what I otter done [claim]

[Deleted]

It was sickening how brightly the sun shone. How dare it shine? How dare it give off such warmth now? It had been months, seasons even, since Tree Rat's brother, nephews, and pack members had been killed by the bear and still he could not shake off the cloud of misery that hung over him, casting a murky gloom over the fine fall day. It wasn't even cold today. It had been chilly that day in the spring. A brisk air had flown over the delta, but it had carried with it the scent of bear. Hibernation, that safe time when every mother wolf breaths a sigh of relief and counts the pups she has managed to keep alive through the year, had ended. It was ironic that creatures feared winter, feared the desolation that came when food was short. But for the wolves of the Rock River Delta it was their only respite. The bear had crashed through the thorny underbrush, driven by hunger into a fury that would end only when it had tasted the sweet blood of wolf pups. And Tree Rat had fled. He had no choice! His brother had been yelling for him to take a pup and run, run as fast and as far as he could. So he had, snatching a squalling bundle of fur, to young yet to even have opened its eyes. The hope was that if they could drive this bear off, even if they lost some pups they would still have  one. The only problem with that stupid, stupid plan was that they weren't able to fend off the bear. When Tree Rat had returned the other four members of his pack lay broken in the muddy marsh. Not all had died at once from their injuries, but there is little a wolf can do against a bear. For days Rat sat among his dead kin, watching the last of them starve to death. With no females, the wolf pup did not last long.

And now he had sat for months, hiding hermit-like in thickets and bogs, emerging only when he felt he would go mad from hunger. He already thought he might go mad from grief. With the lack of rain this season more and more animals had been driven toward the river's edge, seeking the nourishment of its waters. With this much disruption it had been hard to appropriately brood. Quite hard indeed. At last the scent of other wolves had driven him out of hiding. The boundaries of the pack lands had not been marked since his brother's, the alpha, death. Of this Tree Rat was sure he would not approve. His brother had been the perfect leader - driven by a code that outlined exactly what to do in every situation. Except when it mattered the most. None the less, he could not allow his family's lands to fall into disarray. He had to make them his. With a sigh the lean wolf rose from the den he had formed in the roots of a large tree. It had been about as dry as anywhere got around here but mud still fell from his thick, mottled grey and brown fur as he stood. Tree Rat was a large wolf, though not particularly bulky. He was long-legged - built more for running down quick, slippery salmon in the cold delta rivers than for pulling down large elk.

Thorns caught in his fur as he pushed his way toward a clearing, paws sinking four inches deep in thick, cloying mud. Why did he even want this place? Suddenly a small doe startled before him, leaping away with more grace than he could ever manage. Oh, that was why. Even with death lurking around every corner in the form of the grizzly bears there was still life. Life seemed to thrive here in the much and the dirt. Well, then he could thrive in the grief and the pain. Rather than chase after the doe he simply watched it go. There were so few beautiful things in his life it felt like a travesty to kill one of them. After a few more moments of walking he reached the large, flat rock that he had so often sunned on with his brother. Mud blemished the grey stone as he paced to the middle, grief clinging to good memories. It was here, surrounded by the spirit of the leaders before him, only yards from the place his brother had died, that Tree Rat threw back his blocky head and let out a howl. At first it was weak, barely carrying above the light breeze that bore the scent of so much prey. Soon, however, it grew stronger, richer. Confidence poured forth from his throat as claimed this place as his own. He had been born here, he had lived here, he would die here. With that onerous task completed he settled down, head on his paws. Was there any real difference from where he had been minutes before? Here was, kingof mud. And still alone.

notes: sooooo this is my first rp post in a really long time. and that's why it sucks. still trying to figure him out i guess, but there will be less thinking more doing next time! please feel free to reply!

[Deleted]

bahari! 

    The typical murk and mud of the Delta squished and squeezed between typically white paws as the strangely marked wolf made his way through the shallow, dark water of the marsh. Large ears were perked as he continued his deliberately slow pace forward, listening carefully to the all to familiar sounds about him. The air was warm and thick with moisture today, though his large frame moved through the shaded parts intentionally, water swirling around his legs. His tail leveled with his spine behind him as he inhaled deep, ignoring the murky smell that carried it's way through the land. Winter was fast approaching and any day now the bears of the Delta would force their way back underground, and he anxiously awaited the season purely for the ability to relax, even if only slightly.

It had been some time since Bahari had heard any other wolves in the area, at least wolves that were together as a pack. It had been some time before that a smaller, functioning pack had been present— but with their sudden disappearance, he could only assume that they had fallen to the bears, or had migrated to a safer territory.

He'd had that very thought once.

Bahari lifted his large head as the brush nearest him sprang to life, the startled cry of a fowl taking to the air as it feverishly beat it's wings to clear the brush, and by extent, him. The wolf watched with quiet amusement, not so desperate for food as to go splashing through the water, jaws snapping. He'd like to think he had a bit more self restraint than that, however. Turning back to what was the usual path for his morning pacing, the two-toned wolf pressed on, blue hues skimming the water's surface. Dragonflies wove around each other here and there, and the wolf watched them silently, studying them as if he'd seen them hundreds of times before, but still found beauty in their presence. 

This routine stroll of his eventually carried his frame up the riverbank, avoiding the turn up ahead where the docile river fed into one of the larger sorts, fierce and with a good supply of salmon when the time was right. Wet, white paws grew muddy as he walked, though the creature paid little mind to any of the nature that clung to him— he'd lived much of his life in this territory, most of which was spent alone, and it was nothing new— he froze, suddenly, when something unfamiliar did take to the air, lifting his head again, though this time to listen. It was soft, initially, so soft that he'd almost written it off as the wind, howling through the trees. It wasn't uncommon to hear voices and cries dancing through the trees in these parts, and while legend would credit it to the spirits that haunted the murk, others would call it 'going insane'. Blinking as the sound grew steadily louder, Bahari found his large frame turning, following the sound with obvious curiosity. A claim? Here? Why here?

With his time here, in the Rock River Delta, Bahari was a little too familiar with the twists and turns of the terrain, and it wasn't long before careful, steady strides carried him toward a clearing, tail and head level respectively as his gaze searched for the owner of the howl— he whom sought to claim this land. His eyes found Tree Rat soon enough, and he paused, still silent. He couldn't remember the last time he'd crossed paths with another wolf, much less and Alpha— much less an Alpha whom didn't look too terribly excited about his new territory. Head lowering slightly, as a sign of respect and Bahari's obvious desire to avoid a fight, his voice rumbled in the hollow of his throat. "Was it you? The one whom seeks to lay claim to this land?"

TABLE BY @pride!

[Deleted]

» Silence echoed in response to Tree Rat's loud call. Well, the land obviously didn't much care that hte had claimed it back as his. Why had he anyway? It had been in his family for ages, of course, everyone knew that. But there was more. I hadn't just been in his family - that was an oversimplification. His ancestors Rayzarek and Mara had come here and begged Her to release the drought she held over they rest of the land. When She did, brother and sister had stayed, pledging their offspring to guard the contract. Now all that was left of that sacred contract of life and renewal was Tree Rat. He was wasn't totally sure if he believed all the stories, but they did give him heart, something that he had been sorely lacking these past few months. For the first time in a long while Rat felt a sense of peace descend around him. It was good to sit here in the sun. It shone down on him softly, its early brilliance tempered by a passing cloud almost as if it knew this moment was too personal to look at closely. The wolf rolled onto his pack comfortably, wiggling his lean body until it sat into the same grooves he had always used. If a photographer had managed to snap a picture, he would have had something to chuckle over for years. His legs thrust gently into the air, haunches rolling to one side as his shoulders moved in the other. With his head lolled back and his large, pink tongue dangling from between his canines he could have been any dog sitting at his master's heels. In many ways, the land was his mistress. This rock had been the first place his puppy paws had lead him. It was here that Peregine had named him, dark eyes filled with worry and anxiety. Yes, if any place was home, it was this place. » Some of the mud that coated his orange and grey coat had begun to dry, itching his skin and just making him look an unsightly mess. With a few puppyish grunts of delight the lean, powerful wolf began to wiggle across the rock, scraping off mud and thistles as he went. It was far from dignified, but there weren't that many ways to clean yourself when you lived alone in a land with out any clean water. Usually Heron would laugh and give him a cuff for getting so messy that was soon followed by a lick. But now Heron was dead. Heron was dead and he, Tree Rat, was rolling around on a rock like some damned puppy. The wolf sat up abruptly, loathing filling his heart. What use was it even to claim this land? No other souls walked between its borders. Maybe he should have just left the land here to rot and smell. Marshes were wont to do that anyway. Let the ghosts find their way home. » As if to point out the lie in his thoughts, Kaelyk, companion of warriors, parted the reeds to his left. Another male wolf stood there, his long coat colored in flame bright shades pointed with white. A wolf of fire come to a swamp? It boggled poor Tree Rat's brain for just a moment. He stood, gaping like a country bumpkin who's never seen lemonade as the wolf emerged as if from no where. Obviously his shenanigans had distracted him earlier and should not be repeated - Tree Rat should have been able to pick up a strange's scent in his own territory. The male didn't appear to be looking for a fight, his stance was neutral, though not so submissive as to look like a push-over. Tree Rat stood similarly, head high and ears pointed forward with confidence. "I do not seek it. This land is my own." As soon as the words left his mouth Tree Rat felt horribly pompous. What was he, some hero in a legend? He relaxed his position, allowing his ears and tails to droop to a more natural height. "Forgive me, friend, it has been many weeks since I last spoke with another wolf. My name is Tree Rat." His family's fate was no secret. Hopefully with the connection of the name to legend, the stranger would not have to ask any hard questions. "You can call me Rat, though." He certainly felt like one. notes » yay!

[Deleted]

EVERY STORM RUNS OUT OF RAIN

The group of does were peacefully grazing, minding their own and enjoying their peace. They didn't seemed bothered by the two large buck's circling, snorting, and eying each other up. In fact it seemed the does seemed to completely ignore them. Storm's bright yellow eyes watched the two buck as they lined up and as they crashed their horns together. She was interested in the fact that male deer fought each other for the right to mate, that they really had no pack structure, and that the different sexes only really mixed during the rut. Storm was quiet, she had been sitting in this spot for the last few hours only letting her eyes move. She was coated in mud smothering her scent and allowing her to get this close to these creatures just to observe their nature. She had only been in this area for the past month or two, but was finding her heart and soul rather attached to it. Though it wasn't the cleanest place it was the most fascinating. She found the sights beautiful and the mud both a challenge and a tool. She was planning on staying much longer, maybe even for good. The area was thriving with life aside from her own kind. It was strange that she hadn't seen any other wolves around this territory. She was sure that this would be a great place to live.

She was aware of the bears, she had seen them, but did her best to stay clear of them. She had come late in the salmon season, so she hadn't experienced the full threat that the bears could pose. The deer were just passing through and she was by the borders far from the ocean. Though they didn't seem to be the main prey around here which made her unsure of what she would live on food wise. So far she was fairing well and was just hoping for some company. Suddenly the deer stood on alert, snorting before taking off. After they left she crawled from the bush and wandered towards the river. Looking around she made sure there was no bears nearby before she moved into the water. Laying down she let the water roll over her and wash the crusted mud away from her fur. Once finished she moved back to the shore and shook out her fur. Sitting down she looked around wondering what she would do next.

A howl broke out drawing her attention from her thoughts. Listening to the howl, Storm knew that this was no longer a free land. Sighing the female got to her feet and began in the direction of the howl. Maybe the alpha would allow her to join, if not she would just continue her journey of traveling. She picked up her pace moving swiftly as she could through the marsh like territory. Soon she slowed down, her ears catching voices ahead. She pushed through the brush, holding her head and tail neutral as she approached the males. "Hello," she greeted, her tail wagging lightly. Her bright yellow eyes looked between the two of them.

MADE BY MINNIE OF FTS & GANGNAM STYLE