Ferno | Beta | Camp | Mentions: Rogue, alphas

The male gave a soft huff as his eyes began to flutter open. The faint sunlight of the rising dawn had splayed into the beta den, glimmering on his brown pelt and warming him. While all he wanted was to curl back up and fall back into the heavenly arms of sleep, he knew it was his job to get up and help set up the patrols and enforce whatever orders were given by the alphas. The new alphas. Thus far, Pasithea and Caerus were leading the pack well enough, at least by his own standards. Then again, Ferno wasn't too picky and choosy about the topic. He trusted the late alpha pairing and if they had allowed Pasithea and Caerus to step up after them, then he trusted their decision. Besides, everyone was good and well. And that was all he could ask for.

The male blinked his eyes open, allowing a soft chuff to leave his muzzle as he peered over at Rogue's sleeping form. Even though he had been promoted to beta a couple months ago, he was still unused to sharing a single den with the female. He was a bit uneasy about it first, but eventually the pair had gotten used to it. Before, when he was a pack wolf, he had shared the large den with the rest of the pack. So it was a little strange to have more room and to share it with only one other wolf. In some ways, it felt a bit more intimate. Perhaps that was the point, though. Since the betas were expected to become mates eventually.

Flicking his ears, the male rose to his paws quietly. The morning dew and sound of songbirds was a lovely thing to wake up to, but it was hard to tell his enjoyment by the way his expression seemed indifferent. Ferno exited the den, ducking low a bit as he did to avoid hitting his head. But if he did it just right, he was able to give a nice brush to his backside against the top of the den. Once he emerged into the open camp, his eyes peered around for anyone who might also be awake. Deciding that the best thing to do was to check in with the alphas, he trotted his way over to their shared den, ready for wherever the day may take him.

Kismet | Pack Wolf | Camp | Mentions: Ghostbur

The light colored canine shifted in the den, blinking her eyes open as the first rays of the sunlight peeked through the large den of sleeping wolves. Her family. The female took a moment to peer around, eyeing their sleeping forms with a softness in her eyes. While Kismet was not one who had a lot of deep connections with the pack wolves, she still cared for all of them deeply. Seeing them resting and at peace brought a soft, satisfied smile upon her maw, like how a mother watches her own pups.

The day was young, and Kismet was a hard worker. Thus, she better get up and see what chores and tasks were going to be dished out. With a wide yawn that displayed her sharp teeth, the female rose to her paws, picking herself up gracefully as she carefully tip-toed out of the den. Once outside, the cream wolf raised her head up as she surveyed the camp. It seemed like no one was around quite yet, so she may have a moment or two to prepare. Kismet sat down a couple paces away, smoothening over her pelt as she eyed the scrawny prey pile.

Sighing, she drew herself up again as she swayed her tail slowly, having it oscillate near her back paws. Movement caught her eye as she noticed Ghostbur in the corner of the camp. The female blinked a couple times before offering him a kind "Good morning.".

Murdock | Pack Wolf | Camp | Mentions: Open

The tall shadowy figure let out a long sigh, flicking his ears with boredom as he peered at the den of sleeping wolves. He had been up for a little by now, and he was still waiting for things to get rolling. Typically, Murdock preferred to sleep in, but something was different about today that made him rise early. Thus, he had taken advantage of it and had snagged a meal before the prey pile was empty. Currently, the male was laying on his belly, lounging out on a long slab of rock with a half-eaten squirrel between his paws.

Huffing to himself, Murdock muttered "We are going to need some more food soon..." He looked from side to side, trying to see who was awake and whether a patrol would be put together any time soon. Dropping his head, he began to pick at the squirrel carcass, tugging at the little fragile bones and cracking them between his jaws with a satisfying crack. Licking his maw with his pink tongue, he then rested his head on his forepaws, pushing the carcass away from him. The pile is pretty much barren... But I'm sure I can fix that if they just let me go hunt.

A rule of the pack was that the wolves had to at least let one other wolf know if they were leaving camp. And only the spy was able to come and go without approval. The rest of them were pretty much stuck there. Growling impatiently to himself, the black wolf rolled onto his side, letting his legs splay out in a stretch as his tail twitched.

"Any minute now..."

The male emerged from behind a tree, his fur wet and flattened against his legs from the early morning dew. The figure, this male, walked as if he had an urgent errand to get to, which, he supposed that he did. He chewed on the inside of his teeth, making small clicking noises, but they were unmatched for the sounds of leaves and grass crunching beneath his weight.

The male walked, brushing past tall grasses and weaving through trees, until she appeared. Her pelt still remained tinted red, was still effortless like it always had been since he met her. "Jaya," he spoke, a rare smile appearing among his typically emotionless features. He opened his mouth a crack, but what words he was planning on speaking soon crumbled and faded, the sounds dying in his throat. An almost.. saddened look replaced his smile, followed by one filled with nostalgia. "How are you?"

She had been his friend since the beginning of time. Jaya and Caerus, he remembered how their names fit. Something about it seemed right, seemed proper. Even now, their friendship didn't die, he made sure of it. The male met her beneath the tree. Their tree. As pups, they had declared this single birch their home base. It was nothing special. It stood like all the other trees, it's bark peeling and leaves green like the others surrounding it. It was nothing special indeed, but it was theirs.

Now, Caerus was a busy individual. Having been the new leader alongside Pasithea, he hardly had time to frolic around and remain unprofessional. It wasn't as if he didn't like his role, he did. He had the opportunity to help the pack firsthand, and yet, sometimes, he wished things were different. Only sometimes did he wish that he led a simpler life. Despite his doubts and busy life, he still gave everything his all, and he still made time for Jaya. It seemed unfit.. Improper not to. He always did. He longed for the time of day when they'd meet, for Caerus would forget his troubles and duties, if not for a few moments before they crashed back onto him like a wave.

He stood, staring at her, the nostalgia still glistening in his eyes as he took in the moment. "Do you remember," he suddenly began, "when you used to decorate my fur with those little white flowers you'd find on the edge of the forest?" His tone was quiet as he reminisced to the quieter days, when he didn't have all too many responsibilities.. When he could be himself.

"How I hated when you did that," he continued, releasing a small chuckle as he moved forwards, preparing to sit alongside of her, but refraining. Caerus couldn't stay for long. He could never stay for long. "But now, thinking back, I miss it. Those small, carefree moments." He wasn't sure why he was confiding in Jaya, but whenever she was near, his heart seemed to open and words would spill out of his chest before he could stop them. It was as if she would cast a spell on him, for whenever he walked in her vicinity, he would begin ramble. But that was Jaya. She was easy to talk to.

A forlorn look clouded his eyes. "Sometimes, I wish things were different. Sometimes, I wish.." He looked at her then, knowing that he didn't have to finish his sentence. Didn't need to. His expression faded, replaced with the emotionless one he carried among the pack. "I should go," Caerus suddenly mumbled, stepping back. "I need to check on Isolde and Pasithea and the pack.."

Without another word, he turned, prepared to leave. Caerus didn't look back. He never did.

He walked, his dilated eyes scanning his surroundings, taking in each object they landed across. A rock stood to his left, to his right, a dead blueberry bush that must have fed several animals in its lifetime. Diagonal from him, a fallen tree that contained an empty burrow beneath it lay. Zelus was weary of where he walked, always taking mental notes of where he came from and where he was headed. His mother taught him that right before she left him, creeping out one night because she decided that taking care of both of them was too much work.

A deep growl rumbled from the back of his throat, his nostrils flaring at the memory. “Don’t worry, I’ll always be with you,” she used to tell him when he was afraid. “Always?” He used to answer with a smile.

That was bullshit.

Now, Zelus roamed the lands alone with no company other than his thoughts.

The male had recently stumbled across the scent of a pack. It was faint, but it was no more than a few days old. Zelus never did like packs, but he was curious about them. His mother told him once that he was born into one. Where, he wasn’t sure, but she would continue to say that he had a family. A father and brother there. His mother was a discreet creature when it came to her past, and wouldn’t reveal anything more other than, “they’re dead now, so what does it matter?” Sometimes, Zelus wondered what his brother’s name was. He knew of his father's, but nothing more. They were faint, faceless figures in the back of his mind. And yet, sometimes he had dreams, flashbacks if you call them, to his name being shouted and giggles following.

If he had a brother, then he must have been close with him once upon a time.

Zelus felt a small aching in his chest, to which he nearly chuckled at in disbelief. How could you miss somebody that you don’t remember? It was foolish in his mind, so with a shake of his head, he rid his brain of such ill thoughts.

For now, he’d seek out this pack, perhaps catch a glimpse of it and imagine what his life once was or may have been. After, he’d vanish, continuing onto his journey to nowhere.

A tall, behemoth of a female stood, towering over her opponent. Her ears lay flat against her head, her eyes widened into madness as her lips pulled back into a snarl. Her rival was a weak thing. Small and inexperienced.

It would be an easy fight.

Gara circled, her hackles raised and steps long and powerful, yet silent, until she stopped. Standing before a small rock, she ran her paw across it, nails scratching it before continuing. It was an act of intimidation. Her body raised, her legs stretching out so that she appeared taller, stronger, more powerful. Her head raced, drool spilling from the sides of her blackened lips as her tongue ran across her teeth.

She waited until her opponent struck first.

The smaller creature ran full-force towards her. With a single swipe of her paw, her opponent fell to the ground. Gara stood, waiting for the smaller thing to get up. When it rose, she waited again for it to strike again. This time, her rival ran forwards, faking a left before whipping right, catching Gara on the rump. Immediately, she turned, her head dipping below her rival’s underbelly and throwing her into the air.

The other wolf was much smaller, so it didn’t take any effort for her to be thrown to the side.

This time, Gara didn’t wait for her opponent to stand. She was the one who made the first move. Using the force of her hind legs, she leapt through the air, landing next to the other wolf, her body standing over her. The wolf snapped at her, and Gara barely dodged it before she felt a force on her stomach. The creature had used their hind legs to push her away, gaining an advantage.

It was a good move, but a desperate, beginner one.

Gara swiftly regained mobility, throwing the other wolf back to the ground as they attempted to get up. She pinned her down with the force of her body, her claws digging into her chest. The female stared down at the younger wolf before lowering her head, spit dripping onto her as her teeth were inches away from her neck..

“That was good, Isolde.”

Any sight of madness and intimidation in her body and face vanished within a heartbeat, and Gara stepped off of the small wolf. “You think so?” Isolde breathed, her heart hammering from the adrenaline of the fake fight. “Truly I do, but you’re using your safety moves again,” she critiqued, helping the fearful Isolde to her paws. “You need to incorporate more complex moves. I taught you an advanced one last week, did I not?” Stepping back, she shook her head a singular time, releasing a disappointed huff. “One more move, and I would have ended you. You hear? If that was a real fight, you’d be dead,” Gara spoke, her tone firm so that Isolde would hear and understand.

The trainee only grunted. “You’ve had experience, that’s why. You’re literally the High Guard.” Gara only grunted in reply. “You think you’re not going to get more experienced wolves if you’re ever in an actual fight? You need to think ahead, Isolde. It’s not always going to be about fake fighting and sparring. One day, you’ll have to go through the real thing, and my job is to teach you how not to die.” Isolde had approached Gara the evening before, pleading for some tips on how to fight; it wasn't her strong point. So, naturally, Gara agreed, and luckily she did, for Isolde's skills needed desperate work.

"We go again," she ordered, stepping back from Isolde and glancing in the direction of the camp. "One final time before the pack awakens." The trainee nodded, stepping back from the High Guard and getting into position. She didn't know if she could knock Gara to the ground, but she'd try her best.

Rogue | Female | Beta | Camp | Mentions: Ferno

Rogue's ears swiveled, as she gradually became more aware of the pack noises outside of the den. It was relatively quiet compared to back when she had shared the den with the majority of her pack, and it was still taking some adjusting. While it would be nice to have privacy to discuss pack affairs, they hadn't done that too often, since Ferno was rather withdrawn. Sharing a den was an awkward reminder that they were expected to become mates eventually and that they had many more responsibilities.

Did Ferno want to or was he willing to become the future alpha? Would he ever learn to love Rogue? Those could both become real obstacles. Her eyes inched open as she peeked to see if Ferno was still around. She relaxed when she realized that he had already left. Her stomach often felt fluttery and filled with butterflies when he was around, but then it occured to her that if he wasn't here it meant she should be out there also. She scrambled to her paws sliding as she hurried out of their den.

Carefully, she made sure to avoid the den's ceiling as she crawled out. She was rather tall and had lost lots of hair to misjudging the distance or stopping for a breath of air at the entrance and raising her head upright and bumping it. Once safely outside, she looked around gauging what was going on. It wasn't too busy yet, so she felt less guilty. Taking a deep breath of air, she felt calmer and ready for another busy day.

When she noticed Ferno by the alpha's den, she trotted over with her tongue lolled out in a friendly expression. "Good morning Ferno! Did you sleep well?" She had told herself to give her partner space. He didn't need to know how much she admired him and wanted his attention, yet here she was wagging her tail. "What patrols do you think Gara will assign?" Continuing on, because she wanted to keep a conversation going, but she didn't know how, "I thought I'd really overslept when you were gone. If you wake up first, would you mind nudging me or something to make sure I don't miss the day?"

Gael | Male | Pack Member | Camp | Mentions: Gara, Ferno, Rogue, Ghostbur, Kismet, Murdock

Gael liked to appreciate the little things. When Gara had left camp, he had told her he was going to go to the creek for a drink and to have a little bit of quiet by himself and watch the sun color the sky. He had chosen the one that was close enough that a good bark would be able to summon him, but where he would be out of sight, and he could pretend that he was alone. He sat down his tail contentedly wagging slowly. Before he had made himself comfortable, he had taken a lap, and he would take another drink on the way back.

Once the natural show was mostly over, he felt more ready to face the noise of the pack, so he headed back. He slipped into camp probably without too many noticing he had been missing. He nodded his head at Ghostbur, Kismet and Murdock. Murdock's movements caught his attention, so he studied what Murdock was doing. What was he eating? It didn't take long for him to lose interest, as the food didn't look all that delectable anyway. Soon, he settled down by himself laying his head on his paws, but was rather close to Kismet. From here, he could watch the alpha den and wait for instructions. He was surprised to hear Rogue babbling to Ferno, but he supposed he shouldn't be, since they were both betas.

Luckily, most of his pack rather preferred their alone time, so he didn't feel the need to break the peace he had gotten from the quiet by the stream. The silence was rather odd. It was time for the pack to begin their work, and he felt the need to be polite and acknowledge their presence verbally. "How are you doing this morning?" Carefully, he made eye contact with each wolf that was around, so that they knew he was talking to them. With a very wolfish smile, he cocked his head. "I wonder who I will be working with today. I wouldn't mind a good invigorating hunt."

Polaris | Male | Trainee | Camp | Mentions: Gara, Isolde, Tynan

Most of the pack wasn't awake, but the young male trainee was. While he often slept in until someone had to wake him, or woke up at a normal time, from time to time he liked to wake up before everyone else and go watch the sunrise or some other activity. This morning his sensitive ears had noticed Isolde leaving the den, and he was curious where she was going. He had waited for her to reach the exit to the camp before he pursued her. Once he realized that Gara the High Guard was her chaperone, he slowed down.

Polaris tried to let Gara see him, but not Isolde. While he believed he could get away with only letting Gara seeing him, if Gara scented him or heard him, Isolde probably would as well. He didn't want the High Guard to think that he was sneaking around doing something bad, or that he didn't want to be seen by authority. Rather, he was practicing his skills to surprise his friend. If Gara knew he was there, and didn't call him out, surely it meant that it was some backhanded permission to be here. After sniffing the air, he determined which direction he would have to be to remain downwind.

While Isolde focused much more than Polaris, he believed he could sneak through her defenses. Isolde would be less alert, because she was with the best fighter this pack had to offer. While he crept along after their tailend, he became absorbed in some ants and stopped for a little while. He was fascinated by these little black creatures scurrying around. After a while his head snapped up, and he looked around. The females were nowhere in sight. He was reminded that it was better this way. Their scent was still very strong. They weren't far ahead of him, and he could follow their scent trail.

When he started again, he became distracted and looked at the purple beginning to color the sky. He stepped on a branch and it cracked, which made him relieved that he had let some distance between them. Even though he wasn't paying attention, he was trained in some capacity and he had a light tread. He didn't put his full weight onto the twig, so it sounded like a smaller animal than a wolf. When their scent became even stronger, he looked around for somewhere to hide. He had come across their destination. In silence he remained under some undergrowth observing the training session. He always admired his friend in action, and he wondered if he would ever be able to at least make Gara work to subdue him.

He was quite different from Isolde's fighting technique. He often was rather sporadic and naturally did the unexpected, since he didn't follow patterns, but his moves lacked structure or proper form. They mostly worked from luck and instincts. He was better at breaking away from fellow trainees than the other two, but he was far from the most skilled at doing the pinning. Now, he was in position where he could jump out onto Isolde, as she headed back.