Re: The Winter Territory

[Katria]

Katria's eyes burst open as a gust of chilling wind billowed against her ebony coat. The vixen huffed with irritation at the rude awakening, and glanced down at her pups. They were warm with life, although still sleeping. Katria frowned, not knowing if they were sick or not. However, the new mother's muscles were cramped from staying in the same position for so long. Slowly lifting herself up, she stretched out with a light grunt and shook her matted pelt. Making an excuse to go out, she murmured, "I'm gonna go search for survivors."

As Katria faced the harsh blur of the raging blizzard, she squinted against the white flecks of snow smacking her optics. The Delta female knew that her nose wouldn't make any difference in the cold, icy wind, so she attempted to peer through the blizzard. No sign of anything. "Hello? Is there anyone still out there?" No answer. Muttering to herself, she pushed against the forces of the cold, unforgiving blizzard to continue her search.

(Short post is short. Sorry, I'm on an iPad so it isn't that easy to write a good post =P)

[Ceara]

N A B A K // N A M A R U

The frigid breeze from the north chilled Nabak to her very marrow, nipping at her skin as she lay on the ground in the snow, her body shuddering. Her bay optics flickered up to examine her surroundings, but she could see nothing but the storm, clumps of white snowflakes rapidly dancing through the sky and upon the ground and were burying Nabak as well.. It was accumulating, and Nabak was sure that this storm and the cold would be the limitation of her life. As she lay on the ground with snow surrounding her, motionless, with the exclusion of her belly rising and falling, she began to think to herself I'm pitiful. How do I lose everything? I am of so little use to this pack the lupess thought, guilt and shame flooding her mind. Where had the normal Nabak gone? The assertive, dominant being. Now, in this situation, she was nothing but an abhorrent mutt with matted fur and gaunt frame. If only she were out of this mess, her original self would have returned. It was unlikely, though This is the way I will die, isn't it? she shook her head in fear. There was no hope for her, at least until a voice met her auds.

Hello? Is there anyone still out there?

It took a moment for her thoughts to process. This voice, it was familiar to her, however she forgot the name of the wolf It has been too long the female shook her head a second time, but still, hope sparked within her. Nabak cleared her throat to speak ''Hello!" the maiden called out once, waiting for a reply from the wolf. It was so long since she last used her voice - It felt like months, although in reality it had been a shorter time. She separated herself from the territory on a scouting mission and during said mission she'd lost herself in a plethora of trees. Only Lupus knew where she'd been currently situated. Nabak steadied herself and put her paws in a position where she would be able to stand. Gradually, she rose from the ground, pain twinging in her stiff joints, taking a last look at her resting spot. That was her home for the last - What, couple hours? Whatever. She wasn't keeping track. Besides, who would keep track if one thought that was the place they planned to end their life at?

The she-wolf trudged through the snow - A pain-staking task as she fought the forces of the wind. Her side was to the gusts, making it all the more terrible Talk about aerodynamic she thought to herself sarcastically accompanied with a roll of the eyes. She kept her sorrel pupils sharp as they frantically searched the storm for any sight of a wolf.

(This post is so derpy ;-; It burnssss)

[Katria]

(NAAAAAAABBBBBB<3)

The slender she-wolf's ears suddenly perked at the sound of a voice, barely making its way out of the maze of the loud, whistling sounds of the frosted wind. Katria's amber eyes suddenly perked. I remember that voice! The vixen thought in her head, as she turned toward the source of the sound. Of course, the delta couldn't even see past her own snout, although it was worth a try to attempt to find the source.

The survivor's voice was one of her pack mates, yes, although Katria couldn't quite get the name. The lost pack mate had communicated with her a long time ago, although Katria almost never forgets a voice. Something about the tunes of a wolf's noise, the strum of their vocal cords. Every sound was unique, and the female knew that. The night-black wolf made her way through the blizzard, its harsh, ivory winds pelting her own optics. The cold stung her nose, numbing it, so her scent would be absolutely useless at this point. Suddenly, a faint silhouette of a wolf had planted itself in front of her. Katria's eyes widened, as she forgot about the blistering cold that would feel like it was drying out her eyes within a few moments. "Hello! Can you see me?" Shouted Katria. The female knew she was but a few feet away from the figure, although the wind would surely wipe away her average speaking voice.

(Short posted-ness again ._.)

[Alaric]

G A L E ' S F I N A L P O S T

So much snow. All the beta male could see was the white powder as it beat against the land in a chaotic flurry of cold and wind. A violent shiver passed through the male as he limped slowly towards.. What was he nearing? The blizzard was so bad that it obscured his vision and made it impossible for him to discern one thing from another. He was unable to gather his bearings about the land he had known so well beforehand. Perhaps he could lay down and wait it out? Such was a fool's notion. Gale knew that if he lay down in the powder, he would never get up again. His coat wasn't thick enough to block out the cold that came from all directions.

Another shiver passed through him, this one more violent than the last. His pawsteps were slow and barely contained any energy as he continued on his path. Little did he know, but he had wandered onto a lake that lay near the den where Blue, Kanae and Drake were all huddled. The ice at the edge was thick enough to bare his weight, luckily. He continued on, his smokey grey eyes flickering this way and that as he sought a location that would grant him safety and warmth.

There! Just ahead of him was the exact cave mentioned beforehand. And there were stale scents that led up to it. He could even make out Blue's at the wind ripped at his face. Had he listened to the wind and turned back, he would have found another sanctum in the form of a fallen tree. However, his desire to be with the beta female was too great; he made one more step.

Splash!

The ice below his paws cracked and broken open like a hungry abyss. It swallowed up the beta, as a yelp escaped his muzzle. If it had snowed for an hour longer, the ice would have been thick enough, but alas, it was not to be. Water that was colder than the snowy world above him licked at his body and broke through his water proof coat. It bit at his now exposed skin as he fought for his life. He didn't want to die, not now. Not while he was so close to being safe. The water didn't care about his desire to live; it swirled this way and that as it began to cause frostbite and ice to form on the wolf's body.

He knew he was dying, even before his body was running out of air. Even if he managed to escape the watery grave, the snow and wind as well as his own exhaustion would finish him off before he even had a chance. Thrusting up once more, Gale broke to the surface, his gasping breaths filling the air around him. No one would hear those breaths though, not over the howling wind. Ice cracked beneath his paws as he struggled to pull himself up onto the bank once more. Claws scrabbling to catch a hold of anything, he felt complete and utter despair shoot through him once more. Why now? Did he not deserve a chance to live? To find happiness?

It was not to be. Even though he had found purchase and managed to drag his sodden body onto the snow, he felt his heart beat quiver and slow. His breaths shuddered and formed a white mist before his eyes as he fought to hold onto everything that he was. It was a fleeting notion; his body had stopped shivering because he had subconsciously realized that he was dying. A soft sob came from his throat as he thought about all he was leaving behind. He had wanted to get to know Blue and possibly have a future with her, but such a dream was ended abruptly. He would never know the kindness of a mate. Or the joy that came with having pups. Nor would he know what it would be like to pass stories on as the next generation of wolves took their ranks among the pack.

Summoning what was left of his life, Gale let out a sorrowful howl. It was an apology and a goodbye rolled into one. The sound wasn't beautiful. It was more eerie and mystical than anything. No one would have expected to hear such a sound on such a day.

Abruptly, the wind left Gale's lung cavity and the handsome, smokey-eyed male died.

E N T E R A L A R I C

It wasn't that cold. Okay, maybe it was but the snow didn't bother the mottled brown male too much. His fur was thick and offered good protection against the wind. That and Alaric had seized the opportunity to seek shelter immediately after he felt the atmosphere change for the worst. In fact, he had found solstice in the dead tree that Gale had overlooked in his desperation to get to Blue. Alaric had only reached the tree moments before the water swallowed up the beta male; he had heard shattering of the ice that came from the lake. He did not go and investigate it though, it would have meant that his life would have been at stake for someone he did not know. Little did he know, that action could have saved the life of the wolf who was drowning and freezing all at once. The eerie howl echoed through his little place of safety, but he still did not move. His dark brown face showed no emotion as he looked out at the white world.

With a small shrug of indifference, Alaric laid his head down on his paws which matched the colour of his face. His eyes, which were a light amber in colour, were as hard as diamonds as he turned his attention off of the outside. You snooze you lose, that's what he believed. If you were foolish enough to venture out in weather like this, then you deserved whatever came from it.

[Ceara]

N A B A K // N A M A R U

Hello! Can you see me?
A voice. Gosh, what a glorious sound. Although it could barely make itself through the white-out, it was audible, and the storm paired with twilight creeping into the environment, the sun sinking below the horizon and the lands growing dark, well, simply put, it was pretty darn hard to see, even with the wolf's ability to see in the dark. Shortly after, the maiden halted at the sight of a greyish frame blended into the alabaster storm. Nabak Namaru squinted, fighting to see the body of the female Blasted tempest she thought to herself If I didn't get a backbone and decided to just lay there, pitiful and motionless, it would be the end of me. And man, what a decision she would later regret, at least if she was even alive at that time to regret it.

If only Nabak could remember this wolf - The scent would probably jolt Nabak's memory, but of course, nearly all of her senses were impaired in this storm. Sight being filled with white clumps of snow travelling with the gales, her body and ebon nose numb from the cold, and the static noise of a blizzard booming. Oh, Nabak. What a lucky female she was.
"I can see you -" she replied, adding "But only your silhouette!" she took a step closer so hopefully she wouldn't have to shout her voice ragged "Where are the other survivors?" she asked, the visage of the wolf becoming slightly visible. She could make out the features - The eyes, ears, muzzle and shape of her face, although these were just faint outlines which could hardly be seen through the white. This familiar voice was surely a member of the pack, so hopefully she would know where they were situated.

(Sorry for the short post, I've so little muse tonight, plus I'm in a rush. Also, KATTTT:D<3)

[Katria]

Katria felt a twinge of relief that the silhouette wasn't just her imagination, instead an actual female - presumably a pack member. At the faint sound of her voice, Katria glanced around. All she could see was white. Fear gripped her as she imagined her pups, curled up, alone in the dark, musty den. However, this was no time to ponder whether or not they still lived. She had to get herself - and this wolf - back to safety. "I only know of six survivors, including my pups. I don't know if the others are safe yet, but if I can remember correctly, the survivors are this way." Stated the ebony female, raising her voice so, hopefully, the wind wouldn't carry it away.

Katria slowly turned, the tiny flakes of snow pelting her face as she struggled onward. The cold, gripping snow froze her paws as they sunk into the deep snow. She continued walking, pushing against the wind, realizing that she didn't get that far. Forcing herself to look back, the wind tossing her ears to and fro, she could just barely see the silhouette - now fainter due to the distance - cutting a blurred shape into the cold flurry of white. "Keep following me!" Shouted the delta, as she stopped for a moment, letting her tongue drop out of her mouth and loll. The sharp, tiny flakes of snow smacked her fleshy pink tongue, although at this point, the feminine canid could think of worse things.

(Once again a short derpy post.)

[Ceara]

N A B A K // N A M A R U

Once her sorrel gaze catching that the vixen had begun trudging through the snow, Nabak strode up about two metres from her flanks, going swift before the layer of snow could break under her, and matched her pace I only know of six survivors, including my pups. I don't know if the others are safe yet, but if I can remember correctly, the survivors are this way Nabak nodded, thinking to herself Six wolves? Out of, what? Ten? Twenty? How many are still out there? the female barely shook her head grimly. A shame, it was. This storm could be compared to a plague - Sweeping across entire lands and killing any in it's way. If Nabak didn't pick herself off the ground, she most likely would have died herself. But something she mentioned was particularly interesting. Pups!

"You had pups?" she thought aloud "Good to hear there is some life in this dreaded storm" The pups offered a spark of hope, something symbolic. If the rest of the pack was dead, 'least they could begin anew. A couple new members and a couple old, still, the pack would still need their time to mourn the deaths before doing as such. What was of this wolf's mate? Died in the blizzard with the cold nipping at his innards with maggots wandering around him? Nabak held back a shudder at the thought. Such violence. Imagine the pups growing up without a father - Hopefully not, though.

[Sheila]

The small, tiny little scrap of fur whimpered lightly. Cold nipped her fleece, shrouding her from the tip of her ebony tail to the tip of her moist nose. Sheila attempted to snuggle closer to her mother's warm, safe belly, although instead of Katria, there was just more cold. Opening her eyes just a crack, all she saw were her brothers and sister, a few other wolves, and an empty space where her mother should be. What had happened to her? The last thing the cub remembered was the cold, unmerciful blizzard when her milkgiver carried her from one den to another. Sheila didn't know the difference, although this one seemed a little roomier.

Snuggling up closer to her siblings, her eyes wandered to and fro, inspecting the den. Why was it so cold out? How come the ground was frozen, with sharp, spiky flakes of ice instead of the soft, feathery plumes of snow? The gentle touch of a snowflake landing on her nose? What happened to all of that? She yearned for it to be fun, for the air to be crisp, for the snow to fly up when she and her siblings played about. But, she supposed, she would just have to wait for the light, wonderful feeling she felt several months ago.


(Fail. Again.)

[Blue]

Summoning what was left of his life, Gale let out a sorrowful howl. It was an apology and a goodbye rolled into one. The sound wasn't beautiful. It was more eerie and mystical than anything. No one would have expected to hear such a sound on such a day.

Startled, Blue’s head raised quickly, her ears perked. “Did you hear that?” she asked, her voice just above a whisper, “It sounded like...” she swallowed, unwilling to continue. The same feeling that clawed at her throat seem to spread to a stinging in her eyes. It was foreign to Blue, the whole experience. This being said, she did what she normally did when things were too real for her; the gray-scaled she-wolf pushed the tiny voice inside her aside, to be buried in her emotional-slowness.

Shaking her head slightly, Blue was determined to brush off what she heard as a product of the wind’s tricks. She hadn’t seen what it was; therefore she was worrying over nothing. At least, that’s what she told herself to think. But, as she attempted to steady her tremble, and allowed herself a single sniffle before burying her face into Kanae’s fur, she knew what had happened.

(;-; short. because no words to describe for Blueh's.)

[Katria]

Katria huffed, letting the cold, jagged air into her mouth. You had pups? Good to hear there is some life in this dreaded storm. Katria smiled in remembrance at her cubs. Dear, Katria hoped they were okay. The storm was harsh and violent enough to possibly seep into the den. If that happened, well, the ebony vixen didn't want to think about that at all, which only made her push harder. The tiny flakes of ice smacked against her eyes, but the mother wasn't about to give up just yet. Looking over her shoulder and back at the wolf, she shouted, "Come on! It shouldn't be far now."

And it wasn't. Soon enough, the delta female squinted her eyes to see a dark figure - not a wolf, but it cut through the snow well enough to look similar to a den entrance. "Here it is," murmured Katria, as she pushed forward, into the den.

Almost immediately did the pressure against her face relax into nothing. Sniffing around the dark den, she located her cubs - mainly thanks to Brook and Caius' fur, which was slightly lighter than Ash or Sheila's. Walking forward, the new mother nuzzled her cubs, one by one, making sure their coats were still warm, flushed with life. Letting out a sigh of relief, Katria slowly relaxed unto her flank, pushing her cubs closer to her stomach with her paw. "Thank god they're safe," Mumbled Katria, in a voice just slightly above a whisper. Looking over her shoulder again, she awaited the arrival of her newly-found companion.

[Ceara]

N A B A K // N A M A R U

After some more time of trudging through the snow, her eyes were able to make out the figure of a den in the distance Thank god! thought Nabak I've had enough of this storm bringing her paws from the snow, she swiftly trotted above the surface of the snow, her paws keeping from sinking in and once she reached the den, crouching under the lip of the cave and gingerly walking in. Nabak glanced around - Couple' wolves were in the den, as well as four pups. If these pups were born in Autumn, then wow, they were lucky to be living. The mother wolf, a lean-bodied female with her frame coated in a layer of ebon threads, and the father wolf, wherever he was, must have done a swell job of rearing the pups. At this age, they shouldn't have even grown a layer of under fur. When a pup is born in spring, they have a whole year to gain weight for winter. The mother wolf was doing a great job - A good mother, she was.

Nabak briefly met the eyes of the wolf in acknowledgement, accompanied by a nod of greeting before she strolled to a vacant area in the den and sat on her haunches. She felt the flakes of ashen snow melting from the heat emanating off her skin and dribbling down her pelt in droplets of transparent water and stifled a shiver. Nabak listened to the whistling and roaring of the blizzard outside of the den, glad this wolf was there to lead her out of the chaos.

[Náhani]

(oh geez I apologize for my inactivity D; I'll try to catch up..;-;)

The fae blinked and struggled to keep herself bundled in a tight curl, it was useless she was shivering uncontrollably, her body temperature wasn't normal at that point she was close to the point of dying soon. She rose up and shook out herself thoroughly from the snow that covered upon her frame. She wasn't satisfied of this journey and she was already deep within the forest, unable to see around her. Trying to survey the storms peek it seemed rather heavier then when she came approach it. She trudged through the deep snow, as she pressed on and stumbled afoot of her in the snow. Her limbs wanted to collapse so her physique would blend within the surroundings. She gave hope to herself and proceeded on, the briskness wind pressing against her maw.

It felt like forever that Nahani has walked through the snow, as if in circles was the same type of trees covered and the piling of the snow never gave out, the storm itself stayed. She squinted and lowered her auds. Her maw was ajar due to the numbness feeling in her thighs, kept her from moving any further. As she then let out a weak mournful whine, this storm was killing her and she'd couldn't move any further.

[Katria]

As the tired, worn mother looked up at her companion, her eyebrows began to knit in confusion. "Say, I know I've seen you before... But I'm failing to recall your name. Do you mind introducing yourself?" The vixen suddenly felt a light twitch from one of her young, followed by a weak whimper. Looking down upon them, she realized it was her third-born, Sheila. "Oh, Sheila! Thank goodness you're alive!" Katria, failing to remember the wolf's presence, showered her cub with licks, curling around them even tighter. They would push through this storm, and she knew it.

Although the delta female was elated about her daughter's survival, she couldn't help but lightly nudge her other pups. "Ash?" She pawed at the cub. There was little warmth, but he wasn't responding. "Brook? Caius?" Just like Ash, no response. Her optics began to well up in sadness, as she rested her head lightly on their fragile bodies.

[Kanae]

“Did you hear that?” she asked, her voice just above a whisper, “It sounded like...”

Kanae bit the inside of her mouth. Don't say it, please don't say it! The alphess had heard the dying howl of Gale too. And like Blue, she didn't want to admit it as true. It just couldn't be! Even though the she-wolf had no romantic feelings towards her former beta, she had still cared for him like a pack mate. It hurt to think that she'd never see his grey-eyed gaze again.

The storm rolled on, not caring about the life that it took. So much snow came down from the sky that Kanae wondered if it would ever stop. Slowly, but surely she was reassured of its temporary presence as the wind began to die down and the snow flakes became lighter and almost tranquil. It snowed lightly for several more minutes before it ceased completely and the sky cleared partially to show the sun beginning to set.

[Storm's over everyone! : D]

[Ash]

"Ash?" She pawed at the cub.

Ash scowled at the feeling of a paw against his back, but pointedly decided not to give a response. He had always been a master of ignoring things. The handsome young brute had spent most of the storm wishing he was a bear, so he could have hibernated away all this drama. Though, even if wishing hadn't made him into the bear he desired, he still had the appetite of one. And spending all this time in the foodless... wherever-he-was, hadn't helped at all.

Just as he began to doze off again, a weight, much heavier than that of a paw, startled a reaction out of him. "Mom!" he coughed out, squirming under her jaw. While he may be the largest of the litter, and maybe one day the largest of even the pack, right now he was still no match for mother-dearest's head.

[Katria]

The ebony vixen dreamed of herself, in a large, grassy clearing. There wasn't a speck of snow, as the sunlight showered her pelt. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, the carcass of a caribou popped up in front of her. It was still warm, and limp, with not the slightest bit of trauma. Licking her lips, she chomped down on it, only to feel something moving under her chin. She looked down, and the creature wasn't dead yet. It was spasming, its legs thrashing to and fro. She yelped in surprise, which ultimately woke the young mother up, to realize that it wasn't the caribou that was squirming. In fact, she was in the same, cold, dark, cramped den she was in before. Her newly found companion had fallen asleep, along with the others. Looking down to see the source of movement under her maw, she saw her own cub, Ash, squirming as he spoke in a shrill voice, "Mom!" Katria smiled down at Ash. She knew he hated her affections, but as if she cared; down went her tongue, as she bathed her cub in loving licks. "Oh, Ash! You're alive! Which must mean your brother and sisters are alive! Oh, I'm so happy!" The elated canid continued on, her jaws working as fast as a motorboat, until suddenly, it felt like a stone had dropped in her stomach.

"I... I wonder what has become of your father..." Murmured the ebony she-wolf. 'He must still be alive. He can't be dead... he couldn't be.' The frightful delta thought. She sighed and looked about, her mood changing quicker than that of the blizzard, in which the storm had turned the light, crisp cold into a freezing, sharp wind. "Oh Amuro," Whispered the ebon wolf, "please be okay."

[Amuro]

A ghastly blue glow illuminated his previously pitch-black save haven, making his heart race with what he identified was hope, and not a lack of oxygen. Mother Nature was a cruel and powerful maiden; without question one not to be reckoned with. Thus, when she stole from him his senses with her soldiers of white, he could do nothing but bend to her will. And bend he did, as she had quite literally buried him alive.

If there be a superior deity that controls us as we are puppets, than its pity seemed to reach out to the old brute that fateful storm, granting him one last chance of life: an air pocket, hidden deep within the snow. Given his chance, he took to the new way of life quickly. He would repeatedly pack down the snow, sleep, and awake to only pack down some more. Snow is a great insulator, so he never physically felt the chill of the outside world, but emotionally this was all he felt. He knew not everyone would survive this storm. If he were to emerge only to find his closest ones hadn’t made it, he didn’t know if he could live with himself. Always unsure of how deep down he was, and how much oxygen he had left, he never took to digging his way out. His stomach ached with hunger, but not more so than the need to see his family alive.

But now was the moment he had been waiting for, as well as dreading. He was sure his mind wasn’t playing tricks with him this time, no, the light was coming through his snow and ice knit roof above him. The snow had melted. He was close to the surface.

Amuro sturdily placed his paws beneath him preparing his shoulders. With a forceful thrust upwards, his back broke through the glass-like dome that separated him from the outside world. The ice stung like a nest of angry hornets, but it was pain he’d gladly bear. It seems that he scared away a pair of vultures upon impact, but that was an observation that couldn’t bother him as of now. The fresh air was amazing.

Stiffly, Amuro hauled himself out of his fortress of white, taking note of how all of his joints cracked in protest. It was far from the roomiest of places, in there. He’d need a good stretch before he could even walk properly, and probably a day of walking before he could ever run. It’d take too long for him to find them right away...

The gray wolf paused. ‘Could they possibly find me, first?’ he asked himself. Without a second thought, Amuro lifted his head and released a long, low-pitched howl, which sounded much more grievous than what he had meant for it to be.

[Katria]

As if her prayers were answered, she heard a faint voice. The voice had been molded and shaped into the way of a howl, which barely made it through the air and into her ears. Of course, Katria knew the voice right away; it was the voice of her beloved, Amuro. "Amuro," murmured the dark-pigmented she. "Amuro." She spoke, this time somewhat louder. She hopped to her paws, gently picking her way through the sleeping bodies in the den - and a somewhat irritated Ash - and bounded toward the entrance. However, as soon as she got to the light glinting through the opening, she skid to a halt, and looked back at her cubs, and the den inhabitants. "I'll... be right back." Said the delta female, before racing out of the entrance, and into the thick snow. The blizzard had loosened its grip, although she still felt a chilling wind, she still saw the flakes of ice gently resting on the snow-carpeted ground. "Amuro!" She exclaimed, letting out a howl of her own. The vixen trudged through thick snow, her soft belly fur gently brushing over it, as she waddled through. Katria howled again, hoping that he could hear her.

What she was also happy about, however, was the fact that the blizzard was slowing itself down. That the feathery flakes of snow fell instead of the puny shards of ice. The flakes began to pile up on her own coat, making her look as if she had an overlapping layer of white, and even though her toes, ears and tail-tip were numb with cold, her eyes still shined in the light that worked its way through the blanket of white that the clouds of freezing vapor lay on them.

[Amuro]

Amuro’s bold fall-reminiscent colors stood out against the snow’s white veil. The silence that followed after his alert was so devastatingly heart wrenching that even the normally calm brute’s hackles stood on end. ‘It can’t be...’ Every second that passed after his assumption seemed like a century, until...

A howl back. More specifically, her howl back. His blood coursed furiously through his veins. The possibility that he had wished himself into hearing it was 20 to 1. Amber eyes strained to seek out the form he knew so well.

At last, they found their object of desire. He hadn’t time to develop a coherent thought, for the adrenaline in his system had demolished his previous estimate of recovery, overpowering his need to recover and pushing him over his natural limit. With a starting bound, the brute bolted across the icy field, faster than he had ran in years. He kicked up great drifts of snow as he ran, preventing himself from seeing where he was going. This, however, was deemed irrelevant.

He repetitively told himself to slow down and be gentler during his rapid approach, but it seemed that his brain was no longer the one in control. With an unintentional tackle to the ground, Amuro showered Katria with licks, nuzzles, and whines.

[Katria]

The ebony mother grinned as the gray-brown delta plastered her mask with licks. "Oh, Amuro. I thought..." She choked on her words, although continued on anyway. "I thought you were dead." Katria murmured. She tried wrenching her head from his tongue and gave Amuro's cheek a lick of her own. The snow crested her frame, as the delta still held her down, his powerful muscles showing through even his thick, winter coat. Suddenly, the she wondered; was there any more to the pack other than Katria, her family, and the few survivors in the den? Maybe... The shaded femme thought, maybe they really are dead. Worry began to claw at her stomach, like the sharpened nails of a mad wolf. No, no, they couldn't be dead. Although, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't rid herself of the sick feeling in her stomach, that had settled as plainly as a grizzly in a cave.

Then, the thought of her pups hit her again. Now that Amuro was here, she could stretch her legs, while he could keep the pups warm. She still hoped, however, that they would all make it to see their first spring. To feel the sun warm their fleeces in summer. To splash in the golden-brown leaves of autumn. She hoped that they could finally - and formally - prepare for the next winter to come ,to be able to fill their bellies, to feel their summer coats thicken as their bodies waited for the chilling breezes of the last season of every year.

[Ash]

“I’ll be right back.”

Ash stared after his mother with half-lidded eyes and a frown. Where was she going? Sighing, he turned back to his siblings, who still seemed fast asleep. With mom gone, the cold was quickly setting in. But he was never one to complain.

Slowly the handsome young pup rose to his feet and stretched, yawning as he did so. He spared a glance towards the two other she-wolves who occupied the cave, but they were just as inactive as his brother and sisters. Growing bored of his surroundings, Ash took to trotting about the cave, warming up his developing muscles.

It wasn’t long until he found the entrance. With intense golden-flecked eyes, he peered out into the open, easily tolerating how the cold stung his eyes and nose. Against his nature, he decided not to venture outside; but that wouldn’t stop him from looking.

(suck-tastic post is suck-tastic.)

[Sheila]

The small, dark-pigmented pup twitched in her sleep. She dreamed of the fluffy snow that used to carpet the ground. Now, however, she was sure that the ground was cold and hard. Her soft, gentle pads could be easily cut by the sharp shards of ice. Sheila rolled over in her sleep, expecting to bump up against her mother, but her snout only met a cold, empty space. The tiny pup scrambled to her paws in surprise. Where was her mother? Maybe she just went outside for a while. Thought the cub, hoping to reassure herself.

Meanwhile, her optics searched about the den. She only found a few wolves - their names still unknown to her - and her own siblings. To her surprise, she only saw Brook and Caius still snuggled up in their own spaces. Where was Ash? Suddenly, her ebon ears perked lightly a the sound of a moving body. Looking over her shoulder, the young femme saw her brother. He stood by a large hole, where light had seeped through, in which she supposed the entrance was.

"Ash?" Inquired the cub. Her vocal chords felt stiff and scratchy, from days of not speaking. In fact, she was surprised to hear it. It sounded rough and hoarse, nothing like her usual soft, clear tone.

[Amuro]

Upon feeling a returning lick to his own cheek, Amuro slowed his pace, before hesitantly withdrawing his tongue. Katria had grown quiet with worry, which he easily identified as the equivalent of his own. He slowly moved to give her the space to return to her paws, but refused to move any farther from what she needed. Unlike other mates, he could not whisper sweet-nothings to her, to tell her everyone was okay, even if that is all he desired to do. It was simply not in him to be dishonest, especially with her. However, he could not let his love be sad just as they were reunited at last. There was plenty of time for that later, as it was simply the inevitable. Soothingly, he asked, “Where are the pups?” He could distract both of them, and see his children, this way.

[Ash]

"Ash?" Inquired the cub.

The gray and black colored pup had heard soft, timid steps, which he knew to be Sheila's, behind him. What he didn't expect to hear was the voice that came with her. His ears twitched ever the slightest at the coarseness of her voice, but otherwise it appeared as if he hadn't heard. Ash did not turn from his self-assigned post, but answered, "Hmmm?" His voice did not sound as bad as hers, but then again, he had always spoke a bit roughly, whereas she spoke in soft tones.

[Katria]

The shaded vixen looked upon her mate, grateful that he changed the subject. Swinging her head over her shoulder, her optics scanned the dark entrance to the makeshift den. "They're in that den, along with three other survivors." Stated Katria. The delta trudged through the thickly-placed sow, back toward the den. The darkness grew nearer and nearer, and with every step she took, her paws became colder and more numb, when suddenly, a sharp stab of hunger bit at her belly. The mother winced when her belly let out a rumble so loud, she was sure Amuro could hear it.

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