Stonewatch Timbers New Beginnings

Firefly had so much enjoyed running by Kova's side, their russet and grey fur blending casually together as their sides touched, that she had almost forgot exactly what they were running to. Almost.

North of the berry fields was a land filled with trees of all shapes and smells. The land was beautiful and Fly knew that adventure was waiting behind every tree. A year ago, she might have relished in the opportunity to explore such lands. Now, she knew that there was something more important than adventure and exploration. Her heart no longer yearned to see the rest of the world. She had seen enough of the ugly parts over the winter to last her a life time. Now, she wanted nothing more than to have a home again. This new land was alluring, but the thought of crossing the pack border and rejoining Kova and his family was much more alluring. Unfortunately, Fly was not so certain that this was a possibility. Kova's ease in claiming her was reassuring. Fly wanted to believe that Minka would act the same way, but Fly was not as naive as she used to be. Her own mother had ran her out and left her to die. There was no telling how Minka, a wolf that had no blood obligation to her, might react.

As they approached the border Fly stopped short, just behind Kova. She watched as the grey prince tilted his head back and howled for his mother, the alpha. Kova had made fun of her for staring at him, so she willfully avoided looking too closely at him. Didn't he realize how much he had grown and how shocking that would be for her? Well, part of him was still the oblivious pup that Fly had watched play with Karina. Fly was glad he had not grown too quickly.

As Kova's howl cut off, Firefly's stomach began to feel heavy and hollow. She licked at her chest fur and her paws conscientiously. A small whine escaped her lips as she imagined Minka growling at her and chasing her away, just as her mother had done. Embarrassed that she had actually whined in front of Kova, Firefly tried to straighten up. How could she possibly expect Minka to accept her back into the pack if she showed up looking like a sniveling mess? Fly tried her best to steel her nerves and show some back bone. She had learned a lot over the winter. She had learned to hunt in the harshest winter storms and how to fight to defend her caches. She had been in numerous fights with lone wolves looking to steal food from her because she looked tiny. And finding her mother had taught her a lot about tracking as well. She might have left and that might have been wrong but she was not returning empty-pawed. She had more to offer her pack now. She just had to show Minka that somehow.

"Speech"

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Kova's call was a relief to the expectant mother's ears, he had left to go back to the old territory and Minka could only assume he was working through his grief. It made sense to want to return to the place that you spent the most time with your lost loved one; she had done the same over the winter. After the disappearance of her children she had slept away from the rest of the pack; instead choosing to take shelter in the old birthing den. It didn't surprise Minka in the least that Kova would deal with his grief in the same matter as she, the family ties had always run deep with them.

Pulling herself up from where she lay in her new birthing den Minka stretched her limbs in an attempt to relieve their discomfort. Her pregnancy had progressed into the last stages where everything felt uncomfortable, her sides so swollen that even walking felt like a task. It took her several minutes to maneuver her way to the borders where her son's call had originated from and when he finally came into view she stopped dead in her tracks.

He was not alone and as the golden eyes took in the appearance of his companion the mother tensed. It had been a few months since she had seen the rusted form of the yearling before her, in fact the girl had left without a word to anyone. The pack had been in a time of great need, the children were missing and winter was upon them and Firefly had just left. Minka said nothing as she looked towards them, but by the tension in her body and the lofty position of her tail it was clear that she wasn't happy with this surprise.

OOC: Yeah its my bad with the timeline stuff. I've been ignoring it and not mentioning anything about Tokino. I've just been keeping Kova cranky for the most part.

Kova had brought Firefly north to the lands where his pack now made their home. Not much had happened on the way there, spare for Kova worrying over Lugh and Minka. All the way back to Round Stone Crest, Kova found himself asking himself why he had to leave in the first place. To visit what once was home... Baahhh, I'm so stupid. Worrying over mother and the others shows that the Downs isn't home anymore... It's here where they all are that's home. the boys thoughts would go over this bit of information many times before ultimately leading Kova into thinking about what firefly had told him. How her family wasn't her home anymore, and how her mother had treated her. He realized around half way to Round Stone Crest that even if he had accepted Fly back that it would be his mother who had the last word on the matter. Though true to form, Kova stubbornly held onto the idea that she would be accepted without a doubt once Firefly explained things to his mother.

Once the pair of wolves began to approach the borders Kova drew slightly ahead of Firefly. His paw steps quickened until he reached the border where the pack's scents coated the vegetation. Once he arrived the gray wolf slows to a stop then looks over his shoulder to see how far back Firefly was. Then he turns his dark orbs onto Crest wolf territory aware that Firefly was probably not allowed over the invisible lines. Raising his head and parting his lips, Kova called out to Minka asking for her to come. His voice cracked once again as he hit lower tones in his howl, and this caused Kova to end it a little more quickly than normal. Shifting his head back into a comfortable position, Kova then notes Firefly's approach.

He couldn't help but feel anxious as well as nervous for Firefly. When wolves normally disappeared from his mothers pack, the adults usually labeled them as traitors or generally looked down upon them. He hoped that Minka would at least wait for an explanation from them before judging Firefly harshly.

It wasn't long before Minka came to the border. Kova allows his tail to wag while a half smile passes over his features. Normally he would be jumping up and down greeting her, but as the circumstances were, Kova would rather keep to his spot between Minka and Firefly. Besides, the way his mother looked right now had Kova keeping his eyes off of her and his head lowered. He felt almost as though he were in trouble (which very well might be the case) and that he had to be overly good right now. “Ummm... She can explain why she was gone. ” He whined softly to his mother only taking the briefest of glances towards her to see her expression. “I can kinda relate to what she told me, or well... to the beginning of it all. ” Kova then glances to Firefly hoping she would start explaining everything. He didn't want to cross his mother by saying something for Fly. He had a feeling that Minka would want to hear it all from the fiery she wolf.

Minka's lean form appeared in the distance and Fly immediately lowered her tail. As the slender, graceful leader approached Fly noticed that the Alpha was not as slender as she used to be and slowly the realization that Minka was pregnant dawned on the young huntress. Minka was going to have another litter. Joy filled Fly's heart and for a moment she had the urge to congratulate Minka with a happy lick on the cheek. Then Fly saw the tension in her gold orbs and the reality of the situation set back in. It was certainly not the time for congratulations. Fly thought she had been prepared for this meeting, but she couldn't help but lower her entire frame in nervous anticipation. Of course, Minka didn't look happy to see her, Fly knew she should have expected as much. Still, while part of the pack Fly had been a dutiful subordinate and was accustomed to seeing Minka pleased with her handwork. This new, angry side of Minka was new to Fly and very off-putting.

Fly didn't pay much attention to what Kova said as Minka approached, but she noticed how the boy took on a much more submissive demeanor. Clearly even he had detected Minka's frustration. As silence fell between the three of them, Fly realized it was her turn to speak. Keeping her timber brown eyes focused on Minka's paws, Fly took a deep breathe before launching into her explanation.

"Minka I..." Fly had the words at the tip of her tongue. She knew exactly what she planned on telling Minka about her absence but all of a sudden the words just wouldn't come out. Nothing she could say was good enough. Life had moved on without her in the pack. Minka was pregnant with a new litter and Tokino was out searching for her lost daughter. Fly knew that she should have been here to help. There was nothing that she could say that would change the fact that she wasn't here.

"I'm sorry." Those were the words that finally pushed their way out of her mouth. Her voice was thick with grief and guilt and the russet wolf didn't dare lift her eyes from the ground. Firefly knew that sorry wouldn't fix anything, but in her heart she knew it was the first thing she needed to say. Her excuse for leaving sounded pitiful, now, though it seemed like a good reason at the time. Now, the most meaningful thing Fly could say was that she was sorry."I should never have left." The words rang clearly; it was one of the few things Fly was sure about these days.

"Speech"

Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

The fact that Kova accepted Firefly back spoke well for the woman, her son could be stubborn and just as judgemental as she. Minka was proud of the man that her son was becoming, he was an able member of the pack now and was expected to behave as such. So far he had done nothing but, being respectful of other's dominance despite the fact that he was the alpha's child even towards his mother. The woman could see it in the way that he avoided eye contact and held his body slightly lowered that he respected her authority in this situation. Golden eyes looked over his grey form as he spoke, noting that he wisely let the girl speak for herself instead of making excuses for her. Round Stone Crest had no room for wolves who were not strong enough to speak on their own behalf, even less for those who used excuses to get out of their wrongs.

The golden eyes left her son the second that Firefly began to speak and stayed unwavering upon the fiery form. Waiting even moments after she had finished speaking to be assured that the yearling was done the alpha didn't speak, just looked upon the other woman without expression. The apology without excuse spoke volumes to Minka, the yearling was accepting that what she had done was wrong and was not trying to get out of her punishment. Finally the mother nodded silently, indicating that she accepted the girls words as well as her regret, "Where did you go?" While it had come back to bite her in the ass before the Lagina woman believed in second chances, as long as the other truly seemed remorseful for their actions. Life was not lived without mistakes, but every mistake could be learned and improved from.

At first Fly's will felt shaken by the silence that fell between them after she finished speaking. She stayed perfectly still, not daring to move, until Minka's voice fell upon her ears. The Alpha asked the question that Fly was dreading answering, but she knew it had to be done. Minka deserved to know the truth. Fly lifted her head, not quite making eye contact with the golden-eyed Alpha, but taking in her posture and expression so as to better judge how her revelation would be received. Fly took a moment to shift her weight from side to side as she considered her words.

"I left to find my mother and brother. I had every intention of staying in Black Thorn Downs and asking for permission to search for them after winter had passed but I..." Fly's voice broke off and she took a moment to recollect herself. She was determined to make sure she didn't sound like she was making excuses. She wanted every word she said to Minka to be true and unexaggerated.

"I felt like I had to leave then and there or else I would never be able to bring myself to leave my new home." This time Fly's soprano voice did not waver; what she said was completely true and sincere. It was straight-forward and it would be the only explanation she would give as to why she had not waited to leave.

"My search was..." Fly struggled for a word to describe her search, but it seemed impossible to fit the entire ordeal into one single word. On the other hand, she didn't want to bother Minka with a long, unnecessary story. Fly's brown brows pulled together over her lighter brown eyes as she tried to find a word to describe how she felt about her winter's journey. Unsuccessful? Unsatisfying? Heart-breaking?

With a shake of her rusty head, the huntress decided to change the direction of her explanation. With a more confident expression she continued, "I have improved many of my skills. I learned quite a bit about tracking. My hunting skills are better. I got more experience in fighting. I promise that I can use all of these skills to serve your pack." Fly paused and let her eyes travel to Minka's rounded belly. There was more the young huntress could promise.

"I promise to use every skill I have to ensure the safety of those pups." Fly could not have made a more truthful vow. If Minka allowed her back, there would be no question in Fly's mind about putting those pups before herself. Fly had been gone when she should have been here to save Noble. She would not make the same mistake twice. This time she would be here for Minka and ensure that the Alpha never had to go through the loss of another child.

"Speech"

Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

Minka could see how uncomfortable the question made Firefly, but it was something that she needed to know. If the girl had just left on whim to go on some adventure then her plea to rejoin them would be rejected, but if somehow she had an excuse good enough perhaps she could stay. Once more though she stayed silent even after the yearling had finished speaking, her expression blank. It was a lot to consider, after what had occurred with Inali the alpha felt betrayed and it made it hard to see everyone in a good light. Still, the girl had not left because of friendship, she had left because of family and that meant something to the Lagina woman, especially now. Especially now that her own family had been torn apart and she didn't even know who to blame other than herself. Noble was gone and based on her absence and lack of any sign of her she was probably gone and now she was joined by her father.

Suddenly the golden eyes flicked onto the platinum coat of her son, checking over him reverently to make sure he was okay after his trip. Minka hoped he would make no more, not with his siblings being so close to being born but she knew she couldn't stop him. He had become a yearling before her very eyes and with that came the adult rights to make trips as long as he pleased as long as he obeyed pack law. It was a rite of passage that his father had missed seeing, he had never seen his first born son become a man, he would never see their grandchildren. Tokino couldn't even see the birth of their second litter, he would miss every milestone of their lives and she would raise them alone.

The silence had dragged on much longer than the first one, a full minute or two slipping by before Minka even looked back on the girl. Finally though she raised her tail to signal that she had made her decision, "Surely you knew that you could have told me about longing to see your family? Nonetheless, I accept your apology and will allow you into Round Stone Crest; but your actions cannot go unpunished. You will serve as lowest, either for six full months without complaint or until you can prove your worth by besting the member above you in rank in a spar. If you win you will not outrank them, merely take claim as a regular subordinate and no longer lowest. Do you accept these terms?" Minka stopped then, lifting her muzzle as she awaited her response. She would accept her back into the pack but on those terms and those terms only, should she reject them then she would be refused entry. It was as simple as that.

Firefly waited anxiously as Minka retained a blank expression, clearly weighing the worth of Fly's explanation. Though she was not making eye contact with the Alpha, Fly could feel the weight of Minka's gaze transfer from her own fiery form to that of Kova's. A tension seemed to fill the air and Fly got the sense that something was very wrong as Minka looked on at her only son. Fly's heart sunk into her stomach as she became consumed with the idea that something very bad had passed between the mother and son, that they knew something that Fly did not. But Noble had gone missing, Kova had told her as much and that must be what had the Lagina family so upset.

Firefly felt miserable. Clearly the loss of Noble had deeply affected Minka and if Fly were here she may have been able to prevent that. There was nothing she could offer Minka to replace her daughter, nothing to fill that hole created by loss. For a moment, in a very deep part of her pure, genuine heart, Fly felt the first twinges of jealousy. Noble had a mother that mourned her absence and yearned for her return, something that Fly was sure she lacked. For the first time, Fly felt a very powerful craving to take something from someone else, to have what was not hers to have. However, those feelings were very deep and Fly could not completely identify with them yet. For now, these complicated emotions simply manifested themselves into an inexplicable need to have Minka's acceptance.

When Minka listed the terms of Fly's acceptance into Round Stone Crest, there was no hesitation in Fly's mind. She had never expected to have her place given back to her; it would have to be earned."Of course I accept them. I will do everything I can to earn your trust back, ma'am." Fly's mind did not drift towards the idea of challenging another wolf to reestablish herself as a subordinate. She was content to be Omega for as long as necessary. If the opportunity for a challenge seemed right, she would take it, but she was in no hurry to start challenging her new pack mates. Instead, the young wolf thought of other ways she could prove herself. She would hunt and fish and keep their cache's fuller than any others.

"If there is anything you need, anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask me. I want to help in whatever way I can." Fly was willing to be of service in whatever way Minka needed. Hunting, scouting, even just collecting herbs.

"Speech"

Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

Kova had stood rigidly before his mother all the while keeping himself silent. Firefly had told him all of her story, and he was sure that his mother would understand. However since the beginning of this interaction he had understood that his mother would not take kindly to him speaking for Fly. Kova felt as if Minka would punish him for speaking his mind on the matter. Besides, both Minka and Tokino had taught him about the rules, rights, and expectations of leaders and their subordinates. Kova had done all he could by bringing Firefly this far and backing her solely with his presence. Having been taught a little of politics by his father; Kova knew that it was not his place, as a prince or subordinate, to judge anyone trying to join the pack. That was solely the king and queen's job.

So he stay silent, and kept his gaze away obediently and without question. Firefly can speak for herself.. I know it.. He repeated in his mind for the eighth time. He listened quietly to the two woman speak. His paw shifted some, pushing the dirt around as Minka's tense voice slid past his ears. Then Fly began to speak. He body twitched tensing a bit as Fly skipped over part of the story. It's not good to skip it.. Mom needs to know... How your own mother... He thought quietly before casting a glance towards Fly. His gaze narrowed onto her form hoping that the red wolf would bring up how she had indeed found her family. When that bit of information didn't come up he scraped at the ground while his tail flicked up above Fly's own. However, Kova still didn't speak despite his obvious agitation. Whether Minka or Firefly knew what the youth was agitated over had yet to be seen. Instead all he received were glances and looks towards him from both Minka and Firefly.

After the reddish she wolf asked for Minka to accept her Kova kept his gaze on Fly. As Minka's words washed over his form Kova felt much of his tension ease. Even without knowing all of Fly's story his mother was willing to give the fiery she wolf another chance. Kova felt his tail lower and begin to wag while his gaze slid brightly to his mother. Then Minka gave Fly the conditions upon which Firefly would be allowed back into the pack. The smile fell from his face as Kova cast a frustrated look at both of the she wolves. He bit back a whine then swung his head away. That's so unfair! Why place her as the lowest? Kova grit his teeth but still kept silent. He scratched at his muzzle with a forepaw trying to wipe away the unpleasant look on his maw. Then the young wolf replaced it with a calm yet slightly annoyed look. At least looking this way was better than letting the world see his anger. For a moment Kova wondered if he should tell his mother the rest of Firefly's story. All the bits that she had left out about her mothers treatment of her, but then he paused to look at Firefly. Was there a reason she didn't tell Minka about that? Was it too embarrassing? Or maybe it hurt her heart to say it. He wasn't sure.

His annoyed look swept away into a concerned one as Kova looked over Firefly. Would she.. be mad at me if I spoke up? Maybe... He thought before sighing in defeat then looking at the earth beneath his paws.

Why am I so worked up over this? She was accepted, that's all that matters... He forced himself to look at Minka and give her a halfhearted smile. The boys eyes trailed over her large frame wondering when the pups would come into the world. When would he finally be able to see his siblings? Would any of them look like him? Or like... their father? Shaking off these thoughts Kova looked to Firefly and caught her questioning gaze. She seemed either confused or worried about his lack of well.. his lack of doing anything in this situation. If only she knew the trouble going through my head.. He sighed and gave Firefly a happy smile. She was family again. “How about I show you around the new territory?” He asked tipping his head to the side like a pup would and allowing his tongue to loll out of his mouth. Is that okay mom? He glanced back to Minka with an expectant look. He wasn't as excited as he probably normally would have been; not with the troubles swirling through his mind.