Walkin' by the Riverside in the Golden Glow of Dawn (OPEN)

VANDRIN

The morning light and the sound of the nearby river stirred Vandrin from his sleep. He let out a yawn and carefully pulled himself up, leaving his back legs spawled out beside him. He found it quite peaceful to sleep far away from the main den area at times. That was when he was truly alone... theoretically anyway. He carefully repositioned his intact back leg and began to pull himself up. The way his busted leg dragged along was not favourable for it apparently, and Vandrin felt a sharp pain shoot through the joint - the site where it was broken.

"Shit!" Vandrin hissed quietly, baring his teeth in discomfort before pulling himself to a standing position. He honestly hated getting up in the morning because that could happen. There wasn't anything he could do about it though. Vandrin sighed and began to walk along the river, he let his mind wander as he did... he felt calm as he listened to the water rushing down its path.


Notes: Vandrin doing a walcc

>> SATH

Sath trotted along the river bank, red colored tail wagging high and vibrant against the still-misty forest backdrop. She'd just come from the lake and had a fish's skeleton dangling between happily grinning teeth, a little pep in her step at how pleasant the treat had started off the day. Especially when her intentions had at first been to do some investigation on a bear she feared was getting comfortable nearby; but instead of finding stank ass ursine tracks, she found this stank ass fish washed up on the lake shore! It was the perfect breakfast.

All that was left of the fish now was the head, and it bobbed along with her as she made her way back inland. While Sath was finding leading a pack to be more and more stressful by the day, she tried to let little things run off her shoulders and instead embrace nice moments like this one. The world was still spinning, the sun was out, and Sath was carving out a little piece of home for herself in the world. It was a lifestyle far from the loneliness that made her feel small and drive her crazy, and every day she made an effort to bond with her new companions. How that was going exactly was still up in the air but... things were good. She started to break off from the river's trail when a familiar scent hit her nose, and in one motion she dropped the fish, whistling a swoop-y noise as she rerouted towards her pack mate.

"Vandrin!" She called out just as soon as he was close enough. Sath picked up her pace and jogged out of the trees to expose herself a couple meters in front of him, and turned to meet the Mentor halfway. "Just the guy I was looking for!" As Sath got closer to him, she hesitated, steps slowed and eyes squinted in suspicion. Vandrin looked calm, but there was also something off. Uncomfortable, maybe. Curious, she asked, "Hey, is everything alright?"

Notes: hope it's okay i join you!
Tags: @Vandrin

As Vandrin calmly walked, his ears flicked and swiveled to the sound of his name being called. He came to a stop and looked over to see his alpha, Sath. She was jogging rather happily towards him, stating that he was just the wolf she was looking for. Vandrin gave her a smile.

"Greetings," Vandrin smiled, wagging his tail and smiling still. Though the smile didn't exactly hide his previous discomfort from his leg obviously, Sath slowed down and seemed concerned, even asked if Vandrin was alright. Vandrin scoffed softly with a smile on his face,

"Ah, i'm alright, just me leg givin' me trouble. Nothin' new." Vandrin said, "Guess i still gotta learn to be more careful when gettin' up, but i'm used to me shit leg by now."

Vandrin stood where he was, his tail limp behind him which was a subtle sign of calmness for him. He noticed how pleasantly warm it was outside already. It was delightful. Everything about this day was delightful so far despite the rough awakening. The sound of the river was nice, the birdsong was nice, the warm air was nice, the breeze was nice and the golden glow that filled the misty woods was stunningly beautiful. Dawn had to be Vandrin's favourite time of day. For sure.

"What'cha up to?" Vandrin asked Sath, "I just woke up meself, so i haven't done much today other than walk down this river" Vandrin let out a chuckle and awaited Sath's reply.


tags: @sath
notes: k i mclove Vandrin's accent lmao

>> SATH

Sath's tail wagged to match Vandrin's, and her concern was met with a well-meaning scoff. He pointed out the source of discomfort. "Guess I still gotta learn to be more careful when gettin' up, but i'm used to me shit leg by now."

"I knew something was off," Sath nudged him, squinting at the mangled limb. Glancing back at Vandrin, it seemed he didn't really let any of it get to him, but Sath was suspicious that there was some frustration buried under there, somewhere. You don't just have a bum leg and be fine with it, right? She surely wouldn't be.

Broken out of her thoughts, Vandrin asked what Sath had been up to. "Got up early and went to the lake," she perked up, distracted from his leg for a moment. "I've been keeping an eye on this bear... no sign of the bastard today so I was just gonna head back and. Well, I don't even know what." She snickered, and at the mention of his walk Sath started down the river bank, urging him to follow. "Yeah, kinda quiet these days, isn't it?"

Notes: i kinda cut this post in half for shortness sake, so ive already got some of my next post written LOL. i adore vandrin
Tags: @Vandrin

The huntress had found herself down by the bubbling River that morning, the dawn glow warming her pelt as she padded down the riverbank. Her stomach was growling, so she was looking for something to eat. A bird, a squirrel, a rabbit... Anything to satisfy the pang she felt.

Still being a recent addition to the pack, she recognized the scent of her packmates, and... Was that rotten food? It smelled terrible. Emberlynn followed the scent of her packmates, thinking perhaps they'd join her on a hunting trip. With enough of them, they may be able to catch a newborn, and drag it back to the den.

Eventually, Emberlynn reached the area, where she recognized their Alpha, Sath. She didn't know who the guy with the bad leg was, but he smelled like the pack, so he was probably okay.

"Hello, Sath. Hello, sir." Emberlynn said curtly, with a bow of her head to them both. "How are the both of you doing this lovely morning?" she asked. Damn, she could not remember this guy's name...

---

Notes: Hope you two don't mind me jumping in!
Tags: @sath @vandrin

Vandrin nodded at Sath's response to his words, smiling after she nudged him.

He began to listen in to Sath's response to his question of what she was up to. "Got up early and went to the lake, I've been keeping an eye on this bear... no sign of the bastard today so I was just gonna head back and. Well, I don't even know what." Sath began to walk down the riverbank now, urging Vandrin to follow, and he did, "Yeah, kinda quiet these days, isn't it?"

Vandrin took time to process the things Sath said. A bear, huh? Vandrin actually hated to admit it but bears terrified him. For good reason though. They could do horrific things to wolves other than just kill them. A bear was the reason he had only three good legs and it was the reason his sister was blind.

"Quiet indeed," Vandrin replied, "I wish you luck on dealing with that bear though. Those bastards are ruthless i tell ya. Hopefully that bugger is gone soon."

Vandrin heard footsteps and he turned his head over. There was another wolf now, a brown one that Vandrin couldn't recall the name of but she was part of the pack. "Hello, Sath. Hello, sir. how are the both of you doing this lovely morning?" She asked.

"Hello lassy," Vandrin replied, "I'm doing fine today. How 'bout you?"


tags: @sath @emberlynn
notes: is it bad that i've been waiting for Vandrin to use the term Lassy (or Lad)? LOL

>> SATH

Vandrin agreed with her, and then wished her luck with the bear. Something about the way he said it and had gone thoughtful just beforehand made her curiosity spike even more, but before she could press for any more details the soft crunch of footsteps stole both of their attention. Contrary to their earlier agreement, a flash of a sandy pelt announced the presence of one of the pack's hunters. "Hello, Sath. Hello, sir."

"Emberlynn!" Sath recalled, ears perking in greeting. She watched Vandrin greet her as well, his gray eyes focused ahead. They kept walking, and Sath stopped just in front of where the hunter had emerged from the trees, a pleasant curl to her lips. "I was just joining Vandrin on a walk, telling him about a bear I've been keeping an eye on."

Sath glanced between her pack mates, suddenly wondering how this would go. Would they get along? How well did they know each other already, if at all? After a few more flicks of her own mossy green eyes, she spoke up again, looking at Emberlynn. "What's up with you? Anything pressing or do you care to join us?" She didn't know Emberlynn very well at all, and was, as always, wanting to know more. She quirked a brow and glanced sideways at Vandrin, hoping he wouldn't mind a little extra company.

Notes: not at all its incredibly valid
Tags: @Vandrin @Emberlynn

Her greeting was met by both of the other wolves. First Sath, and then the other one, a male.

"Emberlynn! I was just joining Vandrin on a walk, telling him about a bear I've been keeping an eye on." Bear's were bad news for her and the other hunters, especially if there were cubs. She was about to ask when the male, apparently named Vandrin, spoke up.

"Hello lassy, I'm doing fine today. How about you?" he asked. Emberlynn had never been called lassy before, and it made her feel slightly awkward, the thought of cubs forgotten.

"I'm doing well... Vandrin." she responded, her voice showing her unease just slightly. This Vandrin fellow seemed quite outgoing. "I was actually planning a small hunt, but I'll join you two. I could use the company actually, if you weren't going anywhere specific." Emberlynn stated, hope rising in her voice. She really could use the company, since she didn't really know any of her packmates.

Emberlynn padded over beside the other two wolves and twitched her tail as if to show she was ready to go. "I'm ready if the both of you are."

tags: @sath @vandrin

Vandrin admittedly felt a little confused when the other wolf, Emberlynn, showed unease in her voice when addressing him. Vandrin wondered if he had said anything wrong. Deciding not to dwell on it much further, he listened to what she had to say. Turns out she was simply planning on going on a hunt and decided to join him and Sath.

A few more words were exchanged between Sath and Emberlynn. Emberlynn said that she was ready when he and Sath were. Vandrin simply nodded, ready to continue down the path they were taking beside the river.


tags: @sath @emberlynn

>> SATH

Sath watched the awkward interaction between the two wolves and her smile turned into a slight cringe. Emberlynn mentioned a hunt and positioned herself to join them while Vandrin stayed strangely quiet. "Right..." Sath hesitated, and then dropped it. "Anyway."

She used a paw to tap the back of Vandrin's nearest forearm encouragingly, and without missing a beat trotted forward a few paces before slowing back into their leisurely walk, leading the way.

A few moments passed where the only thing to be heard was the crunching of her own pawsteps and the peaceful rustle of trees above. Despite how beautiful and bright of a day it was turning out to be, with calming green shadows being cast down on the dark, damp soil of the riverbed, Sath felt like she was holding her breath, waiting for something to happen. She couldn't take the silence and spun around, continuing to walk backwards with practiced confidence.

"So, a hunt, huh?" She prompted, focused on the huntress. "I'd be down for that sometime today. It's awesome out here." She looked around, gesturing to nature itself. "Maybe we could get a couple of the others together and call it a thing. If you're up for it?" She looked back to Emberlynn and then quickly at Vandrin, an inquisitive brow quirked. It'd be one of the pack's first hunts since their numbers grew, and as a hunter it would fall on the other woman's shoulders to help organize something of the sort.

Notes: -
Tags: @Vandrin @Emberlynn

It was awkward between her and the others, but soon they were on their way. Once they were moving again, Emberlynn loosened up a bit. These were her pack mates, after all.

"So, a hunt, huh? I'd be down for that sometime today. It's awesome out here. Maybe we could get a couple of the others together and call it a thing. If you're up for it?" Sath said, addressing Emberlynn, obviously. Emberlynn was one of the pack's huntresses, so it made sense to be addressing her.

"Absolutely. Any ideas where the others might be?" Emberlynn asked both of her companions. "I'm not quite sure exactly where everyone else hangs out yet, we could check near the lake?" She suggested, voice rising over the soft crunch of her paws on the grass and the chirps of the springtime birds. Sath was right, it truly was beautiful...

As Emberlynn glanced around, she remembered what Sath had said about the bears earlier. "Oh, and Sath, I forgot to ask earlier, but is there any sign of bear cubs? It may be unsafe to hunt if there is a family of bears around, they can be very territorial."

Emberlynn also asked this because of Vandrin. If they were hunting, she wasn't sure he would be able to outrun a predator. "Vandrin, will you be joining us in our hunt later today?" She asked, not speaking her concern.

Tags: @sath @vandrin

>> SATH

Sath eyed the huntress as she walked backward, the other woman walking forward, and a tiny, pleased smile came upon her face when she noticed she'd loosened up a bit. Emberlynn approved Sath's suggestion, of course, and with a slick move the alphess spun around and fell into step with her, Emberlynn now in the middle of their three-wolf-party.

"I assume most are still in the inner territory, besides, like, Revan," she returned, tail flicking. "Though some of the newcomers might be exploring, still getting used to things. Like you are, I hope?" She perked her ears at Emberlynn, curious. "Either way, we can round them up with a call back at the den." Sath put a faux-serious look on her masculine features and puffed her chest. "I've got one hell of a howl."

Emberlynn glanced around the area with those stormy eyes of hers, and Sath immediately suspected there was something else on her mind, too. "Oh, and Sath, I forgot to ask earlier, but is there any sign of bear cubs? It may be unsafe to hunt if there is a family of bears around, they can be very territorial."

The alpha raised her brow, pleased that the huntress had been paying attention. Some of her playful demeanor from before melted away. "No sign of cubs as far as I've seen, but at this time of year I wouldn't be surprised." Sath bared her teeth. "The lake reeks of bear, though, so we'll avoid that area. Might be time to get a proper scouting team together to take a serious look... I don't want those fuckers messing with you guys." Sath was clearly thinking out loud there towards the end, brow furrowed with a distasteful look on her face. If the pack was better rounded out, she'd have long ago sent Guardians and Scouts to the scene, but now she might need to ask for brave volunteers. The alpha grew quiet as they walked, lost in her thoughts.

Notes: -
Tags: @Emberlynn @Vandrin

"I assume most are still in the inner territory, besides, like, Revan. Though some of the newcomers might be exploring, still getting used to things. Like you are, I hope?" Sath said in response to her question about her packmates. "Yes, I'm getting used to it." Emberlynn said. It was basically the truth, she was figuring the whole pack thing out. Sath went on about how she had a hell of a howl, and Emberlynn gave her a slight chuckle.

"No sign of cubs as far as I've seen, but at this time of year I wouldn't be surprised. The lake reeks of bear, though, so we'll avoid that area. Might be time to get a proper scouting team together to take a serious look... I don't want those fuckers messing with you guys."

No sign of cubs was a very good thing. Thankfully, the hunters could probably avoid the lake.

"That sounds like a good idea, Alpha." Emberlynn said, continuing along the river in the direction of the den.

TAGS: @sath @vandrin

>> SATH

"Yes, I'm getting used to it," said the blonde huntress. Sath looked at her with an inquisitive brow raised. "That's all I'm getting, huh?" She rolled her head forward again, squinting ahead. "I wonder where you guys go off to, you know. What your favorite spots are... It's rare for me to find you all in the same place at once, which makes it hard to pick your brains." She scoffed lightly, but wasn't actually all that mad. Sath didn't blame her new pack mates for being guarded. She just worried sometimes that they were a bit too much so, reminding her of groups she saw in the past where they were all here to merely live off the land and benefit from each other, like she was running some sort of military operation rather than a pack. That didn't sit well with her in the slightest.

Sath gave Emberlynn a sideways glance, trying to figure out the other woman. Besides having proven to be good at her job, Sath knew basically nothing about her. "That sounds like a good idea, Alpha."

"Just Sath," she corrected, looking squarely into Emberlynn's storm-colored eyes now. "Were you raised to be this formal, or do I just scare you that bad?"

Notes: -
Tags: @Emberlynn @Vandrin