My gift is my song
#1
This pack thread is to celebrate Hibernal, an annual tradition in Dahlia de Mai. To make it easier for everyone, it has been “powerplayed” that Conor has talked with the majority of the members beforehands, since the wolves are expected to hunt in their lupus form without using recourses during the day and arrive with their catch (or nothing, if they didn’t catch anything!) before sunset. For additional information about Hibernal, check Dahlia’s wiki here!
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The traditions of Dahlia de Mai had not been kept up in the past, but the young alpha sought to cherish them once more. War and other matters had too often gotten the best of the pack, but now in times of peace, the Soul male fully intended to resurrect some of the traditions and celebrations that had been established under Cercelee’s leadership. Winter solstice was at hand, and he thought it would be good for all to join together for a feast. Another year was soon over and what was better than to celebrate it? The pack continued to bloom and was strong, and each and every member had done their part. They all counted.

The majority of the members should have busied themselves hunting these last days. Conor had been particularly lucky today, and a pair of rabbits—though not particularly fat and meaty—had been caught for the occasion. The two rabbits lay on one of the many benches in the town square, in the overgrown park in the middle of Wolfville. A large amount of wood had been stored away for this day, and he had spent a good few hours piling up the bonfire, which remained unlit in the centre of scene. Lavender rose in pursuit of the sun, temporarily hiding behind a small cluster of light gray clouds. The weather seemed more or less perfect for the occasion though, and he knew that they would be able to catch a few glorious bursts of blushing colour when it disappeared into the horizon amongst the hollow human buildings.

Cinnamon and gold lifted as the Alpha called for the members of his pack. He would not demand their attendance, but everyone had been highly recommended to join in on the Hibernal. Then, all he had to do was to wait and search for the well known faces he knew would arrive.




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#2
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ooc;; noms libri


The word had gotten around fast- most especially for the Stormbrigner boys. They lived with the cinnamon and gold male and when the time had come for the Dahlians to know about this celebration, they had been probably the first to know. Bris's time was consumed with their baby daughter and although Saul visited them both often his mind was still on the preparations of bulding his own house. The victorian house owned by their leader was becoming too loud and energetic for the young male and he sought a place where he could study and learn and create on his own. He had settled on a place near Oberons Spring, a stretch of grasslands that would soon hold a log cabin. He just needed a little help in getting there.


The day had been spent out by the eastern borders, a section Saul felt was painfully neglected. A lot of Dahlia's visitors had been coming round Whisper Beach way, but the eastern areas were open to more land. So he had been there for most of the day, stalking a small herd of white tailed deer that were teetering on the edge of the borders, Saul knew he must bring a worthy gift to tonights celebrations and he'd had firm green eyes placed on a weak fawn all day. It had taken a long time for them to make their way around the area, his timber form stalking them all the while.


In the end it had taken one surprise rush at them for his teeth to clamp down on the bleating animals leg. The weakness of the animal only helped him to drag it further away from its herd. Once he was safely away from any rescue attempts made by a sorrowful mother, Saul jumped over the fawn and bit down on its wind pipe. Conor had been clear that all hunting must be done in lupus form, which Saul was fine with. He had spent the rest of the day dragging the carcass back through the packlands- he had never realised just how big Dahlia was until he was forced to drag the body back through it.


Green eyes were set on their goal as he made his way through Wolfville. He could see the large pile of wood that would soon be set alight, and by it was the cinnamon and gold leader than Saul had come to look up to. He was getting tired by this point, neck bent from dragging the fawn and looking where he was going at the same time. It took him a full ten minutes to reach Conor, before he heaved the fawn up on the bench nearest. He was panting hard and he paused to catch his breath before smiling up at Conor.


"Good evening Conor. I bought you a gift!"


He didnt mention the hours spent stalking, nor the painful drag back to the town. He was here and so was the deer and that was all that mattered to him.



word count;;

"speech"

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#3
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406


Conor had given the orders, although they weren't truly orders. Not exactly. Hibernal. The idea interested Nayru the moment he mentioned it. Anything Dahlia de Mai related did. Conor had been very patient in explaining the idea behind the holiday, and even more patient as Nayru asked question after question. She just wanted to be sure she knew the reasons and rhyme behind the day, and then there were questions to ask of Aestival, the counterpart of Hibernal, although that was months away. Still by the end of their talk Nayru was filled with far more knowledge and lore about Dahlia de Mai that she had been prior. Yet Conor had others to speak with so Nayru stored away any remaining inquiries for another time and focused on the task at hand. Hunting for Hibernal.

As usual she was up and out before the break of day, exiting the green house on the eastern border like a specter, silent and unseen by anyone else. After making a quick scout of the border, as she was Wahrer and she took any job of her's seriously, the day was wide open for hunting. And she relished in that activity, now that she knew how. Today was a rare day, for Nayru could indulge and over-indulge in the deadly sport to her heart's content, and she found that even in lupus form she caught far more than she had expected. When the sun appeared low and heavy in the sky Nayru looked about her kills, unable to carry them all in her maw in lupus form. Luckily she was inventive.

Arriving at the scene she pulled with her a large folded sheet, animal carcasses in tow. Dropping the package by Conor she turned and smiled broadly at Saul, who had managed to beat her to the meeting. “Evening Conor, Saul.” Easily she sat, wrapping her tail around her tiny front feet in the manner of a cat. Looking at her bundle she smiled, it was an odd assortment but one she was proud of: one hare (not very plump), two squirrels, a groundhog and her best prize of all, one Canadian goose. Hunting from sun up until sun down had seemed daunting at first, but Nayru's mind had simply not switched off until Conor's call had brought her to his feet. And now her plunder was there, alongside Saul's deer, and she waited silently for the more to arrive.


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#4
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wc: 516


This was his first winter in Dahlia and so far Gideon wasn't having too much trouble with finding food. He had his own ways, mostly sticking to using his fishing rod or nets when he couldn't catch anything himself. What he really wanted was some kind of weapon to use to catch his prey unaware; some kind of bow and arrow or maybe a sling shot would work. He wasn't much of a fan of the old fashioned way of doing things, really, not when he had all of these other ways of doing it that were easier and quicker. He could net a fish in no time flat!


He had been unable to shift back down from his optime form for some time now, and today was a real test for him. Gideon had tried to envision what he looked like in his lupus form time and time again, but nothing had seemed to be helping him. This morning he had finally managed to do it, which he was very happy about; he hadn't wanted to disturb any of his packmates by showing up to this special meeting having broken any of the rules. He had really wanted to be able to attend the meeting in general and feel good about attending it; Nayru would be there, surely, so he had to make sure he was there too.


The problem was that he had been unable to catch anything all day. He hadn't used his own paws and teeth for some time now and he was pretty rusty now! He had even tried to fish...but that hadn't worked out too well for him without a rod or a net. He had chased after a few hares and almost caught a squirrel, but the creature had managed to get to a tree before he could reach it. Even the simplest of creatures, creatures that pups were able to catch, had managed to allude him today. What horrible luck. Upset at his lack of skill and feeling down about his inability to hunt in this form, he'd cringed when he had heard Conor's call. Was it really already meeting time? He swallowed hard and began to pad quickly toward where the others were gathered.


Gideon hung his head as he arrived to the meeting, not looking up to see who was there and trying to find a spot that would make him seem inconspicuous. The snow had crunched beneath his feet to sound his arrival, though, even if he hadn't wanted anyone to know he was there. He felt like a failure, not having been able to catch anything. His stomach growled but he ignored it, keeping his eyes off of his pack mates and their wonderful catches, jealousy springing up in his chest. He shouldn't have come to the meeting at all without some sort of a catch...now he just felt stupid and useless. What use was he to his pack if he couldn't hunt? What if he got stuck in his lupus form next time? He couldn't have anyone else getting his food for him.

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Table by Alli!

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#5
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Once again Layla is an NPC here. SSWM: 523


Melee and Layla seemed to be growing a bit closer since the game. She had seen the black and white female around the pack lands. She was happier to meet some of the other members of her pack and one that she heard was a good friend of her father’s. Gideon was such a wonderful male and was sure that he had so many friends in the pack. She couldn’t wait to meet all of them. She was soon going to get her chance. She was playing around outside in the snow. This was her very first winter and she loved playing around, as did any other pup. She would make holes in the snow and pad around as she sniffed around to make her way around the yard. Her face was filled with so much joy as she bounced around. The brown girl dipped her head down in the snow. She began to head back for home. She was beginning to feel the chill of the cold on her legs. She wanted to head back for home and warm up a bit before going out to play again. The pup smiled happily as she then caught sight of the mistress passing by. While the pup was playing, she had heard Conor calling the pack together for a meeting. She was on her way there and was wondering if Gideon would be coming. Melee smiled and took to the woman’s side. She would go with instead. She wanted to meet some more of the pack and figured this would be the best way. Besides that, she was also curious as to what the meeting was about. The pup bounded ahead as the she wolf followed behind, keeping her in her sights.

Melee seemed to act as if she was leading the way but she had no idea where she was going. She looked back to Layla confused as to where she was going and wanted her to lead the way. The mistress let out a light chuckle before taking to her side and lead the way to Conor and the others who arrived. Layla knew and recognized all the members who had already arrived to the meeting, as did Melee. She dashed over to Saul, happy to see that her family was here as well. ”Hiya Uncle Saul! You here for the meeting too?” Because Layla was used to being alone from her depression phase, she stayed more away from the group and waited to see who else would show up to the meeting. The pup also bounded over to Nayru. She missed seeing her around and wanted to get to know her a bit more. She smiled before she accidently tripped and rolled right into him. ”Opps. I’m so sorry Nayru. I didn’t mean to bump into you like that.” She got back up and moved back a bit so that she could look up to her. She couldn’t wait until she would be able to hear about this meeting. The black and white she wolf moved over to their alpha and smiled. ”Hello Conor. It’s good to see you again.”

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#6
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765 words.


'I mean really,' the young damsel mused to herself, stressing the final word. Did she have to be in her Lupus form? Shi was beginning to think Conor had gone nuts. Why did he expect her to shift back into her four-legged form.. so she could get dirty on all four paws instead of two? If Shiloh could walk without even touching the ground, she would. In fact, now that she thought about it, she'd try and invent a way to do just that, if not at least to cover her perfectly clean feet. The pristine female was in no mood to celebrate the way traditions followed. Shiloh knew about Hibernal. Even if she didn't have any family in Dahlia, if she had just come in fresh, she'd have known. But sharing the same roof under the alpha himself, he knew he was stressing the four-legged form towards mostly towards her. He knew, he knew well, that she wasn't going to do it.

Shiloh wasn't about to prove him wrong, either. If it wasn't hunting that she despised doing for its messy work, even though she had to, being on all fours again was not going to happen. Of course, it isn't to say the young Dawnbringer female didn't try - to hunt, that is. Of course, going against all traditions, Shiloh had awoken that morning and found a large, pointy stick to serve as a spear. One of her brother's knew how to fish well, and Shi almost wished she had asked Giddy to teach her. When she reached a small lake that same day as the celebration, the young female lost count of exactly how many times she disturbed those waters to get to its fishy inhabitants. In fact, after a while, the white and cream colored female was beginning to think the fish knew when the sharp stick would descend in the water, and mocked her by swimming casually away from the disturbance.

Needless to say, a lot of moping, huffing, and pouting ensued within the forest in Dahlia de Mai. At one point she even resorted to sticking her own head in and grabbing with her teeth, but came up with no success. Soaking wet, much to her dismay, Shiloh had to give up, threw the stick into the forest's depths, and returned sulking back to Wolfville. She didn't care if Conor would to demote her, though she had just been recognized as a Spaher, Shiloh would not show up to the celebration on all fours like some... dog.

When she returned, a lot of people had already gathered. A large pile of wood was stacked high, to be burned for the celebration, and where everyone's kills would be cooked. Her own stomach rumbled, the scents of other wolves, both belonging and foreign to the pack, coupled with the scent of bloodied, fresh kills. Shiloh grimaced some, simply assuming she had been the only one to arrive without anything to bring back. The young damsel knew her stomach would be complaining that evening, but somehow she knew her fellow pack mates wouldn't leave her starving.

As she drew closer and closer to the group, Shiloh straightened herself up. Her fur was still damp, but at least it wasn't dirty. Adjusting her hair the way she wanted it, she spied a flowery bush nearby and gingerly plucked a small white flower, tucking it behind her left cream hued ear. Clearing her throat, and not trying to seem flustered, she stepped from out of the shadows and into the fray, smiling genuinely at everyone present with her hands casually holding one another behind her back. She nodded to Conor respectively, her tail swishing back and forth as if the day had gone by without a hitch. Seeing a few others she did not recognize, the pristine female smiled in their directions, and was nearly knocked over by a pup running by.

She sat next to Saul, giving him a lick on the cheek in greeting. Shi waved to her other brother that was present as well, and wondered where the third musketeer was. Cerulean eyes beamed with some concern, however, as she looked back at Gideon. He looked like he was sulking as well, and she was a bit surprised to guess that he hadn't brought anything back. With a gentle hand on Saul's arm, as if trying to excuse herself, she got up and made her way over to her other brother in the corner. "Hey Giddy," she said gently, taking a careful seat next to him after brushing off some snow.


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#7
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The black wolf's stomach growled as she looked at the kill she had just made. A young rabbit was laying in the snow in front of her paws, it's neck slighty mangled from her jaws. There were drops of blood in the snow around it, and these Voron licked up, relishing the taste. Although she was a good hunter, and catching more food now than she had when on her own, prey was getting more scarce as winter progressed. Normally she would have devoured the whole rabbit in a few minutes, but today was special.

Hibernal. The celebretion that she had been told about, which her new pack celebrated every year. Though she had been here for a month already, Voron still felt conspicuously new. Hibernal would be the most social thing she had done since she had gotten here. Silently cursing herself for being so withdrawn - she had initiated conversations with only a few pack wolves - the black female picked up her kill and trotted towards the meeting.

When she got there, there was a large pile of wood for a fire and cooking of the prey. Voron wrinkled her nose slightly; while she did not mind the taste of cooked flesh, the scent bothered her. She knew that by the end of the day the whole town would carry the stench of cooked meat. But still... Food was food, and cooked food was a treat. She'd just have to hold her breath as she ate. The black wolf snorted in amusement at the thought as she dropped her rabbit off by Conor Soul. She saw there was already a pretty good pile, and her own kill looked measly in comparison. Oh well. It's better than not bringing any. she thought. She gave a respectful nod towards her Alpha, then turned to survey the park. Already there were quite a few wolves, all in lupus form. Except... Could that be Shiloh? The younger female was in her Optime form, something Conor had said was not allowed. Voron was amused; having been there seconds after Shi's first shift, she had quickly gotten to know the younger female's love of being clean. With a slight grin on her face, Voron strode towards Shiloh and the other wolf.


"Hey Shiloh," she said, adding a polite nod towards the male. If she wasn't mistaken, his name was Gideon. She hadn't spoken with him before, but had seen him around.

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#8
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I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! NOOO, I will make it!



Ascher ran. He ran and panted. He also tripped, but that part he would not let anyone know, if he could help it. Waking up just a little later than he had expected today should not have made a big difference in his preparations for the Hibernal celebration, but it somehow had. The male clutched various sprigs of herbs and plants and - sadly - a few simple twigs in his hands as his feet ran towards the town center. He had not forgotten about anything - but hunting for something to bring to the celebration had ended in nothing but disaster for Ascher. He was not Gideon, who seemed to pull food from mid-air and right off the top of the water. But something that Ascher was developing a great nose for was herbs that did not taste like leaves or bitter medicine when you ate them. Nor were they poisonous. A couple close calls while spending a few afternoons by himself and ingesting some stomach-upsetting foilage, but nothing drastic.


Which brought Ascher up to speed with himself. But not his legs. As he re-entered the outskirts of Wolfville, his legs decided to remind him just how hard the stone ground could be on his face. Those legs kindly stepped out of the way whilst allowing the young Stormbringer's muzzle to get acquainted with the weathered stone of the town. Once pleasantries had been exchanged and Ascher had excused himself, he remembered that he needed to shift himself down to a normal wolf again before he could take part in the ceremony tonight. The scattered herbs in front of the standing wolf still needed to make it to the meats that were going to be near that fire. They would be tasting so good with... whatever Ascher had found... Ears perked up on the distraught wolf's head as he spied a scrap of thin cloth that had blown in near him. Had Ascher been able to study the town's previous occupants, he would have known canvas bag material if he saw it, but alas he did not. It was clean enough to hold all of his items, though, so after a few minutes of concentration to return to his natural form, Ascher gathered all of his greenery into the bag and held the awkward bundle in his teeth as he trotted the last distance towards the meeting spot. It was not hard to find.


Coming in on the opposite side of all the food, Ascher was going to have to pass by everyone that had assembled while saying ”Herro” because his mouth was full of bag. Oh well. ”Herro Conorr, herro Sarl, Griddie, Shi; herro Nayroo, Meewee...” Ascher stopped upon seeing someone he did not immediately recognize. Granted, he did not socialize much, despite resolving to do so more often, so this wolf could possibly have been around longer than him and Ascher would just have never seen her because he was a stick in the mud like that. ”Herro, my narme is Aschher Schtormbriingrr,” making polite conversation was always difficult when one could not enunciate words to save one's life.


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#9
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Voron turned as someone addressed her to see a young wolf with a bag in his mouth. By the scent, she could tell it was filled with herbs. He had talked through the bag, which made his voice slurred, but she could still make out what he was saying. 
"Hello. I'm Voron," she said, moving closer to him to sniff the bag in his mouth. When Conor had said to bring food, she had assumed that he ment meat. Bringing herbs was brilliant, and would hopefully help cover the scent of burning flesh that she disliked so much. 

"I haven't seen you before... I am new to the pack though, so I don't know everyone yet." The black wolf gave a small grin, trying to be friendly. She was never very good at social situations like this. 

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#10
1000+, cough :| Sorry for the length. Also, Fy’ra, you did not include if Layla brought a kill or not, so I did not add any details, so you are free to decide/reveal whether or not she caught anything.
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Ears perked and eyes settled on the first approaching creature; a form in shades inspired by earth and accompanying emerald. Hackles rose slightly with optimistic surprise as lilac travelled to the still form of a beautiful creature that had been dealt the card of death. A step was taken towards Saul, but he made no move to assist the youth, as the alpha willed this to be fully accomplished by the boy alone. As so often, Conor found himself impressed by the younger canine, and this shone through as a smile settled on those tranquil hues inhabiting the Dahlian leader’s face. ”Good evening,” he replied, allowing his caramel hued tail to dance behind his form. ”Thank you,” followed shortly after, accompanied by a toothy grin.

Nayru’s approach followed shortly, her accomplishment disguised by a pale sheet. Pupils dilated slightly as her trophies were revealed, and his head bobbed gently on top of his neck; expressing the same pride as he had revealed to Saul. ”Nayru,” he simply greeted, maintaining his smile as the spotted wolf sat down with grace similar to a female he once had known. Suddenly, focus sharpened and the leader tried to access past memories of a couple he once had known but knew no longer.

Focus was forced to shift though, and even if his sudden suspicions were just, tonight was not the time to toss questions at the young female Dahlian. Gideon’s approach seemed heavy, and he was the only canine present in optime form. A caramel coated ear turned back in thought, and his appreciative smile faded slightly. It was immediately noted that his hands were empty, and while it would have been part of the evening to add a comment about this fact, Conor did no such thing. The behaviour he witnessed told him whatever he needed to know, and the autumn shaded form silently moved to the lanky youth, brushing against the Stormbringer’s side in a manner meant to be supportive and friendly. ”Do not worry,” he breathed, voice low and for Gideon’s ears only.

Next was Melee accompanied by Layla, and the young leader’s muzzle dipped in silent greeting of them both, though orbs paid special attention to Melee, the girl he believed to be a much younger sibling of his.

Attention continued to be drawn to approaching members; this time Shiloh in optime with nothing. Still, she was the opposite of Gideon in many ways, for she was not bound by guilt and disappointment, it seemed. Conor returned her respectful nod, allowing a sly grin to wrap around his lips. The leader was content as he saw Voron appear. He had not seen the female much since she had joined the pack, and was delighted to see her take part in this unused “ritual” of sorts. A rabbit was brought to the growing pile of freshly killed prey, and he offered her a silent nod of greeting before the female moved on and revealed that she already knew the names of at least one other member. Good.

The corners of the male’s lips continued to be drawn upwards as Ascher entered the scene, only to speak with the bag still in his toothy grasp. ”Evening, Ascher.”

And then, there were no more. Ears folded against soft caramel colours for a moment as he pondered about the missing presence of several key members of Dahlia. It was a shame, but it was not something he could dive into right now. This was an evening for celebration, and he would do what he could to make it such. He was aware of rules that had been imprinted, but decided against any form of comment about the few optime forms present and the missing meat in their hands. They would share the feast and joy alike. Shiloh and Gideon should both be included. More than anything, he was glad that they had decided to come, even if they had failed at the task of catching something. Conor would not judge anyone.

Lavender rose to take in the heavily blushing sky; exploding in colours as the sun was setting. There was no reason to wait, for the fire was to be lit as the sun disappeared. Stepping from his spot beside Gideon, he found extra height on one of the many benches circling the area, visible for all. ”Thank you all for coming,” he announced, pulling up a bright face to display for his fellow Dahlians. ”We have gathered here today to celebrate Hibernal; to celebrate survival and the memory of the old ways. While we continue to move forwards, we will not forget the past of our ancestors.” Words were naturally cut up by silence, and the lilac glance that had travelled across the present members now moved upwards, where the hints of sun were finally fading. ”Let us feast on the meal from our successful hunters and share with our brothers and sisters”

Conor remained in his lupus form, but he had a trick up his sleeve. Perhaps he was cheating, but so be it. His form turned and he exited the scene shortly, coming back with a living torch clenched between strong jaws. He was glad to see that the fire was still alive, as it had been lit before the meeting and stuck away until all had arrived. Stepping over to the dry wood, he stuck the small flame into the dry pile. A moment was all it took before flames started to spread through the large pile, greatly assisted by portions of dry moss stuck in-between the logs. Stepping back, the youthful alpha male gazed at the spreading flames for a moment or two, wondering how this evening would have developed with Cercelee if she had remained on the top of Dahlia. He did not want too many words to clutter with the moment, and chose to be silent as he watched the fire grow.

After a while, he turned to the impressive amount of kill. No one would have to walk hungry tonight, but it would be up to those who failed to catch anything to decide whether or not they would participate in the feast. His stomach was empty and the food so very inviting. He noted the absence of fish, but there were several meat of many kinds; something for everyone.


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#11
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ooc;; <33


Conor's words were recieved with a soft smile and a nod of his head. It really should be the other way round, because in all honesty Conor had nothing to thank him for. Conor had set up this whole meeting, built up the massive bonfire that rested behind him and made sure that there was a starting kill for the rest of the pile that was soon to build up. Of course, Saul's deer fawn covered the leaders rabbits successfully but Saul was incredibly proud of his kill. He knew that it had definately been a fluke- he probably would never be able to repeat this feat of hunting skill in a million years. But he must have been in the right place at the right time for him to catch the beast. Saul took a deep breath, catching the musky scents of the wood behind Conor and the irony tang of the deer's blood that was still stinging his mouth but also just escaping through the puncture marks in its neck. A feeling of deserved satisfaction raced over the boys flesh as his leaders proud smile came to him.


His attention was drawn quickly by the black and white spotted female that had been one of the first Saul met in Dahlia. Nayru approached with a bag in her mouth, placing it down on the ground before addressing the two men that were already gathered. As she tipped out the contents, Saul was very impressed to see a canadian goose amoung the other spoils she had managed to capture. Her hunting trip had certainly been more successful than his- despite the fact that his offering was bigger she had compensated with her offering of a variety of animals. A smile was given in her direction in return to the broad smile she had flashed him and her words to offer a good evening to both of them.


"Evening Nayru"


Came his quiet reply. Saul had noticed recently that, in large groups of animals, he had adopted a certain reservation about himself that prevented him from talking a great deal. He instead preferred to listen and absorb the atmosphere, what was happening and how interacted with whom. It was a nice place to people watch and pick up on things that one wouldnt normally have if they were active in the conversation. Saul's ponderings over this were cut short as Gideon's dejected, and two legged, form came into the area. Keen green eyes noticed strait away that he held nothing by way of offering. Saul glanced back at Conor, wondering if he would reprimand his younger brother for breaking the rules and being in his optime form. He didnt want their leader to reprimand him and was quietly pleased when the copper leader brushed against the black boy for encouragement. He missed the words offered by Conor to the sad boy but tried to catch his brothers similar eyes to give a soft smile of encouragement. He was souly glad that he had deposited the fawn before Gideon had arrived- it would have been a sting in his side if he knew that Saul had succeeded where he had failed.


Next to follow were Melee and Layla- Saul had noticed they appeared to be spending a lot more time together since Saluce's bombshell had hit the black and white woman. Scornful memories rose up in the boy of the hunt Saluce had invited them to and Layla's clueless approach to her mate's simple instructions. Perhaps it was better that they separate. A nod was given in her direction before his legs were assaulted by the brown mess he called his niece. A grin was given as well as a loving lick to her head before her childish voice reached him. She asked him if he was here for the meeting and a joking roll of his eyes was given in her direction. Of course he was here for the meeting. With a playful nip to her flanks and a gentle headbutt he answered his inquisitive niece.


"Of course, little Melee. And to see my favourite niece again!"


He said before giving a gentle chuckle. He was distracted by a second luperci form that moved into the area and was tempted to shoot a disapproving look at the little princess he called sister. She had definitely known that the two legged form was not allowed and she too turned up with no kill. Instead of Gideon's upset and dejected form she walked with pride and grace. Saul had little time for her right now and instead watched as a black form moved in. She dropped off her kill before addressing Shiloh. Well, at least she had met someone else in these lands. Saul had a nod in her direction although he didnt yet know her name. Eyes were drawn to a final figure making his way into their clearing- Ascher with a large bag between his teeth. And between the bag he managed to speak and introduce himself. With a laugh and a bat at his brothers leg.


"Evening Asch... I see you made quite the kill"


He teased, playfully tugging on his brothers ear for a moment. He watched as the black female introduced herself as Voron, a little reserved in nature. Finally Conor spoke and Saul turned to the copper leader was a shine in his eyes. He explained about Hibernal and Saul thought immediately of their lost mother. He didnt want to think the depressing thoughts about her but the came unbidden anyway. A frown marred his happy expression. However, Conor declared that the feast was to begin. With a glance at the copper mans movements Saul trotted forward and sliced a thick slab of meat away from the fawn's belly. It tasted delicious but it wasnt for him. He approached Gideon and placed the meat in his hands with a soft, albiet bloody, smile in his direction.


"For you, brother."


He offered simply before going back to hack out a smaller piece for Melee. She might want it, she might not but the offer was there. A smile raced across his lips as he took a succulent bite of the fawn belly and ate for himself now.



word count;; 1,040

"speech"

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#12
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SSWM: 511

No words passed between as the three waited for others to arrive and Nayru was comfortable in their silence. Gideon was the next but the boy kept his eyes diverted and try as she might Nayru could not make contact with them. He sat away from them and Nayru watched in vain as Conor was the one to rise and speak secretly to the man. Nayru, although she did not understand why, wanted to be the one to move to his side, but in deference to Conor she kept her place alongside Saul, staring at Gideon futilely, trying to catch his gaze and throw a kind smile his way. Yet the opportunity did not come and soon she found Melee at her feet and her attention was effectively diverted from her best friend.

“Melee my dear, always rushing about! Have you used your endless energies to help feed the pack this year, or will I have to wait until next Hibernal for such an offering from you?” Her musical voice was kind and teasing at the young girl, whom she had grown to love. Ruby eyes raised to see whom the youngster had arrived with and she saw the woman Nayru could only guess was Layla. Why was the lady with Melee? And where was Saluce? Observing but without question she turned back to Melee, and smiled again. "Is your brother to come or will we have to save him something?" Her eyes scanned again for Range, but did not see the boy and smiled back down at his sister.

More arrived, two woman that Nayru knew almost not at all. One she could identify as the Stormbringer female and the other a complete stranger, both borrowed colors from her own pelts but they did not mix and match the white and black but rather wore them separately. Nayru was about to speak to either but the arrival of others prevented her from doing so and she decided that a meeting at a later time would do just as well. Ascher came and greeted them and Nayru bowed her head deeply to the last Stormbringer sibling, her eyes once more seeking out Gideon's and again failed at this. Conor's voice broke then and the girl's eyes came to him, forgetting the others for the moment.

His words washed over them and seeped into her skin, their meaning sinking into her heart and forcing a feeling she only felt when so many Dahlians assembled at one time. Which hadn't happened often for the young girl. The fire soon lit up and Nayru turned to Melee, indicating the large pile of meat that had accumulated. “And what does my lady wish to dine on tonight? As you can see we have quite the selection.” Her ears perked as she heard Saul speak to Gideon and then moved to bring meat to Melee. Moving towards the meat she selection some different pieces for herself and Melee as well, whom she assumed would be pleased to have both her uncle and Nayru fawning over her.


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#13
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He's throwing his own little fit >_>; -waves- wc: 304


To say that he was upset with himself for not being able to catch something was an understatement. He was a complete and utter failure. Others arrived to the meeting, including his three siblings, but that made him feel even worse. His family could easily see that he hadn't brought anything with him, which made him feel ashamed. He didn't want them to know that he wasn't that good of a hunter, that he was a fisher and used human tools. For this meeting he was supposed to have done it by hand. "Hey." He said to Shiloh, Saul, and Ascher as they arrived. Melee came with Layla, going to Saul, and he looked around as more and more members showed up with their contributions.


Conor spoke to him and his ears went back, emotions in turmoil. The leader didn't understand how he felt; Gideon would have preferred to get criticism from his senior, yelling, disappointment. Anything other than his soft, encouraging words. He wasn't a child and he hadn't done a good job at anything on this day. Not at shifting or at hunting. Saul's voice broke him from his thoughts momentarily. His brother was placing a piece of meat in his hands, a fine cut of it.


He hadn't earned this meat, and wouldn't accept it. His heart darkened further, eyes flashing in annoyance at the kind gift that his sibling had given him. It was wrong for him to eat it. He said nothing to Saul or any of the others in the group, staring down at the meat for a few moments. Gideon placed it in front of his daughter instead as he turned from the pack, running through the scattered members to break free from the group, feet taking him off into the forest and away from the celebrations.

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Table by Alli!

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#14
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Word Count: 780


This day was just not going the way Bris had planned. First of all, she'd completely forgotten it was Hibernal until she was well into her own activities. Secondly, Eclipse was being her normal trouble-seeking self and had managed to disappear from her mother's watchful eye. The white woman stemmed the growing panic in her heart as she frantically searched around Flander's Field for some sign of her child, her voice growing a little more frantic with each passing moment. "'Clipse?! Eclipse where are you?! I know you like hide and seek but you have to tell me when you want to play!! Besides, now we're going to be late for Hibernal! I still have to catch something for the party! The puppy's scent was all over the dilapidated graveyard, in patterns and pathways that made no sense at all. Obviously the daughter of the alpha had taken it upon herself to go exploring while her mother spoke to her long-dead aunt's grave marker. A strong line of curses flew from Bris' mouth quietly as she searched for her daughter, mostly dealing with how much of a failure she obviously was at being a parent. Eclipse was so much more trouble than her cousins had ever been, and the new mother was having a very hard time just keeping up with the puppy. She couldn't even think of the last time she'd spent time with anyone else in her pack, aside from Conor and occasional visits with her nephews and niece.

Suddenly, Bris' small lupine form stopped short as a light-colored tiny form came into view. With a mixture of relief and anger on her face, the mother sprinted toward the tombstone her daughter had been hiding behind, nearly bowling her over and smothering her with nuzzles. "You nearly gave me a heart attack Eclipse, again. Why in the world did you run off like that?" It was then that Bris spied the greenish stick-looking thing hanging from her daughter's mouth. "I wanthed thoo cath thomething for the parthy!" Unable to help the amused smile that crossed her face, Bris laughed softly as she licked her little girl's forehead. "Well then, you're a better hunter than Mama! I didn't managed to catch a single thing, and if I try now we'll miss the fire lighting! Come on Trouble, let's go." Ever so gently, Bris reached down and took her daughter's scruff in her teeth. Eclipse could have walked on her own, of course, but it would have made the journey from Flander's Field to the town square much more lengthy. Once she was sure her daughter was comfortably settled, the little grasshopper sitting in her mouth, Bris took off at a quick pace toward town.

As it was, the mother and daughter pair neared the town just in time to hear Conor's speech and see the lighting of the fire, and she felt Eclipse take a good gasp as the bonfire sprang to life. Stubbornly, the pup still managed to keep the grasshopper clutched between her teeth. As the pair drew closer, Bris saw a dark shape suddenly break off from the gathering and come running straight for them. Eyebrows raising in shock, Bris skidded suddenly to avoid the fleeing figure. As he passed them, the identity of the wolf became well-known, and Bris nearly dropped Eclipse in an attempt to call out to her nephew. As it were, she kept in mind the direction he was headed, and made up her mind to chase after him once Eclipse was under her father's watchful eye.

Food was being passed around already as Bris and Eclipse arrived, and the mother smiled warmly around her daughter's scruff as she passed by all of the members. Not hesitating, the female headed straight for the pack's alpha male, dropping their wayward daughter at his feet and moving in for a loving nuzzle and lick. "I'm so sorry we're late, Conor. Your daughter decided she wanted to bring something to contribute to the celebration. Go ahead sweetheart, show Daddy what you caught!" Eclipse's tail wiggled furiously as she pranced even closer to her father, dropping the tiny grasshopper at his front paws and beaming up at him with the proudest of smiles. "Ah caught it all bah mahself Daddy!! Lookie lookie!!" For the moment, Bris figured she'd leave out the part about giving her mother a heart attack by disappearing. She'd mention that little tidbit later, after they enjoyed the celebration. "By the way, what's wrong with Giddy? Did something happen?" She kept her voice lower so as not to draw attention to the question from others, though undoubtedly Gideon's departure hadn't gone completely unnoticed.




Table by James!
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