Secret Woodlands Crumbled Kingdom

 

The rambunctious girl had ignored many a call from her parents over the seasons, too caught up in other – usually shady – things to bother answering. This one was different though, as soon as she heard the eerie tone of her father's voice, she knew something was terribly wrong, the blood freezing in her veins. She'd been so far away, she barely heard it, but now she ran the best she knew, hackles standing on end and tail puffy behind her. What could it be, was it mom? Cin, Nia?! She couldn't imagine anything bad enough to make the Woodland king sound so dismal. In the time it took the fiery pup to cross the distance, most of the pack had gathered, and as the somber scene unfurled before her eyes, she struggled to decipher eat. She saw her mom, tugged into dad's embrace; They both look fine… There was Enia close by, and aunty Bella with Ducky. Amber eyes strayed from face to face, ticking them off in her head. Where was her brother? She noticed a dark figure a little way from the others, out in the open, but no, it wasn't Cinaéd; Bane… And there, by his side, crumbled on the ground, was Nina. Part of her understood immediately, but the rest refused to acknowledge it and she staggered closer, eyes wide; "Gra-gramma?" Her voice was weak, pleading, ears flattened back. She could see it, smell it, knew it even as she stumbled closer, head lowered towards the lifeless body. "Please," She whispered; "Please don't…" The rest of her prayer died on her tongue, smothered by a heavy sob. She slumped down next to Bane, crying openly; She can't be dead..! Word count: 283 Flair Burn the ashes

Ayelie-stock @DA

  

Sorry this is so late!

The boy had been wandering when he heard the distressing tone in his father’s voice echoing across the territory and shaking him to the bone, his eyes filled with confused curiosity when he broke into a run to find where they were all supposed to gather, his mind going blank for one of the few times in his life apart from the need to get to his family. That was what his parents were always saying, wasn’t it? Family was important, and right now, it sounded like his father needed them all… even if Cináed didn’t know why, he was hell-bent on being there for him.

He skidded to a halt, an instant stop making him jut forward a little from how he’d been running to see what was before them. He was confused at first, doing a headcount to make sure everyone was there. He saw Flair and Enia, and nine of the adults all gathered, except Grandma Nina was laying there and she wasn’t moving, confusion hitting his eyes as he pushed through, looking at his parents and then back to her. What was… she was just sleeping, wasn’t she? Why was his dad so sad? And Flair? Flair was among all those visibly distressed.

That was when it hit him, and his eyes turned sad, his tail drooping and his smile fading as he collapsed, looking on without a word to him, another glance at both of his parents… she was… she couldn’t be...

Skipping Miccah for now, no post order for the rest: @Rayne @Duckweed @Enia @Cinaed

Aideen Athesila She heard the others come, one set of footfalls after another, but she was too consumed by her own grief to react at first. Burying her nose in her mate's dark fur, she held back sobs, taking a small comfort in the light strokes of his muzzle against her back. Nina had changed her world, she'd been a mother and a mentor, helped the flighty young girl find a purpose in life; Everything I am… It was all the golden queen's doing. Now she was gone, and everything threatened to unravel around them. How could the Woodlands possibly go on without her? It was Bella's soft touch that first brought the alphess back to her surroundings, pulling free from her husband to lean into the caress and glance around the clearing. She saw bowed heads, sorrowful faces, all reminding her that she was not the only one who had lost. And she was their leader, their queen now more than any time before. Taking a deep breath, she finally loosened herself fully, turning to face her pack. She just caught the dark blur of Bane rushing off, quickly disappearing back into the thicket. Her heart ached for the boy, he'd been just as close with the matriarch, maybe even more, halfway raised by her. Feeling a stir by her side, Aideen reached out lightly to stop her mate from following the lad. "Let him go," She urged, voice low and pained. He would need time to calm down, from what she knew of the boy, he'd prefer to grieve alone. And she desperately needed Miccah by her side. Because just then, Enia appeared, soon followed by Flair and then Cináed. Biting her lip, the mother watched as her children went through the same string of emotion as they all had moments earlier, Flair's desperate plea tearing further at her heart strings. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to be strong, for the pups and for the pack, she could cry later. So she stepped forwards, lightly nuzzling Nia's scruff and beckoning her along as she walked to the other two, giving each head a comforting lick. Then she looked up, eyes travelling from pack mate to pack mate, a light, mournful smile curving her lips. She cleared her throat, breathing deeply once more before addressing them: "I know everyone is shocked by this loss. Nina was the one to found Secret Woodlands many years ago, and through all that time she has guarded the pack and every single one of us. She has been our rock, our queen, our friend and mother," Voice catching slightly, she paused for a steadying breath, finding Miccah's dark eyes across from her and finding strength in them to continue; "We will all miss her dearly. Recovering will take a long time, and it should be no different. We will grieve for Nina, but remember what she has done with her life, what she has build here. Protecting that and keeping it strong, that's the best way to honor her. She rests now, well deserved." Aideen finished her speech, voice mostly steady, and swallowed again, looking down at the still form by her paws. With a small smile she remembered how she had once feared speaking before a crowd; You taught me so much..! Looking at her children, seeing their hurt and confusion made her wish deeply that this could have waited, that they could have grown up without knowing death and pain so intimately. But such was life, and meeting her dark daughters eyes, she remembered the matriarch's words from Daniel's burial; "But if you close your eyes and imagine a place that you’ve never been before, you can visit her there whenever you’d like. A place only you can go, and if you want her to be there, she will be." Her words were soft, for the pups' ears only, and she gave them with small smile, and a soft kiss on Enia's crest. Then she lifted her head back up, looking at Miccah again but addressing the whole pack: "We'll bury her with Daniel and Tacoma." It wasn't far, they'd be able to get her there easily enough; I don't want her to be alone. Word count: 702 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

 

PLOT WITH ME!

It almost felt like this perfect image of his family was starting to collapse around him… his grandmother was gone, and his mother’s words, a shocking loss… they only confirmed what he’d started to realize, dropping down to the ground right in front of her as he stared at the lifeless form that he thought he knew… how could she just leave them like that? They were supposed to be family. Somewhere deep down, Cinaed knew that it was irrational to replace his pain with anger over the deceased, and somewhere deep down he knew it wasn’t her fault… but right now it was a mixed drink of one part anger and two parts despair over the news that had hit him like a bombshell.

He didn’t know what else to do, so instead he rested his maw against her fur, from forehead to the tip of his snout, his eyes closed as he tensed slightly, not saying a word. There were no words to be said… instead he listened to his mother and what she had to say. But if you close your eyes and imagine a place that you’ve never been before, you can visit her there whenever you’d like. A place only you can go, and if you want her to be there, she will be. The words rang in his head as he felt his eyes sting.

He drew a shaky breathe, and he could picture her standing there, still breathing and ready to answer his million and one questions… but it didn’t make it hurt any less. It didn't ebb any pain... it anything, it intensified it.

The rustles of movement caught Raynes attention and he looked up just in time to see the young figure of Bane darting back off into the forest. Miccah looked to move to lwarda the boy, as if to go after him but Aideen stopped him, her voice low and pained as she told him to let him go. Rayne's heart went out to the boy, and Miccah and Aideen. It was obvious some took Nina's death harder then others. His attention was brought back to Aideen as she stepped forward to comfort her children at Nina's side before she looked around at the other wolves gathers around. 

A sad smile covered Rayne's muzzle as Aideen started her speech, a small burst of burst nursing in his heart. Despite the sadness of Nina's death, it was obvious Aideen had come so far since their first meeting. It was clear she had grown so much and part of him knew it was because of Nina. 

As Aideen speech came to a close, Rayne glanced towards Nina's body then towards the sky before allowing his head to fall back to his chest, his eyes closing. 

Thank you, for looking after her. Rayne thought to himself, imaging Nina standing before him. 

Gonna try and wrap this up with Aideen before the end of the month, if anyone wants in a final post @Miccah @Cinaed @Enia @Rayne @Duckweed

Her world was on fire. It might as well be the thicket itself that was burning down around her, because without Nina, what home was left? The grandmother had looked after the pups since before they could remember, strict but fair, and with small moments of laughter and warmth, delighting the children. Flair remembered particularly, how the golden woman had always seemed to know where she was, even when she'd successfully snuck away from both her parents and siblings. It never failed, that just as she neared the borders, the old lady would swoop in, fixing the fiery girl with her sternest glare. Nothing worked better to shrivel up the rebelliousness in her heart like the old queen's presence. But then, she would never say anything, wouldn't chastise, or even comment on the suspiciousness of the pup being out there all alone. Instead she would motion silently, for Flair to turn around and then, rather than sending her skulking back to the den, she would lead her silently on a patrol through the thicket, take her to the secret places that had named their pack. It had made her feel so special, like no one understood her the way her grandmother did. And now there would be no more of that. Her world was on fire, but her mother was the rain. With the gentlest touch, Aideen brought the girl out of her thoughts and back to the present, amber eyes blinking to clear the tears. She looked up at her mother, meeting those sad, warm eyes, then turned her head back down to see Nia at her feet, looking just as distraught as she felt. Getting to her feet, the russet pup continued to look around, seeing her father and Rayne nearby, eyes closed as they listened to Aideen speak. And there in the middle was Nina, almost looking like she was just asleep, golden and gray hairs still as neatly kempt as she had always kept them. Cináed sat leaned against her, face appearing even more strained than the rest. Flair sniffled, glancing back up as their mother spoke to them alone. Could it really be? Just like that? She considered closing her eyes to try right then, but then her gaze fell on Cin again, and with another sniffle, she stepped towards him, gingerly reaching out to press her muzzle against his shoulder. She felt a need to say something, but her mouth felt dry, and she couldn't think of anything. Finally, looking sideways at the body rather than her brother, she murmured: "Told her everything, she always kept m' secrets…" A creamy paw lifted to wipe at her wet snout; "Now I don't know who to tell them to." Word count: 453 Flair Burn the ashes

Ayelie-stock @DA

  

Last one for Cin!

There wasn’t a single question the boy felt he could ask, nor was there a path he saw taking that could make things right. She was gone, and he hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye to her. A family member he couldn’t protect couldn’t save from the clutches of the Grim Reaper. His oceans briefly glanced over towards Flair, his sister, when she pressed her maw to his shoulder. He didn’t know what to say either – it was almost like an odd sort of truce between the two siblings who were constantly bickering back and forth about one thing or another.

He was trying to reel it back, to hide the pain he felt so others around him might be able to help them… it wasn’t working well and it was evident on his facial features as he physically fought to keep tears from coming. The only sound the boy made was a soft whimper that lasted for a few seconds. What were they to do without their grandmother? She’d been there just as long as both of their parents had… she’d been a rock that they’d relied on as a foundation for their family, someone who he’d seen others confide in too…

There was a physical pain aching around his chest, trying to figure out just what this meant, and how they were supposed to just continue on without her.

Cináed Athesila

we all have stories we'll never tell

Her mother's gentle touch did nothing to soothe the ache in her chest. Nina lay lifeless at their feet and as she looked around at those gathered, their sadness mirrored her own. Everyone is so sad... Nia knew that her mother and father were close to their grandmother, why else would the former Queen be deemed worthy of such a title? Swallowing, light brown eyes dragged slowly away from her grandmother's body and directed upon Flair and Cinaed, their faces filled with much of the grief she was at war with. The Athesila pup was shocked to see the comfort offered between to two, but glad that they had come together in this time of need and utter sadness. When her mom started speaking, the child's eyes immediately looked towards the most important figure in her life. She would know what to do. Her mother spoke of Nina, of everything she had been to them and Enia's heart gave another lurch. This would hit everyone hard, not just the members of Secret Woodlands. Even after her mother had become Queen, others from the outside, who Enia never dare interact with, would always come looking for their grandmother. What if they came back now? The Woodlands would only have bad news to report. Her mother did not stop there, though. She spoke of the future and of what it could bring for them. Looking back at her grandmother's resting features, Enia felt as if it would have been in her wishes for them to move on. It was why they were still alive and breathing: to continue her legacy. That didn't mean Enia wouldn't miss her, though. Her gaze was pulled away from her grandmother's body when her mother began to speak again, in much softer tones to her children. Bright brown eyes gazed up at the woman, cherishing her words and knowing that she would hold onto them from then on and til the day she passed on. She offered a weak smile to her mother, before looking back at the scene before them. Yes, it would take some time to recover but they could get through this, in their grandmother's memory.

Some vague PP here to get this wrapped up, hope it's okay with everyone <3

Aideen Athesila Seeing her children crumbled like this, unable to offer more than weak words of comfort, shattered the mother's heart even more. She knew they would get through this in time, grief was horrid beast that eventually struck everyone, death was part of life. She just wished it wouldn't have been so soon. Still she felt a glimmer of hope, seeing Flair reaching out to her brother, so unusually quiet and gentle, more empathetic to other's pain here in the middle of her own. A creamy paw lightly stroked along the back of her other daughter, still seated at her feet. Copper eyes once again roamed the clearing, settling briefly on each of the gathered, watching their sorrow, displayed in all different ways. She saw Rayne close his eyes, a serene expression crossing his face as he made his own personal goodbye to Nina. Once his eyes opened again she met them briefly, offering a light, melancholic smile to her old friend and then gesturing faintly for him to step forwards. She turned to her mate, brushing her nose to his shoulder and lingering for just a moment, eyes closed, drawing strength from him. Later she would find time to grieve on her own, once the children and the rest of the pack was taken care of. "It's time," She whispered now, taking a deep breath and pulling back. With the lightest of touches she pushed against Nia, guiding her forwards, then rose to follow, stepping up to her other children. "Come now," She bade softly, brushing her muzzle against each head, gently urging them to follow her so the rest of the pack could move the body. With the vixen queen leading her children along, they all moved in a funerary procession over the short distance to where Nina was finally laid to rest. Her grave was carefully dug and covered despite the frozen ground, a small mount formed next to the other, more sunken ones; One more… But she wouldn't count her losses, instead focusing on the blessings. It was thanks to the golden woman that she was here now, with a family she loved so dearly. "Thank you," She whispered finally, placing a paw to form a small print on the grave, a last farewell that would soon be erased by the elements; "For everything." Word count: 387 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

 

PLOT WITH ME!