Fate seemed to have a cruel sense of humor, and the joke was not lost upon the swarthy wolf. No sooner had he been reunited with his brother and sister, both had disappeared -- one without word, and the other with the intention of finding his mate. Nios would have offered to venture out with Mirren -- scouting the horizon like old times -- but he had felt the need to remain in the Woodlands for two reasons. The first, he had promised his loyalty to these wolves, and he needed to maintain his word for once.. and the second, his niece was here. And while they were not close by any means, she was family -- and he was not of the mind to let her stray far from his sight now.


The winds reverberated through the forest tops, but the floor was seemingly peaceful in comparison. It was a sight to see, and yet the dark male was more intent on scouring the lands for any sign of @Lyanna , wondering what she was up to today. The squawk of geese above caused him to pause and glance up, and given the thickness of trees, he almost did not see the darker female before practically plowing in to her.


He stopped mere inches -- surprised he hadn't traced her presence prior to this very moment, and his nose would tickle at the very tips of her fur as he blinked his bright yellow eyes. Back peddling quickly, Nios instantly felt foolish as his gaze drifted over her. "Sorry," he offered, feeling a surge of awkwardness press past him -- he was usually smoother than this. "I was distracted by the geese."

He could feel the brush of her fur upon his, only momentarily, and when he had pulled back, the surge of heat remained there as a gentle reminder, only now beginning to fade as his heart hammered in his chest from being startled. Her laugh was a pleasant surprise, and he glanced up at her more sharply now, focusing upon the she-wolf who he had very nearly taken out, and only seeing her now for the first time. She was a lovely thing – intricate cinnamon and toffee. Her eyes were a lovely shade of gold, and he found himself transfixed for a moment.


Of course, had he known his brother had already set his sights on her, he would not have continued to dwell on it, nor would he have stared for quite as long.


Yet the name of his brother did bring him back to reality, and as if coming back from a dream, the male gave a slow nod of his muzzle, finally responding to her before blinking. “Sorry,” he offered again –partly for staring, and partly for barreling in to her. “Yes, Mirren is my brother,” he confirmed, his muzzle canting slightly as he attempted to mentally ‘shake’ himself. “Are you a friend of his?”

She offered him another smile – completely at ease that the brother of Mirren had almost completely careened in to her. He must have appeared pretty dense, and he withheld a small twinge of regret. He had been able to woe ladies in the past – but now, with his brother once more missing from his life and his inability to find a place where he truly belonged, he felt only the awkward surge of floating through life.


 
Her mention of Mirren’s privacy drew his own small smile, and the stoic male lifted his own shoulders in a gentle shrug. “He comes by it honestly,” he noted. “Runs in the family.” It was all he spoke on the matter, uncertain if Mirren had been withholding information from the dark beauty before him.. and for what reason. Or, if she had simply not tried prying in to the man’s life. The Tainn family in general kept to themselves – Ruiko’s children proved to be no different.

 
“Nios,” he offered then in return, his ear giving a flick at her name. Bella. She had mentioned Mirren had invited her here – his brother’s next mate, given Kite had vanished in to thin air? Of course.. Mirren’s life seemed particularly pristine and well aligned, minus his first love’s inability to commit. He withheld a soft sigh. “Do you know anyone else here, then?”

He missed her amusement -- the cluck of her tongue something not heard, and his gaze was instead studying the features of the woman in a manner he imagined as conspicuous. His interest was piqued the moment Ash Hervock's name fell from her lips -- even more so that the man was her father.


At least, in her eyes, she confirmed, and his wolfish brows lifted slightly in surprise. He held no love for the brusque man -- perhaps he had held a certain level of respect from his days in Whisper Caverns, but that had dwindled the moment the wolf had let Rory simply disappear from his life without thought or word. It had been a bit since he had thought of the yellow-eyed girl, and he felt a pang of regret. Rather than focus upon Ash -- who he had managed to avoid thus far since joining the Woodlands, he instead focused upon the son. Briefly, he wondered who the father was. "What's your son's name?"


Her own curiosity drew to the Tainn's -- and he was slightly surprised at her knowledge of his family's history. "Mirren, yes," he noted quietly, his gaze drifting form her features to study the lands about him thoughtfully. "There were a few Tainn packs. Swift River, lead by my uncle at the time, and Copper Rock Creek, led by my father. Nina was a member when we were born and helped look after us -- but my parents wanted a fresh start elsewhere from the Lore and moved us. Nina stayed behind and started Secret Woodlands." He fell quiet then, his gaze drifting back to her to see if he had satiated her curiosity