Erysimum Parviflorum

Erysimum was born into a smaller pack to the pair of a delicate pure white she-wolf, and a mighty gray male. She doesn't remember much from her days as a young pup, unable to do anything but feel the warmth and vibrations of those around her until she could open her eyes and truly hear for the first time. Her mother's pure snow-white fur was her first sight, whose body was rising and falling gently along the rhythm of sleep, though when the small pup squinted she could see the outline of a slightly darker wolf curled around her mother, who she later realized was staring back at her. After a few moments of their staring competition, the much larger wolf let out a small huff as he began moving towards the pup, who let out a quiet bark in fear that disturbed her mother's sleep. The pure white she-wolf was quick to raise her head, only to be met with the sight of her now-seeing pup and sheepish-looking mate, who she could only respond to with soft laughter before leaning down to murmur soothing words to her.
Erysimum seemed to grow quickly, running around the den behind her stocky father while her mother watched them with a smile, eventually letting out a chuckle as the pup tried tackling the much larger wolf who would entertain her with mock wrestling in return.

When Erysimum's father was busy, her mother would entertain the energetic pup with stories of long ago before moving into more practical lessons concerning herbs and the animals living around them. Her parents would alternate their teachings, her father teaching her basic tussling and hunting on certain days while her mother taught her about the rest of the world on other days until she eventually grew comfortable with their routine. However, as time passed and Erysimum aged, she had become concerned with her parent's increasing worry over something she did not and could not understand, often catching them speaking in hushed whispers while shooting glances tinted with fear at her. She had begun to wonder if something was wrong with herself but had little time to question them about it as they had doubled up on their training routine, until one day.

She wasn't sure when it had begun, only coming to consciousness after being shaken awake by her panicked mother, who had quickly grabbed her by the scruff before dropping her into a dense bush nearby that was just tall enough to hide the tip of the pup's ears. Her mother reassured her in hushed whispers, explaining that she had to stay hidden for now until mother and father could handle a small issue before giving her one last nuzzle and turning away and out of her line of sight. Erysimum, who did not dare disobey her mother, could only listen to the sounds of the ensuing war as she curled up with her eyes tightly closed shut. She didn't know how much time had passed, but she eventually heard the voice of her mother, though it still held her previous fear as well as something else the pup was unfamiliar with. Convinced it was her mother coming to retrieve her she slowly peeled her eyes open, allowing a grin to form on her maw as she saw flashes of the she-wolf's white coat though it now appeared to be matted with a dark substance, and there were flashes of coats chasing after her that she did not recognize as any of her packmates. The small pup grew concerned at that realization, but there was little she could do about the upcoming events from her position. Erysimum couldn't see much of anything clearly, her line of sight being blocked by leaf-filled branches, but she could see small glimpses and hear just fine. She saw her mother's normally well-groomed coat matted with a deep red as it fell against the dirt, heard her cries of pain and sorrow before she was quickly overtaken, a strange wolf bringing a violent end to her mother's cries - to her life. It took everything in the pup's small body to not go running to her mother, digging her face into her pelt as she sobbed, but she did. She sat there silently, hours and hours passed, but she could not move a muscle until eventually, the shroud of the night had taken over the sky and the pup was sure nobody was near. Erysimum hesitantly approached her mother's body, staring at it for a few moments as tears broke through her eyes and she nuzzled into the corpse that had now grown stiff and cold. The realization that the gentle she-wolf was truly gone had sobs wracking throughout her body as she pulled away, but she had to see if she could find her father.

It didn't take long for her to find him, to find his stiff body laying in the dirt only a few paw steps away in a similar manner to her mother's, and she nuzzled into his lifeless form with her free-flowing tears soaking into his gray coat. She sat hunched over his body for a few moments but was quickly alerted by the sound of movement throughout the bushes surrounding her, and dashed back to her hiding spot as fast as possible, her tail just disappearing as the group of wolves broke through the underbrush. She didn't hear them react to the bodies littering the now blood-stained dirt and assumed that they had been the ones to do this, to shatter her life and family over something that she assumed was stupid. Erysimum feared to stay there any longer and was quick to dart from bush to bush until she could reasonably say she was far enough to break into a full sprint, though she could hear 'Dádýr' being repeated chanted in some sort of victory cheer before it eventually faded out as she made more and more distance.


Erysimum had only traveled for a few weeks, but it had felt like incredibly dragged-on years to the now older pup, and with tired paws, she eventually landed in some unclaimed territory. This land was much colder than what she was used to, the cool dirt soothing the pain in her paws slightly as she continued through the grassy fields, leaping over a stream before being presented with the perfect spot. It was heavily shaded by the surrounding trees, with plenty of undergrowth surrounding it as well. She took note of the nearby river, hearing the water crash into small waves before fizzling out. There was also a fairly hidden den sitting next to one of the trees, and she cautiously approached it while sensing for any creatures, but the only scent was stale and hard to even pick up on. Erysimum quickly made her way into the den, only to be surprised with the sight of a nest made out of leaves and feathers, a small shelf carved into the wall that had withering herbs sorted into it, and a small pile of scattered bones resting along the edges of the den, nearby the herb wall. This was the perfect home in her mind, and she quickly collapsed into the nest of feathers and drifted into unconsciousness. Once Erysimum's vision faded to black, her mind was filled with flashes of wolves with starry coats, the swarm of them coming together to create a flash of stunning colors that woke her with a start. Despite the dream feeling like it had been only a few moments, the pup had slept through the night and into early afternoon. Letting out a yawn, she quickly made her way to the den entrance, staring out of it with a small sigh. The upcoming winter seasons were harsh on the pup, who had now grown into an adolescent. She often struggled to catch anything larger than a hare, and winter was difficult as she had no experience tracking prey through the snow, but she survived even if just barely.

She was soon met with the cool embrace of spring mornings, the weather eventually warming up as the days passed on. She had made sure to hunt double during the spring months, slowly building her weight back up. One day, on a late morning, Erysimum had set off on her first hunting trip of the day, traveling a little ways away before scenting a recent trail left behind by a rabbit, and she quickly followed after it while being careful to stay undetected. It had taken some time, but she eventually spotted the small mammal chewing on a fresh patch of grass, and she got into a lunging position - quickly dashing from the underbrush and slamming the hare against the ground before collecting its corpse in her jaws. As she turned to make her way back home, she was suddenly interrupted by an angry cry, being charged by an upset looking adolescent. He demanded her kill for himself, and she was quick to argue back in her defense. The two argued back and forth until they were interrupted by a rumble coming from her stomach, which faltered the male. His aggression was quick to fade as he stood still for a few moments, eventually retrieving the carcass and dropping it in between them, stating the two of them could share it. She nodded and was quick to dig in, and they made small conversation as they ate, learning the male was called Lycoris and that he lived nearby with his mother and siblings.
The two continued to exchange words until nothing was left of the hare, agreeing to meet up again here at another date before they went their own ways.

Erysimum and Lycoris continued to meet frequently, often sharing a meal when they did, though their peaceful routine was abruptly shattered one day. It had started normally, the two had met up and shared words alongside a meal before he eventually made his department. For some reason, she felt an inclination to sit there for a few more moments, and she bunkered down with the intention to take a short nap. When she had reached the state of half-consciousness, the bushes around her began rustling with movement, which startled her awake and alert. It didn't take long for a distraught Lycoris to break through ,with tears streaming down his face and sobs wracking his body, and she was quick to move in front of him with the intent of comforting. He explained what had become of his family, how they had been slaughtered and left to bleed into the soil, and all Erysimum could do was sympathize with him. Once his sobbing had calmed down to soft crying, she suggested that he take shelter alongside her, and he agreed.

It had taken the two a while to get into the groove of things, Erysimum being unfamiliar with having to care for both herself and another, while Lycoris was often overtaken with grief. As time passed, Erysimum taught the male how to work with his pain, how everything happened for a reason and this was something that would just make him stronger, a better wolf both physically and emotionally. It had taken a while, but he eventually agreed with her and had started coming along with her for hunts. While on one of these hunts together, they had come across a trespassing male, who looked rather small for his age - possibly a runt. Lycoris was quick to confront him, and the skittish stranger explained he was a traveler with no harmful intentions.
Erysimum and Lycoris conversed silently for a few moments, staring at each other until he eventually broke eye contact to gaze back down on the traveler before offering him a space in their small pack, which the small male gratefully accepted. The three returned to Erysimum's small den, signalling the official start of their pack. As the seasons continued on, their pack had swiftly begun growing their numbers, having to relocate further up into the mountains to accommodate their growth. After some discussion Erysimum and Lycoris agreed it was finally time to officiate their group as a pack, gifting their small family the name of 'Tiqkra'.

Unexpectedly, a few moments after they had shared the news with their members, stars had begun descending from the sky in the form of wolves with coats filled with astral essence, similar to the ones that frequented Erysimum's dreams. The starry wolves surrounded her in a flurry, blocking her from sight before each reached forward to touch noses with her in turns. Each contact filled her with a burst of energy or emotion, some of it being excruciating, but she stood and faced the star-sent wolves with confidence and pride, eventually reaching the end of said wolves, signaling their leave. They exited similarly to the way they had come down, playfully chasing each other into the sky until eventually disappearing into the twinkling night sky.

That night, Erysimum had emerged with a new appearance filled with gold, greens, oranges, and browns. They all signified something, and she had become the bright star of their pack, guaranteeing safety and prosperity for many, many generations to come.


[WRITTEN BY Macaria
#85792]