THE MEETING OF THE LEADERS || Open Wolvden RP!

OOC: How To Play:

1. Have your own pack lore! This thread is meant to explore pack relations, and how they might react to the culture and wolves of other packs. 

2. Follow all Wolvden rules!

3. Just post below roleplaying following the premise! This includes only rping wolves that you actually have. 

The only IC guideline is to generally be open-minded; your character may be belligerent or angry, but the other wolves may not like it and react accordingly. These meetings are intended to be peaceful (although intentions don't always work out!)

IC:

The moon is full. It hangs in the sky overhead, leaving only traces of shadows and bringing cold light to filter down between sparse trees. This area, in the middle of all the land he knows, is between the mountains and the woods, interspersed with grassland. It is where he came from.

The moon is full. It would be a nice night for a hunt, Rattus thinks. He turns to Absinthe, his mate following besides him. 

"Did you send the-" Rattus starts, but is cut off by her eyes rolling. 

"Yes, I sent out the hunting teams. I swear, sometimes you worry more about my job than yours- it's all part of why I love you, I suppose." Absinthe dramatically leans into him, bumping his side. 

Rattus stammers for a second, but at his mate's words can't hold back from licking the side of her cheek. "Thank you. I love you too."

Absinthe laughs a bit, her tail wagging as she looks to her wife. 

"We've been doing this for how long now? Nearly five years? But I don't think I'll ever get tired of those words." She continues almost leaning against Rattus as the two keep walking.

They do have a destination in mind, one that they aren't alone in traveling to. Not only do they have two scouts with them, Ashfur and their grandson, Zombie Rattus, but two other wolves from Rusałki. One is their daughter, Nerys Rattus-Vulcan, and Ashfur's daughter, Zenith Camo, for a grand total of six wolves. They had left Fuzz in charge back at home, trusting her while they traveled to the meeting.

And there was the question of the day. Zenith had been curious about it ever since she had first heard of it- things like where it was, who all would show up, what the purpose was, if there would be any fights. Rattus was almost embarrassed to tell the excited young yearling that most of the meetings were an excuse to show up and gossip with friends or allies from other packs about recent events. Usually, the largest any fight would get would be a minor tat between a couple who was falling out of pairbond. 

Zenith hadn't had much interest in pairbonds for most of her life, so drama about them likely wouldn't interest her. Rattus held out hope that the meetings would still hold the same allure for the future after the mystery was gone; as one of the prospective future leaders of Rusałki, Rattus wanted her to be prepared for any aspect of leadership, including diplomacy, which was not her strong suit.

"Can you two just get a den already and stop being so lovey-dovey in front of everyone? It's giving me a headache, ugh." Case in point.

Ashfur shot a look to his daughter, and Zenith hid her teasing smile meant for Rattus and Absinthe, choosing to show him a completely innocent expression.

Rattus rolled his own eyes at this- and then he spotted it. There were lights, somehow, at the meeting place. This was not new, but Rattus had never quite figured out how the water glowed or why the fireflies liked to rest there, even in winter. Something about it spoke of magic to him, but he couldn't be sure, and the other wolves and leaders always had different opinions.

Speaking of other wolves, he could see them up ahead. Starting to smile a but, Rattus quickened his pace before calling out.

"Hello, all! Rusałki is here this meeting. Have we missed anything?"

They wouldn't have started any of the announcements yet; no, that would be when the moon was at its highest, and there was still time. He wondered if there would be any leader older than him here this time, to announce their pack's news before him. He hoped so; having to wait shorter and shorter times to announce his pack's news had started to feel like less of a blessing and more like a line to death, recently. Especially with the deaths of Camo, Cocoa, and Libby.

They had been good friends; losing them had hurt the whole pack. But life moved on; new pups were born and named, new faces welcomed into the pack, some set out to find their names among others and some deciding to stay. Time kept moving.

But none of this was relevant, and so he simply waited for the words of some other pack leader, about what gossip had been shared and what drama had gone on. Perhaps he would be looking for the next father of his or Absinthe's pups, perhaps he would hear of hard times in some other pack and be able to help. Perhaps it would be one of those rare eventful meetings. He hoped not, but did acknowledge that Zenith would enjoy it.

Though the main reason her pack had moved to the tundra was due to competition from surrounding packs in the deciduous forests, as soon as she found out from Chestnuts and Marten about how some friendlier packs in the south were meeting together, Rune had decided that she might as well try to join in. After all, that was how she'd reconnected with Decidus and the Pack of Hoarfrost had become their allies.

As she caught the twining scents of many, many wolves whilst leading her group, Rune's paws shifted with each shifted, both nervous and excited. Nettle, next to her, licked her ear comfortingly after seeing this change in pace. "It's not often that I'm the calm one," The sunny-colored wolf dryly remarked, her voice light with humor. Rune chuckled lightly as well, leaning against her mate as she continued. "Things really are changing, aren't they?"

"They certainly are." Thorn padded next to them, and Chestnuts excitedly bumbled ahead of the group, eyes darting as he tried to find what all the fuss was about. " . . . I missed it, didn't I?" He seemed to droop with disappointment, and Rune stifled the desire to laugh at how swiftly her old friend had switched moods - a task made easier as she caught sight of the silver hairs in Thorn and Chestnut's pelts, and remembered just how old her friends were. It seemed that they'd joined the pack barely a moon or so ago. "No, not at all," She chuffed to the scout. Chestnuts immediately brightened, straightening up and wagging his tail slightly. Rune heard a familiar humming noise behind her, and imagined Nettle and Thorn sharing a bemused look. "We were only joking that things were changing quickly, because usually, I'm the calm one."

"Oh," Chestnuts yipped in understanding, and seemed to be struck with a fit of zoomies, as he paced around the group as they continued to walk on. "And now you're excited? Like right now? Like me?" Rune nodded in affirmation, smiling wider when she heard her son, Gale, murmuring sheepishly from the back of the group, behind Thorn. "Chestnuts, you're making me dizzy . . ."

Rune was about to respond, but as she turned her head, she caught a glimpse of the clearing. "I think that's it . . ." The five wolves padded into the soft grass, looking with awe and ears tilting to catch the soothing murmurs of the glowing brook that gently ran through. Chestnuts slowed to a stop, laying on the grass and panting. Nettle and Thorn lay down next to the Scout, Thorn letting out a sigh of relief. Rune noted how Thorn was panting lightly herself. Gale only sat, looking all around, while Rune padded over to Nettle and touched noses to her mate. "I'm glad you're here."

"Be glad there are no pups for me to care for." Nettle chuckled. Rune suddenly wanted to lay down on the soft grass next to Nettle, and lean against her soft fur and look longingly at her love's moon-shaped face, but she only had time to blink slowly when they caught the call of another wolf. Rune turned to see six wolves hurriedly padding into the clearing.

Rune waited for any other leader to speak up, and it was only when they'd finished that she'd step towards the group, Gale padding next to her. "I don't think so," She would politely reply. "But Silverrune, my group, just arrived a few moments ago ourselves. My name is Rune, and this is my son, Gale-" She glanced at Gale, who nodded simply, his eyes falling shyly to his own paws. He'd always had a demure and reserved character, even as a young pup. She turned back to the group. "This is our first meeting. It is a great pleasure to meet you." She dipped her head in respect.

Near the edge of the clearing, a small group of wolves kept their distance from the rest. There were only three, their legs long and hardy, their pelts short and airy- it was clear these were wolves from the prairie or the desert: runners, all three of them. From the outside no words could be heard, but it seemed as though two were trying to console one, and the latter was not having it.

"I shouldn't have let you talk me into this." Columbia stated, no malice in her tone. Her words were flat, factual, her eyes constantly roaming around the area. Searching for enemies, searching for exit routes, searching for... anything out of the ordinary. This, combined with her stoic manner of speaking, was her nature. Her packmates were not swayed.

The she-wolf to her left sighed. "C'mon, Columbia! You're the one who always says other packs aren't gonna respect us unless we're something to respect!" Tualatin's peppy nature was a sharp contrast to the other, and her words carried much father. Gently, Columbia tapped her paw, reminding her silently to keep her voice down. "And attending a meeting like this shows that we're not afraid! We're capable! We're not hiding out in the scrub-brush or down a rabbit hole!" Tualatin continued, lowering her voice a tad. She nudged the third wolf at their side. "Back me up on this, Santiam!"

Santiam, who'd been making eyes at a male across the clearing, snapped back into focus. "Oh- Yeah! Besides, we never see any other packs. It's a good idea to foster some positive relationships with our neighbors. What if we need help or something? If they don't know we exist, they can't exactly lend a paw." she reasoned, continuing to steal glances at the male wolf.

Tualatin grinned. "He's cute."
"I know, right? I'm trying to catch his eye, I think he-"

"Girls." said Columbia, firmly. Sheepishly, they returned their eyes to their leader. The older wolf let out a breath, scanning the area once more. She didn't recognize anybody- did other packs know other packs? Was that how it was supposed to be? She didn't know- hell, Columbia felt uncomfortable calling her group a pack until only recently. Accepting leadership was still a work-in-progress; she knew, generally, that her fellow wolves followed her lead and her decisions, but it wasn't like she reigned over them. The pack was looser than that. Wolves went where they pleased in their off time, and came together to work. They could have mates outside the pack, join others, anything went. 

What really kept them together was a sense of family. Wolves who had nothing could feel a hint of what they'd been missing all their lives. As much as they were comfortable with, Columbia and her pack gave. That was the idea.

There was a pause before the leader spoke again, and when she did, her tone was tinged with a reluctant acceptance. "...Metolius and Willamette really thought this was a good idea? No, don't answer that, they're pushovers. Deschutes thought this was a good idea?"

Tualatin blinked, clearing not expecting to be called out. "Deschutes? I mean, she said she did..." the hunter began. 
"Tell me her exact words." Columbia interrupted. 
"...Um. 'If you three want to do something stupid, fine.', I think it was..."

Santiam, once again distracted, butted in, seemingly without realizing the existing conversation was taking place. "Other packs brought pups, and adolescents. Were we supposed to do that? I didn't realize this was, like, a family thing."

Columbia groaned, and placed her paw to the side of her muzzle. Stars help her. The best thing to do would be to cut their losses and leave, right? Nobody had approached them, surely nobody knew they were there... Maybe this 'proper pack' thing wasn't for them after all.

(This dysfunctional trio is open for anyone who wants to come over and say hi!)

As other packs began arriving, a small group of monochrome colored wolves made their appearances, led by a silvery-white she-wolf with a ghastly scar snaking across her face. They settled in the next available spot on the edge of the clearing, with a pitch black wolf sitting right beside the she-wolf. These wolves were muscular, as well as their coats being long and thick, evidencing that they were from the northernmost regions. For the most part, they mostly kept to themselves, with a few wolves even nervously glancing around at the other packs surrounding them.

The large she-wolf at the front turned to her pack members, her gaze calm and collected. "Have fun, be polite, but do not start or get involved in any drama. Don't say or do anything that'll bring us trouble." Quiet Fawn warned, her icy gaze glancing over each and every single one of her packmates. After a moment of hesitance, the wolves finally dispersed, keen to interact with the other attendees of this meeting. However, Quiet Fawn was soon nudged by her beta, Dark Moth, who gave her a concerned look. She instantly knew what it meant.

"Don't worry. We'll be alright. We're smarter and more experienced than we were years ago, so it won't be like last time, Dark Moth. Besides, it is time that the Tribe establishes connections with the other packs. Alliances are useful during times of hardship and war." She reassured, earning a timid smile from her beta, who then got up and walked off to do socialize.

However, whilst the White Deer Tribe was struggling to socialize with other packs, one she-wolf didn't seem too bothered by the multitude of wolves. Sky Pelt was a newer member, a non-native wolf among them, and though she loved her Tribe to bits, she personally had gotten tired of the constant secretive nature the Tribe had. She was tired of hiding from the other packs and the light blue she-wolf was overjoyed when Quiet Fawn had accepted her suggestion of going to the pack meetings! She hummed, scanning the clearing for anyone particularly interesting. Sky Pelt spotted an unfamiliar trio, her lips curling into a smile as she broke into a gentle trot towards them.

However, unfortunately for her, she was almost knocked off her balance when a short grey and white flash of fur bounded past her. Squinting, Sky Pelt made out Quiet Bee, Quiet Fawn's youngest daughter and the most rambunctious and rule-breaking among them thus far. Good grief, why couldn't she be more like her older sisters?! None of them were this rude towards their elder packmates! Adolescents these days...

Meanwhile, Quiet Bee bounded excitedly towards the grass-smelling wolves, her tail wagging excitedly as she eyed each and every one of them. "Hello! I'm Quiet Bee! I'm from the White Deer Tribe! Where're you guys from? You smell like grass! You know, my Tribe is from the-"

"We're from the northern regions. I'm Sky Pelt, and I'm watching over her tonight. It's a pleasure meeting you guys tonight.." Sky Pelt butted in, rushing to the adolescent's side and smiling at the three prairie wolves. Internally, the older she-wolf was cursing the young she-wolf for breaking two of most important rules her mother had literally just stated....being polite, and not giving anything away about the Tribe's current location. She'd definitely need to give this kid a stern warning once the meeting was over.

[ @pocketwatch - these two chaotic packmates have stepped in to greet them xD ]

"I don't like this," said Druid. "I've always said we shouldn't bother ourselves with the affairs of other packs."

The older, darker wolf by her side sighs. "And I've always said, the most important thing is the survival of the pack, not your pride."

Druid scowled, but reminded herself that she had brought Umbra along specifically for his experience, and because he was not afraid to speak his mind to her. Still, she felt slightly more pleased to have Basalt by her other side. The seasoned finisher was formidable in appearance, but more importantly, Druid knew there was a shrewd mind behind those powerful jaws. She turns to the wolf in question to ask her opinion. Basalt thinks for a moment before answering: "We occupy a pretty desirable territory, down by the river. Good hunting. But we're a young pack. If other, bigger packs tried to force us out, we wouldn't stand a chance."

"And that's why we have to make friends, now," Umbra adds.

"Fine," Druid relents. "Let's get this over with."

The younger wolf bringing up the rear now pipes up as they enter the open area of the meeting. "I don't recognize any of these wolves," he says, and sniffs the air. "Or their scents." Bernardo, one of Umbra's many sons, was as reluctant as his alpha, but out of shyness instead of pride.

"That's because you never leave our territory," Druid says sharply. "Alright, I will do the talking. Remember, we're representing our pack. Make sure they know we are disciplined, strong, and capable." She takes a moment to glance over her entourage. She had chosen these packmates in particular not just for their even temperaments, but also for their appearance. Handsome wolves, all (including herself, of course), sleek and muscular hunters, with glossy pelts that spoke to a diet rich in fish and waterfowl. Satisfied with the impression they'll make, Druid leads them into the fray of other wolves.

"Greetings!" she announces loudly, and a bit stiffly, and to no one in particular. She eyes the strange northern wolves warily, and stands closer the ones who smell like the slightly more familiar lands. "I am Druid, of the Rapid Evening Pack! We come from beyond the forest."

Behind her, she swears she can hear Umbra sigh.

Pumpkin rushes in with her mate Ashen snow, their pup Cloud, & their beta Grey. The orange she-wolf readjusts her tansy flower crown and says "Sorry there was a lot of chaos back with the Wish pack" Ashen snow smiles a bit and responds with "Yeah." Cloud and Grey nod in agreement. They all sit in their usual spots, with Ashen near Pumpkin smiling.