Winds of Change

Skye Collins · 02-15-2012, 11:35 PM

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hello d'artisans! this is a pack meeting so that information can be relayed to your character, IC threads can be informed accordingly, and it also serves as an intro to a very special contest open right now! Smile

the post mentions the pack entering the area, but does not name any played characters by name; please feel free to post your character as entering at the time of the howl, and hearing the special announcements!

The pack had not fully met in a long time, longer than she cared to think; for the future to keep progressing, and for the pack to be recognized as the wonder it was - they had made a boat, they had built a caravan, they had survived despite the odds and they would be recognized as such. And for the future to continue being bright rather than bleak, they had to band together, become stronger than ever; they had to put themselves out there. There was no more time for hiding, no more time for lingering on the beach; now was the time that Cercatori d'Arte would shine.

And it was with that that she stood atop a rock just outside of Thornbury; she let out a long howl, one that would not plead, but call all members of the artisan pack to come forth. She had not used such a howl in a long while, not since Shawchert and her were leaders together, but she deemed it necessary. Some were hiding, some were scarcely seen, and the numbers were dwindling; now was not a time for hiding, now was not a time for running away. Now was a time for action, for doing, for moving forward. As she saw her packmates trickling in, she smiled; many faces were long-time and familiar to her, including Thomas, the new guardian that they had acquired since Shawchert had left his pack, Rosie, the caretaker of the pups, and the strange wolf with the many cats that somehow still endeared herself to Skye a great deal. As Skye saw more and more of the pack enter, she felt a surge of pride. They were not many, but they were proud, and had every right to be.

"Greetings, d'Artistans," she said to the members of her pack. "and welcome to the first meeting we have had in a long time. I wish to relay announcements - please, listen closely," she said.

Then, without delaying any longer, she began. "You all know of Liam who has robbed a pup of life," she said solemnly. "However, it seems that he is not alone. He has a mate; her name is Ayasha - she is white and stinks of his stench. If you see her, avoid her - and if she is on or near Cercatori d'Arte lands, chase her away immediately. If you lack the strength, ask me or Thomas," she said, indicating to the large man, "for assistance. She has sided with Liam and in doing so, has made herself our enemy. They are both residing in Anathema, who has decided to take murderers in; be wary of them, and try to avoid them."

"In happier news, we have one new and one returning member," she said proudly, her tail and ears erect and tall. "Say welcome and welcome back to Dara Silver Moon and Bambi Lafron." She then steered the speech into a different territory; one that would hopefully bring the pack closer together as well as encourage what they stood for - trade, good relations, and advancement.

"The boat, which many of us worked hard on to finish, is finally complete and able to be sailed. This is a great feat - we are the only pack in the area to own their own ship, and we should all be proud," she said. "Because of this great achievement, it would be in our best interest to show others what we have built, and show them our strength. For one moon, members of other packs as well as loners will be encouraged to come and view the boat as well as trade with members of the pack." She let the idea sink in for a moment before speaking further. "For those of you who fear for our safety, this is unnecessary. Thomas and I as well as, I am sure, our Protettores, will be monitoring all non-members closely. No action will escape our sight," she said firmly.

After the speech and her announcements were done, she relaxed her pose and stepped back a step; now she allowed any who had questions or comments to speak, as she was sure that there would be many who did. She knew of their concerns, of their fear, but her eyes were fierce; their pack did not need to fear. Their pack should not fear, for they were capable - look at what they had accomplished by themselves in such a short time! They did not have any need to fear. She would make certain of that.

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Dara Silver Moon · 02-16-2012, 05:26 PM

Dara had been lounging lazily under a tree near the pond behind Thornbury, drawing the otter which had placed itself precariously on a rock. She had been thoughtfully milling over the idea of claiming a house in Thornbury for some time now. That was why she had wandered to the lake in the first place, to clear her head of any doubts she had about this decision. It's final. I will claim a house, she thought to herself. She smiled at her ability to come to a final decision. She was about to return to Thornbury, to find Skye and claim a house, when she heard the howl of the alphess herself. She quickly pocketed her notebook, and hurriedly to where Skye was.

Her howl was one that was summoning the pack for something. Though she had been on her own most of her life, she knew that type of howl. Her father often summoned their pack with a howl of that nature.

Dara arrived with the majority of the pack. She tried to stay near the center of the crowd.

She heard Skye's welcome, and the warning she gave. Dara was shocked, and upset. How could someone take the life of a pup? She instantly set to disliking these two wolves. She tired to push the angry out of her, and barely managed. She did not want to snap in the center of a pack meeting. She then turned the attention to her and the other 'new' member. She felt herself become a bit timid but smiled happily. She continued to listen with alert ears. Dara was eager to welcome all that were to come into the pack lands to view the boat and trade. But what would she trade? She hadn't thought of that yet, but knew she would find a solution.

"Will Liam and Ayasha be kept away while others are here to trade and view the boat?" Dara said voicing her question. She didn't want them near her new family.

Bambi Lafron · 02-16-2012, 07:22 PM

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WC; 300+

Bambi had been wandering around her old pack lands, retracing steps and creating new prints in areas she hadn't visited upon first joining. She was glad to be back. As soon as Skye had accepted her back in to the ranks the dog had automatically felt a sense of relief. She felt protected. As she drew closer to the meeting she began feeling anxious. After all, she had never attended one before. Bambi used her human-like hands to smooth down her left ear, tracing over the slave marking with her paw. When she had first gotten it she thought of it as disgusting and it would sicken her to even think about it. The way it had been done was horrible.. With a sharp, heated blade. She still, to this day, wasn't sure why they heated it. After all, it most likely could have easily done the job without the warmth. But she was beginning to come to the conclusion the flame warmed blade had been used for the sole purpose of adding to the pain it was to inflict.

The Australian shepherd found herself to be one of the first people at the meeting. She was glad for this, for she always found it awkward to be walking in at the last second and have everyone turn to see who had come. She hadn't any idea of how many members were part of CdA. But if it was any where near the bunch that had been part of her old 'pack', then they would be waiting for a while. Bambi bowed respectfully toward the alphess, smiling softly. She liked Skye. A lot more than she thought she would have. She had learned that those of authority were not those to be fond of.. More so respected. But this was not the case when it came to this alpha.

The splatter coloured dog found herself to be pleasantly surprised upon hearing her joining be re announced.. It was as if it was to be.. Celebrated. Like they should be glad to have her around. "That's a first," She thought, looking around at the canines that were making their way to the gathering. Her lips turned upwards in to a smiling position. "I missed this place."

Image courtesy of jumpyjodes@Flickr; table by the Mentors!
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Taliesin Dir Rhiannon · 02-17-2012, 09:45 PM

The call of the leader wasn't a surprise. Between helping his mate with the pups and checking on the boat, working on the boat, and walking borders, he was certain the call would come soon for the pack to assemble. The capitana didn't disappoint. The white male pulled Myrddin into his arms, the boy being thrilled to see him as always. Sky would get the twins as she always did, she seemed most fond of them. The pale scholar dropped a kiss on his son's head as they walked. The leader was just outside Thornbury, which led him past Tameri's cairn. He trailed his fingers over it, but didn't stop to talk to her as he often did in his daily routine.

He seated himself near the leader, but not close enough to make the pack think he was trying to usurp her. He was a member of the council, as was his mate, and it was a source of pride for him. Myrddin settled into his lap as the calico, Sheba leapt onto his shoulder. The feline nipped at his ear as he tried to listen to Skye. She spoke of Liam, and of Ayasha, and his ears wilted. He had known of this, and had said nothing. He hadn't known they were in Anathema, though he did need to confess to the leader that he had bumped into Ayasha at the winter festival. If he didn't, he would feel guilty about it.

She spoke of a new member, and he sought her eyes to offer her a smile. She spoke of a returning member, and he gave a small wave to Bambi. As Dara spoke, the pale scholar was quick to reply, his voice a little hard, a little bitter, but firm. "Liam and Ayasha will be kept out of the lands at any cost." He glanced at the leader, then back to Dara. "As our leader said, we Protettores will be on guard too." He grinned crookedly at the leader, his humor restoring at the chance to get in a playful jibe. "Though she did forget to give a welcome to our other 'new' members, Myrddin, Cody, and Lena Rhiannon."

Myrddin perked his brown tipped ears up at his name, his tail wagging. His pale blue eyes were glancing around, taking in everything he could see.

((WC:389))

Hotaru · 02-18-2012, 01:04 AM

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Hey I actually managed to post! And its a doozy. WB Yuki.

Word Count → 601

Hotaru had been sitting outside on her carving boulder when the call went out. Her ear's twitched as her hands continued to work. Hotaru paused with her knife at the end of the stroke, noting the tone in Skye's voice This was no social call, nor was it a casual request for assistance. With one quick flick of her wrist, Hotaru took off the fleck of wood and placed the unfinished piece in her satchel along with all of her laid out carving tools. Quickly, the Immaginazione shouldered her bag and set out for the origin of Skye's voice. Hotaru no longer needed her staff to get around, she knew every nook and cranny of Thornbury like the back of her hand.

Fawkes had also heard the call, although he was puzzled by it's meaning. The red bird knew many words in high speech and several avian languages. However, the meanings behind howls always alluded the predatory bird. At the time of the Alpha's call he had been happily preening on the roof of Hotaru's house. It wasn't until Fawkes saw Hotaru rush to pack up that he understood the urgency behind the call. Fawkes waited until she had shouldered her bag before gliding down to her right shoulder. Fawkes would act as the blind wolf's guide and make sure she didn't run into anything.

To her displeasure, Hotaru had arrived with a crowd of wolves and canines. However, one particular canine stood out among the rest. The dissipating earthy scent of Cercatori's newest member reached Hotaru's nostrils. It was a simple matter from there for the grey wolf to find Dara. Hotaru managed to reach the young female just before Skye started talking. In an attempt to be friendly Hotaru reached out into the darkness as she tried to pat Dara on the shoulder. For one reason or another, Hotaru had become really attached to Dara and she gave the yearling a small smile.

Once the Capitana started talking, Hotaru's smile immediately disappeared. Her mask had returned and she listened with an emotionless expression. Even though Hotaru had not been there to witness the incident, she still remember it vividly. The terrible screaming; the sounds of grief, pain, and anger. That, Hotaru had made sure to stay away from. She had spent the entire incident curled up in a ball and covering her ears, while Fawkes had sat on ground close to her.

Despite the woman's objections to what had transpired, Hotaru had no feelings towards the matter of Liam's mate. She had never known Liam, but she had imagined that the wayward wolf was a lot like her brother. Therefore, it was difficult for Hotaru to completely hate Liam, just as she didn't completely hate the brother she had once been co-dependent on. It was strange, and Hotaru could never have explained it.

The news that Bambi was back lightened Hotaru's mood a little. The added news of the open boarders lightened her even further, although it was a surprising development. Hotaru hoped that Light would visit her although she deeply wished that Amy didn't decide to also return to the pack lands. The blind wolf despised the slave trader and didn't wish to ever see that vial female again.

Hotaru stood quietly while she listened to the pack members speak. She had nothing to say, and thankfully, neither did Fawkes. News continued to reach Hotaru, although the "new members" that Taliesin talked about were not news to Hotaru. The blind wolf lived close enough to Sky that she knew just about everything loud that went on in their house.

Table by Aly, code by the Mentors!

Bangle Guffawri · 02-18-2012, 03:20 PM

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WC: 607.

Coming and going from the Winter Festival had been exhausting on the male, but no less thrilling. He had missed being on a journey, especially when he had a mission to accomplish - or at the very least find one to accomplish - when he arrived. Bangle chose to take the day off from traveling down south, for as of late his feet felt uneasy upon the earth since sailing on the ship. They hadn't gone far, but the feeling the coywolf experienced was something he was not prepared for. The smell of the sea was unlike any other, the wind whistling between his ears was as if the world's breath were rushing through him. Since he had stepped onto easier land, the merchant wished he could go back out into open waters once more.

The call was unmistakably the Capitana's, as he perked his ears from within his creaking shack. It was loud, sharp, a call no d'Arte member could resist. Promptly, he picked up his colorful walking staff and made his way towards the sound that would gather many other wolves as well. Bangle did not have to walk far, and seemed to be a later arrival upon glancing at the forms already settled in. Without so much as a nod here and there, the decorated male sat upon a rock near the group, within earshot of the fire-haired woman. Vivid eyes settled upon some familiar faces, but his large ears visibly drooped when he did not notice his son or daughter present there; he was certain his little adventurers would find their way home... eventually.

Bangle looked up towards his mate as she spoke, and felt that aching feeling in his gut at the mention of Liam. His name was tossed around like a curse within the pack, and though the coywolf had never known him, he would know him for his deeds. What took him aback, though, was the mention of his mate - someone he was familiar with. "Ayasha?" He had meant to mutter it, but the surprise had risen his tone somewhat. The ache in his gut grew, fearing for the woman more than anything else just then. He only knew the white woman from their chance meeting in AniWaya several months ago, and was Ralla's daughter by title. Bangle shook his head sadly, dropping his gaze to his feet for but a moment, wondering how his AniWayan friend was handling the news that he was certain she knew of.

Happier news touched the ears of the gatherers then, of some familiar faces that Bangle did not know all too well. A small grin rose at the announcement, scanning the crowd for their faces; it did not take long, for they both spoke up in mention of their happy return to the pack. His attention, however, ran thin on the subject when Skye mentioned the ship, which stretched the man's grin further. The coywolf was excited at the prospect of showing others the pack's newest creation, and the mention of trade had hit home. He stood up straighter, then, as his eyes finally noticed Taliesin near the Capitana. The man's announcement shifted Bangle's eyes to the small bundle in his lap, and his grin seemed to stretch to impossible lengths. The rumors he had heard from traveling to the festival were true - three new pups. Bangle clapped once audibly, congratulating the new father. "Congratulations, Tal. Three can be quite a handful!" His grin, however, slowly faded in the memory of his three pups - two, now - and Bangle wished then and there that his little rascals would be present.

Image courtesy of Phil and Pam@Flickr; table by the Mentors!

Sky Rhiannon · 02-18-2012, 06:25 PM

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OOC :: Sorry, this will probably be my only post in this thread or any for a while. x: Net and power's out so....

Sleeping in her lupus form wasn't an easy thing for her anymore, but then, optime didn't quite cut it for the pups. All three of them ate almost constantly and now that their eyes had opened and they'd started to leave her side (Myrddin the most out of the three, due to her over-protective bond with her blind daughter and Cody's close bond with his twin), she'd been on edge anyway. Sleep wasn't an option very often anymore. Still, she was glad they'd grown healthy, despite Lena's surprising lack of vision. She'd dealt with being half-blind her entire life, though; Lena's impairment would not be hard to overcome.

Not long after Tal had come to relieve her of Myrddin, she stood and headed for the gate, Lena following with her teeth clamped onto her mother's tail and Cody flanking them both the entire way. She padded through the crowd of their packmates with rumbles every time Cody or Lena got too close to one, keeping her young pups as close as possible, always protective. Finding her mate, their father, she trotted up and sat beside him, eyes gazing out across the pack's gathered members. She'd arrived late, but it didn't matter. She was fully aware of what was happening within her pack, with constant questions for Tal during the time she couldn't leave the house. Now, she sat with pride and confidence; everything they were saying now made sense. She hadn't missed a beat.

"I have one thing to say on the topic of Ayasha, if it's not too bold a statement." She glanced over at Skye for a moment, then turned back to the pack. "While she's Liam's mate, she is not an immediate threat. An enemy, yes, to be chase out on sight, but I know her personally and she wouldn't hurt without reason. I doubt she'd try to return here, but in case she does, chase her away. Unlike Liam, she's not an evil to kill away on sight. She's a lost soul who's fallen into an unfortunate fate and does not deserve to be slain for the deeds her mate has done." As a protettore, she'd be sure to chase away any threats, to kill any who dared to overstep and overrun. Ayasha, though, had been a friend. She'd not see her unfortunately mislead friend killed just for falling in love. "However, that doesn't mean she does not deserve death should she put up a fight. As we, the council shall, use any means to make sure the safety of the pack is protected. If that means using lethal force, then so be it. Do not, however, become that which we fight to protect this pack against." Cold eyes glared out at each member for a moment, a silent warning.

At her side, Lena leaned in against her mother's fur, enjoying the warmth but not liking her mother's tone at all. Cody watched his sister with easy eyes, not really understanding anything around him but glad to be between his parents, at the safety of their reach. Curiously, he craned his head around to look over at the woman his mother had nodded to earlier. Momma had told him about her. That was Skye. That was their leader, whatever a leader was. He tilted his head, nearly knocking himself over doing so, but managed a smile only a puppy could pull off, teeth showing and tongue lolling out happily.

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Skye Collins · 02-18-2012, 07:22 PM

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The female smiled as she saw Dara, the newest member of the pack, who was also the first to join the meeting. Her question was a good one, and she nodded sharply before speaking her strong assent - they would be kept out of the pack by all means. As more members began to trickle in, however, Skye fell silent and allowed Taliesin to speak; his strong assent to the cause of keeping them away from the pack was one that Skye appreciated greatly. And she smiled in surprise as he mentioned the pups - the news had circled the pack quite quickly, and she had forgotten to mention it. She dipped her head towards him now, however, and smiled.

"Yes," she said. "New life and a new beginning is always something to celebrate. A big welcome also to Myrddin, Cody, and Lena Rhiannon!" she exclaimed to the pack, celebration and happiness in her voice. She was delighted when Bangle, too, had come and told Taliesin of the good news - pups were one of the greatest treasures in Cercatori d'Arte, as was motherhood, and she felt happy to Taliesin and Sky indeed.

Skye's attention turned to the mother herself, who had come a bit late - the woman carried herself quite proudly, and has been ever since Skye had named her Council. Surprise took Skye, however, as Sky began to speak of Ayasha. As the brown woman spoke her speech, Skye's ears straightened further and her tail heightened; her lips curled downwards. She had mentioned nothing of killing Ayasha, only of chasing her out. And then Sky's eyes scanned the pack coldly, a warning in them - Skye's tail lashed once, but it was barely perceptible.

"The killing of Ayasha was never mentioned," she said strongly to Sky. "Merely her being chased out on sight in these lands. And while I do not doubt that her personality as you know it is sweet, Sky," she said, addressing the woman directly, "chances must not be made. What if Liam attempted to take vengeance on the pack that cast him away, and sent Ayasha was as a spy? Ayasha left her pack and family for a murderer, and would do anything for the monster Liam; that enough has proven to show where her priorities lie. She is not to be trusted, and is not to be tolerated on these lands," she finished sharply with a snap of her ivory fangs and a lash of her tail.

"There is no cause for worry," she said more calmly, turning her attention from Sky and looking to the pack as a whole. "Thomas, the Protettores, and I will be on the lookout for any and all suspicious activities. Do not fear - and enjoy yourself!" she ended.

000+

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Orin Takekuro · 03-16-2012, 06:43 PM

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ooc Originally I wasn’t going to enter this and just PM Sunny because Orin was at the festival at this time, but I figured against that. Hence very delayed response.

Orin hadn’t been home very much in the past few weeks, so it was only by chance that she was around to hear her Capitana’s howl now. She had run out of wares – primarily books – to trade at the festival, and as the celebration went on her other commodity was coming more and more into supply from other sources. She couldn’t fight the competition that much, so she had come home for a new armful of books to justify staying the rest of the time at the Festival. Never mind the fact that there were a few… other… reasons she was more partial to the grounds than home right now.

She was coming out of the book store when she heard the call, arms full of dusty books that she would load up on her temporary mount – the animal borrowed from the communal stock, Spot – but Skye’s call came first. Setting the books down onto the porch of the book store, Orin sighed and paced off toward the call.

Arriving on the scene shortly before Skye’s announcement commenced, she was clad in her pink cloak. There was a bulge beneath it where her satchel rested against her hip; she had finally been carrying the history home and a few supplies around with her again. Most of her stance was unseen beneath the cloak, and most of the scents of so many strangers on the pelt were also concealed. Most.

She stood off to Skye’s left, her attention proper. When she spoke of Ayasha, Orin gasped, her hands flying out of the cloak opening to cover her mouth. “Oh my god! That’s the girl I met in AniWaya… When they were at war and Shawchert and I went to scout. I was… I was going to help her! Scum!”

Her ears folded back and her expression became fierce, but her words might have been lost beneath the crowd. She was still shocked even as her hands went back to her sides, and now her magma eyes turned slowly to glare at Taliesin. He outranked her, but not in her eyes, and her stare on him was hot.

It wasn’t long until the Rhiannon wife appeared… and… the puppies. This is what finally broke the look as she turned to watch the mother pad in with her brood. Watching them almost made her sick, her fear for those little innocent children growing with each day. They walked now… What was wrong with that one? Orin was out of the loop. Had Taliesin hurt her?

And then Sky took her seat and spoke out, amending the words of the Capitana. That was… strange… Orin watched the council in confusion, wondering why they were speaking as though they hadn’t delegated about this already. What was going on here? “Ayasha once pleaded with me for d’Arte’s help! Now she beds a vile murderer! A destroyer of children! He defiles innocence and she spits in our faces, but we should pity to her because she is ‘sweet’?” Her words were directed to the whole council.

500+

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Bambi Lafron · 03-16-2012, 09:29 PM

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Thanks. Big Grin 3+ points

Bambi tried to listen and take in each of the pack members words, turning her head towards the direction of each of them each time a new canine took on speaking. As she looked around at the group surrounding her, she realized most of them had body modifications. The most popular place for piercings seemed to be on their ears.. "Ugh," Bambi shuddered at the thought of it, wondering if the process to get it done would have to be as painful as what it had taken to get her tattoo.

Azure coloured eyes were brought to the pup that sat atop a white male's lap. She might have seen the adult around before, but hadn't ever heard him speak. "I imagine pups would keep him quite busy.." The puppy's ears had perked at the mention of the name "Myrddin", which indicated to the aussie that that was most likely his name. She wasn't sure if one had to be of certain rank in order to mate within CdA, but the white male obviously was of authority. "I should probably ask about that later on.." She thought mentally, but her stomach churned at the idea of speaking out loud in front of all these people. She would most likely come to trust them all eventually, but that would take time.

Bambi could feel the tenseness in the air growing as different members reacted to certain things. The biggest character seemed to be a light coloured female with pink dread locks. She seemed angrier then the rest, and upset about something other then the matters that were currently being discussed. It was a painful thought to think about someone having the mind to harm pups- But as she saw it, what's done was done. And she herself certainly wouldn't project her anger outwardly to her "family".. "Everyone has their own way of dealing with things, I guess."

Image courtesy of jumpyjodes@Flickr; table by the Mentors!

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