Survivng the Storm
#1
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for Parker, Tony and Cyp. feel free to PP the storm, progression of the weather should be fast and heavy, also assume they are near the caves. Smile PM me with any questions/concerns

Set; late on the 5th

She wore her wolfish form, her large and burly still size very evident in the four legged shape. Brown fur rustled in the cold wind, her black nose raised and facing the oncoming air. It ran over the snow, catching the light flakes and sending them to her upturned face. The day was dark, clouds covering the sky like a thick impenetrable veil. Her ears faced forward to follow the way of her nose and searched just as it did for a sign.

They walked in a narrow line, falling into the paw prints of the one before them and Mati led the way. During the winter months it was important to hunt as often as possible and the entire pack needed to help, even if she was used to the summer air, patrolling the borders until she found a spot that called her eye and asked her to stop and sketch it. These darker days were ones of sickness and of hunger. The woman's mother was one of the ill, her mate one of the tired and over worked. Mati was happy the two pups had come to join her, and when they had caught the sent of the deer early her hopes were high.

They had been tracking a small group of does, the sight of them weakened by the wind and weather but their scent was still thick on the squall of drifting snow. Mati looked back to the two youths that had come to join her hunting party, purple eyes looking over the male and female with a sisterly affection. "Seems that they are moving slow but steadily. We should catch up to them soon." The Church female was not and expert hunter, for her talents lay in other tasks, but she was practiced and owned the same instincts each predator did.

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#2
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*rolls on in*


Though Parker had become accustomed to her Optime form in recent months, she chose her agile, and hardy Lupus form for this expedition. Her long, slender legs were perfect for plowing through the heavy snow drifts, and especially for following nimbly and efficiently behind Mati. Speaking of which, this was the first time she had seen her sister-in-law in quite some time though the circumstances were a little less than ideal. When she'd proposed the hunting trip, Parker had jumped at the chance to escape the now suffocating atmosphere of the Manor. All the worries, concerns and fears that the Dreamers had were weighing down on the empathetic girl; pulling at her strings, and forcing her to crumble. But out here, she could breathe again.


She was not the best of hunters, but for a girl her age she was adept enough at it to make a concentrated effort. Mati certainly didn't seem to mind the two younger wolves tagging along, and seemed almost happy at their eagerness. However, Parker's initial elation was slowly ebbing away as they trudged through the snow. The skies above were thick and gray, rolling over the heavens like a tumultuous ocean. And the wind that whipped at their forms was nothing short of violent, and angry. Something told her she should go back, but Mati was focused on the hunt, and seemed to ignore any indication that the storm was anything more than an annoyance. She trusted the older woman more than she trusted the fickle fury of the weather.


The deer herd was just beyond the ridge, but still well out of reach of their efforts. Parker strode up to stand beside the russet woman and swiveled an ear towards her as she confirmed. The quiet girl nodded and smiled. It would not be long now. Another particularly rough gust of wind took them in the chest, and blew another large cloud of loose snow into their face. Parker blinked against the icy onslaught and lifted her muzzle towards the sky, watching as the clouds churned eastward towards the heart of Nova Scotia.



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#3
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I was told that Tony could be a little sneak ^w^

It could be argued that Tony was a brain-damaged pup.


Not a few days earlier he had been sick with a cold from an accident at the lake, and now he was playing Mr. Sneaky. His mother and father had told him and his siblings to stay inside the manor where it was warm, but Tony was, as usual, bored with that suggestion. He wanted to be out and about; doing something. He wanted to hunt with the others, like his father had taught him; he wanted to be useful. And just such an opportunity had presented itself. He had been skulking around the entrance of the manor, waiting for something exciting to happen, when he heard talk of a hunting party. What a splendid chance! And two of his cousins were in the party, no less! I can work on my tracking skills and learn hunting from them! Tony thought with barely-concealed fervor.


As soon as Mati and Parker were out the door, Tony darted through the crack before it closed, squinting his eyes in shock of the crunching noise he made as soon as he hit the snow. Oh yeah...snow... He quickly darted to hide behind a shrub, his dark-brown fur making him perfect camoflouge in case they had heard him. Staying stock-still, breath barely controlled, Tony waited until their suspicions were put to rest before following them again. Who needs a scent trail when I can follow Mati's road? he thought to himself, eyeing the deep indentation that his older cousin had made while walking through the snow. That way, he could follow without making much noise and not lose the hunting party's location.


The small pup was ignorant of the weather, intent only on following the group, which turned into three. Tony had to keep ducking behind trees or burrowing beneath the snow--since it wasn't water, it didn't penetrate his coat much--although this made him cold anyways, so he stuck to hiding behind things... It was so cold, but Tony steeled himself; telling himself that a real warrior didn't let the cold bother him. Funny, how just a few days earlier that same cold had terrified him to using such childish names for his parents.


Guardian walks. "Guardian talks." Guardian thinks.


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#4
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<3


Cypress had always preferred the open air to the closed quarters of the manor. It was his home and his sanctuary in the hours of darkness, but so long as it was light out that was all he needed to he out in the open wilderness despite how cold or wet the weather might be.The sentiment had only strengthened in the passing weeks as the atmosphere within it's walls had turned more dreary and depressing than the gray winter sky. No one was immune to the worries surrounding the ever sleeping Artemis and now his mother was sick as well. So he had happily joined Mati and Parker for the hunt. Eager to make use of himself and leave the troubles of the manor behind him for a few hours at least.

He lagged slight behind the two females as the travelled through the snow covered landscape in search of prey. Despite his eagerness to leave the manor and his worries behind he found they were not so easily left behind. Unable to focus his mind solely on the task at hand he followed behind while his eyes seemed to focus on either the snow below or that which still fell silently from the sky, wondering why Alder had left, gone to live with their older brother in Cour des Miracles. Was it because of him, because of what he said and how he had been acting towards his brother in recent moons? As badly as he wanted to push such thoughts from his mind and be happy his brother had at last found some self dependance he couldn't help but see how heavily his departure weighed on their mother. It was only for her that he felt any guilt for his actions and words towards Alder. Her decline in health enough to keep his resentment and jealousy of Alder smoldering still, even as he trudged through the snow as more fell from the sky and coated the dark fur of his back.

Head hanging as he looked down at the snow and followed the fresh tracks of Parker and Mati, who were only a few paces ahead, he didn't notice they had stopped and nearly plowed right into Parker. Though ne still brushed against her as he came to a stop. He tossed her a look of both surprise and wordlessly apology before he quickly looked away, embarrassed that he had been paying so little attention to actually bump into her when he was suppose to be alert on such a hunt. Something caused him to turn and look behind them, even though all he heard was the deafing silence of the falling snow accented by the howling of the wind. But there was something out there. He saw it only for a moment. A spot of dark amongst all the white. "Mati." His voice was hushed, not knowing how close their prey might be. "Something is following us."

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#5
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here comes the snow!! (sorry for the delay <3)

Mati could smell the prey on the wind. It stirred something inside, primal and as natural as the ground beneath her paws. They were all, in the end, this creature that desired the chase and kill. No mater how sophisticated they had become, they needed these moments and Mati was not immune. The air had grown cold since their departure from the Manor, and now the scent of the air had turned to one that spoke of snow. It did not lie, and the flakes that had been nothing more then flurries had grown large and fat with moisture. Her purple eyes looked through falling snow and saw the figures in the distance, still moving though more slowly now.

The pack stood on the hill, ready to descend on the weakened deer. Her ears fell, the cold touching them and the wind making it hard for her to hear. She looked at those that followed her, and then back to the prey that walked through the valley. They were heading for the tree line, and shelter. But before she could descend into the valley and onto the unsuspecting prey she heard the voice of her brother through the white noise chatter of the wind. She turned, looking at his face and wondering why he spoke out while they were so close to their catch. The words registered after a moment and her purple eyes searched the white world behind them. In that moment the snow seemed to fall even harder.

The hunt was over at the very moment she saw the figure of a wolf pup. Tony! She called, her face stern and her mouth a thin line as she moved through the snow towards him. Her eyes needed to squint against the heavy and fat snowflakes. Tony what are you doing here? She asked, angry that he had followed. But there was a worry that was coming over her, the storm was turning in a direction she hadn't thought it would.

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#6
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Sorry for the massive delay. Sad


The feel of fur and warmth against her own skin caused her to turn and brush her nose against Cypress's shoulder, a smile playing on her lips and the weather momentarily forgotten. It was these little actions that Parker used to communicate with the world, and it was in her smile that her brilliance shown through. But another gust of wind buffeted the trio, and she returned her attention to the herd that was beginning to be blurred and distorted by the falling snow. However, this sight was short-lived as Cypress suddenly informed them that he had a notion that someone was following in their footsteps. The quiet Sadira cast a glance over her shoulder, noting out of the corner of her eye that Mati had done much the same.


It was Tony, as confirmed by Mati's voice and the tone she used. Parker frowned, not entirely happy with his decision to sneak out in this weather, but it was more out of concern than actual anger. An ear was cast back as she listened to the herd quickly move off thanks to the noise of their voices. Her stomach grumbled a protest, but she silenced it with an agitated swish of her tail. She was going to follow Mati over, but instead remained by Cypress' side, eying the young Marino with a narrowed glare.


The snow continued to fall faster, and harder.

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#7
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RIKKI-TIKKI-SNEAK-DERP-TAVI! Also: I give all three of you action-based pp power over Tony, since a) he's a pup, so if anyone picks him up, there's not much he could do about it and b) I'm a little scarce, so it would take ages otherwise >.>

Mati's call of his name startled Tony so much that he yipped and jumped about three feet in the air behind the tree he was hiding behind. Awww; I thought I was doin' a good job, too, he thought with deep remorse, the game now over. His older cousin's form was towering and stark against the white of the snow, and Tony stood with his little chest still pounding from the scare, although his defiant posture said otherwise. "I wanted to hunt with you guys. I'm a hunter, too! Dad taught me." The rabbits might've gotten away, but Tony was pretty confident he could've helped his cousins out.


Cypress and Parker stood off behind Mati, and although Mati made a formidable wall of fur--and, apparently, stern scolding--Tony tried to keep his haughty face strong; he would not back down. "I wanted to help, too!" he shouted out childishly, a little mad at himself for getting caught and a little mad at Mati for being angry at him. What was he to do? He was pup, ergo he was prone to those fits of stubborness. And if his older cousins' voices hadn't scared away dinner, his had...


Guardian walks. "Guardian talks." Guardian thinks.



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#8
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Mati will carry Tony :3

This changed everything. The violet eyed woman and the two younger wolves would need to abandon the prey and take Tony back to the Manor immediately. Such snow and wind would bring shivers to his much smaller body. Her eyes squinted against the falling snow, and it created a pale shawl over her shoulders and a cape down along her back. Though there was a small teaching opportunity to share with the two younger wolves here, but the pack needed the food much more then anything else. They had lost that opportunity, and she found it hard to not think about the doe as it walked from the valley and into the tree cover to live another day and the pack go hungry for another day.

But the female was not one to be angry long and as she listened to the pup's explanation she could only shake her head slightly You should ask next time. She spoke. It was not the season for pups to learn the ways of the hunt, the snow was almost past his head and it was hard enough for the adults to keep up over such terrain. Lets head home. Mati told the others, though as she looked out towards the path that they had made that would lead them back to the mansion she could seen nothing but white. She looked at the others once more, their pelts were covered in a thick layer of flakes. Her stomach dropped, twisting in a mild but growling panic.

Come on. The female then took the pup by the scruff and moved through the falling snow in the direction from which they came with the hope that they would see the Manor as soon as possible.

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#9
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Sorry for the wait! I thought it was still Katie's turn. <3


Parker was frustrated. This was her one chance to help her family, and Tony had to come and blow it for all of them. Her thoughts momentarily flickered to her mother, and wondered if she would reprimand her cousin for following the hunting party. Of course, Mati was already pretty upset, which lent the quiet girl to cast another long glance at the russet woman. But the snow was beginning to obscure their frames, and the dusting of snow across their coats only made keeping an eye on them all even more difficult. Her irritation was then forgotten as she glanced up between the flakes. Another gust of wind made her eyes water, and she shut them quickly and shook the offending snow from her face. This was bad.


At Mati's bidding, she quickly fell in step behind the older woman, brushing past Cypress reassuringly and motioning for him to step in front of her. He was younger, after all, and she wanted to keep an eye on him. Besides, with her light coat, she imagined she'd be hard to track in this heavy storm. But the urgency in Mati's voice caused Parker to whine softly; the Mansion was no where in sight, as were most of the tell-tale landmarks of the surrounding area. "Mati?" She tried, putting a lot more emphasis on the caution in her tones. It was a clear plea; they needed to find some sort of shelter.



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#10
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Puppy-derp~

Tony had braced himself for some sort of harsh scolding; he was, at the very least, old enough to know when he had broken some sort of rule. But no yelling or anything other than a light reprimand came from Mati's voice. Jerking his head to the side, a deep frown on his face, he mumbled out an "Alright," which was the only way he would consent to Mati's terms.


He was about ready to turn and head home with everyone, following Mati's gaze, but he noticed that she--or anyone--didn't move. He looked back over his shoulder and got a little nervous when he saw the look of confusion and their own nervousness. "Mati--yip!" He was cut off midsentence when Mati picked him up high into the air, his body going limp out of reflex. He was getting a little old to be carried as such, but Mati didn't seem to have nary a problem, even with his slight bulk. As they went on, all Tony could see was white. He was beginning to get a little more nervous--the cold was creeping on them faster and faster, reminding him of the episode in the lake--and when he heard Parker's mention of Mati's name in uncertainty, its implications and feelings transfered to Tony. Many adults didn't know it, but pups knew a lot more than what they thought they knew. And at the moment, something wasn't right.


Guardian walks. "Guardian talks." Guardian thinks.


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#11
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Katie, please feel free to post at any time. don't worry about posting order Smile

The cold intensified, closing in on them with each passing moment. The snow began to weigh on her back, and blurred her vision. But the only sight that came to pass was a thick veil of white, closing out any scene of a more common and natural landscape.

It took not a second for the Praefectus to understand that she was lost. Without the sight of a landmark, nor the scent of their trail she did not know in which direction to go. Mati slowed to a stop, the sound of Parker’s voice calling to her. With the dark pup in her jaws she turned to look behind her, the faces of the youths looking at her through the sheet of falling snow.

Bright gold eyes told her what she had been thinking, and then in silence she turned from her western trudge to a more northern trek. The fey had lived within the borders of the Dreaming territory for all her years. She was not one to wander but she had explored just about every inch of her home, she had known that the Skip Caves was north of their chosen hunting grounds.

Paw step after paw step they moved through the deepening snow. Her hope was that she wasn’t wrong in her sense of direction, but the female didn’t know what else to do. It was the only path that did not lead them further into the storm and likely to their deaths. Mati focused on the puppy she carried, and the path she made for the two others behind her rather then the possibility that this could be the end of them all.

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#12
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She well and truly had not meant to frighten Tony, but with the wind howling in their ears and the snow all but obscuring the form of her cousin not two feet from her nose, Parker had little choice. Of course, she didn't know he'd caught on to their uncertainty (and in her case, her fear), but she could see it in Mati's furrowed brows that all but confirmed her suspicions. This was turning ill, and the storm would surely wipe them all out if they stayed out here any longer. There was no getting back to the Manor now. Wordlessly the huntress changed their course, straying off what was once their path towards the north. It took a moment for Parker to realize that Mati was taking them to the Skip Caves. It was their only choice, with the Manor miles away, and any calls for help would be lost to the roaring winds.

Parker followed along, instincts kicking into gear. Though adrenaline was now feeding into her system, she controlled it with a finesse she'd never felt before. If she panicked now, it would tear the whole party apart and fester inside of them like a virus. The quiet girl knew she had to be as strong as Mati, as the second oldest of the group and to make her mother proud. Savina wouldn't let her fear control her here. She was the Consol, the Commander, and the pillar of the pack. Breathing in, and breathing out, she plodded through the thick snow behind Cypress with a mantra repeating over and over in her head: almost there, just ahead, almost there.

Soon enough, a shadow loomed into view. A grayish-white mound that indicated the rise of the cavern threshold, but it was distorted by the flurries and still a short distance off. But they'd made it. She gave Mati and co. a small woof of encouragement, a smile playing on her lips.




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#13
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The whipping sting of snow on Tony's back made him shiver violently ever so often. He could feel Mati's warm breath over the nape of his neck, her teeth hanging onto the extra folds of skin that let him be carried so easily. He was very large for a pup his age, and soon those extra folds of skin would be useless for carrying. Even then, Mati was perhaps only able to handle his size because she herself was large, Tony having to constantly keep his legs up and tucked in or else risk them banging into Mati's legs or the ground. His eyes went all around him, but he was slightly shocked to see a shape dart past him and Mati before he realized that it was Parker, hidden by the blinding white. She seemed excited about something or other, and Tony could only hope that it was shelter.


Mati brought him and the party to the mouth of a cavern, one that Tony had never seen or explored. "Where are we?" he asked, craning his neck up a little to try and see what he could of Mati's face. Even though they were at a supposed destination, Tony was disinclined to be put down. He disliked the cold, and he had been spared thus far from travelling in the snow by Mati's firm grasp. His winter fur had almost grown in entirely (more by a play of genetics and growth spurts than by the weather), yet it was still not enough to garner true protection.


Guardian walks. "Guardian talks." Guardian thinks.



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#14
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Sorry I'm so late(in and out more like it), but don't wait on me either :x And boys will be boys. Also this was wrote here and there on my phone so I hope flows okay x.x

Just bumping into Parker had been embarassing enough, but it was that sweet smile and the brush of her nose against the fur of his shoulder that really sent his cheeks burning as his eyes trailed to the snow covered earth. Nervous butterflies fluttered in his chest. Leaving him feeling flustered and.. shy? Yet there was also the sensation of a grin pulling at the corners of his lips. It was all so confusing for the brown and sable boy that was never known for such a timid nature. Not yet able to understand the stir of emotion that he felt. The stirrings of adolescence.

The fluttering in his chest and belly subsided and were then quickly forgotten. Replaced by his awareness of the damp weight of the snow that accumulated on his back. The burning warmth of his cheeks driven away by the bite of the winter wind. He had been first to notice the tag along, though he was last to recognize the dark ball of fur in sea of white. Recognition only coming to him as Mati called out the boy's name and simultaneously the end of their hunt. While he had been first to detect their little follower he simply stood back, next to Parker, as Mati handled the situation and dished out a gentle scolding. A hefty sigh leaving his muzzle as he felt the familiar bubbling of frustration now that their hunt that had already been troubled by the constant snow fall was now impossible now that they had Tony to worry about as well.

The snow never faltered in its downward decent. The falling flakes had been constant since they had left the manor, but it was their growing density that was starting to concern the youth. The path that should have been behind them, would have lead them straight home, had vanished. The scent of their trail already buried under the accumulated snow. Looking around, Cypress couldn't tell which direction home was even in but he trusted Mati would them home. She had experience in this sort of thing. Right?

Cypress had expected he would follow from behind just as he had all along. So as Parker brushed by him, once again stirring up butterflies in his chest, he could only stare at her in slight confusion with a stupid grin plastered across his maw. At least stupid and foolish was how he felt. Though after a few seconds his brain kicked in gear and he understood. After all, her eyes and nose was about all that stood out in this world of white. So he followed Mati. Staying much closer than he had before and every few moment he would look behind him to find the black of Parker's nose to make sure she was still there. On the times he happened to catch her eye he would give (what he hoped was) a reassuring smile.

Hopes of reaching the manor abandoned for now, Mati lead them to the closest cover they could find. There was little choice, but the last place Cypress wanted to be, especially over night or longer, was skip caves. It was not the caves themselves that bothered him, but they were dark. So as they came to the entrance he halted outside letting Parker enter first, after Mati and Tony. Playing it off as good manners rather than admitting to his own fears. Reluctantly he followed everyone else in, but lingered close to the mouth of the cave. "I'll keep guard here." He said before trying to shake the snow from his back. Hoping his excuse would be enough to keep him close to the outside world. Close to the light, no matter how little. Still he couldn't argue that it was nice to be out of the wind.

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#15
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Mati would had preferred the Manor, without any doubt, but anything over their heads would be an improvement. She did not turn often to check to see if the others kept up once she had made the decision to turn north, the presence of the other two wolves felt more then heard. The caves were a pleasant site to be seen, though there was nothing much to look at in the falling snow. They were nothing but darkness in the light, and to move towards such a thing with the pressure of these lives in her hands went against all her instincts. But she pushed forward and when they made it she walked further into the dark and then let the pup down on dry ground.

She looked at her brother who stood at the entrance, and then at Parker, and lastly Tony. There was nothing she could say yet, the cold having touched her throat and making it hard for her to swallow. Mati took in the surroundings, and as she did the reality of their situation sunk further into her mind. They were trapped with the storm, now too violent for them and only getting worse, just outside the mouth of the cave. She felt exhausted already, and they still needed to find a way to keep warm and consider the fact that one night would not be all they needed to bear. It could go on longer.

Then there was what was happening outside their new sanctuary. What of the manor, or her beloved Cambria. We'll look for something to start a fire. She spoke, banishing those thoughts from her mind and looking at Cypress. Leaving him behind to venture further did not settle well with her. But if there were others caught in the storm and calling for them, it might be wise to leave a guard.

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