This decision hadn't been easy for the woman, all night she had laid awake while @Tokino slept soundly beside her. In the end it had been the sound of his even breathing and the gentle nudging that originated from her belly that had made up her mind. Slipping away unnoticed by her partner had been easy enough, she had taken to leaving the territory for an hour or two at a time the last few weeks since the warmth had returned. The easy exercise calmed her, cleared her head of her worries and allowed her to focus on the future, one that would soon be here. So it was slowly that she moved through the great boughs of the Cedarwood, careful not to place her paw in a puddle of slush that might cause her to slip. While she had always hated the obnoxious stuff her pregnancy had brought out a more careful side in her, she was constantly reminding herself there was more than just her now.

Last time she had stood in this position she had been slimmed from the harsh winter, and now her belly was round, speaking clearly of her expectancy. Coming to a halt in an almost identical clearing as last time the alpha raised her tawny muzzle to the air and called for Maksim. Their last meeting had been cut short by Titan returning home, but it had been pleasant enough and Minka left with the impression that he was a good man. Astra too, a sweet thing though she seemed much shyer and less sure of her position than her male counterpart. So it was with a pleasant anticipation that she waited, but with a troubled heart of what she would have to ask of them.

The few minutes it took Maksim to arrive gave the woman a chance to properly study the surroundings, last time she had stood here had been after the first winter storm. The trees were green as ever, though as the snow melted some stray needles were visible upon the earth. The scent of these trees certainly was unique and the wolves of the pack surely carried it with them everywhere they went. What scent would her children carry? Where would her and Tokino settle? Would they smell of rivers, or pine or of ivy and moss? The daydream brought an absent smile to her maw, so long she had dreamed of the day when she too would become a mother.

The sound of pawsteps through the snow brought Minka's attention back to the meeting that was at hand and she turned to face the approaching male. Her smile intensified at the sight of him and her tail wagged softly behind her, it seemed that winter had not affected him too strongly. Bowing her tawny head in respect to her ally she countered, "A pleasure to see you as well Maksim, I trust you and Astra are well?" Little did she know that she was no longer within the pack and that Maksim had taken a new mate. Much had changed, which is exactly why she was here now.

The business was not pleasant and a more serious expression crossed the woman's face as her tail halted behind her. Taking a deep breath she steadied herself, trying to smooth out her thoughts so she could explain the man why she had come to his borders. After a moment she decided where she would begin before launching into her monologue, "A few weeks after our meeting Titan's mother and our old alpha Narimé returned home, she was very weary from her travel and has taken the winter to recover. In her absence her mate Sloane abandoned us and has yet to return, and a man named Ash and his mate Namara joined the pack, Ash taking the place as male alpha. Since then I have taken another man within the pack Tokino as my mate and we decided that in respect to Narimé and her family we would leave to found our own pack so that she could once more lead Whisper Caverns. I openly told Narimé and Ash of our plans so they would know we weren't abandoning them and to hopefully leave on good terms, but Ash grew enraged when another woman in the pack decided she would leave with us. I fear for what that rage will do, I could tell by his stance and the look in his eyes he would have no problem with murdering myself, my mate or my future children if we stayed." Minka slowed now, taking a moment as she felt shaken even thinking about the happenings of that meeting, of the fear she has felt ever since. Her golden eyes closed for a long moment before looking back to Maksim, her intentions of this meeting becoming clear. "Tokino and I will be leaving Whisper Caverns in a few weeks time, and it is with a heavy heart I urge you to dissolve the alliance between Cut Rock River and Whisper Caverns, Ash Hervok cannot be trusted."