[Alana]

Alana found herself unable to sleep, shaken (literally) as she was by the recent earthquake. There was also the matter of Ayliyra and Mercury, both puzzle pieces that she had yet to find places for. Things were.. difficult with Aylie, and she felt estranged from Mercury. Alana didn't know how to help them - a lot of that was due to Aylie, as hard an egg to crack as she always had been. Mercury was unsure of where she stood, but seemed willing to offer options at least. In time, they would both find their places within Nardir again. To Aylie, it was a pack full of people she believed mistrusted and hated her. To Mercury, it was a virtually new pack full of new faces, one where she was Queen no longer. Alana had hope that they could both overcome the obstacles they each faced - and she would do all that was in her power to help them.

The matriarch set off into the frigid night, her breaths white plumes in the air. Things were changing swiftly, the snow from the mountaintops beginning to creep further southwards as autumn gripped the land. Leaves turned from green to yellow to orange to red, blanketing the forest floors in fiery colors. Duskwood remained as thick and tangled as ever, but sported snow in spots. It would not be long until the rest of the territory began to fill up with snow; they would need to prepare for the oncoming winter. There were food stores, dried meats and such, but if the herds were scarce that winter.. the stores would not last. She needed to send out hunting parties, perhaps give the Mantles something to do. There had been very few battles as of late, something she was thankful for, but it did leave certain ranks idle.

So distracted by her thoughts was Alana that she almost missed the ethereal blue glow seeming to come from the ground itself. Seafoam eyes locked on to it when she noticed it, curious but uncertain - what was that? She approached with caution, nimble body low to the ground and nose sniffing about. It did smell strange, very earthen and somewhat damp, like an old leaky cave or a rotting fungi-coated log. That only brought on more questions -
and since nothing seemed too obviously dangerous, she pressed forward. To her surprise, the deep grasses had hidden a pathway, formed by collapsed earth and rocks. It led down into.. what was that? The moon queen's small paws moved hesitantly towards the opening, inspecting it as she went. It seemed new, the earth freshly churned. Had the earthquake caused this? It seemed like the only viable option.

She pressed on.

At the bottom of the collapsed part of what was apparently the roof to a tunnel, Alana halted, seafoam eyes wide with wonder and awe. There were mushrooms sprouting from the large tunnel walls, gigantic and glowing brilliant blue. From them dripped long tendrils of light that, upon touching cautiously with a toe, Alana discovered was sticky. She rubbed the goop off onto the ground, taking a few steps further in with her heart racing in her chest. This was amazing! The tunnel seemed to go on for a while, and if she wasn't mistaken -- was that another opening? How many tunnels were there? What were these lovely mushrooms and how did they glow? She had heard tale of things like that, but Alana had always assumed it was simply fantasy. The Queen scrambled back up out of the tunnel, feeling a small sense of relief as the cool breeze ruffled her fur softly. The tunnel had given her no reason to fear it, but it was so different than anything she had encountered before.

There were so many things running through the woman's head that a headache bloomed. She inhaled the crisp fall air deeply, releasing it slowly to calm herself. This was a potentially big discovery, something she wanted to share with others. As she was considering when to call a meeting, Alana noticed a faint blue glow in the distance far in front of her -- and then another to the left, much father (barely visible, she had to squint). There were.. there were more?

Tossing back her head, Alana let loose a loud howl that rang out through the Nardiri night. This could not wait - the tunnels needed to be investigated, and it would be much easier to find a bunch of glowing holes in the ground at night, without the sun's interference. Even the Night Mother was silent that night, her brilliant light absent from the dark sky above. Alana stood waiting her pack mates, seafoam eyes flickering to the tunnel entrance every now and again. While beautiful, she needed to know if those tunnels concealed any hidden dangers that now had access to the world above, or whether or not they led anywhere. Could their enemies use them to travel into the packlands unseen? There were so many potential dangers and so many questions that needed answering. The sooner they got started, the better.



this is an official starting thread to kick off the 'exploring the tunnels' part of the plot! you're encouraged to post here before the 30th. that's a little over two weeks to post here before i post again and close the thread/give everyone assignments!

[Ayliyra]

She had been working since the quake searching for missing members, searching for herbs, searching for clean water searching for anything and everything useful and doing anything and everything she could think of that would be useful. It hadn't left much time for anything else but she had noticed strange new scents wafting on the air here and there throughout the day and had paused occasionally to rest and to try and figure out where they were coming from but as much as she disliked having unknown things possibly lurking about in the packlands rescuing packmates from certain disaster took precedence. But with the falling of night perhaps there would be time now to investigate. She hadn't come across any signs of anyone needing rescue for awhile, though she couldn't be certain that that wasn't someone somewhere still needing rescue, and she had already rounded up herbs and delivered them to the healers so she supposed she rest a bit and work on locating the source of the strange scents. Or maybe not as Alana was issuing a summons for the second time today. It wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear but at least like the first one this summons wasn't specifically for her but was rather a meeting call for the pack, or at least whomever could answer it.

That meant her so she began working on pinpointing where Alana was and once she had an idea headed in that direction. It didn't take long for her to get there, still covered in dirt from working, and to spot Alana still looking as though she'd never worked a day in her life she mentally snorted but otherwise the glowing and the fact that the strange scent she had noticed earlier was here took most of her attention especially given the large hole forming what appeared to be the entrance to a tunnel was also there. It didn't take a genius to realize the potential threats here and there were several she could think of and all it would take was one to cause all sorts of problems. Something was going to have to be done but that would require investigation of the tunnel to see exactly what they were dealing with. Something she was rather tempted to go ahead and start on rather than waiting since she was used to investigating strange new places and didn't really want to sit through a meeting which she assumed was probably going to be about the glowing tunnel anyway but just waltzing around Alana to go check things out would hardly be diplomatic and something Mercury wouldn't approve of so with a mental eye-roll but a respectful dip of her to Alana she sat to wait for things to commence.

((and Tallulah is recovering so won't be making an appearance))

[Sekirei]

Akutan saw his, presumably, ex-adoptive sister among those gathering to further explore the caves he and Kyra had found by accident. First time in so long. A niggling in his gut warned him to keep his distance...and to say nothing to her at all. While he hated the idea that he was doing so out of cowardice, the Maelstrom trusted his instincts more than he did most wolves and thus knew he was the exact opposite. Peace was something long denied him and he was going to work for that peace moving forward. He was going to earn it one way or another. While he was confident Aylie wouldn't dare try to start trouble with him while others were around (indeed, she was probably going to ignore him right back), Akutan just retreated in his old familiar shell as was habit in order to protect himself.

He nodded in greeting to Alana. Thinking about what lay in that cave brought about a startling revelation to him. It was in that place that it seemed the last remnants of his old grievances had finally been put down. It was like the serenity of the cave had soothed his soul, which had been bleeding out for so long, and he felt a spiritual awakening. Topside, the wind felt even more alive and it felt like his ancestors really were walking with him. With that realization came the equally startling conclusion that it no longer mattered what Aylie could or would do if she decided to start something. Again, he didn't think she would but in the off-chance she did, Akutan felt like she no longer had any power to get a rise out of him whatsoever. She was a ghost, he realized...a ghost left behind in the old forest that just happened to turn into a vengeful spirit but still lacked any power to do a damn thing to him or the clan. A calm had since settled over him as he closed his pale greens. No...she could do nothing to him. Even if she tore his throat out, she still couldn't touch him. Couldn't break him, as he suspected she wanted to for a long time. 

In the end, his revitalized soul was infinitely stronger than she ever could be. Doubtless, she wanted the family that failed her to suffer as she had. However, such things were doomed to fail. Byakko was old and his eyes were focused entirely on his own end. He no longer cared about the past because it was as dead as he was going to be very soon now. Akutan had come into new inner strength and he could say with confidence that he couldn't be broken again. He had come through the fires of his many trials stronger than ever. With his anger now behind him and the future he would build with Kyra before him...what the hell could Aylie possibly do? Just like that, she was rendered a non-threat completely. Just an empty void groaning at injustices both real and imagined. A void content with hanging onto the past. Akutan knew that all too well because he had let the past rule him for so long. She could take her best shot...and still fail. Sarajevo was the only one who wouldn't survive Aylie. Her kind soul came at a potentially fatal price: she could be killed emotionally and mentally if she was attacked viciously enough. She would never recover because she was the Heart of the Clan. But even if the Heart was attacked and killed, the Clan would survive and justice for the slain Heart would be served.
 
With his thoughts now set in stone and ready to focus on the present, Akutan came up to Alana's side. "I should tell you, Lady Alana...that this was the place where I found Kyra buried alive. After I pulled her free, I had noticed we were in the cave and we went in a bit further to explore just a little. I apologize if that was unwise but we didn't venture in too far. I feel it's worth noting that what we're about to see...will probably change our lives for the better. It's...beautiful...and if you know me, I don't say such things lightly." he said. In hindsight, it probably had been unwise for just him and Kyra to have gone in without backup but any creature will tell you that stress and excitement don't lend themselves well to smart thinking. Akutan personally didn't think it was too huge a deal but whatever Alana would say, he would take in stride because he couldn't be made to regret it at all. Not with what he had seen and what he had come to feel afterward. Of the many things he wished he could take back, this could never be one of them.

[Kimster]

Despite her reservations, despite her somewhat lacking memory, and in spite of all common sense, Raka found her pawsteps leading her towards the howl that summoned the pack. Who's howls was it again? Oh yeah, the alphess. Couldn't remember the name, could not even quite recall the look of the wolf but she felt sure she might recognise her by smell alone. Since her arrival back in Nardir her memory had gotten better in small spurts. And of course it helped that she was a lot calmer - much better than the broken, aggressive, confused wolfess she had been when she had last left the pack .. and the love of her life.

The old wolfess sighed as a small smile graced her forbidding facial features. Byakko had also grown old, but at least they were now together and could face the sunset of their time with each other, safe in a pack. Safe. Hmf. Not so much anymore. An earthquake had shattered the peace. Raka grimaced. Great of all the things she wanted to remember, this she did clearly. She would never forget the look on her daughter's face - what was her name again? White one? nevermind - the look on her face with her pups scared and panicky at her feet. If anything had happened to them...but it had not. She had to keep reminding herself, keep the nightmarish fancies at bay.

Oh wait, here she was. For a moment she paused, her pearlescent eyes scanning the trio in front of her: nope not one of them seemed familiar. Oh why had she not come here with Byakko or Schimmah? The shoulder beneath the dence black fur tensed up, her face closing down into an unreadable mask. They are friendly, you are safe - she chanted to herself in the confines of her untrustworthy mind. Her nose whiffled from side to side as she took in their scents.

There - that one - the male - she knew him. Now his face registered, and though his name escaped her at least she could now categorise him as "safe". The other female, older - no recollection but by the way she carried herself and by scent she registered as alphess. The other one was just a female - uncategorised, for now. Raka moved closer slowly, catching the last of Grumpyface's words. Beautiful? And something that will change lives? Fleetingly a desperate hope filled her eyes. Maybe the caves were magic and might heal her? No don't be silly. Such puppish fancies for an old wolfess! Raka cleared her throat to announce her presence, and dipped her head in a bow to the alphess. Watching Grumpyface she positioned herself just behind his right shoulder, not too close - if he allowed her there she would stay, if not she would move away a little. He was the only one there that she knew (kind of) and would feel safer. She still did not trust herself completely, even though she had changed so much.

[Charley]

After a short rest, Kyra had been prompted back to the dens of the clan. So she was no longer in the caves, she was also being tended by her father Hakan when he was able to break away from his duties.

Arik on the other hand, was resting in the open air after a full day of searching and digging and trying his best. He had at least some time to himself to recoup and grab a bite before taking his nap. He was lightly dozing when he heard the call from somewhere near Alana's den. It wasn't a panicked howl like he had heard throughout the day and it took a moment for him to register the meaning of the call. It was a curious call and he was ever the curious one.

Energized as the sun sank below the horizon, he stretched out large sore muscles and shook his dusty fur, marred from digging, and made his way to the meeting at a brisk and easy lope. His large size made quick work of the distance and he settled himself near the edge of the gathering. He would loom in the shadows watching with his soft green eyes. He saw the brown woman he had met on his journey today, she was quick, and smart. He had known Akutan since childhood, and gave them a nod if they paid him any attention, but otherwise Arik was keen to keep his distance and keep to the edge of the gathering.

He had noticed the strange gashes in the earth immediately after the shaking disaster. If his able body had not been needed to rescue and toil in the wake of the quake he would have been happily exploring the caves on his own. He certainly felt a pull to explore and discover the strangeness. Something deep and exciting was waiting for him, it was very much akin to the call he felt by The Mother when she was full faced and bare to the world.

[Sycon]

Sycon,

And when you die
I won't be at your wake
No eulogy from me
Just a smile on my face

actions - “speech” - thoughts

A call sounded and while the big guy was still searching high and low for one of the three he was worried most about, the actual smart part of his mind told him to go. To follow. Sycon hadn't seen much of that blue cutie since he dropped her off with the Halos, even saw that blinsing yellow wolf and whatshisface there too. They seemed to ve getting along again. Ugh. More kids soon he was sure and bleh. Gross.

As Sycon strode on up to the party he saw Alana, he knew it'd been her call. Akutan was at her side and he grimaced. Ugh. Bitchboy was here. Greeeeeeat. Then his eyes seemed to light up when...

He
Saw
Her

“Well slap my ass and call me Sally....”

He chuckled, gliding right on over to Aylie, poor thing. He was probably the last wolf she wantwd to see. The massive male snickered as he made a move to brush up against the smaller girl's side. “Hows it hangin, Sugar? When the hell did you get let back in?” There was a rather jovial tone in his voice, had he missed her? Probably. She was there the day he was let in.

“Heya Queenie, are Puffin, Terebellum, and.... Kas... Is.. Is Kastra alright?” There was a strange sense of worry in his tone and the far more gentle way he spoke Kastra's name was probably disturbing to some.

Then Akutan spoke. Uuuuuugh. Sycon rolled his eyes. He glanced about at the group that had gathered and heaved a sigh. Greeeeat. This was just perfect. A whole bunch of lame wolves. Ugh. Ok... So exploring a glowing cave. Sure. Maybe he could bring Kas back here and show him. Wouldn't that be sweet.

“So uh.... Who goes first? I can if ya want!”

He looked to Alana with a wide grin. Yup, let the big bulldozer go first, least then if the floor fell in they would know it couldnt hold heavy weight champions. Of course there was a chance he'd end up getting stuck but... He couldn't pass up a chance to explore and mess with Akutan and Aylie.

ooc: Hehe. Im sorry Aylie and Akutan. Least you both know as a person I am harmless. XD

coding © vixxie's codes

(Ill edit this to his post table when i get home. Hehe. Im sorry Aylie and Akutan. Least you both know as a person i am harmless. XD)

[Mercury]

The Dark Moon of Nardir                    ☿ "Being brave means to know something is scary, difficult, and dangerous, and doing it anyway, because the possibility of winning the fight is worth the chance of losing it. - Emilie Autumn

The pack gathered, old and new, slowly but surly. The wolves gathered around the opening of the tunnel, curious but cautious.  Murmured opinions and speculation whispered on the wind. The tunnel itself was dark, giving no indication of the glowing fungi that lay beneath. Just as Mercy decided that she would be the first to enter, there was a scraping and rustling sound coming from below. The sound increased, stones clacking in the underground. And then there was a glow, dim at first, but increasing in intensity as the sounds grew louder.  Suddenly, there was a streak of movement, and a figure lept from the mouth of the hole and back above ground.  Her brow was crowned with glowing spores, and as she shook, her coat released a cloud that glittered like starlight.  An entrance, if the Dark Moon did say so herself.  Aqua eyes shown brightly in the dim of night, and she flashed the pack a smile.

"Come now, are all of you going to stand about all night," She chided, her tail wagging. "Or will you be joining the expedition?"

She gazed at those assembled, catching Aylie's eye before spinning and leaping back down the tunnel.  At first she had been excited about Alana's plan to reveal her by having her go into the tunnels before the pack had assembled.  Merc had been known all her life as the Brave Princess, then the Brave Queen.  What was she now?  The Brave Parallax, she supposed, but somehow it lacked the same ring.  Still, she would lead them by example, rather than title.  So, descending bravely into the depths that the quake had unearthed, Mercury was the first to begin the exploration.  She had already been in Alana's main cavern, but now turned her attention to the serpentine passageways that ran from it at odd intervals.  Some were no more than alcoves, others narrowed into cracks and crevasses that ceased in solid stone.  More opened into additional caverns.  It was awe inspiring, and Mercury felt an enveloping comfort in the soft glow that was so like gentle moonlight.  Heedless of those who had not followed, she pressed forward with those who were likewise as brave to do so.

☿

[Auklet (RP)]

(ooc: gonna be breaking the fourth wall a tad here in some parts. Hope that's OK in Nardir and, even if it isn't, Auklet don't care. No seriously, I'll edit the post if there's a problem.)

While some of his fellow "packmates" were legit sad or guilty that they had been absent or busy when it came to contributing to the pack's infrastructure. Auklet, on the other hand, could care less. He had no interest in doing anything of value for these wolves. Not because he was lazy - oh no - but because he simply had no respect for them. If it weren't for his brother's presence, he would have shrugged and left long ago. However, he could not desert Puffin, especially if he was being manipulated and led on by these beasts. For now, he had to play it cool. Be a snake in the grass. However, the occasional flares in his temper were to be expected.

He had been woken from a rather soothing dream by Alana's howl, so he was not in the best of moods.

Well, to be fair, he was never in the best of moods. Especially when surrounded by these savage, uncooperative wolves. He completely ignored those who were gathered, not even betraying a flicker of interest at those he was supposed to have recognised. Who cared either way? Certainly not him. Auklet was just attending this meeting so that he wouldn't appear lazy or inactive or whatever. He had just decided to pop in as a kind of 'hey i'm still here' sort of thing. For better or for worse. 

The wolves were gathered in front of what looked like a tunnel. Huh. A rather interesting display to a bunch of morons, he guessed. Several wolves immediately volunteered to explore first but Auklet decided to speak up once he detected a delightful source for his hostility. "Hold it!" he snapped, aiming his vitriol at Mercedes in particular. "Don't be such an idiot! You don't just go prancing into strange tunnels. What if there was a cave-in and you got buried? You'd be no use to anybody then. Just another dead wolf." 

Knowing that these wolves would probably lose their shit at him reprimanding one of their own, Auklet would merely step forward. "I used to watch humans explore tunnels like this back home," he admitted grudgingly. "They used to dig materials from them. I'll go first, to make sure it's safe."

After all, he did not wish any of these wolves to die needlessly. He was not that much of a dickwad. Besides, as a dog, he subconsciously wished to display how knowledgable he was.

[Vidar]

VIDAR
WITH MOON DUST IN YOUR LUNGS, AND STARS IN YOUR HEARTS

Some distance away, Vidar paced restlessly.  He was grateful for peace, grateful to be home and under Nardiri sky. Yet he still felt restless. The bacchus was not a creature who liked to sit idle. He preferred a task, any task, to boredom. What was the idiom?  Idle hands are the devil's workshop? He wasn't so certain about all that, but he knew he was damn bored, and that he'd welcome the chance to do something productive. He was not yet tired enough to find sleep and the idea of lazing about until he was did not appeal.

His head cocked to one side as the howl met his ears, listening intently to the summons. Was that...the queen? He thought so. He needed no further encouragement than a royal summon. As far as Vidar was concerned, any friend of Julek's was a friend of his - and he respected Alana a great deal, even if the two were not closely acquainted. Vidar didn’t hesitate for long, turning an about face and trotting toward the sound.

When he arrived he glanced over the assembled, suddenly poignantly aware of how... reclusive he had become. Did he know any of these people save Alana herself? He did not think so. Despite that, his steps did not falter as he drew closer, brow furrowing as he inspected the strange hole the Queen stood before with curious bright blue eyes.

What a strange thing... the glow was like nothing he’d seen before and it seemed to stretch on interminably. He frowned at it dourly, as if that might intimidate it into closing back up.

He stepped a bit closer, sliding in alongside two strangers and dipping his head in a nod of deference to Alana. The big bacchus paid little mind to the banter around him, instead playing the part of a stoic statue until he was issued an order. Auklet’s imperious tone earned a stern frown and glance from Vidar, but only for a moment before he decided that it wasn’t worth his attention. Instead, his gaze flicked back to Alana.

“What would you have me do?” His voice was deep and sonorous. Direct and to the point - he was not much for small talk.

[Puffin [RP]]

The earthquake had really...shaken things up. But they'd done their headcount and sent out parties for missing persons. Kestrel was fine, as were the monarchs, and Alue. There were others he meant to check in with, but he needed rest. Several of his nails had cracked and broken from the ferocious digging he'd done, and though Kestrel had concocted a topical coagulant for him to apply every time he scraped a scab, he still could benefit from staying off his paws for a little while. Like, say, a few hours. Yeah, he could do that! And then nothing would keep him down! Except Kestrel, if she thought he still needed more rest.

In the dead of night, a familiar howl jolted him into wakefulness. Alana! He touched his nose to Kestrel's sleeping form before rising and padding out. His queen didn't sound alarmed, or hurt, but this was such a strange time for a summons that he couldn't help but feel concerned. He set off immediately, following the familiar trails through the woods almost by heart. There was barely light to see by; a new moon tonight, by the look of it. But he knew these woods, and he could picture the general area from which his queen's call had come. Minutes ticked by as he made his way through the forest until finally he made out the voices of others through the trees.

"It's...beautiful...and if you know me, I don't say such things lightly."

He counted heads, looking for familiar faces. Alana, Aylie, Akutan, an older black wolf he hadn't met yet, Sycon, Mercy, ...Auklet. Puffin almost laughed, but he bit it back behind a giddy face as he stepped up and gave Sycon a friendly nudge before turning to take his place next to Alana. He inspected the opening from above, eyes widening as he realized the extent of it. He raised his eyebrows in surprise as Mercury leapt out, gave her pelt a shake, and invited the rest of the pack to explore with her. "Well, as long as we explore in groups--" he began, before Auklet's voice cut through.

He looked up and fixed his brother with a cockeyed smile, and waited for him to finish. "As long as you take your exploring buddy with you, brother dear," Puffin replied, his tone rife with mischief. His gaze shifted to Sycon. "Why don't you and Sycon pair up?" He smiled sweetly. A volatile pairing, but more than a match for each other, he thought.

[Becrux]

After the earthquake, he'd scoured the rest of the valley looking for missing or hurt packmates. It appeared towards the evening that everyone left to be accounted for had been found, but he put the long hours in regardless. Tracking the fault lines, adding the effected areas to his memory. What had changed? What pieces of landscape now took a different shape? He'd heard even some of their streams curved in new ways now. By the time Alana's howl went up, he'd only been asleep an hour, having worked well into the night. His muscles complained as he rose to his paws, but he marched on into the night, worried. What had happened? What was wrong?

The worry deepened as he saw the gathered pack. He picked out wolves he knew, nodded to Alana lit from beneath by something growing in a newly opened cave below, and took up a tentative position by his uncle, Vidar. The others spoke of exploring, and the dark-furred copy of his mother leapt out of the cave to chide the group for not diving into exploration. His brow furrowed. He rolled his eyes at Sycon, but looked sharply at the black and white dog that admonished his sister, his expression a match for his uncle's.

“What would you have me do?”

He glanced up at Vidar before nodding to his mother. "Put me where you need me. I'm ready for anything." He wondered where Anika was. Heck, he wouldn't be surprised if she was already down below. It worried him that he didn't know where Terebellum was, however. Kastra was around, he knew, but his sister hadn't been seen in some time. He hoped she was okay. His gaze wandered to Mercy, whom he knew barely at all. He needed to do better. Perhaps he should seek her out, when this was done. Get to know her better. Get to know all of them better.

[Julek]

Something woke him - a shift. Cold air where warmth had just been. The Bacchus turned his head, blinking one sleepy eye towards his mate.

Except she wasn't there. Instead, the den was empty save for him. His eye widened as he rose to his feed, shaking off debris and dirt as he followed her scent. He found her soon enough, standing over a massive crack in the earth that led into a deep, glowing tunnel. She vanished into it and his heart filled with panic and he hurried on after her, slowing considerably as he approached the tunnel itself and recognized the hazards of the collapse. He scoured the shadows with his only remaining eye, spotting her as her moon-lit body scrambled back out of the shadows.

He nearly melted with relief and moved towards her, his own form coming out of the shadows just as she lifted her head to call to their pack. As her howl ended, he reached her and pressed a nose against her shoulder - affectionately and lovingly. Moon. It was a signal to show her that he was there with her, supporting her - no matter what this tunnel brought. She was his Moon. He moved off, though, to investigate the entrance, carefully picking his way around the hole to rest in the shadows and observe the wolves who approached.

He was Alana's iron golem, watching silently as she greeted those who came to her call.

The first to arrive was Ayliyra, who had returned not long ago and had apparently stuck to the mysteriously-returned Mercury like a sick puppy high off of glue. Or something. Julek hadn't witnessed it for himself so all he knew was what he'd been told, which, granted, was not a lot. If she spotted him among the brush, he would give a slight nod. Just because they'd had issues in the past and he'd exiled her didn't mean he couldn't be civil.

He offered the same to Akutan when the other male appeared. Although he had had his own quarrels with the clan the male was from, that was long forgotten - almost literally. He had once taken them as an almost-threat, but now he didn't much mind, as long as they kept in line. The most interesting thing about this was that there was animosity between Ayliyra and Akutan - animosity that Julek had no clue anything about. If he had noticed the male ignoring the recently returned female, Julek said nothing. He listened to the other speak to his queen and nodded thoughtfully to the statements.

An older female appeared soon after, one Julek had not yet met but recognized the ambient scent of. She seemed confused and Julek watched her with interest, even as she scanned the gathered few and made her way to stand behind Akutan. If she greeted him, he would do so in return to her - a silent nod.

Another male joined - one who had the king's height but nothing of his weight. Another unknown name, but given a nod just the same. He found himself curious of the moon-shaped marking on the male's side, but turned his attention elsewhere - to Sycon as he arrived. The male had always been loud and somewhat obnoxious, so that was nothing new. The king watched calmly as he sidled up to Ayliyra, chatting her up in an odd way.

But then someone much more important to him arrived. His own flesh and blood - Mercy, he said softly, just loud enough for her to hear from where she was getting ready to sit by Alana. He slid from the shadows and approached her, pressing his nose into her shoulder if she would let him, before turning and circling back to stand beside his mate.

A noise - movement. Julek's eye crossed the clearing to focus on the hole again and spotted his mate's sister atop the rubble. He watched her silently, noticing the stunning similarities between the sisters and even too between aunt and daughter. She chided the others for waiting before rushing back into the hole. Huh. His attention was immediately drawn to the black and white dog Auklet - brother to his brother-in-arms, Puffin. He listened intently as the dog told Mercury off for rushing in foolishly, though decided that Alana would be more suited to defend her sister if that was what she decided to do. What materials? he asked, breaking his silence. They'd never really used things dug up from the earth, at least not in his knowledge, so this was something he wanted to know, regardless of how the show of brawn was taken.

Ah! A brother in blood as well as in arms! Vidar appeared and Julek gave a bow of his head, slightly deeper than he'd given to the others. Vidar had been his cohort and ally since they were very young, back in their home pack of Bacchus. Therefore, he trusted Vidar more than anyone here, save Alana - and perhaps Puffin, who appeared now and with Becrux not far after. Becrux, he greeted with a nod, careful to not appear to be offering favourites to any of his children. While he'd never been sure of his parentage, his pups were sure of theirs and he wanted to make the most of that. Still, he couldn't help be proud of his son. While none of his second litter had really caught his attention thus far (he'd been away most of their lives so he wasn't blaming them), his older three had all been good in their own rights.

♕

[Anika]

A N I K A,

I know I've been off the road, but I promise I'll be back

The quakes subsided and slowly, the moonlight kingdom began to heal. Today, Alana rallied her people to one of the gaping wounds that had been left in Nardir's surface. In the days following the earthquake, Anika became accustomed to seeing irregularities in the earth, divots broke open, shifts in spaces she once had memorized, but this particular gash had a remarkable pull. From the outside, Anika glimpsed glittering rows of bright blue, illuminating the crags and crevices of the recess like a constellation sprouting from the stone. Anika squinted, perplexed -- and realized with a jolt of wonderment that they were mushrooms. She lived in Nardir for almost a year and she had no idea that something like those mushrooms existed there.

A great many Nardiri were already present when she arrived. Anika was pleased to notice one of her Mantles, Becrux, who she regarded with a nod. (The Centaurus was hard to read, but maybe he would notice the twinge of approval directed towards him. Good for you, Becrux.) The titanic one-eyed king who had returned to them after so long in hiding. Aylie and Mercury, who she helped bring home, both offering initiative as volunteers in this new venture. Mercury felt adrift in the reformed Nardir; maybe providing assistance could help reaffirm her value if not in Alana's eyes, but her own.

Anika issued a disapproving snort at the disrespect that Auklet showed for the ex-queen, but her superior, Puffin, allowed the trespass to slide. She didn't begrudge him for that decision since he decided to pair him with Sycon. Anika didn't know Sycon, but based on that telltale, contemplative pause interrupting Puffin's tone, she assumed that he had a strategy in mind. Anika trudged past Auklet - pointedly exuding an air of unaffected disdain that alleviated only when she passed him - and for the entrance, standing beside Becrux. Though she was unimpressed by Auklet's tone, he did have a point. They were venturing into a potential livewire of tectonic activity. Besides the apparent dangers that came with entering a dark and uninviting cave, Anika knew that the earthquake had to have dislodged and rearranged many of the passages they would have to explore. If there was a cave-in, the consequences for all of them could be disastrous.

She swallowed her speculation. They needed decisive action and thorough planning, not another pessimistic voice. "I'm willing to do whatever you need me to," Anika told the ruling triad, straight and to the point. "Are we assigning teams?"

ooc: sorry about the garbage post, everyone!! i just really wanted to participate in this thread ;A;

forest graphic © didthesqd / coding © vixxie's codes

[Alana]

Shortly after resurfacing and releasing her summoning howl, the woman was greeted with the comforting sight of her husband, worry - and sudden relief - in his single remaining eye. Alana offered him a loving smile, pressing a kiss to his furry cheek with her nose. "My love," she muttered softly, lingering a few moments before drawing away from him. It did her heart and soul wonders to have Julek by her side once more. Alana simply felt more whole with him there, his scent fresh on the crisp breeze something that grounded her and assured her that everything would be alright in the end.

The first to arrive was Ayliyra, looking tired and dirty from the recovery efforts. She seemed to be making at least some small effort to integrate herself into Nardiri society once more. Alana wasn't sure if she should have been pleased about that or not - Ayliyra had been trouble in the past, disrespecting her superiors and disregarding their advice, their commands. A wild card for sure, but Alana had hopes that the oakbrown Aylie had settled, at least a little, during her time away from Nardir. Akutan's approach drew the Queen's attention, bright mossy eyes focusing on the Maelstrom.

"I should tell you, Lady Alana...that this was the place where I found Kyra buried alive. After I pulled her free, I had noticed we were in the cave and we went in a bit further to explore just a little. I apologize if that was unwise but we didn't venture in too far. I feel it's worth noting that what we're about to see...will probably change our lives for the better. It's...beautiful...and if you know me, I don't say such things lightly."

Alana mulled over his words and nodded, appreciative of the fact that he had informed her. She would have preferred sooner rather than later, but Alana wasn't going to make it into a problem. "Thank you Akutan. How is Kyra?" Concern ran thick in her voice; Alana had always been a compassionate soul, and had a special interest in the well-being of her people. All of them, she thought as her green gaze drifted over Ayliyra's form. But was it the motley woman's goal to be a part of Nardir again, or was she vengeful towards them? Towards Alana? The thought had crossed the Moon Queen's mind on more than one occasion since Ayliyra's return, but the woman refused to entertain it. The last thing she needed to be worrying about was some type of revenge plot or coup.

Others had filed in; her brilliant daughter Mercy, the ever-boisterous Sycon, intimidating Vidar, her handsome son Becrux, the Centaurus Anika and a few more. It did Alana's heart well to see them all gathered in one place, though she wished that it were under better circumstances. They were all tired and had more than earned a good night's rest. Her eyes flickered back to the opening of the tunnel once more, the woman noting that she felt no fear upon peering into the lowly-lit cavern below. She almost felt.. welcome.

Sycon inquired as to who was going first, volunteering himself with a cheeky grin aimed right at Alana. She offered a small grin to the brightly hued man. He was always a welcomed presence, that one. Mercy volunteered next, and a wave of motherly worry washed over Alana. The woman wasn't sure how she felt about that - but before she (or Puffin) could say anything, another Nardiri piped up. This time it was Mercury's voice, the dark warrior surfacing from beneath and beckoning them all to explore. Alana remained silent, but offered her sister a caring smile. Still, the recklessness that Mercury seemed to display - and not even letting anyone know who she was - was somewhat off-putting to the Queen. Mercury had always been one to do things her own way, though, since their youth.

Anika's voice cut through the din like a sword, something Alana grabbed and focused on to bring her back to the present. "If I could have your attention please," she said, this time in a voice that would reach all of those gathered. "From what I've seen, there is a tunnel system running beneath our territory that was revealed after the earthquake. We must find out if there is anything within these tunnels that could pose a threat, and where the tunnels lead." Alana hoped that there were no subterranean threats hidden in the underground system - that was the last thing that they needed in their lives.

"Now, it won't do to have all of us heading underground. We need to have a team or two searching topside for other tunnel entrances like this one." Fernfrond eyes drifted over the crowd of gathered Nardiri, picking out a few particular faces from the crowd. "Mercy and Vidar, would you two please begin checking the territory together?" Her daughter would dislike being excluded from the original exploration, but Alana wanted to make sure it was safe before sending one of her youngest kids in. Becrux was older and more experienced, and Alana still didn't like the idea of him going down there. Mercy would be in good hands with Vidar, and the Parallax was thorough with his work; she knew she could count on the Bacchus dire.

"Gather into teams of two or three, and we can figure out just what secrets these tunnels hold."

--
okay this is super long so i'm cutting it off there. rather than just keep going in this thread, i'm going to let everyone splinter off into their own exploration threads! i'll be posting one with Alana that anyone can join, set inside of the tunnel. i encourage people to post their own threads as well, or respond to one of the ones that will be posted up. you can expect mine sometime tonight.

general rules Alana would have set:
no less than 3 per group
mark the way by scratching arrows into stone so you don't get lost
don't stay longer than an hour (for now)

@Bloody  i'll start the Vidar/Mercy thread if you want! let me know <3

[Ayliyra]

As she waited scenting the air that came from the hole and making all the assessments she could and trying to figure out how to deal with the threats she was aware of, though Julek's presence was hardly conducive to that especially since he wasn't clearly visible though she could at least still tell where he was by scent, it occurred to her that now might be a good time to prepare herself, or to at least try to prepare herself, against any other less than welcome surprises though how well that would succeed she didn't know. It was probably too late to try and figure that out though because in they came in response to Alana's howl just as she had. Individuals she did not know well and some she knew all too well but she had expected as much given the circumstances. That didn't mean she had to be thrilled about it, but the expectation had allowed her to prepare herself a bit more for the inevitable interactions. She listened as Akutan spoke providing information and insight and revealing that he had discovered the place earlier but hadn't mentioned it to anyone else until now, when it became the subject of pack discussion and concern. She wished she could say she was surprised by this but really..she wasn't although given the discovery had apparently been made in the process of a rescue she supposed the lack of reporting it was somewhat understandable. The appearance of Raka though..that was quite surprising after her disappearance from the pack so long ago and it begged all sorts of questions especially since one of the last times she'd seen Raka her aunt had been violating Nardirian law by murdering a trespasser. She wondered if that had been addressed but doubted it all things considered.

A few others arrived that she had scented before and had even interacted with like the one that she had helped to rescue Alue with and then..then..she wished her nose were lying to her that she was not smelling who she thought she was smelling but then came the voice. The loud, obnoxious demeaning voice of..Sycon. She had been trying to maintain diplomacy and formality but she was far from perfect at it and so her ears flicked back briefly before returning to their position of listening for any sounds of threat from the hole and her eyes narrowed slightly at his words to her and especially his attempt at brushing against her as he had approached which she had quickly stepped out of the way of. His addressing Alana as Queenie also had not escaped her notice and she was less than amused but surely Julek, or someone, would descend on him the same way she had been descended upon for a lack of respect and a lack of discipline. Of course Sycon's demeaning attitude was not the only unwelcome thing as his volunteering was also unwelcome. Huge size and a big mouth were not a good combination here and she knew it the while the lack of his realizing it was just as infuriating especially after he'd referred to her as the village idiot, and more all that time ago, insults she had by no means forgotten. She couldn't challenge or attack him though as she had others with his arrogance that she'd run across while on her own yet allowing him to put others in harms way by not doing anything was not something she wanted to do. But what could she do that wouldn't offend anyone or land her in trouble as it always had before? It was a question she couldn't answer and so it was frustrating, but frustration was not something she could afford to be when there was the potential dangers posed by the large tunnel. So she worked to force the frustration down though she felt it wanting to rise again and so began the back and forth battle between her anger, frustration and and stress and the need for control in order to be able to think clear enough to make proper assessments.

While the internal battle was waged she still listened, still paid attention to what was going on around her, she would have been the fool she'd been accused of being if she didn't, and so she noticed the young thing with a similar appearance to Julek and also Mercury as they had similar colors but the younger had Saelac's red. It left her conflicted on how she was to feel about the younger one which she assumed was related in some form or fashion to the royal family which was more or less confirmed when after the younger one volunteered also, Julek emerged from his location towards her and seemed to briefly nuzzle the new volunteer, who she doubted had the experience for something like this and wasn't exactly keen on the idea of experiencing being gained by being put in a dangerous position but..she didn't really know of any other way for experience to be gained since instructions could only help so much. Then there was the scent of Mercury emanating from the tunnel and shortly after the sound of nails on rock and Mercury made quite an entrance jumping from the tunnel into the light glowing, quite literally, in the dimness.

Mercury invited them to explore the tunnels with her and Aylie did not miss Mercury's gaze in her direction and when she saw it nodded that she would join, though when that would be since she hadn't figured out what to do about the problem that was Sycon. Suddenly she heard a loud tone and a harsh one calling for a hold and insults being aimed at Mercury. She immediately snapped her head in that direction ears swiveled back and eyes narrowed gaze fixed on the one, a dog, with the harsh tone but she remained silent listening as he stated one of the very dangers she herself had already thought of. Then he moved forwards a bit which she did not care for but Mercury's scent was a reminder of their conversation long before now and ironically the conversation with Sansa that had helped to play a role in her exile also came to mind and questions that once upon a time had seemed only theoretical and destined to remain as such had now entered into reality here and now. She now had a choice to make, to act as Storm and Starfleet had when she had made just as vocal objections to their decision as the dog was now making or..did she do as she had told Sansa she would and address the concerns brought up? She waited quietly listening, especially to the mention of the new dog apparently being Puffin's brother as Puffin assigned him to go with Sycon, and watching others reactions to the dog's proclamation reflecting on how it had been for her to be the one stating unpopular things about others..and perhaps still was and with that she made her decision.

"You are correct that displaying such a cavalier manner is foolish and does not always make the best impression however such displays are sometimes used to try and lessen the fear of others who might otherwise panic as there are more dangers that just the possibility of a cave in. There is also the danger that the tunnels down there could narrow unexpectedly and leave one stuck and needing to be rescued which would make the one needing rescue and those attempting the rescue vulnerable to any thing else that might be discovered. Also the earth might not be settled from the quake and the weight of anyone walking upon it, especially one of larger size, could dislodge it and again endanger not only themselves but anyone else in the tunnels with them by causing a sink hole to open up or by causing a slide which would again likely necessitate rescue on the part of anyone available which would again cause vulnerability and exposure to any unknown dangers. Also as unlikely as it may seem it is not impossible that there could be others living in the tunnel that could consider it their territory and who might not have had any more knowledge of us than we have had of them in which case we will be trespassing as much as they would be if they ventured above ground". And that wasn't even every danger she could think of but still she had been diplomatic in addressing the dog that was Puffin's brother.

Now there was something else to address since no one else seemed inclined to which also left her conflicted as she had always been corrected but now he wasn't which could be a sign that Nardir had changed in her absence but for it to have happened after her exile..it was rather difficult to not feel any kind of bitterness about it. "And that situation, Sycon, will require someone capable of diplomacy as well as of defending themselves and their packmates and while you might be capable of defending yourself in the event of a fight you are in my opinion arrogant, rude and demeaning regardless of whether or not that is your intent which makes you more likely to start a war, even unintentionally, than to prevent one. You in the tunnels would be more likely to be a liability due to your size which would probably better serve Nardir up here where you have more room to maneuver so that if anything or anyone dangerous managed to get past the tunnel searchers and was not inclined to negotiate you could help deal with it". She stated in a voice that was probably colder than they were expecting but it was probably better than her snapping at him and challenging him to a duel or something yeah?

And now Alana was speaking and was handing out assignments..after a fashion. Well she supposed that was her cue to wrap things up. She turned back to the dog that had talked about humans, Auklet, and spoke. "If the humans had a way of preventing cave ins maybe you can figure out a way to apply them here to minimize the danger of anyone getting trapped in the tunnels from a collapse". Tone was more formal now than it had been when she'd been addressing Sycon earlier and she wondered what others would make of her..less than formal words to the green giant. At the moment though she had tunnels to explore so she would make her way to where Mercury was and glide down below to begin investigating.

((this post brought you courtesy of the draft function (I started working on this after the first reply after mine)and my really wanting to not miss out on this plot and not wanting to waste this post after working so long on it. sorry it's so bleh still and hopefully it makes sense and..yeah))