[html]POSTING ORDER
Tamerlane
Skoll
Moon Phoenix
Dierdre Rhiannon

Roars and rumbles, the deep, muffled growl of some faraway devil that had pulled himself above the clouds to take fate in his own claws. What God would take the small body of a bright-eyed princess and hide it in an attempt to shatter it? What ‘just’ fate would take an innocent soul and corrupt it with physical torment? This was one of the many reasons why Tamerlane did not believe in such folly as God and fate; his life was in his own hands, not in those of others. But for a creature like Ember Phoenix, whose distraught father scoured the landscape for the little lost treasure, it was a life so young that it had to be put in the hands of her adult peers. And the Storm wolves were willing to accept this responsibility; Dierdre (familiar to him) and Moon and Skoll (unfamiliar) were by Tamerlane’s side. The reclusive but charismatic young loyalist glanced up at the afternoon sky; barely minutes had passed since Phoenix discovered his daughter missing, and minutes could prove too much. If we yell for her, the Spaher said to his companions, it could provoke further landslides. The terrain is fickle… and if we spread out, our combined weight is less likely to provoke the ground into further action. A snow drift crept up ahead; vast chunks of powder entangled in the forest. His suggestion was clear enough: spread out. He respected them enough as intelligent beings to not have to spell it out to them.

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Skoll's hard, amber eyes surveyed the area as the Storm wolf spoke. When he stopped, the bronze wolf wasted no time, moving with haste, nose sweeping over the snow in hopes of some tell-tale sign of the lost pup he was looking for. He had a keen nose on him, as did most wolves, but he alone out of the group had never seen nor smelt Ember before. Desperation building, he turned his ear to the snow, had he heard something? Yes!

Diving into the snow, digging furiously, snow launching from the white blanket in plumes, Skoll's fervor quickly revealed his mistake. A snow hare was buried underneath the snow, had been overtaken by the avalanche and now rested, frightened and frozen, beneath the snow. A wolf's jaws by its head, its eyes were wide with fear. Skoll growled slightly, and turned away, off to look somewhere else. It's best that we split up, that way I just wasted my own time, he thought scathingly. It wasn't that big a mistake, he had heard something, he had to investigate. He did not dwell on the mixup, though, as he turned his senses back to the snow once again.

Phoenix’s daughter is somewhere in here, cold, afraid, alone in a prison of ice. Hold on, kid, we’re going to find you. Your dad won't let anything happen to you, and he's got friends who won't let anything happen, either.

Moon was starting to panic. Thankfully the rest of the pack was safe and so was Zorion, but his precious little sister was still hidden somewhere in the cold landscape that used to be the northern part of their home. Frowning, he and his black horse moved along silently next to Tamerlane, Skoll and Dierdre, his ears perked for any sign of movement beneath the snow. He shuffled along, careful not to stomp too hard on the snow, instead moved along so he couldn’t, by any means, squish his little sister. Instead he would bump into her and find her near his feet. Zori neighed softly at Moon, willing him to ask the question aloud. “Hey, Tamerlane, d’you think me an’ Zori could spread out this way?” he motioned toward his left. They began to move that way, anyway, but he would wait for his leader’s full permission before spreading out too far from the group. Zori could probably wade through the snow better then the wolves could, even shifted into the two-legged form as he was now, but he didn’t want to make anyone angry at the moment. His sister was in danger and causing trouble in their group wasn’t in the plan.

edit: Sorry, Tamerlane D: I was at school and the bell rang :3 Edited!

She wasn’t sure what to do. Pilot wasn’t with her, he’d gone with the other team…and he was the one that she usually looked to for help. Dierdre swallowed, watching what the others were doing and following their lead. She knew a few of them, like Tamerlane and Moon…she’d stick by them. She wasn’t sure what she could do to help. She had already shifted, so that she would be able to dig, if needed.

It was bad luck that Ember had been on that side of the territory when the avalanche had happened. Dierdre was glad that no one else in the pack had been in the way…but still felt horrible that her little sister had been the one caught beneath the snow. She didn't have favorites amongst her siblings, that wouldn't be right, but she did have a certain soft spot for the little black wolfess. Ember had a spirit about her that few little ones could boast. Especially now that Iskata had left. They just had to find her. They had to!

“Anything useful that you can think for me to do” She said. “We’ll find her…I just know it.” Dierdre looked back to the huge mound of snow, then to her fellow diggers, waiting for instructions.

OOC – I was wrong about posting order – it does have to be maintained. The order is Tamerlane, Skoll, Moon Phoenix, Dierdre Rhiannon. Also remember that posts have to be at least 200 words each; Dierdre, you have to edit at least another 59 words into your last one!

IC –
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Having little mercy but for a kind of enforced, oblivious set of morals placed upon it by the now calming weather, the terrain continued to whisper thoughts of shifting once more… but mostly, it remained still. Out of the corner of his eye, Tamerlane noticed Skoll’s muscular form diving for the ground; he lent him a gaze… had he found something? It transpired it was just a hare, and the momentary suspense was lifted. The ivory traveller was aware who Skoll was, through word of Phasma Kiles – a friend who now stood high on the ranks of Fatin’s Jaded Shadows, perhaps regretting that she could not lend a helpful paw to little Ember’s plight. But Skoll was nevertheless welcome here by Phoenix, and his helpfulness clearly meant that he was no enemy of Storm. As far as Tamerlane was concerned, that was enough to feel no negativity towards the middle-aged male. At Moon’s question, Tamerlane nodded briefly in approval before gesturing briefly that Dierdre join him venturing to the right. He had developed a certain fondness for Pilot’s mate; she was an incredibly friendly, gentle creature, and yet wholly damaged; and because she seemed unsure as to what exactly she should be doing, Tamerlane motioned that the two of them team up. Moon was off to the left, and as for Skoll – you seem a fine digger, sir, he commented; I imagine you could put that to good use. As Dierdre and Tamerlane headed off to the right, the nimble Spaher wrapped his long hands around a thick branch, and pulled himself easily up into a tree – a better view, a finer way of spotting the child. Am I right in thinking that Ember has dark fur? he asked, turning sinuously to look down at Dierdre.

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Skoll acknowledged the other male briefly, giving a quick nod, feeling that there was no time for pleasantries. As the other three and their animal proceeded, he moved onward. His single ear was on full alert, high on his head, straining for any sound of shallow breathing beneath the snowy tomb. He wasn't having any luck smelling her out, which aggrieved him. How obvious would it be? Certainly not as easy to pick out as a scent in the open air, that was for certain. He would probably have to be almost right on top of her buried form in order detect her by his nose. Still, that was true of his ears(if the stump on his left side counted) as well, the situation was dire, indeed.

Barely hearing the lead Storm wolf's comment to the other, it occured to him that he didn't have any idea what she looked like. He had visited Phoenix several times since his return to Bleeding Souls, agreeing to teach him some of the basics of his trade, despite his refusal to rejoin, and Phoenix's eventual retraction of the invitation. Still, politics were a corrupt thing, not worth his time, and now that he was freed of his bonds to the packs, he had nothing to worry about from them any longer. No, he was not here because of any loyalty to Storm--most of the wolves he'd known here were gone now, and he had been betrayed by its last leader--he was here out of loyalty to his friend. Fly's child, Ember, had died, he had been unable to save her. That would not be the case with this Ember. He would do everything it took. He would be here for days, weeks, as long as it took.

Hold on, kid. Hold on.

Tamerlane gave his permission through a nod and Moon moved off further to the left, but still in waving distance of his group. He didn’t want to separate from the group too much. Another wolf – or horse – fallen into the snow would only cause further distress, so they moved at a steady but slow pace, careful whenever they moved along the snow drifts to not fall into them. Zori was strong enough to wade through the snow while Moon lagged behind him a bit, following in his tracks. He was really starting to panic now. He wanted to find his little sister so badly now that his heart was aching.

He had only just returned about a week ago and this disaster had to happen. Moon only prayed that they would find her in time. Whining softly, he began to move of even further to the left of his friend, wading through the snow and feeing through it to the ground. He felt rocks, sticks, and bumps of ground beneath him, but not one inch of fur touched his fingers. There was nothing in this world that he wanted more than to find his sister right now. Ember was too young to be out in this snow alone, and she was probably huddled under a tree somewhere, hidden underneath the snow crying her tiny eyes out.

[html]Dierdre was glad that Tamerlane was with her to help out; he seemed like a very trustworthy wolf to have beside her. Right now she was confused and upset, full of adrenaline…and she wasn’t thinking straight. She took a few calming breaths to try and get herself back on track, shaking her head a couple of times. She had to get it together! She’d always thought that she would be the one to lead in a situation like this, one where one of the pack was in danger, but it hadn’t turned out that way. Right now she was fine with following whatever Tamerlane thought they should do; he would be right, surely.


She nodded when he asked her the question about Ember’s fur. “Yeah, she’s a little black pup. She’s got a pretty high pitched voice…if she shouts we’ll hear her. But it wouldn’t be good to shout, would it? Would that make more snow fall?” Dierdre had never experienced an avalanche before, and wasn’t sure how they could upset the snows again. “Maybe if we just said her name? It’s pretty quiet around here.” She looked up at him in the tree, shielding her eyes against the sun as she did so. “Do you see anything?”[/html]

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Skoll moved off swiftly to the right, his muscular paws pounding the ground as he heightened his endeavours further still. Young Moon Phoenix, his moonlight eyes searching and his agile paws moving paired with sorrowful whines from his throat, went in another direction, searching physically through the snow in an attempt to dig out all he could, in the hope that a speck of dark fur would be found. Hopefully attached to the child’s body. Would that make more snow fall? Tamerlane nodded down at Dierdre firmly – it would, undoubtedly, hence his earlier suggestion to the rest of the group that they keep their tones low. At the description, Tamerlane pulled himself further into the tree, snow catching on his damp cream fur as he wrapped his long arms over the top of the canopy. Do you see anything? Keen eyes focused on a a speck of sable against the snow. From here, it was a mere dash in the white – probably a submerged tree trunk; possibly a layer of mud. Dierdre, he said to the ivory Spaher; northwest – about four hundred yards. A speck of black… probably nothing, but potentially something. In a sprightly movement, Tamerlane jumped to the ground, straightened up, and then the two of them headed northwest. Would you call for her quietly? he murmured to his friend; your voice is higher than mine; much less likely to cause a movement of land. Tell her to speak up if she can… the chances of her being within hearing distance are low, but we must try. All the while keeping his dark eyes on that distant black speck.

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His search was proving fruitless, and he felt that they were running out of time. While the cold could slow down the body's needs, could reign in the metabolism to the point where it took much longer to actually die, it was still a very dangerous situation that Phoenix's daughter, Ember, was in. He couldn't help but feel the tension of the situation in his tightening chest. What would happen if they lost this child as well? Skoll regretted that he could not hunt down Phoenix's last missing child, he knew that the loss must be weighing heavily upon the Storm alpha's heart, it would be unforgivable to fail here, as well. At least, to himself. He knew that the others would not hold him personally responsible, but he had failed friends too often before. If it was within his power to prevent the loss, he would take whatever action was needed.

Overhearing Tamerlane's voice in the relative quiet of the search, Skoll turned his head in the direction indicated. He thought he'd seen something? If that was the case, the girl should have been able to dig her way out, shouldn't she? It was impossible to say for sure, the impact of the snow as it rumbled over her could have been enough to render her unconscious. Taking the Storm wolf's lead in mind, Skoll altered his course, still moving slowly enough to scan his immediate surroundings for scent or sound of the buried child. If there was some sign of her up ahead, then maybe they'd find her immediately. If not, his nose would be there to catch any other clues that the leader's eyes had missed.

He had only been going on his course to the left for a few minutes when he heard Tamerlane’s voice with a hint of hope. Turning to listen, he looked toward where Tamerlane was looking and figured that he had spotted something. Telling Zori to move along toward the others, Moon turned right and began to wade through the snow, keeping a close eye on his destination while still searching the immediate area in front of him. Ember was probably scared out of her mind at this moment, but Moon hoped that she was unconscious through most of this experience so she wouldn’t be so scared. If she could sleep through this, even if it was an unwelcome sleep, it could prove to be her mental saving grace. She didn’t need to go through this traumatic experience any more than she had to. Moon looked toward the other wolves and wondered what was going on in their minds. Zori neighed softly as they approached the rest of the group, his dark eyes catching sight of the speck in the distance. He had a feeling that they might have found something. Whether it was Ember or another creature, at least they might be able to help someone in need while they looked for his sister.

[html]Ooc:// this is the last one? PPing Ember being okay.


The girl’s heart raced when Tamerlane spoke; could it be true? Was her sister finally found? She didn’t want to get too hopeful, but she couldn’t help it. Maybe they had really found her! Dierdre swallowed hard and waited for directions, then started off toward the area specified. “Ember…?” She said quietly, looking back toward Tamerlane to see if she was in the right area. When affirmed she continued looking, whispering the little pup’s name over and over again.


“I don’t see her…” she said, her heart falling for a moment…but then! There! She could see tufts of fur sticking out of the snow, dark pieces of hair that surely belonged to her younger sibling. She went to the place where Ember lay beneath the snow, taking a deep breath. Ember’s scent. Now all they had to do was get her out. Dierdre started to dig around the girl until she got her uncovered, dragging her up and out of the snow. “Ember!! Ember, are you okay? Don’t worry, we’ve got you now!” It looked like she was breathing, which was a good sign. Dierdre nosed her sibling worriedly until the little girl stood, then looked back to the others triumphantly. “We did it! It was a team effort” [/html]

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Congrats you guys! The roaring off the snow had woken the young Phoenix child, who'd been napping beneath a tree for the better part of the evening. It had been the wall of snow coming at her that had frozen her, stuck in that spot out of sheer terror. The good thing, though, was that as the snow came down it took the tree with it, leaving young Ember with a small space to hide, between the bottom of the fallen tree and the ground. It was there that she stayed huddled, shivering from the cold and whimpering aloud so that someone might find her. Her father had told her, at one point, that the ground hadn't eaten the other Ember, that she need not worry. Now, though, it would seem that the ground had indeed consumed her, in a sense. It was the sound of her sisters voice that brought her out of her shocked state. Ears lifted, her breathing resumed to it's normal pace, and she called out. "Dierdre?!" And soon enough the snow was breaking away, bit by bit, and then light came pouring inside. She'd scooted out from under the tree by that time, out just enough that her sister was able to lift her from the hole in the snow. Shivering most uncontrollably, she made an attempt to stand, which didn't last long as she collapsed back to the ground. Laying her head back down, she whined, staring up at her sister and out toward the other three that had been aiding in the rescue, as she had yet to learn about the other group. "I want Papa."

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OOC – ^^

IC –
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As Dierdre and Tamerlane drew closer to the dark speck upon which their young eyes rested, a vague hope grew to something more. Skoll and Moon too, it seemed, had also noticed it; and soon they were within one another's line of sight once more. As they reached what was undoubtedly wolf fur, Dierdre dropped to the ground and grabbed at the snow until the bedraggled form of a young girl was revealed, scrambling from her trap. I want Papa, she whimpered, so weak that she flopped back to the freezing ground. It's okay, now, he murmured to her gently, picking her up in her arms; we'll bring you to your father. He turned immediately to the rest of the team. Although he agreed with Dierdre's optimistic sentiments, this was no time for celebration -- not yet. Moon, would you run ahead -- fast as you can -- and let Phoenix know that his daughter is safe? We can't trust the land's temperament enough to howl for him. With that, Ember in his arms, Tamerlane headed towards the meeting point where Phoenix would be, Skoll and Dierdre, the pup's warm-hearted sister, at his side.

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