>~* A Howl At Midnight>~* A FORGOTTEN DOGS ROLEPLAY!

[Flufferes]

Greypup nodded, his tail going slack, and his ears drooping in sadness, but that was the only hint at the storm of emotion within him. Birch was right, Night was almost certainly dead. Searching for something to change the subject with, he asked: "Are you hungry? It's not much, but me and some pups were restless and killed two blue-jays to give to the warriors when they got back. I can go get them for you... You need to keep your strength up so you can lead us." He asked, his voice shaking slightly.

Oh my cranberries Graypup you're adorable XD

 

[HeavensHens88]

(Rip)

Manny sat at the entrance to camp, an early breeze twisting his fluffy pelt. He held his head high, scanning in all directions for enemy pack members who might have come back to avenge a fallen pack mate. He wondered briefly if Sherman would come back, continue their skirmish from yesterdayand give Manny something to spend the rest of his lingering adrenaline on. A smile twisted his lips; sometimes thoughts of Sherman were the only thing that kept him from going soft.

Boredom itching his paws, he decided to get up and inspect the bushes that marked the edge of their camp. A gaping hole had been broken in on the Canyon side, and the main entrance had grown from only a dog-width across to a space wide enough for three horses to walk through. He growled irritably under his breath. It couldn't be long before they moved again, not with this much damage.

Manny turned around as tbe branches outside the Alpha's den rustled. Reed limped out into the young dawn light, his face stoney and worn. Pity flared in his heart for the younger dog, even though he knew that Reed, of all creatures, didn't need, desire, or deserve things such as pity. Slowly, the bloody coyote made his way over to Manny.

"All's quiet?"

"Yes, Alpha. All the dead have been moved away from the dens, they'll be sorted based on what pack they're from when some of the other wake up."

"Good, good. Any of the younger dogs come back for more?"

"No, I can't smell or hear anything suspicious."

"Perfect." Reed's voice was soft and hoarse, his ears pinned to his head in pain. "I want Flame in charge today. Tell Owl I want her to take Brindlepup out hunting and evaluate her, see if she's ready for the Naming Journey. I'm going back to sleep til Sun High," he said, expression void of emotion.
"I'll see it gets done, Alpha," Manny barked.

And with that, the two parted ways, one to his duty, and the other to his den.

(Seeker goes back in time ten hours.)
Her brown fur had been matted down against her from the rain, but Seeker didn't care. Before her, was the lifeless, unseeing, Windsong. Her body was coated in mud, her sides bloated with water she had inhaled.
A claw of grief ripped into her chest, taring into her heart and dragging it's-self down into her stomach. How odd, she had not felt this feeling for the dogs, wolves, and coyotes at the battle. Perhaps it was because she hadn't seen their families circled around them, mourning? Seeker was different from most other canines, they mourned for the lost canine, Seeker did not. If Windsong was truly going to be with Siris and Prycon, and with her dead, good family members, a better place, then why mourn? No, Seeker mourned for the families, who lost a loved one, for the friends. They had lost someone dear, and wouldn't see them again, not in this life, at least.
It was now, that for the first time, she noticed a he-wolf she didn't know. Had he drowned Windsong? Most likely not, since she had heard "Windsong!" Yelled earlier, and had thought it was a searching pack-mate. Perhaps she had been wrong, and it had been this wolf? But then that meant... He had known Windsong.
As he threw a glance over his shoulder, Seeker locked eyes with him. She searched through her memory, looking for that wolf's face, and she came up empty-pawed. Who are you?

Birch lifted her head. Her whole body ached, the scent of blood and herbs clouded her. She looked beside her, Flame's orange red pelt lifted and falling softly as the Sheyote sat next to her. A pang of sorrow hit her. How had she hated coyotes and wolves all this time, when she and her own sisters where coyotes? The white and black Shedog slowly lifted herself to her paws, her legs and back aching, her head spinning. Slowly, not to wake Flame, she padded out into the clearing. It was silent, of voices anyway. The wind was howling, the wind so strong Birch had to dig her claws into the earth. The only dogs in the clearing was Squrrielflihgt and Thunder, Thunder's body motionless. Birch sighed, her whole body quivering with pain and hopelessness. Birch lifted her head, her ear's pricking up. She scrambled up the rocks, wincing at her wounds. The rain drenched her pelt, and wind howled around her, but she could hear voices over the wind."WINDSONG!" She could hear them howling the elderly shedog's name. She longed to go, to find herpackmate, but as alpha and she was wounded, she couldn't. Letting out a horrendous frustrated half snarl half howl, Birch jumped down to the ground, her wounds barley Noticable. The cold rain had numbed her pelt. Birch heard a low whimper from the Breeze and Windsong's den."Ash!"Birch let out a cry, and Squrrelflight looked at her. Birch turned around, her gaze meeting Squrrelflight's. icy blue to emerald green. Squrrielflight then spoke."Go to her." Birch stared at the red Sheyote a heartbeat longer, before turning and padding toward the medicine dogs den. Her whole body quivered as she padded into the den, her head spinning. She entered the den, shaking her pelt, showering the ground below her with icy water, but none on Windsong's precious herbs. Birch looked around, and suddenly she took a sharp intake of breath, and her legs felt weak again, her whole body shaking, trembling and aching with pain. Ash's brown pelt lay motionless in a nest of moss. Birch let out a soft cry."Ash?"She barked softly."Sister?"

(River)
Something concrete clawed at Ash from the outside world, disturbing her weary spirit. It was enough to give her a crackling will to escape from this shroud of darkness, but, oh, she was so weak and the demands of consciousness just couldn't be met.
I need...this sleep...no...I need...
Unable to call upon enough energy to break through, Ash surrendered herself to be dragged back into the numbing caverns of half-life.

A small form came from the shadows and stood beside Birch. "She has not stirred since they brought her." Greypup stated. He looked up at Birch. "I'll go outside the den since you are here. Frost only wanted me to watch and see if there was any changes in her, she wanted someone to watch her at all times. I'll come back in when you leave, if Frost is still treating the others and Breeze is still out looking for Windsong."

Birch turned her head, and looked at the pup."Greypup, what happened to Windsong, little one?"She woofed softly.

Greypup looked at her, surprised by her kind voice. Somethings different about her... "I'm not entirely sure. But someone mentioned that she wasn't with them when they came back, and Frost said she fled the battle field after being badly wounded by a Canyon packer. When Breeze realized she was not there, she raced off to find her, and Seeker and some hardly wounded members, went with her to find her, and to make sure Breeze didn't get herself killed in this storm. We can't afford to loose our healer... Not now."

Greypup blinked at her in thanks, he sent a glance at Ash. "It was a storm-packer who did this to her, wasn't it?"

Birch sighed."Dark Storm." Bitterness rose in her throat, her claws digging into the ground.

Dawn became a rippling light on an oiled sea as it crawled up from the forest floor onto Obsidian's pelt. He winced and turned away- not just from the physical irritation, but also away from the harsh reality that the sun was forging from the sickening, surreal quality of the whole night.
Once the last of the pack had returned bearing Windsong's corpse, his nagging fears had edged closer. For awhile, he'd kept them at bay by spending the remainder of the night combing the woods for dogs too exhausted to make it to camp.
But he hadn't just done that for his packmates gone awry-
and his true interior motives for those searches had gone unfulfilled. His sister was still missing.
And you know where the other absent dogs are.
He couldn't cling to the night any longer. His eyes drifted over to the what appeared to be the remains of Birch's den, urging his body forward.
He heaved himself to his paws, suddenly feeling more worn than an elder who'd seen a hundred moons. Plodding across camp seemed to be about the most physical and emotional toil he'd forced himself through.
Obsidian pushed his way into the dripping bramble-cave. The belated thought of etiquette struck him a heartbeat too late, and he offered a contrite grimace at Birch, slumped against the rear wall in posture that suggested she were Omega rather than their last standing leader. "My apologies, Alpha," he growled, his voice cracking with not only adolescence, but something she'd heard in doses too great over the past few thousands of heartbeats. He turned to the other occupant of the den, about to ask for privacy while addressing Birch. His eyes glossed when they registered the other canine as Greypup, hypothesizing this was the closest he had left to a friend.
"Alpha," he tried again. The tattered white she-dog lifted her head as though she were acknowledging an irking fly. He had to force his eyes to stay on the surface of hers, to not fall beyond the dull glaze and get lost in her own torment. Sure, she had a duty to get beyond her own emotions for the good of the remaining pack, but she was only canine- and there definitely were visible accents of unbridled pain all over her. "My sister. She's...not here." There was no need to form it into a question. Nighthawk was heartbeats from becoming just another confirmed statistic. He was just asking for confirmation.

 

[HeavensHens88]

Okay are all of us playing 10 hours later now or are Kyndra and River still playing the night of?

(I just carried their conversation into dawn. XD Problem solved.)

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

(River)
Something concrete clawed at Ash from the outside world, disturbing her weary spirit. It was enough to give her a crackling will to escape from this shroud of darkness, but, oh, she was so weak and the demands of consciousness just couldn't be met.
I need...this sleep...no...I need...
Unable to call upon enough energy to break through, Ash surrendered herself to be dragged back into the numbing caverns of half-life.










Dawn became a rippling light on an oiled sea as it crawled up from the forest floor onto Obsidian's pelt. He winced and turned away- not just from the physical irritation, but also away from the harsh reality that the sun was forging from the sickening, surreal quality of the whole night.
Once the last of the pack had returned bearing Windsong's corpse, his nagging fears had edged closer. For awhile, he'd kept them at bay by spending the remainder of the night combing the woods for dogs too exhausted to make it to camp.
But he hadn't just done that for his packmates gone awry-
and his true interior motives for those searches had gone unfulfilled. His sister was still missing.
And you know where the other absent dogs are.
He couldn't cling to the night any longer. His eyes drifted over to the what appeared to be the remains of Birch's den, urging his body forward.
He heaved himself to his paws, suddenly feeling more worn than an elder who'd seen a hundred moons. Plodding across camp seemed to be about the most physical and emotional toil he'd forced himself through.
Obsidian pushed his way into the dripping bramble-cave. The belated thought of etiquette struck him a heartbeat too late, and he offered a contrite grimace at Birch, slumped against the rear wall in posture that suggested she were Omega rather than their last standing leader. "My apologies, Alpha," he growled, his voice cracking with not only adolescence, but something she'd heard in doses too great over the past few thousands of heartbeats. He turned to the other occupant of the den, about to ask for privacy while addressing Birch. His eyes glossed when they registered the other canine as Greypup, hypothesizing this was the closest he had left to a friend.
"Alpha," he tried again. The tattered white she-dog lifted her head as though she were acknowledging an irking fly. He had to force his eyes to stay on the surface of hers, to not fall beyond the dull glaze and get lost in her own torment. Sure, she had a duty to get beyond her own emotions for the good of the remaining pack, but she was only canine- and there definitely were visible accents of unbridled pain all over her. "My sister. She's...not here." There was no need to form it into a question. Nighthawk was heartbeats from becoming just another confirmed statistic. He was just asking for confirmation.

Birch whirled around, drawing her jaws back into a snarl."She's dead, pup. I saw her, she's dead, ok?! If you want to know more, talk to Hollyshadow." The Shedog let out a snarl, flicking her tail to dismiss Greypup. Birch crawled over to Ash, narrowing her eyes."Ash, Please."She whispered softly, sitting over her sister, licking the shedog's head softly."You can't die, you need to wake up. River pack needs you."Her voice tightened with emotion."I need you."Her tail rested on Ash's flank, Trembling."My sister, I mean, our sister is here. She stayed, Ash. She cares about us. We have each other and we have Flame. We are strong, you are strong."Birch leaned down, her muzzle less then a inch from Ash's ear."Please wake up, Ash."

~

Flame lifted her head, and looked around."Birch?"Her voice echoed in the den."Birch?"Flame jumped to her paws, tearing out of the cave, claws skidding on the stone ground. She fled out of the den, bounding down the rocks."Birch?!"She jumped over to where a Sheyote was crouched over a dead black wolf."Im sorry to disturb you, But have you seen Birch? I, Er, mean, Alpha?"Squrrielflight lifted her head,"She's safe. She's with her sister, I reccomend you leave her alone, she...can have mood swings. Quickly"

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

(I just carried their conversation into dawn. XD Problem solved.)

(DONT BLAME ME FOR ALWAYS THINKING ITS NIGHT TIME.
IT IS CALLED A HOWL AT MIDNIGHT. MIDNIGHT'S AT NIGHT. AM I RIGHT OR AM I RIGHT :troll:

 

[vachick15]

Everyone who jumped back in time.


You get a tape measure.

This is my favorite post. Like. Ever.

 

[RiverStorm]

"He is, Greypup. He is. He Finnally got what he deserved. Lets just pray they Eon is a better Alpha then he was."

"Good." Greypup said. "Alpha, my mother, and all the canines he killed are avenged, and he won't kill anyone else ever again."

Oh my cranberries Graypup you're adorable XD

Ikr XD

 

[RiverStorm]

(River)
Something concrete clawed at Ash from the outside world, disturbing her weary spirit. It was enough to give her a crackling will to escape from this shroud of darkness, but, oh, she was so weak and the demands of consciousness just couldn't be met.
I need...this sleep...no...I need...
Unable to call upon enough energy to break through, Ash surrendered herself to be dragged back into the numbing caverns of half-life.










Dawn became a rippling light on an oiled sea as it crawled up from the forest floor onto Obsidian's pelt. He winced and turned away- not just from the physical irritation, but also away from the harsh reality that the sun was forging from the sickening, surreal quality of the whole night.
Once the last of the pack had returned bearing Windsong's corpse, his nagging fears had edged closer. For awhile, he'd kept them at bay by spending the remainder of the night combing the woods for dogs too exhausted to make it to camp.
But he hadn't just done that for his packmates gone awry-
and his true interior motives for those searches had gone unfulfilled. His sister was still missing.
And you know where the other absent dogs are.
He couldn't cling to the night any longer. His eyes drifted over to the what appeared to be the remains of Birch's den, urging his body forward.
He heaved himself to his paws, suddenly feeling more worn than an elder who'd seen a hundred moons. Plodding across camp seemed to be about the most physical and emotional toil he'd forced himself through.
Obsidian pushed his way into the dripping bramble-cave. The belated thought of etiquette struck him a heartbeat too late, and he offered a contrite grimace at Birch, slumped against the rear wall in posture that suggested she were Omega rather than their last standing leader. "My apologies, Alpha," he growled, his voice cracking with not only adolescence, but something she'd heard in doses too great over the past few thousands of heartbeats. He turned to the other occupant of the den, about to ask for privacy while addressing Birch. His eyes glossed when they registered the other canine as Greypup, hypothesizing this was the closest he had left to a friend.
"Alpha," he tried again. The tattered white she-dog lifted her head as though she were acknowledging an irking fly. He had to force his eyes to stay on the surface of hers, to not fall beyond the dull glaze and get lost in her own torment. Sure, she had a duty to get beyond her own emotions for the good of the remaining pack, but she was only canine- and there definitely were visible accents of unbridled pain all over her. "My sister. She's...not here." There was no need to form it into a question. Nighthawk was heartbeats from becoming just another confirmed statistic. He was just asking for confirmation.

Birch whirled around, drawing her jaws back into a snarl."She's dead, pup. I saw her, she's dead, ok?! If you want to know more, talk to Hollyshadow." The Shedog let out a snarl, flicking her tail to dismiss Greypup. Birch crawled over to Ash, narrowing her eyes."Ash, Please."She whispered softly, sitting over her sister, licking the shedog's head softly."You can't die, you need to wake up. River pack needs you."Her voice tightened with emotion."I need you."Her tail rested on Ash's flank, Trembling."My sister, I mean, our sister is here. She stayed, Ash. She cares about us. We have each other and we have Flame. We are strong, you are strong."Birch leaned down, her muzzle less then a inch from Ash's ear."Please wake up, Ash."

~

Flame lifted her head, and looked around."Birch?"Her voice echoed in the den."Birch?"Flame jumped to her paws, tearing out of the cave, claws skidding on the stone ground. She fled out of the den, bounding down the rocks."Birch?!"She jumped over to where a Sheyote was crouched over a dead black wolf."Im sorry to disturb you, But have you seen Birch? I, Er, mean, Alpha?"Squrrielflight lifted her head,"She's safe. She's with her sister, I reccomend you leave her alone, she...can have mood swings. Quickly"

Greypup ignored his dismissal, Ash was his packtor. His friend. He crept closer, but still at a respective distance. "Ash?" He whispered, dropping onto his knees and onto her height. "Ash, your sisters are here. Would you wake up for them? Show us you're okay." His voice shook, his beg to the she-dog came from the heart. He had turned from a young he-wolf, to a young, mewling he-dog pup.

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

Greypup ignored his dismissal, Ash was his packtor. His friend. He crept closer, but still at a respective distance. "Ash?" He whispered, dropping onto his knees and onto her height. "Ash, your sisters are here. Would you wake up for them? Show us you're okay." His voice shook, his beg to the she-dog came from the heart. He had turned from a young he-wolf, to a young, mewling he-dog pup.

Birch let out a snarl, staring at the pup. She got up, looming over him."I am your Alpha!"She snarled."You do not disobey me! You go to your den NOW!"Fire gloomed in her eyes.

 

[HeavensHens88]

Birch whirled around, drawing her jaws back into a snarl."She's dead, pup. I saw her, she's dead, ok?! If you want to know more, talk to Hollyshadow." The Shedog let out a snarl, flicking her tail to dismiss Greypup. Birch crawled over to Ash, narrowing her eyes."Ash, Please."She whispered softly, sitting over her sister, licking the shedog's head softly."You can't die, you need to wake up. River pack needs you."Her voice tightened with emotion."I need you."Her tail rested on Ash's flank, Trembling."My sister, I mean, our sister is here. She stayed, Ash. She cares about us. We have each other and we have Flame. We are strong, you are strong."Birch leaned down, her muzzle less then a inch from Ash's ear."Please wake up, Ash."

~

Flame lifted her head, and looked around."Birch?"Her voice echoed in the den."Birch?"Flame jumped to her paws, tearing out of the cave, claws skidding on the stone ground. She fled out of the den, bounding down the rocks."Birch?!"She jumped over to where a Sheyote was crouched over a dead black wolf."Im sorry to disturb you, But have you seen Birch? I, Er, mean, Alpha?"Squrrielflight lifted her head,"She's safe. She's with her sister, I reccomend you leave her alone, she...can have mood swings. Quickly"

Obsidian's ears flattened against his skull. His eyes rolled with automatic submission more so to her rage rather than her tactless declaration, and he scrabbled out of the den in crazed desperation to get away.
Once he was free, his head dropped and hung. He felt eyes on him, but no one moved to offer him even a whisker's twitch of sympathy. They all had their own helpless grief to wallow in. Bitter frustration welled up in his throat like scorching bile, but as he realized he couldn't validate nor find a reason for it, he swallowed it back down. There was nothing anyone could do now- there was so much lost and the pack couldn't collectively numb others' pain when their own was so great.
His sister was gone.
His teeth ground together and he began plodding a pitiful circle. But she promised she'd be back.
For the first time, the placid mutt wanted to lash out at something, anything- somewhere else to heap this urge to blame. Even the sinfully bright and cheery sky suddenly seemed a perfect target for furious slaughter. The forest whirled around him in a maddening array of newborn golds and dying reds, inciting him to ruin all of the Procyon-forsaken false tranquility when everything was just so wrong.
And then it all became still, as though everything -the abstract feelings, the sky, the earth- had simultaneously collapsed and fallen as soundless snow.
Obsidian raised his head and let the exposing sun engulf his face. It was everywhere- embracing torn plants, kissing the washed dirt; nuzzling scars and flushing wounds; creeping into the yawning holes that turned intricate dens useless; but most noticeably making the emptiness beside some dogs so blatantly apparent. It was illuminating every loss into the new normal they'd all have to accept in order to survive.
Promises are made to be broken.
"Alright. Who's on dawn patrol?"