Swift River and so we shall rise

Overcast — Current Temperature: 28° F/-2° C For @Ice

Gone Tomorrow

Spring was the season for transitions, and Swift River had been gradually adjusting to many as of late. Most notably, Ice's ascension to power within the pack. Corinna could still remember her surprise when he had called, no summoned her after his victory over Marsh. There had been only one other time where the thought of Ice disrupting the established pack hierarchy had crossed her mind; almost a year ago now. But now the circumstances were different, and if she was being honest, far more favorable. Their tragedy had brought them closer together, the two coleaders, and Corinna could think of no one better to step into Indru's long abandoned place.

Today, though, Corinna needed to seek out her friend and partner for more than an idle chat. The last time they had talked with any real privacy they had both mentioned their desire to start over. Not only for themselves, but for the entire pack. As her hormones had heightened in their intensity as the leader went into heat, her behavior became increasingly aggressive towards her other pack mates. But it had also reminded her of their conversation - if she would not bear new life for the pack, why could not they not create a new life for themselves? Did Ice still want to relocate them, to become wolves of something other than the River? She wanted to find out.

Sides heaving from exertion, Corinna had plowed through freshly fallen snow on the eastern most part of the territory, closest to the mountains. This was a path not frequently traveled, as evident by the unbroken snow beneath her paws. But their scents were still there - the various guardians of the pack and their distinctive smells were always present, no matter how remote their range might have been. Pausing to catch her breath, the leader took a deep breath in, satisfying herself that the border was established, even if it was covered in snow. Lifting her leg, she happily turned the snow yellow to add an additional visual to the smell. Content, she turned tail and set off towards a clump of trees, settling on the snow beneath them. Tilting her muzzle upwards, she called for Ice to join her - she wanted to talk to him. Falling silent, she waited a few moments before howling again, just to make sure that her voice had carried far enough for him to hear her. Satisfied that he would have, she plopped down onto her stomach in the snow to wait for his arrival so they could discuss uprooting from everything they had known in recent memory.

If you disagree with any of my pack-life rambles just let me know and I'll edit! ^^

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. Last spring, he had suppressed his urges, and Indru's firm reminders to the male side of the pack that Corinna was his had also helped keep them all in line. Spring had been a tense time, because Ice had been struck by how nice she had smelled, and the knowledge that he couldn't let himself think that. And then, Indru had just disappeared, and Ice had been left in a position where part of him wanted to keep staying away, and the other part wanted to growl and tell him that he'd left so he had no right to anything anymore... but Corinna's love had won out, and Ice had stayed put. This spring, everything was different, and at the same time, not different at all. Now it was Ice beating up his male pack mates whenever they got too close to Corinna, or some other female for that matter, and dogging her steps. The duty to patrol and hunt seemed pointless when he could spend time just lying by her side instead, but he dragged himself out and about anyway, knowing he had to - and not knowing if she'd blow up and tell him to get a life until spring was over if he didn't give her time to breathe. And, being a wolf naturally disinclined to upset his fellow leader, he'd done his best to not breathe down her neck at all times of the day. But he couldn't deny that there were things he wanted, but was too afraid to initiate, worried she might reject him, or that her heart was so spent she did not want to risk more heartache by creating new life. But he still thought that new life, and a new start, was what they needed - more so than just Ice ascending. He had no idea if she still felt the same way, though, if she felt haunted even though she'd come out of her miserable cage. Trudging along at the border he tried to keep her mind off her, to keep himself from shoving his nose against every one of her markers, to just mark them himself and move on. A thin layer of new snow covered the ground where he was, but Corinna's scent still burned through it, and into his mind. Lifting his leg he renewed the strong scent mark and moved on, until a howl broke the silence of the day. Ice ground to a halt where he was, and raised his head to the overcast sky. That had definitely been Corinna, calling for him, and he turned around where he was, trying to pinpoint the source using his memory. The call rang out again, and his nose twitched as he tipped his muzzle skywards and answered her, his deep voice moving through the trees to let her know he was coming, always eager for an excuse to just be near her these days. Picking up his large paws he set off in the direction her call had come from. The ground sloped gently upwards as he neared their eastern border, and the unbroken snow sank him to the ankles in each step but he doggedly pushed on. He was used to it, anyway, and as the temperatures had fluctuated the past month the snow wasn't as deep and loose as it had been in the dark of winter. Panting, with his pink tongue lolling out between his teeth, he finally saw her with his eyes as she lay beneath a few trees. Ice's tail gave a few involuntary twitches before breaking out into a heartfelt wag, and he gave a low bark to let her know he was there. She looked, and smelled, as intriguing as she always had this spring, but he forced it down and aside, knowing she must've had a reason for calling him over. Flicking his ears back for a moment he bowed his head to lick her muzzle in greeting, before taking the liberty to sprawl on the cool snow too. It felt divine after his little spot of exercise. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

It's all good! Maybe here is where they can decide to ask Marsh to go investigate? Unless you'd like to say they had already asked. It doesn't matter to me.

Gone Tomorrow

Corinna barely had time to fall to the ground before her companion called back to her. Satisfied to know that he had heard her and was on his way, Corinna settled herself onto the cool snow, the wetness seeping into her fur. The temporary sensation of feeling cold helped to keep her alert, though the concerns on her mind would not permit her to doze off while she waited. One forepaw tucked underneath her chest, the green eyed she-wolf lounged easily, watching the empty surroundings for the appearance of Ice. What would he say when she told him why she had called him here? They had not brought up the topic of relocating since their first, and only, mention of it at the falls. Despite her somewhat natural sovereignty over him as the longer standing leader, Corinna was anxious for her friend's approval. Provided she had Ice's support, then she was sure that the rest of the pack would happily follow in their leaders' footsteps, wherever the pair might lead them.

Keen ears heard his huffs before she saw his large form breaking through the snow, and with it, the sound of his bark to let her know. Half hoisting herself up, she yipped in response, her tail sweeping the snow on the ground beside her aside as she wagged it. Falling back down to the ground as Ice approached, she returned his lick to her muzzle with one of her own, to the understand of his silver chin. With a grin, Corinna watched him sprawl out on the snow; their comfort with one another had only grown since he had assumed leadership. Corinna had never forced Ice to submit, she had always seen him as a friend as opposed to a subordinate. Though, if memory served her correctly, the first time they had met he had shoved his nose into the snow at her paws while she had stood above him. My, how times had changed?

"I'm sorry to call you out here," she admitted, her green eyes catching his gray ones so he would see her apology as well as hear it. "But I wanted to talk to you...about what we had talked about before. The idea of leaving Sacred Grove. I'm not sure the pack would appreciate any additional uncertainty right now." It was true, better for them to hash out their uncertainties together before taking it to the rest of the River wolves. They had talked of a new start before, and with her own scent a consistent reminder of other new starts possible, now was as good a time as any to discuss it further.

Sounds good! ^^

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. Something exploded inside of him at her greeting, though it could hardly be called more enthusiastic than was usual for her, but there was just something about it that made him want to roll happily on the ground. But, he didn't; he just sprawled, falling over half on his side as he ground his flank into the cool snow, sweeping the top layer around with his bushy tail. To be fair, anything that had to do with Corinna sent him into that pup-mode, where he could just grin and wag his tail for hours on end if he didn't watch it. It took a bit of effort to remain focused, to be serious, but the last thing he wanted to do was to let her down, and so he forced his thoughts into coherent patterns. Eventually, his roving eyes settled, trapped in hers, the link between two predators something to focus on, causing him to hold still. She said she was sorry but he gave his head a quick, rough shake, indicating that she shouldn't be. He was just glad for a reason to be near her, especially when it was she who desired his obnoxious presence. She cut to the chase, and while she spoke, brief as it was, his tail was the only thing moving, solemnly sweeping across the snow. They'd mused upon it by the Falls, both of the same mind, and in fact, a few days previous to him approaching the subject with Corinna, Kisla had said much the same thing - why don't we move? Aiyana was old enough to travel, and by the looks of the green-eyed girl by the river, the eldest daughter had been willing to move, too. Perhaps she would cheer up if they finally did? "I still think it'd do us good," he said after a moment's silence, casually rolling over on his back and peering up at the cover of clouds, lazily waving one paw at it. In a sense, he felt more content since he had wrested the River's throne from Marsh, but he could still see Indru's shape disappear among the trees, hear his laugh in the tinkle of the spring water, see his shadow in both Kisla and Fenru... Aiyana, fortunately, resembled only Triell. "Kisla actually asked me why we didn't, when I said something about it to her." He frowned. "She is very unhappy.. if a move would not upset her more, I think she might need it." He rolled back to the side again, his silver eyes searching for hers. "I think all of us could need it," he said, quieter. "Though I do not know if Marsh would understand. I think that to him, this is still home. I don't think he sees Indru here anymore." Ice's ears fell back against his head, his voice continuing in a murmur. "But I don't know - I am not him." For a moment he looked down the length of one pale gray leg, ending in a large, blunt paw, but then he looked at her again. "What do you think?" She was, after all, their heart, their soul, their center, and he had not taken up this place by her side to rule her, only to help her guide and safeguard their family. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

Gone Tomorrow

Corinna had been aware that calling Ice out this far would be an inconvenience, hence her apology, but the gray furred male swept her apology away with the shake of his head. She hadn't expected him to be particularly upset, but it was a relief to know that he was not bothered by the inconvenience. Nor did he seem particularly phased about her chosen topic of discussion. His relaxed posture relaxed even further as he shifted beside her, rolling over onto his back. With a grin she watched him bat at the air above his head; it reminded her of a time not so long ago when she had lain above her newborn pups, watching them helplessly roll around on their backs like turtles, their tiny legs too weak to push them back over. It made her heart lurch - being a mother had become the majority of her identity and she was loathe to let it go.

Guilty, Corinna's head snapped back to attention, the glaze of her green eyes fading away as she refocused. Kisla, Ice had mentioned Kisla. He was talking now and she followed his words, trying to catch up. Kisla wanted to leave? She was unhappy? Her brown creasing, Corinna let her head fall to her paws, averting her eyes away from Ice as he continued to speak. It would be incorrect to say that Corinna had forgotten Kisla, but it would be accurate to say that the mother's preoccupation had prevented her from accurately gauging her children's moods. "I had no idea she was so unhappy here," the leader murmured, meeting Ice's eyes only briefly before averting them to the ground once more. How had she let herself lose her touch? If she didn't even recognizing her own daughter's unhappiness, how did she have a chance of recognizing the rest of the pack's?

The subject switched from Kisla to Marsh, and with a shrug of her gray shoulders, Corinna answered his question. Who could tell with him? He very rarely vocalized his thoughts, and as well as she had learned to read his emotions through his body language, how he felt about the current state of things was far from clear. "I don't think Marsh considers Swift River home..." her voice trailed off, trying to decide how to explain it. She brought her eyes up once more, this time to hold Ice's gaze as if willing him to understand. "But I think we are his home. When Indru left the first time, Marsh followed him without a second glance because loyalty told him to follow his leader." And that's who they were now, Ice and her. "Wherever we go, I'm sure he will follow." Rolling her shoulders, Corinna switched her mind to focus on the stretching of the muscles - at least she hoped he would follow, any other scenario was heart breaking and as childish as it might be, she did not want to think about it.

Finally, Ice redirected his question, returning the volley she had tossed him with her initial question. What did she think of it? Silent again, she looked around, taking in the scenery around them. The forest, and somewhere beyond there, the River from which they had taken their name. She had once been a Donata, and then had adopted the Tainn name - could she change it again? "If they are unhappy here, then I don't see how we can stay," she finally answered, gaze flitting away from a far off tree where it had settled to look at Ice. "This place has been home for so long...it won't be easy to leave it. But I can't stay here knowing that my children are unhappy. They're my world..." The gray lady had failed them often enough, encompassed as she had been in her depression, she could not do it again. "It's been a long time since I've left The Heart - not since I visited Ruiko, after....they left. I wouldn't know where to go."

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. He didn't see the way she averted her eyes, for his own were locked upon the gray skies, but he did hear her quiet voice, the murmur, and somehow it tugged at his heart. She had not known? Had Kisla not told, not shown? As he rolled back over on the side their eyes met briefly, and he almost thought she seemed ashamed of not having known - but then again, Kisla was a very good girl, a dutiful daughter. She would not want to have burdened her already sad mother with her own pain, would she? And somehow, he thought, she was the type to suffer in silence.. or it was just his lack of social skill that made it seem so. "I think she took Rissa's death very hard," he responded, his voice equally quiet, studying Corinna and wondering how she'd react - if at all. Sometimes it was easier to let a subject pass in silence than rip wounds open by answering it. As she spoke of Marsh, Ice grew stiller, calmer, simply laying on his side upon the soft snow and breathing as he watched and listened. At first, he furrowed his 'brows in confusion, but the expression smoothed out when she elaborated on what she meant - it seemed to make sense, at least to him, though he'd never thought of it that way before.. never known, that Marsh had disappeared along with Indru. Since Ice came to the pack, the copper wolf's loyalty seemed to have resided firmly within Corinna, and not their tawny, straying leader. "That would make sense," he said after a moment, his way of saying I think you're right. And then, he listened, as she gave her own thoughts. Ice blinked his silver eyes every once in a while, but refrained from letting his gaze wander the trees around them; instead, he studied her face, the play of her ears, the shift of fur across her shoulders... Ice's ears fell flat to his head, understanding - leaving home was not easy, and truth to be told, the idea of getting up one day and leaving the Grove, never to return, felt.. strange. And at the same time, seeing Kisla's quiet sorrow, Aiyana's darkly smoldering eyes in the shadows... Those things were not easy either. "Maybe it'd even cheer Aiyana up," he said quietly, knowing the chance of that was slim; the dark girl seemed to have spiraled into an abyss, a void.. quiet and introvert, the black child said as little as ever, and sometimes Ice had the feeling she was watching them, wondering when they, too, would disappear. He didn't plan on it being anytime soon. "I don't think we can stay on this side of the mountains." He'd said it before, but somehow, he found himself saying it again. "There's too many packs - I don't think we could find a spot.. nor fully shake the memory of him. I think it better we look over the mountains for a new start.. away from all of this." They say a clean cut heals the fastest, and if it was anything the River pack needed desperately, it was to heal and find happiness again. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

Gone Tomorrow

Corinna should have been smart enough to realize that calling Ice here to talk about the prospect of relocating the pack would have opened up this rabbit hole. The subject was so sensitive, how could emotions not come into it? Especially those of her children? Her memory of her birth place and her family was fuzzy at best, having gradually been replaced by the Tainns and those who had gathered around them. Fenru, Kisla, Aiyana - they had never known another place. Sure, they had traveled about, much to their mother's displeasure and anxiety, but they had never called any other place home. In a way, relocating the pack would be further destroying their security, something that had been incredibly scarce in their young lives.

Half rising, just enough to crawl, Corinna creeped forward, closing the space between them. Shuffling forward, her chest pushed away the snow. Distance closed, Corinna let her gray head fall onto Ice's forelegs. Even looking straight up, all she could see was Ice's broad chest and the underside of his muzzle, but that was okay for the moment. The rest of his words washed over her, and her shoulders shook ever so slightly, as she averted her muzzle so her quiet chuckles were lost in the snow. There was nothing humorous about this particular situation, but, his suggestion was a reminder of why she had stuck to the low lying lands of Relic Lore. "I'm afraid of heights," she admitted into the snow, her tail giving a sheepish wag behind her, sweeping away the snow that had lain in its path. Her paws had pounded the mountain terrain once before, when she had run after Indru, Torrel, and Rihael in desperation. Fear and rage had fueled her fire then. "But you're right, there's too many wolves here. At that meeting...I couldn't even keep them all straight." Lifting her head off Ice's legs, she looked up at him, peering at him. He had been on the other side..."Did it seem...hospitable? Perhaps...we could ask Marsh to scout out a place...." Cori's voice trailed off, uncertainty clear. She wanted to keep her family together, but she could also not uproot the entire pack without a place to go. Spring was on its way, but prey would not be abundant again until summer time.

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. He hadn't expected her to move, so when she did, his voice almost faltered before he kept going. She didn't rise all the way, just enough to be able to flex and shift her legs, and as he gradually craned his neck to look at her she crept in almost under his head, even as he spoke. Then he fell silent, and gave his head a little tilt - he felt all sorts of funny things, honored, excited, and confused, that she would cuddle up to him in that manner. For a while he just blinked and stared dumbly at her quivering shoulders as she muffled a few chuckles in the snow, and wondered if she'd somehow read his completely dumbfounded state of mind. But, no - she admitted to not liking heights, and slowly Ice lowered his muzzle to nuzzle at the darker fur on her shoulders. Being born in the mountains, he quite enjoyed the heights, but water.. that was an entirely different thing. The one doubt when Indru had offered him a place in the pack was just that, though these days it felt more like a necessary evil to get his paws wet than the end of the world. When she shifted a little he raised his head, pulling it back and angling his muzzle down to better look at her face. It felt a bit strange, to be the one who knew the most - Corinna had always been the pillar of strength in his life, the core of the pack, the thing which they all revolved around.. yet it was to him she turned now, for he knew the things she did not. A slight frown creased his forehead as he thought of what he'd seen, of the fern forest where Rissa's decomposing body lay and what he'd caught from the view on the mountains. He let a few seconds pass in silence as he thought, and while his silver eyes were turned down onto her, they were quite vacant. "Well..." he finally began, trying to sort out what he'd seen and smelled. "There is a forest, to the north, which seemed quite nice, but..." His ears fell back again. "I'm not sure I wish to go there again.. nor might Jessie and Fenru." He sighed, and wriggled upright a bit better, pulling in his splayed hind legs closer to his body. "To the south of that, it's a different forest - I mean their borders probably overlap but the vegetation and look of it is just different, so.. I think they're different. It's.. a bit darker, but it doesn't contain.. that memory." Remembering Rissa always came with a pang of ache, a little stab in his heart. It had not been pleasant, finding her. "I think that south of that, it's a lot, well.. wetter. Marshlands." Thoughtfully he moved his teeth against one another, not hard enough to cause much of a noise. "Marsh is a practical wolf. He'd know what we'd need in order to thrive.. I think he'd be proud to go.. but worried as well." His head tilted slightly again, a small, mischievous grin flicking across his face before disappearing. He didn't even know where it had come from. "But between us adults, I'm sure we'll all stay alive.. and healthy.. and, well... well. We could always ask him." .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

Don't mind Cori, she isn't at all seductive. :x

Gone Tomorrow

Ice's muzzle came down, touching her shaking shoulders as she chuckled. At the slightest touch of his black nose, her tail wagged behind her. It felt good to be comforted and not judged, even over the most ridiculous of fears. Of course she would go, and as he spoke up after several moments of silence, Cori's gray ears swiveled around, alert and attentive. Of course, given the reason they had gone looking, she wasn't sure how much he would have spent much time taking in the landscape. At the mention of the forest where her daughter had been found, Corinna visible recoiled, her head turning away. Eyes downcast, she pulled her legs and tail in, as if to withdraw. No, that would not be where they called home.

But he continued on and gradually Corinna turned her head back to face him. Forests, that would suit them. The river only provided one border of their territory, but like the rest of Sacred Grove, Swift River's territory was covered in trees. It was certainly more hospitable than marsh lands. Her primary concern was making sure that there the prey was abundant enough that they would not starve. Nodding her head, she mutely agreed. Marsh would know what to look for, of that she had no doubt. "Worried? Perhaps," she conceded, laughter evident in her voice. Reaching up, with a paw, she fruitlessly tried to bat at Ice's nose without losing her balance. Unsuccessful, she let it fall back to the ground, hitting his shoulder instead. "But he knows that the rest of us are in good hands here. Between the two of us anyway. I certainly don't plan on getting sick any time soon."

Pushing her weight to the left, Corinna slipped over from her stomach to her side, her head falling into the snow with satisfaction. Peering up at her companion with one eye, she breathed in quietly. "Do you think it will be enough of a fresh start?" Changes could be both terrifying and exciting, and one on this scale could very well be terrifying and not have its intended effects. But there was something about this particular time that just...inspired change. Or maybe it was her maternal instincts kicking in, demanding new life to love and nourish into adults. Ice had offered, once. Perhaps...that would be the best way to truly start over.

<3 and Ice is a dork.

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. He'd understood that mentioning Rissa might not be the most pleasant thing, but at least they were mostly over it - not that they'd ever be truly over losing a daughter to those bastard wolves, but they could speak her name without the pack shattering.. without anyone breaking down, at least not where they saw. Ice did not enjoy remembering the search for her, the hunt which ended in a dead body and cold moonlight, but he had felt the need to tell her that.. that forest was no alternative, no matter how hospitable it seemed. It would be better with the bigger, darker forest, though he'd never set foot in it. Slowly, as he went on about it and the marshlands, Corinna turned to face him again, and he felt his eyes light up a little at the fact that she could return from the memories, even after just a moment. But, when it came down to it, she was a wolf: she had to move on, or she'd never make it. And she had shown that she was a wolf, surfacing from months of grief to once more come alive. And it warmed his heart, to see that she could laugh, smile, again, that she could do the meaningless little actions which brightened the spirit. A grin wrinkled his muzzle as she batted after his nose. "Me neither," he agreed with her, about not falling sick. Truth to be told, he was very rarely sick anyway, and it wouldn't surprise him if Fate picked this spring to bog him down with some kind of infection. Corinna fell over on the side and Ice shifted even more upright, laying in an almost sphinx-like position as he tilted his head to peer down at her. "Do you think it will be enough of a fresh start?" For a moment he was quiet, mulling over her words, but who was he fooling? He knew what she was talking about - and he couldn't deny the sudden rush of blood, the increase of his heart rate, the hormones in his body demanding he yell OF COURSE NOT and tell her that moving was not enough. He bit it back, instead finding somewhat of a sly grin on his face. "Well.. no." For a moment he peered into the forest around them, trying to think straight. Kisla had taken Rissa's death hard; would she blame herself if Corinna and Ice did not mate? Would she think that they did not believe her capable of defending her younger siblings? And Aiyana - surely she didn't want to be the last River princess, the child who lost her siblings to different wolves. Fenru.. Fenru would probably want little pups to protect, now that he was growing into his role as a Guardian. Marsh would think they were sick in the head if they didn't heed their - Ice's? - instincts. "I think that.. children bring a kind of hope, and.. after last year... They'd be even more of a new start, of - of... Of saying we'll get through. Of saying we're still here, that we still live, and love..." He gave his head a tilt, and frowned. Ice was never serious for long, if he could help it - it just wasn't in his nature, and he kept tripping over his words. The grin return, more mischievous, and he leaned over on the side to try and balance while attempting to give her a poke in the belly with a large paw. "We'd just have to make sure we left before you got too fat to move.. don't wanna be stuck on this side of misery for a whole 'nother year, mh?" .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul