soon. But my brother-Ritsuka, I can't find him. I need to make sure he's okay. She said, then dashed away.

--EXIT BLIZZARD, ALL WORRIED

talk, think

Qanik's paws flexed against the rocky ground. Slowly the pack was coming back together, but there were still many missing. Gossamir and Day both offered to run for a healer in her place, but Roman declined. Obviously she was injured, yet it was clearly not the most important thing on her mind at the moment. Qanik studied her for a moment, then inclined her head silently, accepting her judgement. "I have no need of a healer," she assured her alpha quietly. "But I have not seen any of the others either." She had no answer for her packmates who asked what had happened, though she wished she could offer them some explanation, some comfort. But Roman was not finished - her words granting Qanik rank, the rank of beta of all things, caused Qanik to stiffen in surprise. Thick ears fell back, but she bowed her head to Roman nonetheless. "I will do my best for the pack," she rumbled, then raised her head, turning her gaze away from the group. "It would be best if we split apart to search the territory," she thought aloud. "We would cover more ground that way and if one of them are seriously injured finding them faster might save their lives. Roman..." she hesitated, a little embarrassed to be speaking so frankly to the alpha, but... "It might be best for you to... wait here. They may yet find there way here and we can't risk you aggravating your injuries." She shook her head, frustrated that Blizzard had bolted before they could organize. "But three wolves, four territories to cover..." Speech,

Ooc:: Just to be clear Ritsuka isn't too bad off. He has some area with more moderate, close to severe bruising but they are small, as well as other bruising, small cuts, and will end up becoming partially deaf in one ear. Other than that his body is just in shock with what all went on.

The pack, his home, was something he was becoming more and more attached to. The pack hunt, to his surprise and his enjoyment, had a much better turn out than he had been expecting. He felt like the pack was truly filling out now. They were small and yet the were growing strong. It was with these thoughts he had settled down at the edge of the gorge in the open to settle down for a small rest. He had risen earlier than usual today, before the sun had taken to the sky, and he needed just a little pick me up nap.

Lids would slide closed, ignoring the feeling in his gut that he should move... that something wasn't quite right. There had been nothing wrong with the borders, no trespassers to tell tale of... what was there to be cautious of?

Yes.... What to be cautious of indeed.

The world began to rumble, a growl building in the very Earth as the vibrations would shake him awake. Something was wrong... incredibly wrong. He could feel it in every fiber in his being now, alarm bells going off. Ritsuka leaped to his feet... and then everything really began to get hectic.

Rocks of varying sizes began to start falling around him. Green eyes would widen as Ritsuka started to run, stumbling from the movement beneath his paws. Crash! Crash! The sound of falling rocks was everywhere. There was movement everywhere as the earth lurched, the male barely able to keep on his paws as he desperately tried to get away from the rocks.

Sharp pain would ignite in his back as he felt impact, the blow from the rock that hit him in the lower area of his back being that last little nudge to bring him down. Ritsuka would tumble to the earth, emerald eyes squeezing closed as he submitted to whatever fate might have in store for him. Dust, sound, movement... For the first time, truly for the first time Ritsuka was afraid. Whatever was going on... this could cost him his life. His location was hardly ideal for this chaos.

More stones would hit his body, though all things considered Ritsuka was rather lucky. A couple small cuts and some bruising, though some of it more of a worse state, would be the only damage he would gain during this. Finally the earth would settle... and he would wait a few moments before opening his eyes.

How his ears were ringing... it was as if the sound hadn't quite ceased. The male would shakily rise, blinking eyes several times as he coughed. He would glance around him... Most of the stones had missed him... including a larger one that had landed not far off from his left. Had that one hit him he might have been in some serious trouble. He would look around, trying to figure out the location of Roman's howl. His head was swimming... and it was hard to concentrate.

Ritsuka would take a step, grunting with pain as his sides and back protested. He would stagger but tried to press on. If this crap started again he doubted he'd have such luck the second time. Another step, another stagger, and Ritsuka would fall back to the earth. Though his physical injuries weren't necessarily the worst he was still badly shaken, and it the male was going to suffer some sort of hearing damage from this. He was trying though... dammit he was trying. Even attempting to drag himself from this place, trying to push through the pain. Were the others okay? Roman? Gossy? Qanik? He didn't know the other members too well yet, though he'd be sad if anything happened to them. But... but Blizzard. His sister... where was she?

He would try to get to his paws again, body trembling before his legs gave out beneath him. He couldn't do this alone. Roman had been close enough to make the summoning howl... so at the very least he was sure she'd be able to hear him... and any others who came to her. The male would tilt his head to the side and let a short, awkward, almost cracking howl. With his ears ringing as they were he was having a hard time processing his own sound. Then the brute would let his head fall upon the earth. He wouldn't close his eyes though, the emerald orbs open and searching... especially for one wolf in particular.

""