Seal

original lore written by Charcoal🌾🐾!

Seal joined April 30th year 1.
His glowing pale white pelt glimmered in the sun as he met up and found the small pack. He looked curious to find that another wolf was just like him, well... more a pup that was a female that looked like him. Soot can tell that Seal and Ibis were rare and had to be a sign from the Peak Watchers. He declared that Seal and Ibis are going to be married for the good attention of the Peak Watchers. Seal wasn't so happy about that.

April 30th, year 1.
".... Should I feel happy I have a place in this pack... I'm not too sure if I should or not.... I don't want the attention every pack member gives me, or the fact I feel sick every time I look at Ibis and think that she and I shall have pups one day... if you are there Peak Watchers, please don't let this marriage happen."

May 2nd, year 1.
"These darn things, I got them before when I was on my own, but I swear these mites just love me... Dusk seems to be comfortable being a Peak Seeker, wish I can feel the same as a Nimrod... it seems Badger doesn't like me that much."

May 20th, year 2.
"I know I should feel grateful my... future mate is the lead hunter, but it doesn't seem right. Sure, she had trained with Badger until his retirement, but she is younger than the rest of the hunting patrol! I should be the leader; I'm the oldest, I have more experience than that newborn pup! I should talk to Soot about this..."

May 29th, year 3.
"I feel that my purpose here is to just be a vessel for those damn pups... I hope I love them dearly, though I do doubt they will actually turn out with this disease Ibis and I have..."

Anything after this point is written by October!
May 31st, leaving the Winged Keepers.
Rain softly pours down on the Winged Keepers' territory, leaving the night cold and the sky covered in darkening clouds. Despite the gloomy atmosphere, it's warm in the dens and the sound of little droplets hitting the floor is comforting.. At least it would have been, if not for the thoughts plaguing Seal's mind.

He sits quietly at the den's entrance, eyes avoiding the sleeping she-wolf that lied curled up by his side. The pups will be born any day now. The thought only serves to send another wave of guilt creeping down his spine. This isn't right.

He finally flicks his gaze towards her, expression softening slightly at the sight of Ibis. As much as he hates this marriage, he knows it isn't her fault. Ibis has been nothing but kind to him.. But she's so young, too young, and she couldn't have known how wrong this whole situation was.

He knows it's not fair to leave. He knows he's being selfish. He knows he's leaving her to raise the pups alone, but he can't stand it. He could barely look at her, let alone raise pups with her.

That alone made him feel sick to his stomach with shame.

With a quiet sigh, he hesitates before lowering his head to gently press his nose to the sleeping wolf's forehead.
"I'm sorry," He whispers into her fur. "I'm so sorry."

And with that, he pushes himself to his paws and steps out into the rain.

Joining Kenopsia.
What was once a light rain is now a heavy storm by the time the border was within Seal's sights. He was practically soaked to the bone, fur clinging uncomfortably to his lithe frame as he walked through the mud.

Only a few tail-lengths away stood the edge of the territory and it was only then that he realized this would be the farthest he had ever gone. What was past this point was unknown to him, and the thought only heightened his anxiety and the steadily rising adrenaline that coursed through him.

He wonders what his pack will think of him when they wake up. How will they feel knowing that their gift, he grimaces at the word, has left them behind? There was still time to go back, to return to the den and to Ibis and pretend none of this ever happened.. But is that really what he wanted?

He felt confident in his answer, knowing that it'd be an unfaltering 'no', but that doesn't do much to ease his worries. With a heavy sigh, he shakes the water from his pelt and walks into the unknown land.


He isn't sure how much time has passed when he finally finds himself lost in the taiga and begins to wander the forest for shelter, but it's long enough for the cold to start feeling unbearable. Fog rolls in as he continues his search for a makeshift den, joints aching with each step as a dull pain begins to spread through his head.

It's only when his pawsteps grow shaky and the world begins to spin that he finally decides he should sit down.

"Oh you poor thing.." A gentle voice coos from beside him, causing him to flinch back with a quiet yelp. Next to him stands a silver and black she-wolf that appears to be only a year or so older than him. Where did she come from?!

He's at a loss for words as she presses into his side and carefully helps him to his paws, allowing him to lean on her for support. "You're running from something, aren't you dear?"

"W-What?" He finally stutters out, looking like a deer caught in headlights as the she-wolf glances at him through amused eyes and slowly guides him through the taiga. He realizes her paw-steps are completely silent and he wonders if she's a ghost, but the slight warmth coming from her pelt is enough to confirm she is, in fact, living.

"It's alright. Most wolves who end up finding us are." She murmurs, offering him a kind smile. "Come now, lets get you out of this rain. Kenopsia is not far from here and you're practically an icicle! We have an Apothecary who will look after you and we can offer you sanctuary in our camp. Whatever you are running from cannot find you there."

June 1st, year 4
Yesterday felt like it had happened so fast.

The moment he had been ushered into the camp he felt dozens of eyes practically staring holes into his pelt and heard the hushed voices of the wolves around him. He couldn't tell if they were in awe of his snow-like fur or unnerved by it, and he honestly wasn't sure which answer he preferred. Maybe if he hadn't been so tired he might've felt self-conscious with all the attention.

Their piercing gazes didn't last long, the wolf, who he now knew as Ophelia, had swiftly guided him into a strange den nearby to shelter him from prying eyes. The den was decently sized, longer than the others but not as wide, and It smelt of fresh water and herbs. He could almost see a sort of hallway in one of the far corners and heard the sound of paw-steps and pups laughing from that direction.

When he turned his attention back to the room he was in he noticed the walls had several deposits carved out of them and were filled with different plants and herbs, some he recognized and others he didn't. In the corner opposite of the hallway he saw a small pool of water and he could hear the drip of the rain falling into it from a crack in the ceiling. He only got a glance of it, but he got the feeling that the water was much deeper than it appeared.

He had fallen asleep the moment he was given a nest to rest in. When he finally woke up he was welcomed by the apothecary herself, Cinder, who told him that he'd be fine and that their leader would come to speak with him in the next day or two when he had gotten some rest.

Ophelia visits him throughout the evening, stopping by to check on him and chat for a bit. She talks enough for the both of them, but he doesn't mind. He finds her rambling endearing. Cinder joins in on the conversation when she can, offering a comment or two as she works on whatever medicine she's making. It doesn't take long for the two of him to make him start to feel comfortable staying here.

June 9th, year 4
It had been a little more than a week since Seal was taken into Kenopsia.. and since he had run from the Winged Keepers. He had no doubt that the pups would be born by now.

The thought only made him feel nauseous but he couldn't stop himself from wondering about them. How many were there? Was Ibis okay? Were they all healthy? What did they look like? Did they share the same.. Disease.. That he and Ibis do?

His mind was beginning to overwhelm him, but his attention was drawn elsewhere when he heard the sound of someone entering the apothecary's hideaway. He turned in his nest to peer over at them with a grin, assuming it was Ophelia again or just Cinder coming back from foraging, but felt a sense of dread strike through him at the sight of an unfamiliar visitor.

In the entrance way stood a rather tall she-wolf with sharp, piercing yellow eyes. He felt her stare burning into his pelt and knew without a doubt that this was the leader the apothecary had spoken of. It had been so long since Cinder first told him she'd pay a visit that he had thought she had forgotten.

Now that he had seen her, a part of him wished she had.

Her expression was stoic, eyes narrowed in an intimidating stare as she stalked further into the den. He shrunk back slightly at her presence, eyes flicking back and forth between her and the ground before finally meeting her eyes. There was something off about her.. Something unsettling. Her eyes felt burning to him, almost worse than the stares he received when he first entered the camp, but he couldn't seem to look away from them. It was only the two of them in the den, but he swore he felt as though dozens of eyes were resting on his pelt.

"Seal, I presume?" Her voice was not at all what he had expected. It wasn't harsh or rough, It held a sort of cold regalness to it. She almost sounded tired, like a mother who had spent her day looking after a rowdy group of pups and had only just been blessed with a moment of silence.

June 18th, year 4
He glanced around the camp with uncertainty as he walked, feeling a little lost and restless since joining. He had been in a hunting unit back in the Winged Keepers and, although he knew Badger wasn't particularly fond of him, he'd be lying if he said he didn't miss it.

Ophelia had promised him she'd put a word in with the lead hunter of their secondary hunting group, Arcane, when he brought it up to her and told him afterwards that The Harpy would come to test his skills soon. He didn't have to wait very long for her to show up and felt nervous under her intense gaze as she guided him out of the camp.

It didn't take him long to realize that the she-wolf wasn't as intimidating as he thought she would be, only a little awkward and standoffish. In fact, he found the nervousness coming from such a wolf to be rather charming. The two worked well together during their time hunting and he even managed to get the stoic she-wolf to crack a smile and chat despite the initial silence.

The Harpy had been impressed with his hunting ability and offered him a spot in the hunting party as they entered the camp together, oblivious to Wanderer's furious glare. [Seal joined the second hunt, replacing Wanderer.]