Raven

Raven in the tall grasses next to Rendezvous (Larkfall)

## About Raven

### Biography

**Raven** was born in the Flower Fields den to Briar and **Specter** from the Meadow Pack, but her uncle, Feather, mostly looked after her. She had five littermates: **Swan**, **Velvet**, **Willow**, **Lark**, and **Chiyono II**. From the moment Raven emerged into the sunlight, she was almost scarily bold and courageous, chasing after, provoking, and biting every little thing she noticed in the open clearing in front of the den. This occasionally included coyotes that were planning to kill her, but she fearlessly took each one on anyway - and somehow succeeded. She possessed an intriguingly large amount of independence and was able to take care of herself from day one, which is likely due to her odd intimidation skills - a cold glare from her, and the opponent would instantly feel uneasy. Other than harassing enemies that could easily end her life as she didn't take them seriously, she had a fun-loving, social side, and would spend most of her days burning her energy running through the flowers with Chiyono II. The two had a particularly close bond due to their shared trouble-making nature, and with them around, nobody could have peace and quiet, but they were surprisingly just fine with that, as they all shared adventurous personalities. Another packmate she enjoyed being with was Velvet, due to her ability to invoke complete and utter chaos wherever she went. She was so sociable and loud that it was odd even to Raven - which says a lot. Her relationship with Swan is worthy of note, as she tended to turn her slight hyperactivity down a notch whenever she was with her. Swan was mystifying in a way, able to make even her three otherwise unstoppable sisters calm down and relax. Her soft words were encouraging in a way, and they appreciated it. Anyway, the group spent much of their time in the meadow running and prancing through the colorful flowers, narrowly avoiding negative encounters with predators due to Raven's courage (and their mother's keen eye and quick reaction time). One time, she was nearly taken by an eagle when she refused to go into the den, and Briar just barely saved her from certain death. Her parents would bring her toys such as bear plushies and weird-smelling straw hats, which she would promptly play with for some minutes before completely forgetting about them. However, when one of her littermates would try to take it for themselves, she would suddenly regain interest - she loved hoarding things for herself and was territorial sometimes. Once the summer arrived and it was time to go to the Rendezvous Site, who else would lead the way other than Raven? On no more than a whim, she brought her pack to Horn Meadow - another enclosed clearing tucked into the middle of a forest. Surprisingly, the others, and even her father Specter, really liked the place, and they finalized their choice to stay there for the summer. Raven and her littermates continued rapidly growing, eventually learning to properly hunt instead of just playing. Although it was believed that Chiyono would be the heiress, or perhaps even Swan or Willow, it ended up being Raven, due to her undeniably independent nature, although a tad irresponsible. It took her some time to properly say goodbye as she had developed deep bonds with everyone, and as she matured, she turned just a little less reckless and a bit more willing to sit down and relax. Eventually, she set out on her journey and arrived at Amethyst Mountain per tradition to get used to being alone. It was odd.

Once Raven finally came to Amethyst Mountain, it was very odd being completely alone. Learning to hunt solo without relying on her parents, Feather, and her littermates was atypically tough for one with such natural independence. She did her best to hunt two elk and prove herself, which almost got her killed - not the first time she got close to death. Tiredly, she laid on top of one of the elk she had successfully taken down, howling out a call for dispersal wolves - she was willing to take anyone who treated her fairly at this point, as being alone was so unusually boring. Thankfully she got lucky and woke up to a brown-striped male watching over her curiously. She began talking to him immediately, desperate for company, and found out his name was **Ridge** - he descended from the Pahaska Pack and traveled to Amethyst from Hellroaring, a mountain range where nothing positive lasted for longer than a moon, and everyone was in seemingly endless conflict. This intrigued her greatly, making her ramble to her heart's content as she wished to find out as much as possible about him. They paired up and became mates, with Raven leading the way back to the creek on a tour around the area.

Their arrival at Slough Creek was warmly greeted by Raven's former packmates, yet an unsettling aura was hanging overhead. Hesitantly, the young she-wolf asked if anything was amiss, which was swiftly greeted with a nod. Their cousin pack's heiress River had gone missing, which worried Briar and Feather as they knew her mother Ari personally - they were all littermates, and knowing of her history with rival packs, they worried that they had something to do with it. As Raven didn't know much about her ancestors besides her parents and uncle, she didn't know how to feel - the only emotion she sensed brewing within her was worry - something she had seldom felt before. Another concern was the Moon Pack, who had shifted their territory up to the north that she planned to have her pups in, attracting Junction Butte's attention and motivating them to absorb the space left by the Wanderer Pack's mysterious absence. This left Second Meadow as the only remaining choice unless they wanted to go on a wild goose hunt for someplace else, which had no guarantee of succeeding. Tentatively, they took the meadow space, establishing as large of a territory they could fit into. Their den was the Tree Hut just west of Prospect Peak, and in it, a litter of seven pups was born. There were six females and one male, practically guaranteeing the pack would continue to be ruled by she-wolves.

**Sunset** was always the bossy one due to being the oldest, while **Amaryliss** would typically be the one to lecture her politely yet informatively. Ione resembled her mother a lot, with a resilient nature and a strong, undying will. Then there was **Keziah**, the sassy one who would often team up with her eldest sister. **Wren** took after Briar to some extent, barely ever taking her time and constantly rushing through everything. **Oberon**, being the only male, was somewhat of an outcast, especially due to his shy and picky personality - but Cordelia was always there to hang out with him. Since they emerged into the sunlight, the pups proved to be energetic, constantly running off in directions not even Ridge could keep track of. Despite Sunset always trying to control her packmates' every move, Ione stuck up for the ones that were less willing to defend themselves which made her parents proud, immediately seeing her as their little successor. But then there was Cordelia, who was always close to them, happily sunning herself in silence as she unwinded peacefully. She was the type to always make up little stories just for fun, and then retell them to her beloved packmates, whom she loved dearly, and they adored her in return. While her littermates were eager to play, she would be curled up against Raven's warm fur, comforting them both in silence. One cloudy day, Raven and Ridge were unsuccessful in their hunt and came back beaten, battered, and limping, with the sand and dirt they clumsily kicked up almost forming a storm. Proudly, the quickly growing and maturing Ione showed off a squirrel she hunted all by herself while her parents were gone. Eating it made her feel somewhat sick, though, but everyone reassured her she would be alright as they praised her prowess and maturity. The older pair of wolves silently formed an agreement to rise at dawn of the next day, so the pack wouldn't stay hungry for long. Yet they were awoken in the middle of the night by coughing and gurgling, which had come from Ione while Cordelia was leaning over her, worriedly telling her how the squirrel she hunted was likely diseased. Raven shook her head with a sigh escaping her mouth, concerned about her daughter yet angry at herself for not being able to hunt properly. She alerted her mate that he would have to do his best and provide food on his own for a short while, as she would have to watch over the pups in case anything happened. The next morning, as Ridge departed from the den with a lick to his mate's ear, more coughing was heard... except this time, Cordelia was sick as well. At this point, Raven was very worried, stressing over everything that could cause further harm to her packmates and how to eliminate it all. With unbelievable toughness and resistance, Ione pushed herself to pull through and survive the sickness, and the only one left to get better now was Cordelia. Singing lullabies and stories to her young daughter, Raven expected her to get better around the same time as her slightly older sister and her spirits began to rise once more. Some days passed. Still absolutely nothing. The optimism that had slowly formed quickly fell, as the young one's health deteriorated further and further. Yet all her mother had the strength to do was sing. So, she sang bitterly, her hope crashing down and her emotions spiraling. All and any traces of Raven's boisterous, unhumbled personality had fallen and disappeared, and she didn't leave the den for as long as Cordelia still had a chance of survival. She begged the Starlit for a miracle, an exception that would bring the one that deserved her chance at life back - but her prayers went unanswered as her daughter *passed away*. Raven's body was overcome with grief and regret for not being able to successfully hunt that day. *If she brought back real food, Ione wouldn't have eaten that squirrel, and if she hadn't eaten the squirrel, she wouldn't have gotten sick. If she hadn't gotten sick, Cordelia wouldn't have fallen ill after her, and if that didn't happen-* ... Raising his voice slightly, Ridge let his partner know that nothing could have been done and that the Starlit had called for her with a reason in mind. Raven wasn't the only one affected - *everyone* felt disturbed, especially Ione who blamed herself profusely and hated her recklessness and wish for early independence more than ever before, promising to never be that quick to act and listen to others again. Yet Cordelia's spirit lingered before fully ascending, whispering to her grief-struck family that nobody was to blame - not Raven, not Ione, and not even the Starlit who had called upon her. Her parting wish was for everyone to *find new hope*. ...

The pack took some time to process their emotions properly, promising the young one that they would keep going for *her* sake. They collectively decided to move to a new den to not feel haunted by Cordelia's passing anymore. They wanted fresh scenery, a new clearing they could mess around in without feeling gloomy the moment they glanced at her resting place. However, right as they were getting ready to head off, Wren somehow fell victim to the very same sickness that Ione and Cordelia did. It started small, then spiked horribly; she went from alright to not being able to walk in mere hours. The group had to take shelter in an undesirable patch of tall grass for some time, although they were soon forced to seek proper shelter due to a rainstorm. They didn't see it coming until it was too late to run from it; it had crept up on them, blocking out the sunlight and unleashing a hefty downpour. Every droplet of rain rippled and shook their bodies, their paw pads felt like they were melting into the ground to become one with the mud. The simple act of walking was exhausting, and it didn't help that Wren was still swiftly deteriorating as they scrambled to carry her to a safe place. They were still mourning her sister, and the sickness that suddenly plagued the lands wasn't showing any signs of stopping, if even for a moment. Tired, drenched in rainwater, and preparing to say goodbye to another packmate, Raven and the rest of the litter collapsed into the new den, sleeping their grief away as Ridge waited worriedly on the outside. In the morning, once the rain had finally calmed down and all that was left was a few puddles on the ground, Raven woke up to find Wren cold and motionless on the ground. *She had lost another one, and there wasn't even anything she could've done to help.* *Was this her fate? To slowly lose everyone as they were plucked away from here like the petals of a forget-me-not?* She couldn't even bring herself to speak. *Her life was perfectly fine up until a few weeks before... **this**. **This** wasn't normal.*

Raven sighed as she pushed herself to take one more look at the deceased Wren. Then, she felt a surge of shock. The young pup began moving again if only a little, and the warmth returned to her body. Nobody knew what was going on, but they made sure to take the second chance they had gotten; perhaps, they weren't cursed by fate. Unlikely as it was, they liked to think it was Cordelia making sure they were alright from a distance, guiding them toward that *''new hope''*. The thought of it brought comfort to Raven, and now that Wren was back and on the path to healing, she decided to take some time for herself. They had Cordelia for such a short time, yet an imprint in the shape of her small, soft little paw was permanently ingrained into the hearts of Raven and Ione. They were familial soulmates, and as much as they felt it was time to stop grieving, they couldn't bring themselves to do so.

Even more time passed, the pups growing and surprisingly thriving in the new den. Everyone felt fine to some extent, apart from Wren who wasn't growing at the same speed as the others anymore - she was much smaller than them, as if she was born a runt. This was particularly worrying to Raven, as her personality completely changed throughout spring. She felt as if she no longer had that prowess and independence her family had praised, and she didn't have the fun-seeking recklessness either. Then, something came to her mind. *Perhaps, Chiyono II was meant to have been selected as the heiress.* She never got to find out too much about it, but the fact she was the reincarnation of a wolf from one of the Meadow Pack's previous generations said a lot. ... While she was lost in thought, she finally came to her senses and realized there was absolutely nothing she could do about it now. Her only job left was to finish her heiress duties, which she had been chosen for with a reason. *If she gave up, she would just ruin things further, and that wouldn't be right. She needed to make the most of her time.*

With a fresh conviction in her heart, Raven brought her pups down to their summer rendezvous site. She decided to name it Larkfall, as none of her ancestors had resided there yet; with a small smile, she admitted to wanting to leave a little imprint behind on the lands. She promised to be the best she could for her family, which was exactly what she would do. She *needed* to do it. As summer slowly passed, Raven and Ridge taught their pups how to hunt as quickly and efficiently as possible, without any major risks to their health. Nobody had any real difficulties apart from Oberon who was weaker than his sisters, and although Raven worried that he wouldn't survive in case he got sick, Ione ended up showing him the way to train properly, despite his lack of strength. The same went for Wren, and her older littermate helped her out with any difficulties she may have had. This was enough for the pups to become independent yearlings, and then adults. The second year passed by much faster than the first, and it almost seemed like time temporarily accelerated. Nevertheless, Raven decided on the obvious choice of heiress this time - *Ione*. It was the only choice that made sense all around - she had excelled in hunting so much she had time to help two of her siblings with it. Additionally, she was the one who saw the world for what it truly was very early on, thanks to everything that happened with Cordelia. They both still missed her and regretted not doing more, but it was too late to linger on the past now. *Raven had completed her duty, and now, it was Ione's turn. (...)*

### Strength

Raven has never been very healthy, but she's managed to push on no matter what due to her almost godlike stamina and overall endurance. She's very speedy as well, making her excel at hunting mule deer and such, but her bite force isn't horribly strong.

## Personality

As a younger pup, Raven resembled her father Specter a lot. Since she emerged from the den, she tended to behave very independently from the others - although she was still very social and enjoyed spending time with them. Her bold and rather fearless personality traits shone very quickly, and she always gave off the feeling of someone who knew what they were doing - except she didn't. Things like chasing after intruding coyotes while she was still half their size were completely normal and justifiable to her. Sometimes she would act surprisingly territorial, especially over things she liked such as the plastic cooler her mother had brought back for her to play with. She instantly took it and ran away with it to play, and somehow she came back with bruises all over her. She constantly got into odd situations, and it was probably because of how loud she was until the very end.

## Appearance

Raven is a mostly silver wolf, with different shades of gray all scattered across her coat, making her resemble her father. Her face, shoulders, sides, and underside are all covered in a light gray shade, while a darker gray stripe connects the top of her head to her tail, whose tip is white. Her ripped, torn, scarred ears are silver on the outside, but have black fur on the inside. There's a very subtle part of her muzzle that is darker than the rest of her coat - her nose flare has dark streaks. She has long, slim legs, painted in white from shoulder to paw. Her eyes are an unusual yet captivating light green, accented by a thin black line of fur above them that resembles eyeliner.

## Litters

### First and only litter - Ridge - Age 3

Raven, just like most of her female predecessors, only had the emotional strength to have one litter of pups with her beloved mate, Ridge. They settled into the Tree Hut den at the Second Meadow, wishing to avoid the chaos that was happening in their cousin packs. A litter of 7 pups was born - 6 she-wolves, and one male.

Sunset is a very strongly red-tinted golden wolf, with a silky, shiny, tawny coat. Her personality is a vibrant mix of boldness and social charm. She's never afraid to speak her mind, and her confidence shines through in her interactions with others. Sometimes, she can be a tad bossy, expecting her needs to be met by the others. She's also somewhat sassy, always ready with a snarky remark or a tease. Being the eldest, Sunset also believes she's on top and that everybody should listen to her - and she doesn't hesitate to remind everyone of it. Her assertiveness often leads her into trouble, though, as she's not one to back down from a challenge due to her hard-headedness and iron will. Out of everyone, Cordelia's passing affected her the least, and only made her will to survive even stronger.

Amaryllis is a dull, brownish-gray she-wolf, that grew to be dark gray with eye-catching orange and white markings. Her demeanor is very noble and polite, with much regard for the other individual's feelings. The way she phrases her words is very expressive yet easy to understand, and it's comforting in a way. She tries her absolute hardest to stay well-composed and relaxed, but sometimes, she gets into overly stressful situations and begins panicking. Similarly, she attempts to stay obedient and listen to her mother as much as she can, although her instincts occasionally prevail and she does or says whatever she wants (before apologizing a hundred times over for untimely manners). Cordelia's death saddened Amaryllis greatly, and she gave her sister a proper burial out of respect for her.

Ione is a mostly dark brown or black wolf, with only some colorful accents on her thick fur. Exactly like her mother Raven, Ione is a very curious wolf and has a strong desire to explore and learn more about the world. She's also rather independent and able to solve problems on her own quite easily, with an eager will to be as good as she can be at her favorite things - hunting, running, and even exploring. A talent for taking care of herself and others is one of her most defining features, with her resistance and toughness being very important to her character as well. She's one of the most determined and resilient, capable wolves in the whole valley, and has been since she was incredibly young. She's very well-equipped to care for herself and will try her best to help others in need as well. When Cordelia was alive, they were best friends, despite their conflicting personalities. Ione was the first to fall sick, and though she ended up surviving due to her natural independence and will to stay strong, she passed it on to her poor sister. Seeing her slowly weaken and die was trauma-inducing and made her retreat to solitude for some time, before eventually warming back to the others because she knew it was what Cordelia would have wanted.

Keziah is a dark brown she-wolf whose coat color slowly faded to black. She's a very lively and sociable individual, with an endless amount of curiosity that makes her willing to explore and go on adventures just for the experience and action that comes with it. She presents herself with lots of self-confidence, yet also sass. When someone is in the wrong, she won't hesitate to disagree... or at least hit them *with an annoyed side-eye*. She finds their slightly hurt reactions rather funny, quietly and snarkily giggling at them with her sister, Sunset. The two are rather similar, but Keziah is a little less extreme in the ego department - she knows her actual worth and admits whenever she's in the wrong... *with a side-eye*. Besides that, she had a nicer side, and when Cordelia was sick, she would join Raven in singing little songs for her. Her personality toned down a little after her sister's death, making her a little less overly sassy, and a bit more eager to help with more serious matters... *with her iconic side-eye*.

Wren is a runt female, with a golden coat that has a darker stripe connecting from her nose to her tail. She has always been the playfully disobedient one, not listening to others and just doing whatever she felt was right, whenever she wanted to. Expanding on that, she's insanely stubborn and refuses to do anything she doesn't feel like. She has an inquisitive nature and is constantly talking about completely random stuff, so everyone got used to nodding passively without actually listening - she's similar to her grandmother, Briar, in that regard. Wren also holds a great fascination for the forests, fields, and everything luscious and grassy, due to the safety she feels in the natural coverage. On a more serious side note, though, she was shocked by Cordelia's death, and when she fell sick soon after, she was horrified for her own life. She just barely managed to pull through with Ione's encouragement, but it stunted her growth horribly.

Oberon is a light, creamy brown male, with slight silver tints on his body. He was always the outcast, but not because everyone else 'disliked him', because he was the only guy, or anything of the sort - he enjoyed being alone as it was when he truly felt safe, due to his cautious nature. His partial paranoia over sickness and death was there from the very beginning, so it only got worse after one of his sisters passed away, and two of his other sisters almost followed. He can get spooked by literally anything and is very, very quick to run and hide from anything he considers a threat in any way. Besides his anxiousness, there was another trait he possessed that set him apart from the others - and that's how picky he was with food. All he wanted to eat were hares and rabbits, as he didn't feel threatened by them, and large prey attracted large predators. Occasionally, Cordelia would share her food with him, giving him a reason to trust her, so her being ripped away from him by something he couldn't control was horrible.

Cordelia was a petite and soft-furred she-wolf, with a very light brown coloration and a thick back stripe. She had always appeared to be a very gentle, caring individual in her pack. She was a calm and nurturing presence at all times, trying her hardest to keep everyone happy. Unlike her more energetic littermates, she preferred quieter activities, as she felt soothed by the silence's embrace. Her nature was very soft, affectionate, and loving, as she nurtured and comforted her ill sister Ione to her best abilities. She succeeded, yet her own life was taken from her, which crushed the others emotionally. Young Cordelia, on the other hand, felt happy and grateful to have had such a loving pack, and when she witnessed their despairful grief, she used up her strength to let out a faint whisper, leaving them a final message saying not to fight, but rather to find new hope and use her sacrifice as a stepping-stone to a better, more welcoming future.

## Gallery

Raven in the tall grasses next to the Larkfall Rendezvous.Raven running through a meadow, fast as the wind.The only picture of Raven and Cordelia together. <//3
## Trivia

* Raven was the very first wolf in the history of the Meadow Pack to have lost a pup on-screen while they were still with the pack - little Cordelia.
	+ When Cordelia was dying, Raven would gently sing to her in hopes of making her comfortable. Both she and her daughter had many long, sleepless nights as the young one's soul slowly wilted, and all Raven had the strength to do was sing lullabies.