Virtuous hearts; Tirisfal Valley

"Actually, yes, there is something," Doctor replied after Elysia departed. Looking around, he continued, "I want to look for stragglers in this area of the lands. I want you to stick with me and help me look so you don't get lost looking for the correct dens. Two pairs of eyes may be better than one, and when facing an unknown circumstance, it's best to have a companion in case one needs to seek help. We won't do this for long so we won't be in more danger than necessary. Let me know if you see someone, and no heroics without my lead."

He started to move perpendicular to the direction the noise was coming from. There was no way he'd head towards it dead on, especially since the noise was starting to get louder, and he didn't have a way to gauge how close it was. Plus, there was always the chance this thing was something that he wouldn't see until it was atop him, which he really hoped isn't the case. Assassins were bad enough without throwing nature into the mix. He still had to consider the fact that some of the other pups, like Elysia wandered off and would probably head towards the noise, although he wouldn't be able to do anything if any were already that close. His pace started as a slow jog so Cade could catch up, but would speed up slightly once he knew the other was following.

Ali held Cardinal's gaze, nodding her head, understanding his words. "Howl if you need us. I'll wake Robin and send him along, too," she replied. She turned and smiled at Cobalt in passing, hoping whatever this was would rid him of his bad mood. She trotted down the hill and into the brush, to a grove of green trees where her husband lay. She nosed his sun-streaked shoulder. "Robin. Robin, wake up," she said, with a slight urgency in her voice, but not total worry. "Something's going on northeast of here. Cardinal and Cobalt are going to check it out. I think you should go too, just in case."

Robin raised his head and yawned. Before he replied, however, he felt the vibration in his paws and his ears perked up, hearing the echo of a thunderous roar... That definetely was not thunder. He wasn't sure what it was, either, but knew that it could be a potential threat to the pack... No need to sound the alarm just yet, though. He stood up and nuzzled his wife. "Okay. I'll be back. Where's Jewel?" he asked.

"Doctor and I sent her to gather some herbs. She'll be gone for a while, I think."

"Well, make sure she stays here when she gets back... I don't want her in danger. Keep her close, Ali."

"I know what you mean, dear... I know what you mean," she said and gave him a familial nuzzle. She licked the crescent-shaped scar on his muzzle, reminiscent of a battle with coyotes in the past. "I want you to be careful, too."

"A knight always returns to his lady," he said, nuzzled her one more time, and then bolted off in the direction Ali had come, hoping to catch up with Cardinal and Cobalt before they got too far. Ali watched his vanilla-hued form vanish over the hill, and then tended to her own duties, following the sound of the howl. It was coming from the woods. She started for the howl when she saw Doctor run and tend to it; she was inwardly relieved. She had been on her feet for too long, and with what was happening now, she needed a good rest. She glanced at Serenity slumbering beneath a conifer, deaf to the thunder in the air. What it would be like to be old.

He nodded in response when Cade introduced himself. "No. We'll be able to see it from the high dens, which is where I want the pack to gather. Nuri and Ali should still be if no one else. It's not thunder. Sounds too much like wind to be thunder. I am merely a healer who has seen much in his travels, but I don't want to take any chances. Perhaps I can confirm my suspicions once I can see it. Until then, I don't want to worry anyone more than needed."

Doctor now turned to Elysia. He wasn't properly introduced to the pups individually yet, so he lowered his head so he was closer to her head level and said, "Could you do me a very big favor? I trust you'll be able to do this, and I'll make it up to you later. I'll play with you... or maybe even teach you something. But for now, I need you to run ahead of us to go to your father and tell him Doctor wants him to summon the pack to the high dens. The pack is to clear the area of loose branches and all rocks so that they are far behind the dens."

He knew the flood would have cause some branches to fall. He hadn't seen wind move large rocks and boulders, but once he came out of hiding once time, there were new boulders in the area, and the only thing that could have done that was the horrible wind that looked like a v-shape spinning in circles. There had been rain, though, and there was no rain now, so perhaps it wasn't that kind of storm. He'd only seen it once, and from what the pack he was visiting told him, storms like that only happen in certain places and not others. He didn't recall that kind of storm, nor heard any stories of it, in these lands, though, which confused him. Maybe it was a similar storm, but not exactly the same?

He nodded, and turned to leave as Jewel departed, hoping she would at least consider his words. Doctor knew what it was like to be alone. It felt good, but it was a false feeling for some, as it hardened a wolf, and not all wolves could handle that process, especially once they realized it had slowly crept up on them for years. Wanderlust was one thing, deliberately being alone is another. At the same time, he wouldn't, no- couldn't push. All he could do is let her know in his own ways he could relate. He's seen much outside and inside a pack. Healthy and dying. The best of the worst of wolves. Many of which he's seen first hand or experienced. There was always more to see, though.

Now that Jewel had reassured him she'd be alright, at least for now, he moved towards the howl, unsure if anyone had moved that way yet. He was troubled; his wanderlust wasn't calling to him, for it apparently knew something did was happening right here. And here he was thinking if he stopped wandering, he wouldn't come across tragedy and problems. For all the time he'd traveled, he only stopped when there was trouble. Real trouble, not petty pack arguments or the like. When things were "fixed," or he'd done what he could, for better or for worse, he normally left again. If he wasn't moving, was he a magnet? He pondered leaving once his urge to move on came back, but he'd become too attached. It was also ridiculous to believe trouble can follow one wolf. It was just a coincidence... He'd go over the border and start edging wolves towards the dens. He heard a loud noise, and he froze at the sound. It was something he hadn't heard for a long time, so his memory was fuzzy, but it was best to direct everyone in one place until he could get in a position to see what was coming, because if it was... they might have to make preparations. There were two thoughts in his mind, and making the wrong preparation would kill them as easily as if they lingered out in the open. The flood some time ago had caught them by surprise, and he wouldn't underestimate this, whatever was coming. If the loud noise really was wind and it was still some distance off, they'd have to prepare for this one, else there will be death. The air felt still, and he tried to bush it off as a coincidence, but didn't completely push the thought from his mind. He only hoped to be so very wrong. Without a visual, he couldn't tell what it was.

"Who do we have here?" He said, a bit hurriedly, but calmly, coming across Cade and Elysia. Doctor recognized Elysia, but not the other wolf, who the former probably stumbled across. Did she escape Nuri without his notice, or did he left her go? An aud twitched in his stillness once he stopped walking in his impatience and nervous energy. This wasn't a good time to linger, but they probably had time to calmly head over. Brown eyes looking directly at Cade's green, he continued, "I'm Doctor. If you seek a home in these pure lands, I'm sorry I can't give you a proper introduction, but I'm sure you heard the... unusual noise. I want the pack and recent arrivals together at the dens, and I still have to let the alpha know what I want to do before that noise comes any closer if it chooses to come this way. Then I'll have to find stragglers..."

Ali nodded, eyes glancing over to Cobalt, who had fallen silent. She wanted to ask him how his paw was doing, but if there was trouble, this was not the time. She hoped that this would not worry him - the invading wolves from earlier had stirred the pack enough, as was shown by their rest, at the moment. As she lead Cardinal up the hill, she realized how weary she was herself, and how long it had been since she had slept. However, there was food in her belly, and that was enough to keep her going. She reached the crest of the hill and pointed her muzzle in the direction of the dusty cloud rising from the earth.

"Listen," she said, ears perked forward. There was the rumbling again, like thunder, but there was not a cloud in the sky. She had never heard or seen such an event, and then could only look at Cardinal for more knowledge. "It... It sounds like thunder, but it clearly is not," she added. If Cardinal didn't know, would anyone else? She didn't want to stir alarm, but... A terrible death had already landed on them once, and nearly tore her family apart. She couldn't bear another death in the pack, especially when things were just starting to come together again after a long summer...

After several minutes of waiting for her daughter to arrive, Ali knew that she would be scouring the meadow alone. It did not bother her, for she knew that Jewel was now seeking independence, and she was proud to have her do so. The half-husky tread through the tall, dry grasses, nudging them aside to reach the shorter plants, like the dandelion and chamomile. She huffed and chased away the whining cicadas, snapping at a grasshopper or two that sprang from the underbrush, startling her. She was careful to keep away from the large, brown spiders that made their webs in places she couldn't easily see, knowing that a sting from any one of them was enough to paralyze her. Within an hour or so, she had a variety of herbs clasped in her mouth, and she turned around to carry them back to camp. She made a mental note to search for a tortoise shell to store the plants in before winter's descent.

The pack was still gathered at the base of the hill of the High Dens, and she turned northwards for the Low Dens. The yellow grass was sparse between the cracked earth; a dry mudbed from the storm at the beginning of the summer. She set the herbs in the back of her old den and then emerged, finished with the task and left with nothing else to do. All of her patients were now in good health, it seemed. Her husband was asleep, her daughter was gathering herbs, and the pups were playing with Nuri. All seemed to be well in the valley of Tirisfal, a safe haven in a world of danger.

The sound of echoing thunder caught her attention. A pointed ear turned towards the sound, backscattering off the mountains around the basin, yet there was not a cloud in sight. Ali's ivory brow furrowed, perplexed. She made her way back to the High Dens, passing a slumbering Serenity upon the way, who also raised his head at the strange sound. It was a patterned rumbling, like heavy raindrops on a roof, but low and deep, like a lion's growl. Ali reached the peak of the crest and looked northwest, towards the Muerta Mountains and Serenity Lake. There, a gold cloud was rising from the green earth, cascading through the trees. She inhaled, trying to catch a scent, but all she could smell was dust and musk. It wasn't fire. There was something big over there, and it was something she couldn't recognize.

Concerned, she headed over towards Cardinal and Cobalt, dipping her crown. "I'm sorry to interrupt," she said, seeing that they were in the middle of conversation. "But there's something northeast of here I think everyone should see. I'm not sure what it is." She glanced in Nuri's direction, knowing that she should have probably alarmed him first, but she didn't want to ring the bell in false alarm. Nuri was probably still tired from the dark wolves that had been on the borders earlier, and didn't want to bother him. She valued Cardinal's input as much as any other's, and didn't mind hearing from Cobalt, either.

He said to the pair, "I'll leave you be for the time being. Whether you stay here or leave is up to you. Our scents will bring you to the pack should you seek us out."

He looked up, eyes meeting familiar mismatched ones. Jewel. "Judging by your new task, I venture to hope your hunt went well? I apologize for leaving you and Cumulus as I did. If I knew it was a small handful of wolves, I'd have been more willing to bring you along. You've grown since I first came across these lands, and you know how it is with us oldies trying to protect our future until we're confident they can stand on their four feet."

He wondered what happened while he was here. Normally Cumulus would be following her. Something in her voice made him stop before he thought about asking. "Just the basic herbs. Stuff like comfrey, poppies, garlic, and maybe lavender if they're around. If you don't see it, don't bother- I can look for the trickier to find later. If you see any other basic healing herbs on your way, I'd appreciate it." Spider webs could be found at all times, and normally so could dandelion.

"No company, then?" He questioned. Not that she looked like she wanted it, but he had to admit he was a bit concerned. It could just be a young adult thing, but he wouldn't push on the subject any more than this. "If you change your mind, or find more herbs than you can carry, call, ok? As much as a wolf might want some time alone, too much of it can be just as dangerous as too much time with others."