@toby

#d11755

He'd return to his dwelling, shaking off his satchel to hang it neatly upon a mossy wall, vines jutted out this way and that to act as little hangers. It was the parchment papers he was busy looking over, treating with the utmost care. They held everything, chronicled thus far in El Dorado, with the collapse in government these would come in handy when they finally did begin to rebuild their society.

With it were detailed retellings, member data and records, and old customs lost long ago. A repeat of data passed between his grandfather, to his father, and then to him. They'd thank him later, maybe even present him with a rank. A crooked smile crept up his maw, positively pleased with that idea. After all, the Roc of Wings deserved it.  

"Time to sort these new records, alphabetically of COURSE, my system is unparalleled. Organization is the key to order and proper rule." Long cawed toes gingerly gripped at papers moving bushel after bushel to place them neatly in their assigned areas. "When all this is over, I'll be praised for this knowledge." A swell of pride blossomed in his chest at the opportunity. "Griffin Councilman Itai, no no, Councilman Yehi Kevod! Has a proper ring to it." The hellion smirked.

Large ears flicked at the slightest of sounds and vivid pink eyes blinked for a moment, hm? He'd step quickly from his little alcove of knowledge greeting the bright light of day as the sun shown down on their usually misty kingdom. "You choose the wrong target to sneak up on, come out." He gave a flick of his ear and snorted derisively, head held high and regal. "I can honestly say I wasn't expecting company."

The storm that had ripped his family apart had ravaged the canyon for some time. After his siblings Sibrin and Shilah were flung to shore and killed, he had  found himself  alone. Between the wind and debris it was too much for the young wolf, somewhere along the way as he stumbled through the darkness that the dwindling daylight and thick layer of storm clouds had brought on, he’d managed to make one wrong step as he toed the line next to the edge of the canyon where Dominix hoped to find his family. Little claws slipped through the slick mud, throwing off his balance and before he knew it the floodwaters were wrapping around his in a frigid embrace, carrying him for an unknown length of time before instinct kicked in and he paddled towards the surface.

Too small to swim very well, the male had been whisked away, head pulled under the surface numerous times as he was pulled far by the temporary stream the flood had formed. Time was lost to him, it could have been days, weeks, or only one night until he finally opened his glassy yellow eyes with a spluttering cough to rid his lungs of the water he felt there and his mouth of the taste of sand. Wait- sand? Pulling his legs under him, Dominix lifted his dark head to study his surroundings while he fought the headache that screamed through his entire skull.

The water here was quite low now, enough that his hind end was actually still half submerged while Dominix’s head and chest rested on the grey-sanded shore. Reeds and small shrubs obscured his view for a time, so he slowly pulled his body into a standing position and plodded further from the burbling water. His stomach growled it's protest as he crested the hill and found him self only a short walk from some caves. This was unfamiliar territory, definitely not the canyon, though the caves looked enticing enough. Scanning the surroundings, Dominix felt a flutter of panic in his chest at the idea of being alone and far from home. Memories of that flood flashed through his mind and his lip quivered briefly before he managed to stop himself. No, he wasn't gunna freak out. Not yet, anyway. First he was going to curl up and dry off in the closest cave and make a plan. That was the smart thing to do, right?

So the young male crept through the grass, staying low and sniffing the cave entrance thoroughly before deciding to enter. It seemed unoccupied to him. Sometime felt off, but since he couldn't put a paw on it,  Dominix finally shrugged and settled down to groom himself and let his downy fluff dry for a while.

The sky wept in a silent drizzle. It felt more as though Liam were walking through a misty fog than rain. The day was gray; the cloud the saber was traveling though blotting out the sun. It didn't bother the smoldering brute, he was content with the weather, it matched his soul. There was a strange comfort in this fact. Some might have found it depressing, but the forgotten kit found it refreshing. He was cooled by the touch of the cloud. The way the particles of water clung to his pelt as if they were attracted to him by a magnet. It left his scent muted. 

Here it was.

Moyra let her gaze travel around the mystical thicket of trees she stood before and took a deep breath. She felt like she had been walking for ages. She had lost track of how long it had been since she began her journey to Nardir, and she had taken a hit in build over her trip. Finding food was difficult when she didn't have her mother around to help her. Or her friend. She missed both of them dearly, and had tried to bring her friend along but he didn't want to be a part of a pack. A wave of brief sadness came over her, and she let the crystal she had found along the way drop from her jaw. It didn't last long, as another wave of pride and excitement took over. This was what she hoped would be the start of the rest of her life. She took comfort in the idea of how proud her mother would be of her.

Moyra let her legs fold under her small frame. She wasn't quite sure what to do next, as she hadn't ever been near a pack border or interacted with someone from a pack. Too afraid to call out and disturb someone, she decided the best thing to do would be to sit and wait for someone to pass by. She remembered her mother saying how packs patrolled their own borders, so maybe she would find a patrol.

She used her paw to roll the crystal in front of her and admired its shininess as she waited. The purple color of the crystal matched the scenery surrounding her. It matched her own pelt too, she discovered to her own delight. Moyra found herself getting distracted by the territory and made an attempt to prick her ears as to hear any better. Not much luck, but she thought she perhaps smelled another creature drawing closer.

She loved the way the sand would sink with each step she took. Solrush's massive paws left quite the mark on the wet sand along the beach; she recalled being self-conscious about that as a younger wolf, but now she was more or less unbothered by it. As she was with most minuscule things; it took quite a bit to get her stirred up these days. She credits living in such a soothing environment for her increasingly relaxed outlook on every day life. 

Solrush found her usual basking spot along the beach; a large piece of the nearby cliff had fallen to the beach and in doing so, made the perfect bed. The sun was setting and hit the rock, warming it for the next creature to take comfort in. Hoisting her bulky frame onto the rock elicited a small grunt from her and a sigh as the warmth melted into her belly. Solrush unclamped her jaws to release the mouthful of berries she had been carrying. As a crafter, she made a variety of trinkets, but her favorite hobby was painting. Anyone wandering Tortuga was more likely than not going to run across one of her works. In her spare time, she often found wide trees, stones, or simply dry ground as the canvas to her art.

She began with mixing different berries to get them to the colors she desired. Drawing inspiration from the pink and orange skies, Solrush decided she would recreate the sunset on the open spot in front of her. While some berries were bitter to her, the ones she chose for today seemed sweet. Sol ran her tongue around her snout as some of the juices splashed onto her as she blended.

As to be expected, Solrush soon smelled a packmate nearby. Tortuga had a fair amount of members, so she was used to crossing paths with others more often than not. Her lips curled up into a little smirk when she recognized the familiar scent of her feline friend.

He shifted into his wolf state and roamed for about seven hours before returning to the tent like home he made from rocks,branched, and leaves. It was big enough for two people, so he had room to spread out.
It’s was the middle of winter, and the winds were just starting to whip a crossed his face.
Leaves twisted, scattered like rain.

The air dropped cold, fell thin and grew quiet.
Summer coats were shed in full, soft replaced by denser dark, jet black pelt.
East, north, higher; the mountains a row of jagged teeth, the plains slowly rising to meet them, the ocean disappearing behind massive cliffs.
The young black wolf,Erysichthon, or Ery,climbed alongside the raven that had hopped beside him since he was a pup,they were hoisting themselves up to new heights.
The snow storm came without warning, sweeping aside the leaves for fresh snow that blanketed the sky-high peaks.
One day they woke and the land below had vanished, a carpet of clouds having drifted beneath their very paws and talons.
Ery grinned and bounced playfully in the snow, toppling piles of the powder past the clouds, teasing the floaty substance as it curled between his toes.

He’d climbed a mountain once, but he’d never been so high before!
The clouds under his very feet, the sky a brilliant blue above like nowhere else, and snow drifting higher thanks to air currents that swept up the slopes.

Skidding through the highlands, the wolf timed a dash to throw up a mound of snow onto the ounce.He lifted his head and let a bellowing howl, his howl echoed through the lands.

Reese was running swiftly across the open grasslands. Between the mountains, the forests, and the streams. It was early fall. The dying summer sun was sinking lower and lower in the horizon earlier and earlier each day. The leaves had begun to turn, the grasses had dried and as the brown tri color dire ran through the grasslands it whispered past him like a thousand hushed voices.

A song in his head was calling him home... home home home... Into the mountains, into the trees, under the moon. For now though the time was just before evening. Dusk was on the precipice of overcoming the mid afternoon. He ran and ran and ran until his tongue was lolling and he was out of breath. He had to find some water soon.

Licking his chops he glanced at the darkening sky. A soft emerald gaze drank in the last vestiges of summer. Maybe he'll stay in Nardir until spring.

He slowed his running, he wasn't as built for endurance as his heftier sister. He was made best for tight spaces, weaving and dodging, escaping. He came to a stop and put his nose to the wind looking for a scent or sound of water. He cast his eyes to the sky again to see if he could spy a bird hovering over a nearby river or lake.




@machati