Gathering of Packs (Open, But There IS a Plot!)

Ooc: Nice one Smoke, thanks for doing this. If you want, I'll rp Marcios until someone else adopts him. You know, just so this gathering thing can work a bit more smoothly ;P

Luna heard the pounding of feet off in the distance. She gave a nod to Oburoka who in turn told everyone to gather around and stay hushed. Luna could at least trust the wolf with direct orders. By tradition, he was not Alpha and would never be until Luna bore his pups or died. That was what she had always assumed had been his plan; become the Alpha. But when he had the perfect chance to kill Luna, he made no such effort. Instead he tried to help her as much as possible. Though Luna was thankful for his presence, she did not forgive him for what he has done to her.
The newly-aged wolf swiftly climbed and sat on top of a boulder, Oburoka joining her. Luna could see some fur off in the distance and closed her eyes and breathed in a few gasps of air slowly and collectedly. She felt a nudge on her shoulder.
"You'll be fine, Luna. They'll be happy to see you alive, you know," The large wolf barked to her.
Luna opened her eyes and gave a grim nod. "I hope so. I've no idea what they think of me," She replied.
Oburoka sat up taller now. "They think of you as a strong Alphess, just like our pack does. And they have no reason to think otherwise."
The beautiful white wolf glanced at him. "I let you in."
Oburoka seemed to consider her words. "Yes, but your mother was Alphess at the time, rest her spirit. All I wanted is to be where I am now; not destroy the pack or take over theirs."
"I hope that's all you want," Luna said, moving her eyes to the oncoming pack.
"It is."

Ooc: Thanks ^.^ I'll rp Oburoka since it just makes things easier.

Marcios stopped walking and raised his head, his long white fangs protruding out from under his scarred muzzle. He sniffed the air, a glaze of confusion washing over his stern old face.
"What is it?" one of his betas inquired nervously. Marcios ignored the wolf's question and continued on, growling aggressively under his breath.
The pack continued on until they reached the field where the pack of True Ice was waiting. Some wolves became excited, smiling and wagging their tails at the sight of old friends from the other pack. Others scowled and turned from the burning faces of ancient rivals. Either way, all were hushed impatiently by their leader, who in turn made his way to the top of the opposing boulder, facing Luna.
"Alphess Luna," Marcios boomed, "I give you my warmest greetings. It is good to see you looking well again."
At the old leader's words, every wolf shot their gaze upwards to the other rock. Each stifled a confused exclaim and a baffled mutter to the wolves next to them as they saw the white she-wolf, fit and healthy as any other wolf in the clearing, standing tall and proud beside her mate.
She had been what Mercios had scented as he approached the gathering-place, so he knew far enough in advance that the she-wolf was present to prepare himself.

Luna bowed her head in respect to Marcios. The wolf no longer scared her like he had when she was a pup, especially with Oburoka by her side. He mattered to her only because he was a faithful partner, and he matured her image from a fun-loving pup to a fearless Alphess.
"Thank you for your kind words, Marcios. I'm glad to see you as well," Luna replied confidently. Next, she addressed the wolves of both packs.
"Before we met today, our packs have been adversaries as long as anyone can remember. I have permission given to me from Marcios to address both packs when I say this: there is no time for peace but the present," Luna's voice boomed easily over the quiet wolves. She had changed so much from before her sickness. She was now confident, lithe, strong, charismatic, and cunning. And she knew how to use it all to her advantage.
"Today is a day of games, not of battles and arguments. I can proudly say this will b the first peaceful gathering our packs have had in many generations," Luna finished. She looked at Marcios, letting him continue on with the speech as they had planned.

Ooc: Sorry for kind of power-playing. But I was thinking Marcios could describe what they were doing that day, like the different games and ways to build community with each other.

Oran looked up the True Ice Alphess, and immediately started searching for his close friend Tarlio. He had no idea how the wolf would react to seeing his love, especially beside what seemed to be a loving Oburoka. Oran started silently weaving through the crowd looking for his friend.

Marcios nodded to Luna and turned to the packs; "Luna is right. Here, there will be no battles, only games, to test which pack has raised the best wolf; the fastest, the strongest, the greatest hunter... the wolf who can eat the most berries in one go."
A laugh broke from the pack wolves at the unusual burst of humour from the Winter pack alpha.
"But remember, they are only games. We will leave here as we arrived: in peace and fellowship with one another."
Then, turning to his pack only: "Pack of Never-ending Winter, go and join our True Ice friends in merriment. Luna and I have some things to discuss before we join you."
With that, the black wolf left his podium and stalked down into the crowd. As he past Matvei, one of his betas, he whispered to him, "Go find the pups so I can introduce them to Luna. And find Tarlio. She hasn't met him yet either." Matvei nodded and watched his alpha disappear to wait for Luna in the centre of the clearing.

Ooc: No problem ;P

Tarlio was frozen the moment he saw Luna. When he heard Marcios say her name, he couldn't stop his head shooting up to see if it was really her. Luckily for him, many of the other omegas had had the same reaction, considering all thought she was dead. He forced himself not to call out to her, and dug his claws in the ground when he saw Oburoka with him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Oran staring at him. Tarlio met his gaze, his eyes swimming with delight, confusion, distress - he needed help.

Oran quickened his pace when his eyes met with Tarlio's. He was at his flank in a moment's notice. He could tell the wolf was slowly filling with panic.
"Be careful, Tarlio. We don't know how this will go down. Oburoka might see you," The omega said. "We can try to speak to her when she's alone. Going up to her by yourself might give everything away..." The omega trailed off when a beta came up to them.
"Marcios wants you to meet Alphess Luna," Matvei barked at the two.

_


Luna followed the other leader's example and made her way down the boulder, Oburoka close behind even though he could have taken the jump in one leap. When the wolf smiled at her, she lightly returned it. Her main focus was making her way over to Marcios.
"Don't come with me to meet with Marcios. I believe he wants to introduce his family to us, and you might scare the pups," Luna grinned at the large wolf.
He made a mocked offended face. "I would never do that. At least not to my pups anyway," He gave a small hint, as he had been doing recently. Luna rolled her eyes. She would hold off having pups for as long as possible if it would be with him.
"Go. Oversee the berry game," Luna ordered him. He gave a sigh and listened to her, heading over to the converging packs.
Luna made her way over to the Alpha, bowing her head in respect. "Hello Marcios. It makes me quite happy to be able to meet with your pack in peace," Luna barked to the other leader.

The loner took in his friends words, nodding as he spoke, though it was pretty obvious that he was only half listening. He watched Luna until she disappeared into the crowd to meet Marcios, and his body became less rigid as she left his sight.
This rigidness returned, however, when Matvei said he was to meet Luna. The enormous wolf had several pups in tow behind him, playing and rolling over each other at the beta's paws. Tarlio shot a stunned look at Oran, before turning back to Matvei.
"Me, sir?" the loner choked, hardly able to talk.
"Yes, both of you," the male replied, "It is tradition for each leader to be introduced any wolves from the other pack they haven't met before."
Tarlio gave another glance to Oran beside him, this one tinted with a humorous spark at Matvei's statement that he and Luna had never met. The loner's heart raced in his chest as he followed Matvei to where the two alphas were waiting.

---

"Likewise, Luna," Marcios returned, bowing his head to the alphess, "These games are a fun and important way to keep in contact with you and your wolves. And, as is tradition, it is time for me to present the newest members of my pack to you."
The old alpha could see Matvei approaching from the crowd - he really did stick out from other wolves. At his paws race the three-month-old litter of cubs. He assumed his beta's colossal frame was blocking Tarlio and Oran behind him.

Oran gave a light-hearted look towards Tarlio, but inside he felt his heart being burdened with dread. This may not go well for his good friend. When Matvei told him to follow, Oran did so without comment. He just gave a small smile to the pups when they greeted him.

Luna looked at the pups with warmheartedness in her eyes. Her pack no pups at the time, as those who had been went into training recently and they were already known in the Never Ending Winter pack.
"They look strong and healthy," Luna commented on the pups. When she saw that some other wolves were following Matvei, her gaze became curious. She had not known Marcios to take in outsiders, but she knew there may be a few omegas she did not know in the other pack unlike Marcios and True Ice; the only new character had been Tarlio, and he hadn't been there long enough to meet Never Ending Winter.

With every step he took, Tarlio could feel his body getting heavier as his instincts became conflicted over how he should feel. His muscles were quivering anxiously. He was prepared to pass out and run for the hills at the same time. All he could hope for was that neither he nor Luna would give anything away to Marcios.
The loner heard the two alphas praising the pups that had stepped up before Oran and himself. When at last Matvei stopped, the breath caught in Tarlio's throat. The beta stepped aside, leaving Tarlio to stand before Luna, nothing shielding or obstructing their view of each other.
Funnily enough, for all the young wolf's fretting, the moment he laid eyes on the white she-wolf all his nervousness melted away. He breathed a sigh of relief and stood before her, a tiny smile dancing in the corners of his mouth, his eyes glowing with pure happiness that he hid with all his might.

"These two are omegas new to you Luna," Marcios said, oblivious to what exactly was taking place between the omega and the alpha, "This is Oran, who's father was part of our pack. He was a little too young to come to the gathering last time. And this is Tarlio. I know, unlike me to take in a loner, but he proved himself well enough by beating my finest betas in combat."

"It's an honour to meet you, Alphess Luna," Tarlio spoke mock-formally, trying desperately not to burst into joyous laughter.

Luna was stunned for a moment, and to hide it she sat down and pretended to give a hard look to the two omegas. In her mind, everything went haywire. Her immediate thought was to hide Tarlio in hopes that Oburoka would not see him, but she knew he was helping with the games. She couldn't give anything away.
Instead, she presented herself with a cold disposition. These were omegas, and though one was the love of her life, she could not let Marcios see that.
"And you as well, Tarlio and Oran. I believe I knew your father Oran; he had a great spirit," Luna spoke, choosing her words carefully. She saw the laughter Tarlio was withholding, and could not go down that route.


"Thank you, Alphess Luna," Oran spoke, bowing his head deeply. He had not realized she knew his father, but it made sense. She was older than he, and had met his pack when she was a pup.

Tarlio was impressed with how well Luna hid her surprise. At first, he saw her eyes widen and her body flinched, but she quickly recovered; she was certainly doing better than him. Though he managed to remain silent and keep his desire to laugh under control, the loner couldn't help his tail from wagging slightly.
When Luna spoke of Oran's father, his smile grew. He knew Oran better than any wolf in his pack, so he was aware of his harsh upbringing and the constant scrutiny he received from others for being part dog, and how few had ever given him a kind word in his life. But Luna had always had a kind heart. Though she had grown strong and confident since he had left, her kindness still remained for wolves that deserved it.

Marcios scowled at the smiling omega. "What are you smiling about, boy?" he demanded from Tarlio.
"Sorry sir - I like the feeling of grass on my paws." The excuse was so redundant that Tarlio had to stifle another laugh at how stupid he was.
"Indeed..." Marcios replied, "Well then, go and enjoy the gathering. Both of you are dismissed."

Oran bowed his head to both leaders, turning tail before Tarlio would burst out laughing any more. He was not looking forward to these games; not even the wolves in Truce Ice thought very highly of him.

Luna scowled in Tarlio's direction. His immaturity about the situation may cost them their heads. While Luna had done a complete reverse in her mind and maturity, it seemed that Tarlio wasn't quite at the point as Luna was. This thought saddened the Alphess; they had been such a good team together, Tarlio often being the one with the more level mind. But she was a fool to think things could go back to the way it was before. With her mother dead, Luna leading the pack, and a mate expecting pups, she had a lot more on her plate than love.
"Shall we overseer the games?" Luna asked Marcios politely with a soft smile. Her expression gave away none of her thoughts, and her gaze left Tarlio entirely. Now was not a time for whatever it was that they had.

Tarlio left with Oran, his smile turning into a sad one as he faced away from Luna. He had to find away to be alone with her and talk, for several things needed to be said between the two. The young male looked over his shoulder one last time to the alphess, before returning into the crowd, awaiting a deserved scolding from Oran.

Marcios sighed, "I wish I could Luna. But my mate should be around here somewhere, and she'll want us to go to the games together." The old wolf bowed his head, "I will see you another time," he growled, before leaving to find his alphess.

"You're an idiot," Oran commented. That was all he had to say. It went better than he thought it would have, but he didn't think it went too well either.
"Come on, I can eat more berries than you," The omega turned towards the berry eating contest.

Luna bid farewell to the Alpha as he left and turned around to see Oburoka standing there happily. It took a second for Luna to realize it, but the wolf had berry juice all over his muzzle. She cracked a grin at her mate when he winked at her.
"Really, Oburoka?" Luna asked.
Oburoka faked being offended. "I saw it fit to join the contest with everyone. You're just too stuck with that white fur of yours," He teased.
Luna gave a small laugh. "We'll see about that. I can eat with the best of them."
"Prove it," Oburoka replied.
"Fine," Luna said, heading to the berry contest area.

Ooc: I was thinking Luna could go against Tarlio in the contest. Later on, when they try to talk to each other, they get on each others nerves and don't confess their love is still there, so Luna decides to go ahead and have pups with Oburoka (which is what he's waiting for... the reason he's being so nice) and only shortly before the pups are born do Luna and Tarlio fix things. It would be very dramatic :3

Tarlio chuckled at Oran and ran to the berry arena with him.
"Hey, at least I managed not to laugh," he said, "What do you think Luna thought when she saw me? She looked a little cross, didn't she?"
Tarlio saw the berry contest through the crowd of cheering wolves. In the centre of the crowd he saw a couple of sick-looking wolves desperately stuffing the little blue berries into their juice-covered jaws. The loner stood on the side of the ring of spectators watching the competitors from each pack feast.

Ooc: That sounds insane, but I'm down with it. What would happen after that though? Would Oburoka stay nice?

Oran gave a small shrug. "She looked surprised, but she's an Alphess now. She has a lot on her mind, and I'm sure she doesn't want to be selfish and make you her main focus. I mean, her pack is spread out with the enemy right now," Oran mused to his friend.

Luna trotted over to the Berry contest and saw Tarlio not too far off. She had to be careful with Obruoka, who was following closely behind her. She knew her pack would recognize Tarlio but they knew better than to bring it up in front of Marciis' pack.

Ooc: he could try to take the pups, Tarlio could save them, and then True Ice would consider him a hero and welcome him back :D

Tarlio gave another chuckle to Oran and was about to reply when he caught sight of Luna on the other side of the ring. He smiled, his white teeth flashing mischievously in the sunlight. As the event proceeded, wolves pulled out, sick to the stomach but in good spirits, one after the other until only one was left, and True Ice female. The she-wolf, who Tarlio recognised as Andi, Luna's friend, yelped and celebrated with an onslaught of fans from both packs who gathered round her, cheering her victory.
Tarlio laughed, remembering the good humour of the young she-wolf. A few new competitors had entered the arena.

Ooc: Have I ever told you you're a bloody genius?;3

Ooc: Once or twice, lol XD

Oburoka looked around, a bad expression on his face. "Are you alright?" Luna asked when she noticed her mate was starting to look nauseated.
The large wolf quickly shook his, turning tail and running into the woods, "I ate too much!" He yelped along the way.
Man of the wolves had been watching and laughter could be heard throughout the small arena. Soon enough, it died down and the contests went on. In no time at all, it was Luna's turn. When she locked eyes with her competitor, she was surprised to see Tarlio.
"Hello, Tarlio. I'm not sure if you can beat me in this," Luna said with a small laugh. She kept it casual and talked as though she really were speaking with an omega; she didn't need the eyes around them seeing anymore of their relationship.

Oran prayed for his friend. He was a pessimist typically, but he saw no good way out of this.

Tarlio observed Oburoka's episode and seemed to be the only one not laughing as he ran off. His expression was gloomy as he looked from him to Luna, who seemed to be enjoying his company.
The young loner had to look away, anger boiling deep within him. He didn't deserve what he had, didn't deserve Luna; he took everything away from Tarlio and everyone thought he was great.
He was suddenly brought back to earth when a few new wolves entered the arena, followed by chants and howling from the enthusiastic spectators. At that moment, his bright amber eyes met Luna's blue gaze, and he knew what was coming.
He accepted the she-wolf's challenge. "I wouldn't speak so confidently, Alphess. I've quite the appetite."
He entered the arena. A pile of the tasty-looking blue berries were placed in front of him and he lay down, ready to start.

Ooc: Are they gonna fall out in this contest or another one, like a race or a fight or something?

Ooc: I think they'll agree to meet later, we could time skip, and then they have a private falling out. That cool with you.

The Alphess moved to her area in front of the berries. taking her stance to give her the best way to eat. She looked up at the judge, waiting for his single. She gave Tarlio an inconspicuous wink.

Tarlio returned Luna's wink with a cheeky grin as the judge ordered the competitors to start. The wolves all around the loner began stuffing their faces, holding nothing back in spite of competing against an Alphess. Tarlio himself began tucking in, blue juice spraying all over his muzzle, staining the fur on his face and chest.
He knew he wasn't going to win. Because of his previous lifestyle, growing up alone from a young age, his body had adapted to surviving without much food, making it hard for him to eat lots without throwing up. But he would have fun nonetheless.

Luna was easily going into the berries. This wouldn't prove to be much of a challenge to her; as Alphess, she got the first bites but she often left much of the prey to other until they had finished. Once they were, she would eat a little more. She had just finished growing and she had to eat a lot of food the past few moons to get her healthy weight back.
She was nearing the end of her berries within a few minutes and she felt pride swell up in her chest. Or it might have been the berries in her stomach. Either way, she felt like a pup again.

Ooc: Yes, btw! That's totally cool with me xP

Tarlio was feeling like a puppy himself. He was by far the messiest eater there, and that was saying something. He gulped up his berries like a seal pup, throwing as many of them into the crowd of cheering bystanders as into his mouth. The whole front of his body was covered in the sticky juice as the judge called for the competitors to stop eating.
Tarlio sat up and burped loudly, shaking himself and spraying droplets of fruit onto a nearby group of True Ice pups, who yelped gleefully at the disgusting display. The russet male looked over to Luna and gave her an enormous purple grin.