[IC] Valley of Change [AutumnFrost x Hazelrah]

[StarfrostedFox]

The sun rising just behind the mountain peaks set the craggy tops on fire in a golden glow as a lone figure sat in the mouth of a cave where he kept his family safe. He was a rather large wolf, for one of his kind, with powerful shoulders and large paws. He was primarily a deep black in color through his fur, as were his nose and pads, giving him the appearance of a living shadow. But as he turned his head to watch the passing of a bird, streaks of pale, almost white, blue were revealed through the scruff of his neck fur, a similar color accenting the underside of his tail. His eyes, a few shades darker then the blue of his markings, flickered back towards the sunrise as he released a Long sigh.

“Something wrong Haythe?” a soft voice asked, the black wolf turning his head to see a delicate looking female stepping out of the cave.

She was lithe and long, with fur the color of sand. Her lower jaw, throat, chest, and belly we’re a paler cream, as were the end of her tail and the toes on her front paws. A crescent marking, the points facing upwards, adorned each leg just below her shoulders and hips with dark turquoise. A stripe of a similar color ran from her nose to halfway up her muzzle. She blinked her light brown eyes at the other before lowering her head respectfully. She paused a short distance away, sinking onto her haunches at an inviting nod.

“Nothing is wrong Larken,” Haythe responded in a baritone rumble, flicking one of his ears dismissively.

“And yet you sigh as if the weight of the world were on your shoulders,” Larken pointed out, giving her head a tilt to one side.

Haythe studied the she wolf for several seconds with a cool expression before releasing a soft huff, turning his gaze away to once again study the mountains. “If you weren’t my sister, I wouldn’t let you get away with speaking like that to your alpha,” he growled, earning himself a simple stare from Larken. He snorted, giving his head a quick, short, shake before releasing yet another sigh. “I don’t know what’s bothering me. Something just feels... wrong.”

Larken considered that for several heartbeats, gaze traveling over the scenery of the valley slowly being illuminated by the rising sun. What she could see in that observation didn’t give her the same sense of unease that her brother seemed to be experiencing, but she knew that he was more sensitive to things of that nature, to change. Glancing back at Haythe, she chanced a brief lick on his cheek with a soft whine.

“I’m sure everything will turn out to be just fine,” she reassured her brother softly.

Haythe snorted loudly. “And perhaps the fire pack is planning an invasion of our territory,“ he retorted sourly, rising to his paws and bowing his body into a brief stretch before shaking out his fur.

“Then we’ll drive them out, as I know you’re capable of doing,“ was Larken’s calm reply, the she wolf rising quietly to all fours and padding from the Cave, heading towards one of the many pools of water that dotted the landscape.

Behind her back, Haythe couldn’t help but quirk up the corners of his mouth in a gentle smile for his sister, though it was accompanied by an eye roll. Giving his head another shake, the leader of the water pack went back to studying the sunrise, thoughts drifting back to problems once more.

~*~

A huge wooshing sound preceded a great rush of air, a whirl of currents whipping the bright white fur of the female wolf admits the gale. Her sapphire colored eyes were wide with excitement, paws and tail paddling and adjusting as she was swept along by the wind, zipping happily through the sky. Lena knew that she would have to return to the ground soon, responsibilities of running her pack always at the back of her mind, but she loved the pawfull of minutes she allowed herself each morning to simply enjoy herself before the others woke up. calling up an extra strong current of wind, she burst forward at an extreme speed, angling the currents so that she rocketed upwards towards a cloud.

With early morning sunlight glittering on the droplets of water still clinging to her fur, Lena gently set down on an out cropping of rock jetting out from one of the mountain sides with a soft click of her nails, tongue lolling in a grinning pant. Bracing her toes against the rocks, she shook out her coat, the tremor traveling from her nose to her tail, sending out a mist that speckled the stone. Glancing back over herself to make sure there weren’t any bugs or leaves stuck in her fur, the she wolf snorted softly with satisfaction before trotting into the opening behind her that would lead her to the caverns where she and her pack denned.

“You’re up early, like usual,“ a steel blue wolf commented, blinking his light green eyes at his alpha as he stretched, sky blue tipped tail quivering.

“The early wolf catches the elk Rowan,” Lena chanted in a soft sing song voice as she trotted past the male and made a beeline to a small pile of soft lavender colored fur.

Sliding onto her belly, front paws to either side of the small body, Lena nuzzled her nose into The downey puppy fur, causing the tiny she wolf to yip with surprise. Her head shot up, revealing that the lavender color of her fur was primarily on her back, tail, and the top of her head, including her ears and a stripe that traveled to her nose. The rest of her body was as white as Lena’s coat. Blinking her light blue eyes owlishly for a moment, the pup finally released a squeal of recognition and delight, rolling up onto her oversized paws and wiggling her tail as she practically tackled the alpha female‘s face.

“Pip, you’re going to tear your mommy‘s ear off if you keep tugging on it like that,” Rowan commented with a soft chuckle.

Pip, who’s actual name was Illia, ignored his remark and proceeded to climb on top of Lena’s head for a better vantage point. It helped that her mother seemed to be playing along, dropping her chin to her paws and giggling almost as much as the puppy was. She knew they had to go out hunting that day, but why not indulge in just a few more minutes of play...

[Hazelrah]

Iskra yawned in her cave, her smoldering deep purple eyes blinking awake with the sun. She stood, her lithe, sleek body stretching gracefully. Her black fur blended into the shadows of the cave effortlessly, though it shimmered with purple undertones, licking up her legs and across her sides like subtle flames. She trotted out of the cave to inspect her territory, its quiet morning stillness soothing after her night of troubling dreams.

She had seen blood sweeping the valley, drenching the ground, her pack drowning in it.

She had seen a night sky covered in shadows, devoid of light or warmth.

She had cried out, running, running, running, desperately trying to get to her pack, unable to save them from the blood, from the darkness.

She woke up twice in the night, sitting up with a lurch, gently padding through the cave system to make sure everyone in her pack was accounted for. Her beta, Dian, who had been on watch, assured her that all was well. She didn't see the look of worry on his face every time she woke, or how keenly he paid attention to her when she was sleeping to make sure she slept soundly. Her brother was loyal, generous, and kind. Iskra was the spicy fire to his smoldering flame.

But the nagging sense of fear didn't leave Iskra until late in the night, when she curled up tightly against her mother, whose fur blended with hers almost seamlessly, if not for the graying tinge of her fur, and was finally able to sleep.

This morning, as her pack woke around her, and she heard the yipping of pups, soft conversations, and she breathed in the comfort of her family.

Dian approached, as his watch was over and he was going to get some sleep, but softly said, "Everything alright, Iskra? Were you able to sleep?"

"Yes, Dian, I was. Thank you. How is mother doing this morning?"

Her brother's ears fell back momentarily, sadness clouding orange eyes. Dian was of opposite coloring than Iskra, his fur white with orange hues throughout. He was larger, bulkier, a tribute to their father. But Iskra was every bit her mother's coloring, the rare purple flame wolf whose line had been the Alphas of their pack for generations.

"She is...growing weaker. I do not think she will be with us for long." Dian responded, his voice low to try and minimize how far it traveled, concern clouding his features.

"I see. Thank you, Dian. I think I'm going to patrol alone this morning. Get some rest, I'll have Agni keep watch of the pups and mother." Dian nodded his head before trotting to the back of the cave to get some sleep in the relative quiet.

Iskra trotted away from their cave compound, deciding to start her patrol along the Fire Pack and Water Pack border, her lithe, beautiful frame moving with grace.

~*~

At the other end of the Valley, nearer the Air Pack's territory, the Earth Pack was digging some new burrows. A large gray and brown wolf trotted between the various digging wolves, murmuring words of encouragement and pointing out places that needed particular attention. From his back appeared to be growing small patches of moss, and the fur on his head is a deeply blended gray and brown, like a crown framing his deep brown eyes. He had not been planning on expanding their burrows today, but had realized late in the evening that with the way their Pack was growing, it was prudent to expand their underground homes now instead of waiting.

"Tlaloc," a voice called, and the large Alpha trotted over to his beta, Bhumi. "Do you think this tunnel is large enough? You're a big boy, eh, try and fit your shoulders through to see if it'll work," she asked with a cheeky yip. Tlaloc sighed, and ruefully bent down to see if he would fit in the tunnel.

"Well, I barely fit, but you should ask Shalla since she'll be living here," he responded gruffly, giving Bhumi a playful thwack with his long tail. Bhumi was a sleeker version of him, her deep chocolate brown fur sprinkled with hints of grey and green. Her eyes were a bright, glimmering green, always mischievous, quite beautiful, and never afraid to sparkle with anger at Tlaloc's more reserved nature.

As Tlaloc walked away, to inspect some more digging, he heard Bhumi call out "Shalla! Come check on this, see if it'll work for you, would ya?" and dipped his head in greeting to the grey she-wolf slowly walking over to Bhumi in response, her belly heavy with unborn pups.

Tlaloc sat, surveying his territory, his shrewd eyes inspecting the Valley beyond their home. The Earth Pack tended to keep to themselves, and Tlaloc preferred it that way. Most of the Earth Pack wolves were more reserved, Bhumi being their very clear exception to that rule, but something in the air this morning bothered him.

He wasn't sure if it was the mix of apprehension and excitement that came with new pups coming to the Pack, if it was his naturally suspicious nature, but Tlaloc wanted the digging to be done as quickly as possible. He wanted his Pack to have the safety of their burrows to retreat to, to know that they were safe.

"Bhumi! Try and get a move on!" He called back to her, his voice low and deep with urgency.

"Yah, yah, yah! She called back, flicking her tail at him in annoyance. She tossed her slender head up, irritated at his presumption. "Like we aren't going as fast as we can!"

He sighed. He knew Bhumi's tendency towards candor and flightiness didn't rankle the rest of the Pack as it occasionally rankled him, but he supposed that's also part of why they made a good team. They looked to her for outward comfort, for a clear direction, for humor and life.

They looked to him for protection and stability.

And he would never let them down.

[StarfrostedFox]

After such a Long time sitting, Haythe found himself stiff and sore, Grumpier than usual. And although he denied it, Larken had silently sent a small, slightly warm, wave of water over the length of his body, her healing waters taking away the worst of the aches and leaving a residual hint of minty scent on his fur. Despite this help, the big black wolf had decided to go for a run anyway, hoping to loosen up his limbs and shake off the last of the stiffness.

’And check to make sure that everything is quiet,‘ he added silently to himself, loping stride carrying his body swiftly up a rise, lifting him above a Marshland that spread over part of the territory.

Standing on the crest of the hill, Haythe lifted his nose to the wind, nostrils flaring as he scented the air for anything unusual. Hints of deer and rabbit teased at the edges of his awareness, instinctively making his tongue swipe across his muzzle, mouth watering. But the impulse was tamped down by the greater scent of other wolves. These scents however were tainted with the smells of smoke and burning, starkly contrasting against the cool, fresh, smells that lingered on his own pack mates. He was near the boundary line of where his land met with the territory of the fire pack.

Icy blue gaze sweeping quickly over the horizon, Haythe started down the other side of the hill at a much slower pace, nose dropping to the ground as he inspected the grass and bushes for any smells that were out of the ordinary. Although he told himself that he was looking for anything other than wolf scent, part of his mind was focused on the possibility of some of the fire wolves having strayed further than they ought, his conversation with his sister still lingering. Partially within the leaves and branches of a bush, Haythe caught a sharp scent that immediately had his nose wrinkling, his lips lifting to expose his teeth.

The smell was sharp and cold somehow, reminding him vaguely of how the water tasted where it bubbled up from deep within the mountain. It was mixed with a somewhat bitter smell, like sick prey, but that wasn’t quite right. Pushing through the Bush the rest of the way, Haythe blinked as he nearly ran headfirst into a long stick standing straight and tall on the other side of the bush, a scrap of what looked like a pelt hanging from the top that waved slightly in the breeze. Fur lifting along his spine, Haythe circled the stick, sniffing at it, Careful to not touch it. He had never seen anything like it before.

The stick was unnaturally straight and seemed to be reflecting the sunlight. Gray in color, it had the appearance of no other tree or plant that he had ever seen before. The scrap of pelt was a bright red in color, like the leaves when the weather began turning colder. And now that he was looking closer, Haythe noticed some sort of black rock near the top of the stick, though he had never seen a rock with smooth, straight, angular sides such as this one. The wolf stared at it thoughtfully for several seconds before coming to a decision. Taking a long, deep, breath through his nose, Haythe then opened his mouth wide, exhaling. As his breath left him, it it first appeared to fog as it might in The depths of winter, but crystals of ice quickly formed soon after, the frigid air hitting the stick and coding it in a layer of frost.

Nothing happened. The stick didn’t budge an inch. Grauel rumbling in his throat, Haythe tried again with an even stronger blast of frigid air, though to his annoyance, the result remain the same. Stalking forward, ready to jump back in an instant, the black wolf slashed at the stick with one of his big paws. As his nails made contact, he couldn’t suppress the yelp of pain and surprise as he was met with rigid resistance, shock jarring his foreleg. What was Moore, the stick had made an odd clanging sound at the contact, Making his ears ring slightly. Pinning his ears against his skull in response, Haythe backed away several paces.

’Now what?‘

~*~

With Pip fed and happily occupied with playing with one of the den mothers, Lena finally had to admit that she needed to address the needs of her pack. Straightening to her full height, which admittedly wasn’t all that impressive from an outward appearance, the white she wolf released a short howl to get the attention of her pack mates. Eyes and heads turned at once in her Direction and she automatically lifted her tail into the air.

“It’s time for us to go on a hunt,” she announced, arousing murmurs of excitement and approval. “Whoever is interested, follow me!“

With that, Lena trotted for a few steps towards the entrance before breaking out into an all out run. Her own excitement thrilling through her muscles as she shot out into the open, sunlight washing warm over her fur, speeding down the rocky outcroppings without fear, leaping from one to the next quickly. Behind her, she could hear The others following, leaping and bounding after their alpha. She briefly caught sight of Rowan to her left, his tongue lolling, before another wolf on her right caught her attention.

Rikka was a sleek she wolf with fur the color of liquid silver, her coat appearing to be almost reflective. Sprouting from her back, though currently folded tightly against her body, were a pair of feathered black wings. An unusual feature, even for the air pack, Rikka was rather memorable. Even looking past her wings, her piercing mint green eyes and herStraightforward personality stuck with you long after she had departed. The winged wolf cast a quick look towards Lena at this point, flashing her a momentary grin.

Lena snorted happily in response, tail waving, before she steered her pack mates into the trees near the base of the mountain, slowing their pace as they began weaving through the trunks. Automatically, she perked her ears, listening for the sounds of movement.

“There’s a herd of elk off to our left, fifty or so paces off,” Rikka breathed a A few moments later, her pointed ears straining forward.

“Yeesh, your ears are good,” Rowan responded, just as quiet, but the respect was evident in his voice.

Rikka merely blinked at him, but Lena could see from the way she twitched her tail that the compliment had rather pleased the she Wolf. Rikka’s Brother Noda, Lena’s late mate, had been exactly the same.

“Let’s go then, I’m hungry,” Lena trilled lightly, whipping her tail to the side before beginning to lope forward, body low to the ground.

~*~

One paw in, one small scoop of dirt scooped away. Another paw in, and another scoop of earth cleared out. The monotonous motion was predictable, simple, but Edirah found herself unnecessarily struggling with the task. With a short huff, the she wolf sat back onHer haunches, still inside the tunnel she was working on and took a moment to simply breathe.

For a wolf, Edirah was surprisingly delicate, dainty, As her mother often put it. It had led to more than one teasing comment that her father had been a fox rather than a wolf. She didn’t mind the comments overall, or at least didn’t express any disagreement with her demure demeanor. Her fur, lending to her delicate appearance, was rather long in places, especially on her tail, back of her neck, and top of her head. The latter almost resembled the manes sometimes glimpsed on wild horses that in frequently passed through the Valley. Primarily, her coat was a deep forest green, though her lower jaw, Throat, chest, belly, the end of her tail, and the tips of her toes were all colored cream.

Blinking light pink eyes up at the sky for a moment, Edirah found her gaze drifting to Tlaloc sitting a short distance away and, Predictably, her heart gave a nervous little flutter. She liked the big wolf rather a lot, had for quite some time now. But she had never confessed anything to him. The very thought had her feeling hot under her fur with embarrassment. Ears pressing back briefly against her skull, she dipped her head and went back to digging.

’Bhumi probably holds more interest for him anyway,’ Edirah thought quietly to herself, listening to the two dominant wolves shouting back-and-forth to one another.

Unknown to her, one of the other wolves had been watching her from a distance. Hutch, a lithe chocolate colored male with a lighter caramel colored saddle pattern adorning his back blinked his golden eyes at Edirah, Unseen by the she wolf. Even if the alpha didn’t know of her feelings, Hutch was well aware of them and it gave him a sense of sadness. Instead of mooning after Tlaloc, why couldn’t Edirah see that he liked her?

Sighing Saufley to himself, Hutch dropped his gaze to his paws, using one of them to scratch at the dirt beneath his toes. If he wasn’t such a chicken, maybe he would have by now. giving his head a shake, the brown wolf Focus his attention on the tunnel he himself was shaping, closing his mind to all other thoughts as he felt the earth around him through his connection with it. With a soft grinding noise, the dirt began churning slightly, like gently boiling water, before it started to role in his direction, scoops of earth clearing themselves out of the way.

One day...