Nothing is real ‘til it’s gone
#1
Congratulations to the winners of the rescue contest!

Pack meeting! No tables, no real post order, but make sure to post as your character. I’m going to power play a bit here and say that Phoenix has already led the pack to the first cave he could find large enough to shelter them all, had Deirdre or Pilot start a fire and sent Moon out to collect blankets from his own den for anyone who needs them.


The fire was warm in contrast to his daughter’s cold, wet fur. The Alpha of Storm sat their, entranced in though as he gave the other wolves time to settle in to their makeshift den. Just a few days ago, his mate had left to find their other missing daughter… and he had nearly lost another member of his family. Though he remained confident Iskata would return, she had given him the strength and support he’d needed to lead the pack. Without her by his side, he was on his own and he wasn’t sure he was yet ready for that, especially not during a crisis like this. He’d nearly lost his head when he’d realized his precious Ember was entombed by the avalanche. “S’okay, sweetheart… you’re safe now,” he mumbled as he stroked her fur once again, just as much for his own reassurance as it was for hers.

After a few minutes Phoenix dragged himself back to the present. He could not afford to think of himself at a time like this, the other wolves of the pack—though all competent and capable creatures—needed an alpha at this moment. Gently he slid his daughter off his lap and a bit closer to the warm blaze so her fur could dry off—he didn’t want her catching a sickness and compounding their misfortunes. Standing up, he looked at each and every wolf in the cave with him. Some were his family, some weren’t; yet they were all members of the same pack. That connected them all together, and Phoenix had never before been prouder of Storm than he was right now. Donning his Brave Alpha's mask, Phoenix straightened his posture and prepared once again to play the leader.

“Thank you, all a’you, for your help savin’ my daughter’s life,” he spoke up. Perhaps he should have waited for his son to return from his errand but he couldn’t leave everyone else hanging until then. He wouldn’t mind repeating everything for Moon later. “Unfortunately, our troubles ain't b’hind us. He still got a big chunk of our home buried in more snow than we can move. An’ when that stuff melts it’s pro’lly gonna flood th’river, claim a lot more of our land. I think it would be best if we all stayed here, in this cave, at least until winter’s over. There’re few places that th’flood or another avalanche can reach, an’ this ins one of ‘em. Also, if we all stay at one place we can make sure nobody’s missin’ each night.” He paused then, wating to see what his pack mates had to say to the idea. He wasn’t sure how many of them would appreciate losing a bit of privacy but he did believe it was for the best.
#2
I PPed Ember a bit, I hope that's okay. If not she can move. :p

Moon was absolutely elated. After pounding his and Zori’s heart out by running as fast as they could through the snow toward his father’s scent, he delivered the news to Phoenix and then remained with him until Tamerlane and the others showed up with tiny Ember in his arms. Phoenix had taken his precious child from Tamerlane’s grasp and moved onward, trying to find a suitable place for the entire pack to stay in. Thankfully they had found such a place and his little sister was finally safe. After a fire was set, Phoenix asked Moon to run back to his den and get all of the blankets from within. Mounting Zorion once more, the silver-clad boy rushed off toward his home and waded through the thin layer of snow toward the den’s entrance, and emerged a few minutes later with a heap of blankets secured around the middle with some string. Hopefully this would be enough for the pack to share.

He and Zori made it back to the cave only after about ten minutes’ time, and while Moon entered the cave and made his way to his father’s side with the blankets in tow, Zori stayed at the entrance of the den, listening to the wolves’ chatter beyond. He didn’t understand most of it, but something told him that this situation was dire. Moon untied the blankets and passed them out to whoever wanted one, and then wrapped his little sister firmly in one of their older blankets, rubbed her fur dry and tossed it aside. Then he wrapped her in the warmest blanket he could find and placed her in his lap, seating himself next to the fire and near his father. He hoped that his little sister would allow him to hold her, and if she didn’t, at least she had a blanket now. He wouldn’t restrain her to his lap by any means; she was free to move over to her father’s lap or onto the ground again, as long as she kept the blanket on.
#3
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Although it had been in Tamerlane's arms that Ember had returned to her father, the leader of the rescue team now very much took a back seat. As always. He slunk back in the shadows, his long hands folded behind his back, leaning tall against the edge of the cave. The firelight flickered in his grey-black eyes and warmed his cold, damp fur. Phoenix's suggestion that they all stick together here in this cave was a sensible one, but Tamerlane was no cosy-and-comfortable packmate; he was extraordinarily unlikely to lie here with his packmates night after night through the winter.


The fact of the matter was simply that he slept hardly a few hours every night, and wasn't always to be found in Storm lands anyway. Tamerlane found his own personal goings-on quite irrelevant to this meeting, though, so he did not speak up. Phoenix had surely guessed already (if he wasn't too involved in his own business) that Tamerlane, despite being gently charismatic, was very much a loner. And it would have been nonsensical anyway for Phoenix to ever fret over the whereabouts of a wolf he knew to be an experienced traveller, whose apt life was unlikely to be ended (or even interrupted) by the harsh conditions about which they were concerned.
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#4
[html]Going to be short; still at school :3 And this teacher watches like a hawk.

Dierdre was so glad that everything was okay—that everyone was okay. Yes, they had lost a good portion of their home, but they could always make a new home somewhere else. They could never replace a lost family member. She filed in alongside the others and sat next to her mate, listening to the news. Tamerlane, one of the wolves that had been on her team, had been a major help in rescuing Ember. He didn’t seem to like staying in large groups of wolves…that was probably why she had found him all the way out in the neutral territories…but she hoped that he might like to hang around her and Pilot at least. Because he’d said that he knew Pilot, and Dierdre certainly considered him a friend.

She wondered whether the cave would provide enough privacy for all of the members…but they didn’t really have another choice, for now. Maybe she and Pilot could find somewhere that would be above the water flow, but near the cave to stay later on, once the danger was over. ”Sounds good. We just need to make sure everyone’s here…we can go look for more places later on, maybe.”[/html]
#5
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As soon as the pack had begun to settle into their semi-permanent home, Pilot began the preparations in creating a fire to warm themselves by. He and Dierdre had struck countless fires to cook their meals at night and it was a skill that was not new to the young wolf. In fact, he felt almost natural there, striking the stones together to create the spark which would warm them all to the core. Sure, his team hadn’t been successful in their search, but the other team had. And really, that was all that truly mattered.


Now that everyone had settled down and found a place by the fire, Pilot accepted one of the many blankets being passed out around the group. Wrapping it around he and Dierdre, he moved his hands out towards the fire as if to warm them. Sure, this wouldn’t be the same as having his own den just with her, but he knew he would come to know each of these wolves more personally. Perhaps they would all benefit in that respect from this situation. However, he did ponder some thoughts on intimacy. That could get a little awkward. They’d have to watch themselves – PDA, limited. "I agree, I think maybe its time to focus on our family a little more. The Storm family. Perhaps this is our chance to get to know each other better. After all, we are just as much a family as we are a team."



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#6
The cold had seemingly sucked the life right out of her, leaving her to be carried and drug around like a rag doll. Ember didn't mind though, really, and was rather comforted by each who took tender care of her. First it had been Tamerlane, who cradled her from the moment that she was pulled from the snow to the moment that she'd been passed along to her father. Then, of course, it was her father who cradled her even more, and she was certain there would be even more of it after he took care of the business that he needed to. Now, though, the young Phoenix child was settled in her brothers lap, curled up snuggly in the blanket and watching through tired eyes. Content and slowly beginning to warm up, she turned her head just enough to smile at Moon for a moment.

Her attention turned as soon as her father spoke though, perking her ears up just slightly to catch his words. Part of their home was gone? Sure, Ember had been there to witness the wall of snow that rumbled down the mountain, but even then she hadn't understood just how large it was. Snow melted though, and Ember assumed that everything would be fine once winter was over, and thus she didn't worry herself with it. What was more interesting, anyways, was the fact that they would all be living together, which was rather exciting. The onyx child would have happily shown her excitement too, were it not for the fact that she was incredibly tired and her legs were still stiff from cold, so instead she just lay still, throwing her father a rather pleased smile.
#7
My apology for the avalanche is here. And I'd like to just say I'm so sorry again. Sad

Kansas had been very worried about his sister since she had been marked as lost. He felt a certain attachment to her now that Firefly was no longer around, and, if anything had happened to her, he would have been greatly scarred. Now that she had been found and was safe and sound, Kansas felt very free and relaxed. He didn't have anything to worry about for the moment. His sister was fine, and no one else in his pack had been harmed in the avalanche. The child grinned as he slipped into the cave behind Pilot. There were a few wolves there whom he didn't know yet, but his eyes fell upon the gold wolf with shining black eyes who stood against the wall of the cave. He had been the one to pull Ember out of the snow, so Kansas flashed him a thankful smile. Whether or not the male saw it, he didn't know - but at least he'd thanked him.

The creamy-coated boy watched as Moon took his sister into his lap - he thought it was nice how Moon didn't suffocate her with cuddles but rather let her sit freely in his lap. Kansas yearned to move on over toward his family, but he was aware that had been part of the reason his own team had not found Ember, and while he, too, was just happy that she had been found, this made him wary of joining his father and siblings. He didn't want to face their disappointment. So he sat next to Pilot, staring into the fire as his father spoke. He wasn't surprised that part of their home had been destroyed, if temporarily. But he knew everything would be okay, because his father had said it would.
#8
Her personal den, the one Poenix had given to her at her induction into Storm, had been lost in the avalanche. The thougth to replace it had been settled at the back of her mind. But now it seemed that such a thing hadn't to even be thought of now. She hadn't a single qualm with sharing a den. But then the yougn lass hadn't learned such things as the boundaries of personal space nor the need for privacy just yet. So why would sharing a den with the rest of the pack be something that would put her on edge? She already thought of them all as fmaily anyway.

Pale eyes had watched the fire being started. Intently watching as they had done when her sister had built one. This one didn't have food cooking over it though. She found this odd but figured that fires were only for cooking. Momentary glance was spared to all those gathered around her. Most she hadn't seen before now but that didn't bother her. Eyes settled back on the fire as she watched it spark into full life.

Carefully she shuffled on her belly to move close to the ring of heat. Snow melted from her pelt but the pup didn't find herself all that concerned. Rather she listened to the voices of the others as she curled up. As blankets were handed out she hadn't bothered to take one for herself. Being a quadraped there really wasn't much use for it. Plus she didn't really know what it was or what it was for. The heat of the fire and her own body heat that remained trapped by the tight curling of her petite frame would be enough for her. At least she thought so though her moistened fur had her shivering a slight bit.
#9
[html]Nocht watched Phoenix and Ember silently from near the fire, where she warmed herself by the flames as she listened to him speak. It warmed her heart to see the affection and obvious dedication he had for not only his young daughter, but his family and pack as a whole. It made sense really; from what he had said to her when she had hovered on the borders they were one and the same to him. She had accepted them as her family as well and it hadn't been long until she'd been called to attention, dashing off to help in the search for the lost pup. The avalanche had shaken her too, unaccustomed to such huge levels of snow and the accompanying danger, but she pushed it down while she followed Phoenix's lead in searching for the young wolf instead. His elation when they were reunited made her smile, but she faded into the background as much as she could after that, only creeping forward to be near the fire. She noticed the wolf who had handed Ember over acting in much the same manner, as he stood silently at the back of the cave. She felt very much out of place, almost completely ignorant of those around her. She was only vaguely familiar with Phoenix and Deirdre and she took in the faces of the other new wolves as she accepted one of the blankets being passed around, smiling gratefully.


I think I'd very much like that. Nocht responded quietly to the alpha's suggestion. She didn't say anymore after that, not particularly hastening to draw attention to herself, but she was happy with the idea. It would give her a leg up in familiarizing herself with the others in her new pack and she didn't particularly feel like gallivanting around an alien land after a natural disaster. She pulled her blanket tighter around herself and shifted nearer the slightly shivering white pup sitting near her. There certainly were a number of them altogether, wasn't there, she thought as she cast her gaze around the cave.[/html]

#10
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Icarus, though scared of losing his other sister, had been elated to be teamed with his father in their desperate search. They hadn't been the ones to find her, but the thrill of the hunt satisfied the pup’s craving for adventure either way. He had fallen through the thick snow several times, but always found his footing eventually. Dad was good about keeping an eye on him as well, as to make sure he didn’t put his son in such a risk that Ember was facing.



Now that they all were cuddled warm in the rather large den, Icarus watched the faces that surrounded the fire. They all seemed vaguely different due to the dancing fire shapes that plagued their faces as shadows were cast outwards. He noticed a few new wolves, ones whom he hadn’t really seen before, and decided to investigate further. Stopping next to Nocht, Icarus looked up to the new subordinate with a large grin. "Hiyas. Who’re you? I’m Icarus Phoenix. Tha’s my daddy," he added with a nod towards the massive brown alpha. His glass blue eyes searched Nocht’s face as if it would reveal some lost secret.



He settled down upon his small haunches as his tail curled around him for a sense of security. With age he had become more outgoing. Perhaps it was an attempt to replace the leadership lost with Firefly’s disappearance. Whatever it was, Icarus just called it perseverance to be like his dad. "Are yah new tah Storm?"

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#11
Skipping the three members who haven’t posted yet…

It was settled then. The general consensus was more enthusiastic about the idea than Phoenix had originally hoped for. The young alpha didn’t know how close the Storms of previous generations had been, but he couldn’t imagine they could have been much closer than this. When he’d first come into the pack there had been a couple gatherings at first, but he’d been too terrified to mingle. It saddened him, now, because he was the senior member of the pack now and knew so little about its past. Part of their history was lost, probably forever. He had never anticipated being alpha and back then he’d been the last possible candidate for such a lofty position, but if he’d had the foresight to at least learn more about his pack then he could have more of a torch to carry on.

That didn’t mean they couldn’t start now, though. Struck with an idea, Phoenix moved over to the smoothest part of the save wall he could find, illuminated by the fire. Running his hand over the surface, he spoke once again. “Y’know… As soon as possible I’d like t’find us some paint from th’city so we can write th’names of every wolf here on th’wall, mebbe add our paw prints beside our names. An’ we could leave the map to th’ time capsule here—somethin’ we buried b’fore a lot of you joined. That would leave b’hind a little somethin’ for future generations of th’ pack t’ remember us by.” All lofty goals, but not for right now. The pack was exhausted, both mentally and physically from the day. “We can take care of all that tomorrow though. For now, we need to rest an’ rejuvenate ourselves. We got a couple newer members of th’pack. Perhaps we can each tell a story or somethin’ interestin’ ‘bout ourselves? We’re gonna be spendin’ th’winter together, folks. Might as well enjoy ourselves.”

He settled in taking a seat by his son and putting a head reassuringly on his daughter’s lap. With each passing moment he was feeling better about the whole situation. Instead of letting this disaster affect them negatively, Storm was going to galvanize and grow stronger from this.
#12
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In many ways, Tamerlane wasn't a fan of the sentimentality behind the practicalities. On one hand, it made so much sense for them to stick together; the pack could only grow stronger if they bonded and remained physically close to one another as well as personally, and them sleeping under the same roof was evidently safer with regards to the unyielding Winter weather. On the other hand, Tamerlane could not escape his character; he was a loner and had not learnt how to escape reclusive attitudes.


However, it was something he could respect even if he wasn't a part of it. The sentimentality was decidedly warming; even next to the flickering red fire that stroked the damp fur of the girl they had teamed together in order to rescue. The words of the Storm wolves were fond and good-natured, and at face value and beyond they seemed wholly together. It was not true that Tamerlane felt one hundred percent accepted by the pack, and it was not true that he had a lot in common with them. But one thing held true, even if other things didn't:


He liked it here.
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