Midnight Howl in the Dark Forest



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Black Forest Shrouded Clearing
The dense dark trees thin out enough for a small clearing to be seen, though the intertwining branches cover at least half of it. A small stream trickles by, leaves and other small debris floating like small ships around the bend into the forest, leading to who knows where in the eerie depths of the forest. Near the back of the clearing, a rocky ourcropping is found with small ledges and hidden caves all over so that animals of all kinds can hide or live in reletive safety.
Obvious Exits:
[E]nter the [D]en to the [G]ame [T]rail
Contents:
Seeker
Moonraven
Falcon
Silver

From out of the slowly darkening forest, a long yodeling howl comes. The chieftess is returning, and she brings food. Though the clearing still has many rabbits and squirrels, a change from those is most welcome by all. Before she appears amid the brush and trees, the scent of fresh venison tells what it is she has caught on this recent excursion of hers.

Seeker is already waiting for you against a tree having smelled the kill a ways. Already he leans coyly against a tree in plain site as if waiting for you. His face carries a smirk ** Now thats going to be a welcome surprise. **

A sent giggle is all that answers just as Silver steps through the brush. Behind her, strapped to a couple of long thin logs is the carcass of a fresh doe. Spring has been kind to this particular one, so the meat is bound to be tender instead of tough and old. From the looks of it, the doe has been partially dressed, but even those bits are securely bound in the large piece of leather hanging from Silver's belt. ** Heyla Seeker! Come and help me get this to the cashe. There's enough here to feed all of us, and the wolves for a while. **

Almost half way through your sentance Seeker is already bounding towards you not seeming to care where his footing is. This almost hyper seeming elf smiles brightly, his send clear and his excitement a bit held back ** I dunno if I should trust myself, the meat makes my eyes want to water. Smells too good ** He grins and takes the other side of the logs lifting them quickly without much concern for the other body carrying the other end. He doesn't push forward though making sure to pace with you ** Yes this one will do nicely, are there many more? **

Silver giggles at the over exuberant greeting and very grateful for the help. With the help, the doe is carried over the pile of rocks near the cave then set down. As she starts to finish cleaning the deer, she nods and smiles, ** There's a family herd not too far from here. This one is was one of the older whitetails. ** She quickly glances about then hrms, ** Better keep an eye out for the pups, this will surely bring them, and their mother to us. **

Seeker leans back against the entrance to the cave nodding ** There'll be some lazy pups tonight ** he grins a bit and keeps his eyes up though his head is tilted down ** Maybe this camp won't be so bad afterall ** He tosses a tiny stone to tap your shoulder as he makes the comment.

Silver smirks a little while removing the hide. ** We're all going to be lazy tonight. Come sunrise, I'm going to go after one more to make sure we have enough for a long while. ** She tosses a pebble at you in return, giggling at the playful moment.

Seeker picks up a pebble and thinks about tossing it at you (yips of some pups can be heard a little ways off now coming this way) but at that decides not to for some reason and just plays the ground with his foot ** might wanna hurry, they're gonna be here any time, then who knows if we'll be able to save the fur ** he grins.

Silver nods, hurring to cut the hide from the legs. ** We have plenty of furs, just not much decent leather. ** She glances over her shoulder in the direction she hears the yipping from then gets back to work. A few well placed cuts, and the hide comes free, almost in one perfect piece. Just as the first cub appears, she's cutting off a haunch just for them to fight over.

Seeker grins and just to be annoying gets in the way of the White and black one. It growls at him but grabs at his legging and pulls him towards the carcass as if saying to him that he better get his rump over there or he's going to starve for the birds. Left with little choice to either drag the Cub a bit or follow, he follows eyeing for mother's aproval of course. ** (Humored concern) woops ** he chuckles aload.

The haunch comes free with a nice loud crack of bones snapping and a couple more slices from the well made knife. With a giggle, Silver tosses the haunch towards the mother wolf, so she can carry it off for the cubs. Her own little bond scampers over to her, sniffing curiously at the rest of the doe until she finally gives her a small chunk from the carcass. Now that the worst has been taken care of, the lass carves off her own bit and settles back to enjoy the evening and watch the stars come out.

Looking a bit silly with a half limp and wolf cub attached to his foot he finally reaches the carcass where the wolfcub promtly lets go of his foot causeing Seeker to fall over and begins to pull on a leg bone of the Doe. Seeker lays there for a moment before frowning at the wolfcub he's probably going to start calling his bond and uses his spearhead to cut a flab of meat off. Hyper minded as the wolfcub is, it nips at the air while showing it's teeth to Seeker who rolls his head a little and as if to say he's got say. He pushes the wolfcub over onto it's back and gently has his hand over it's neck while playfully tickling it's belly speaking "ohhhhh you think so do you. Well, I'll give you this, long as you're not the sort to expect everything to just be handed to you." he grins and points as if the cub could totally understand him "Seemed to me you had it under controll." He winks at Silver and the other elves watching before gently placing the meat on the cubs face and then letting go.

Silver takes a deep breath and sighs softly while contemplating the sky with a wry grin. ** Careful, he just might be the next alpha of their small pack. ** She reaches over to rub her fingers across her bond's headfur while tearing away at the strip of venison. ** I think I'll call this one... NightStar. ** Then, with a glance towards you, she asks. ** What do you think? **

Seeker grins and looks at you ** Sounds good to me. ** he eyes your cub ** What does it think? ** while he pulls the black one onto his lap petting it and whispers something into it's ear as he sits. The cub doesn't seem to mind as long as that good stuff is in it's mouth.

Silver turns her gaze to the curious pup munching away at her dinner then nods and smiles, ** She seems to like it. ** She goes thoughtful for a short while after, idly petting her young bond and enjoying the welcomed change in diet. Then, out of the blue, she sends, ** We should have a howl. If only to celebrate the fact we have a new home, and we've survived the winter here. **

Seeker blinks a bit at that comment and grins at you ** Do we have any dreamberries? ** Seeker seems more concerned with that right now.

Silver hmmms and thinks, ** I think I left a few for in case we wanted them. The rest of the secret stash I had were planted out in the woods. I can only hope they'll grow on this strange world. ** Even she seems a bit concerned. What's a howl without dreamberries to liven it up? Not much according to her almost open thoughts. While still nibbling on the strip of fresh meat, she stands and wanders into the cave to see if there are any left.

Seeker shrugs and nods, now not seeming to concerned at all, ** Well I don't need any, but at least for the tale teller, it's usually helpfull.** Seeker pulls playfully at the meat with his mouth as the cub seems to jerk it back and forth ferociously as he can growling a bit at Seeker.

Silver comes back out, dangling a small dark leather pouch and grins, ** Here we go, not much, but enough for what we need. Too bad Farwalker isn't here with us, or we'd get a good story. ** Before she passes the carcass, she cuts off another piece then climbs up onto the rock she has more or less claimed as her own and sets the pouch in front of her while she returns to contemplating the stars and munching on dinner. The story will bring desert and that has the few other elves anticipating it.

Seeker grins and doesn't rush but gets a bit closer looking up at you but talks to his pup "Your about to learn why your with us little guy" his pup seems to like to make a tiny growling noise alot.

Silver chuckles softly, simply enjoying the moment, though she still hasn't gotten used to being the focus of this much attention.

Seeker offers a few words about the past howls and tries to think of a time when there was less of a reason to howl than a posible new begining but then remembers that this is hopefully just a short term leave and stops his happy sends about the howl just listening after a few to what others have to say.

Silver remains quiet, listening to the sent talk. For now, the stars, and the little bundle of gray fur beside her has her attention. She can still feel the barely contained excitement for the howl.

Seeker mindsends to you ** Tell of a time when Timmorn first taught everyone to hunt, or how Preypacer had no choice but to lead his people into what seemed like doom! **

Silver mindsends to all ** No. I have a much better story. One that seems more fitting to us right now. **
Seeker quirks a brow and nods figuring you would tell something, he was just offering suggestions and lets out a small posibly accidental howl, when his wolf pup does the same thing only when Seeker stops howling his pup continues.

Silver chuckles softly as she finishes off the last of her dinner. No use in getting too full when there are dreamberries to have. Her own bond joins with the howl for a moment, wagging her tail excitedly, but with a glance and gentle send from Silver, the young female settles down. The timing couldn't be better for the howl to start, for as the chieftess opens her pouch and pours out the last precious few berries into her hand, the moon rises above the treetops. She takes just a few for herself and the rest of the berries, she passes on the rest of the small tribe.

Seeker takes but a few berries and seems to be under the influence already or he's really smirky tonight at everybody anyways. He puts his wolfcub down finally and it wrestles with it's own tail in circles. Seeker listens now reminding everyone of the event if they begin to get too load with idle chatter.

Those few berries, savored and enjoyed by all are quickly gone, but their affect lasts, bringing forth memories most have forgotten. With a long clear howl, Silver calls everyone to order, making herself the center of attention for this single occassion.

Seeker keeps his eyes on you but idly plays with his cub with his foot, the cub's growls can be heard as everyone gets quiet and some look for a moment before looking back at Silver.

Silver howls once more, joined by NightStar then the rest of the pups and their mother. Its their night to sing, if only for a short time. As the last thin howls of the pups ends, she turns her eyes from the heavens to her small tribe. ** I call this howl to celebrate our survival upon this strange and new world and to remind us all of why we are together. This is our new beginning, much like how the highones first came to the world we once called home so many countless turns ago. **

Seeker blinks not having thought of it that way and the chills run up his spine he watches you and most of the less attention paying elves suddenly snap to a form of attention at your words.

Silver closes her eyes as she begins to recall the story she was told long long ago by another much older elf. ** The highones came to the world of Two Moons in their great palace from the deepest darkest places of the sky. Their curiosity brough them too close and their palace fell from the sky in a land much different from what they had known before. When the first highones stepped out of their home to look upon the world they landed on, they met, and were attacked by our enmies, the humans. Strong and fierce were those early round ears, but the highones fled into the forests. ** Strong is the imagery of her sends, seeming to come to life on their own with the beginnings of her tale.

Seeker lays on the ground now watching the stars something he doesn't do much since his cub days. His cub wolf laying against his side but not asleep it's head laying on his belly as he pets it. The few dreamberries seem to have taken their affect as the images appear to make him feel what he sees.

Silver leans back against the rocks that make the den's walls and looks to the stars, not even seeing them as the images flow through her mind. ** In the early days of Timmain and her friends, life was hard for them. They didn't know how to hunt and relied too much on their magic to make what they needed. The first whitecold took many of them, bringing their numbers to but a precious few, but they endured and learned to make the world of two moons their home. With Timmain's help, they survied those first whitecolds. **

Seeker looks at you now as you send all of this not having related this to the current situation till tonight he's trying to grasp as much life's lesson tonight as he can shushing anyone that tries to talk to him. He's actually sitting still for once in his life...

** With their palace left behind, the highones slowly made their towards warmer lands when the whitecolds deepened and Timmain left to find a better way for her brethren. Its through those first early lessons, and the gift of Timmorn, the first of us wolfriders, we have learned to survive what comes our way. ** sends the young chieftess as the images grow strong enough to where she feels them and broadcasts through her mind to the rest. Slowly, Silver's eyes open and come to rest on her small tribe then smiles, ** We are like the highones, here on this new world. We have come through the whitecold with our lives, and a place to call home until we find our way back. **

Seeker stretches out seeming perfectly comfortable where he is. The pup breathing quickly now asleep but Seeker seems to be paying attention to your every word and smirks playfully ** Lets hope that unlike the highones we don't loose too many in the coming whitecolds ** he winks at Silverclaw.

Silver smirks a bit as she sits up and looks at Seeker. ** We've come this far. We can make it further. How ever many turns it takes until we find our way back to the valley and our families. Its for that hope we howl for this night. **

Seeker grins and lays back down letting out a small howl before he does so saying afterwords "Aye, I agree"

Silver smirks at your howl, then lets loose a howl that gets the rest joining her. As the voices die down, she turns her attention to all, ** This world seems to be more accepting of us, but we still must be cautious when near these strange animals. Don't trust them, or the elves this world has until we learn more about them. **

Seeker snaps his eyes at you as if you just mentioned his name and smirks not saying anything as he slowly moves his eyes back to the skies nodding only perhaps to himself about something.

Silver has her eyes directly on yours, hard, yet there is a a smile on her lips and twinkling in her eyes. Her own return to the sky eventually while the rest lay back, enjoying the fuzzy goodness of a full belly and dreamberries. ** From this night on, I'm no longer Silverclaw, but simply... Silver. **

Seeker looks up again and sits up this time at the name change is whispered about. The name change takes a few moments then Seeker nods with a few and they all at once in a send and vocally say it at once ** Silver ** "Silver" and some not all send ** that shall be what we call you **

Silver smiles a bit as her name change is accepted then leans back once more and enjoys the cool night air and the star spotted sky. The affects of a full stomach and dreamberries has her far too lazy to move anywhere else.

Seeker moves to a treebranch somehow though he's not sure how or when after he gets there, but he decides it's a comfortable spot as his pup just curles up under the tree rather than returning home, once in a while steeling a small chunk of meet from the fresh Doe.

Silver glances up, vaguely remembering how she used to spend the better part of her life in the trees and how it took a lot of effort from friends and fmaily to get her to come down for anything other than eating. A far off smile spreads across her lips as she starts to let her mind wander with wolfthought, wondering what ever has happened to her daughter.

Seeker mindsends to you ** Full bellies, and happy elves. If'n your afraid of recognizing, I wouldn't move (humor, but he's tired so his eyes are closed as he seems to be preparting to go to slumber) **

Silver chuckles softly with the thought and slowly shakes her head. Her eyes look to the moon as it drifts across the sky then lets them close, relaxed and content for now. Much like the rest of the small tribe and the pack. Even she's tired enough to let the humor filled comment pass along with the whispers of the others.

Seeker goes down to the base of the tree and picks up his pup and nuzzles it, taking it back towards where he usually camps. The pup doesn't stir much and seems not to care that he's being carried ** Dream of good hunts everyone. ** He jogs a bit unsteadily stumbling a little bit now and then but he'll survive.

Silver opens one eyes then rins. Then, with a yawn, she stretches out on her rock and simply watches you wander off towards your camp. Maybe someone will have the treeshaping magic to make a proper holt instead of tents and a single cave.

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