Howl to the Moon [Open/Airila]

[Toiro]

Tonight was beautiful. Stars twinkled high in the sky, like diamonds in the inky blackness of the night. Their soft light cast the forest in a pale ghostly glow, and illuminated a large wolf standing upon a ledge high up in the mountains. Occasionally, a cool breeze swirled around him, ruffling thick grey fur as it danced past. It was so lovely up here; the climb was definitely worth it. And the view was simply gorgeous. He could see almost the entire territory – the grey mountain slopes, the deep green forest, and even the plains of Tiayr and Caurus far in the distance.

The northern territories of Anikira were gradually growing warmer; the snowline had already receded quite a distance up the Tia’deli mountains, revealing fresh spring grasses in the woods which had lain dormant in the colder months. Prey was in abundance too – in fact, a deer had run straight across his path just the other day. Their hunters no longer needed to worry so much about providing for everyone; he knew that Cherie especially would be glad of the break, and could spend more time getting her strength back up.

Airila was strong heading into spring, and their numbers were stable. They had competent wolves in each rank – the shaman was out of action for a little while but Firefly could help to collect and apply herbs if they were needed. Aludra’s pups were due any day now; the grey male’s heart swelled with pride and excitement for his unborn children. He could hardly wait to see them – he knew that she would be a great mother and he was looking forward to becoming a father for the first time. For the moment, life was perfect.

And what better way to express that than with a howl? Toiro lifted his head towards the moon and filled his chest with air, then slowly released his call. Deep tones rose to a crescendo, a song with no words, but which conveyed a strong sense of contentment and pride.

Again he howled, this time listening out for his packmates, wondering whether they might join in. There was something exciting about howling as a group, a sense of companionship. Toiro wouldn’t mind some company up here either… well, they knew where to find him if they wanted to talk. The alpha didn’t have any plans for the rest of the night; it was so nice to take a break and lose himself in the beauty of his surroundings.


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[Deleted]

Firefly had been wandering through the forest on her own when she heard the first note of the wold howl. She stopped to listen, trying to determine who it was. Her heartbeat quickened, fearful that some strange wolf had crossed onto their land, and she was contemplating what to do in responce, when she recognized the voice. It was Toiro, the Alpha.

Instantly, her pulse calmed. A smile appeared on her face. A sense of belonging washed over her, as she listened to his cry. This was something that she had always longed for growing up on her own, with only her mother for companionship. But her mother had always had them move in secret. Always on their own, away from the presence of others. But now, Firefly was part of a pack. Simply stating it made her feel happy. There were times she still felt that she was living in a dream.

When she had initially sought acceptance into Airila, it had been Aludra that had found her and welcomed her into the pack. The shaman had been so understanding of her shyness, but had recognized something in her that she must have not been aware of. And she was so happy she had. Now she was part of a pack, with friends and responsibility.

She sat back and let forth a howl of her own. Never before had she been part of a communal howl. Her mother had always hushed her, fearful that their mournful cry would attract the attention of others. But now she could howl, as she was part of a pack. Toiro's pack.

Since her joining, she had not had much opportunity to interact with the Alpha. She was still a little shy and unsure of herself around the others, but she was trying to be better. Perhaps this was a good opportunity to speak with him. She listened to his cry and followed it, up to his position on a cliff, overlooking their territory.

"Good evening, Alpha Toiro," Firefly said quietly, as she came forward, head low and submissive. "Mind if I join you for a while?"

[Deleted]

She was crouched down low, her piercing blue eyes glaring at the back of a plump rabbit that was currently sitting a good 10 feet away, chewing on some ferns. She was out hunting for the pack, she wanted to contribute and had a deer waiting for her to take back not too far away. The rabbit had entered her nose and she was set, on the hunt, almost nothing could break her gaze away from this rabbit that was now her prey. Her eyes were focused, her tail hanging behind her. Her ears were set forward as she waited for just the right moment to pounce. Calculations went through her head of just how much strength she needed to put through her legs to get just the right jump.

After a few moments, Tala launched off her back legs, claws digging into the ground to give her an extra push. Her paws came into contact with the rabbit's back and her jaws followed after for it's neck. She jerks her head to the right, applying enough pressure to it's neck to keep it in her jaws as she snapped it's neck promptly.

She stood, the rabbit's body hanging limp from her, now slightly blood-stained, jaws. She started for the deer that she had left to get the rabbit. She loved hunting for her very own pack. It gave her sense of responsibility that she always loved feeling of being responsible for something other then herself. She rarely looked out for herself when their were others around. She had grown up learning to do that.

A howl interrupted her thoughts, her ears perking up at the sound. The howl sent a shiver through her spine. Sure she's howled with other packs before on her travels, but never has she heard the howl of her own pack. She remembered howling with her birthpack so long ago, but she never really wanted to bond too much to a pack only to leave or get hurt. But to hear the howl of one of her own pack now, the she couldn't help but shiver at the sound. She put the rabbit down on the ground and flings her head back, letting out her own howl, changing the pitch every so often.

She let her jaws close slowly as she finished off on a low note. She picked up the rabbit again and headed for the direction of the howl. Hopefully the deer would still be where she left it by the time she gets back for it. Whoever howled might want a little snack, she decided as her paws quickened.

[Toiro]

A rush of emotion swirled through Toiro’s heart as another wolf joined in his call, a familiar sounding voice, but he couldn’t quite recognise whose it was. Shortly after another followed, this one from yet another wolf. The grey male altered his howl slightly to fit with their harmony, grey eyes sparkling with delight at the experience of singing together with his packmates. His gaze lifted to the moon, as if focusing the energy of his howl into that pale silver crescent in the sky. He remembered the stories his father used to tell him, of the wolf gods and their great feats. The details had long since been forgotten by the five year old, but he still remembered that feeling of sitting out in the woods stargazing with his family, the comfort of cuddling up against Tokoro’s warm fur. Perhaps he could share similar special moments with his soon-to-be-born pups; he was so excited to become a father that he could hardly concentrate on anything else.

His voice trailed off as he noticed the sound of a wolf’s approach. Sure enough, Firefly hesitantly came into sight. “Of course you may, Firefly. I would be grateful for your company.” Toiro smiled encouragingly; of course the howling had been fun, but that was plenty enough for one night. It was more important to build relationships with his packmates, the wolves who he hoped would remain in the territory for the rest of their lives. It was a real pity that there were so many wolves who he had yet to get to know, and he hoped to remedy that as soon as possible. Besides, he had a genuine interest in their feelings – though not his blood, they were still his family.

“How have you been? Finding everything okay?” He wondered if there was something on her mind that she had come to talk to him about, or whether she’d thought much about her future in the pack. Aludra had mentioned something about herbs to him, but he hadn’t really had the chance to ask Firefly herself about it before now. An official pack gatherer would certainly be useful with Aludra expecting; their pups would consume a lot of the shaman’s time and attention.

Just then, the scent of rabbit caught his nose, and Toiro turned his head in the direction of the smell. He didn’t recognise the scent of the wolf carrying it, but she seemed to hold the pack’s scent, so he remained relaxed as he called out. “Hello there? Who are you?”



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[Deleted]

Perched on a rock bathed in moonlight, Amyntas watched over all of Airila that he could see. Spring was in full bloom in the isolated terra, though snow still lingered further up the Tia’deli Mountains. The night air was cool, bringing with it the powerful scents of the fresh grass and beautiful flowers. Amyn hadn’t seen such beauty in a while, and the sight made him feel happy to be alive. A soft wind blew around him, causing the brute to close his eyes contently, relishing the feeling of the air raking through his fur. He’d finally stopped shedding about a week ago, no longer the massive fluff monster he had been all winter. It was nice to be rid of all the extra weight, though it had been nice during the colder nights. The pack had begun to flourish as of late. Game was much more abundant now that spring had approached, and Amyntas wouldn’t have been all that surprised to see pups running around soon. His thoughts, of course, strayed to Miss Aludra. Her pregnancy was at its final moments. While he really wanted to see her, to make sure she was doing all right, Amyn had purposely been avoiding the pregnant shaman. Not only was it not his place, he didn’t want to let himself feel responsible for the new life about to emerge in the dens. Even being around Averice had begun to grow harder. She was a bouncing ball of energy. He had difficulty keeping up with her. But the protection she seemed to seek from him always caused his heart great turmoil. Sadly, there was no way he could deny her anything when she lifted her green eyes to him. The brute sighed deeply into the wind, opening his eyes once more. Everything was quiet, as if waiting for something drastic to happen. Yet nothing ever truly did. Not in Airila. It was far too safe for any danger to reach the borders, and even if something were to threaten them, the pack would assemble in a matter of moments, ending any fool who happened to wish harm. Amyn smiled. Airila was a truly amazing pack, far more than any others on the island. Of that he was sure. A deep howl sliced through the silence, causing Amyn to grow a little tense. The call was wordless, however, merely an expression of true happiness from one within the pack. That smile reappeared on the arctic brute’s face, his tail thumping automatically behind him. He answered the howl with a loud bark, its sound echoing gently around him. When a second howl rang out, however, Amyn listened. It was Toiro, though the reason behind the call confused Amyn. It wasn’t a summon... so what was it? Regardless, Amyn rose to his feet, ready to answer his alpha’s call. Two other howls joined in before he could, however, and the beautiful harmony made Amyn’s heart swell with happiness. He joined in seconds later, his deep tone contrasting against the other voices. As the song was carried by the wind, Amyn leapt down from the rock, trudging off to seek out his companions. The others had been much closer than Amyn had thought, and he found them within a few moments. He didn’t recognize the two females accompanying the alpha brute, causing him to pause automatically. It happened often to the brute, as if his willpower waned in the presence of a female. Unable to move closer, Amyn simply stood a distance from the others, giving a greeting bark to Toiro. “Good evening, Alpha,” he muttered politely, dipping his head. His golden eyes darted to the two females, but he remained where he was, waiting for some signal to come closer. words:: Six-Hundred and Thirty-Three tags:: Toiro @firefly Tala ooc::

[Deleted]

A smile came to Firefly's lips at the Alpha's greeting. Though her heart was pounding, she tried to ignore it's rapis beats as she stepped a little closert. She knew that he and Aludra were expecting pups; she was eager for them to arrive. And she recognized his authority in the pack. Pack life was something she never knew much about, and was trying very hard to learn.

"I am finding my way pretty well," she replied. "I am trying very hard to get used to things here." She was not sure if Toiro was fully aware of her background or not, but she did not think this was the best time to go into too much detail. "Airila has been very good to me. I only hope that I can do my part." She tried to look him in the eyes. "If there is anything that I can do, please let me know. I only want to serve."

She would have said more, but at about that moment, another female appeared. Firefly lowered herself ever slightly. She was not sure who this was, or what rank she held. She did not want to insult anyone with acting inapporpriately toward them. Besides, the female carried a rabbit with her. Perhaps she was a hunter for the pack? She nodded as the female arrived. Then Toiro greeted her, and asked who she was. He did not know her either.

Then, she sensed another presence as well. Turning, she saw a white brute with golden eyes approaching, but he stopped some distance off and greeted Toiro. At least this other wolf was also apparently part of Airila. That was reassuring. With shy eyes, Firefly glanced over at the other male and nodded to him. He seemed to be content to keep his distance. She wondered why.

Firefly waited to see what would happen next, or how Toiro would respond to the situation. Once again, she was torn with the desire to run and hide, to stay and see what would be, or the urge to prepare to fight if the need arose.