The Wildwood what a waste of a lovely night

The excitement she felt at seeing her friend after everything that had happened and the thought she would never see her again. It overtook her as she went to greet Sahalie pulling her into an embrace that she hoped would convey just how much she had missed her. When she'd left the bend she hadn't had the chance to say goodbye and had she had the time she would have. After all Sahalie was the first friend she'd made when she came to the bend, the agouti woman wouldn't forget that. She felt her packmate lean into the embrace just before Leotie took a step back.

With her greeting over and her excitement subsided she took a moment to look between her friends. It was clear to her that there was much more was going on that she didn't know anything about. She'd also heard Kerb’s words and felt bad for him because he didn't know Sahalie so she could see he clearly felt left out. She was glad when Sahalie made the effort to include Kerb in their reunion. And Sven, she was glad to that he had come to and finally embraced their friend telling her he missed her.

Leotie stepped back further to give them some room to have their own greeting as she had. A glance thrown at Kerb she motioned for him to join her not wanting him to feel left out as she thought he might be. “Come over here, Kerb, there’s no reason you shouldn't be here,” she added for emphasis. She turned back to Sven and Sahalie, “Unless you two would like sometime to talk?” She asked any cheerfulness that had been in her voice had gone. Though she hoped that wasn't the case she also didn't want to intrude on any private moments they may want to have. It was clear that this wasn't the happiest reunion for her friends and she didn't want make it worse for them.

<center>~Table by Switch</center>

(This post was last modified: Feb 22, 2017, 06:45 AM by Leotie.)

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

He stayed in his spot like a stubborn child but listened. She introduced herself like he hadn't just heard her name being called from his friends. She kept speaking and truth be told Kerberos didn't want to hear it. They were all so cozy with each other. Even Sven had gone to embrace the pudgy girl.

The tawny Rigel was fine with acting like this. Nothing about the sudden appearance of Triell's daughter was going to change his mind. Yet then Leotie spoke. He had always listened to her. They were equals in every way. She was the only reason he even rose to his paws and shuffled a few feet forward. "I'm Kerberos." He kept his eyes on the ground. He didn't want to look at them all cozy like he had just been.

Kerberos didn't know what else to say? Hi, I'm your dad's second? Your dad is in these woods? Did you even know that? None of those sounded exactly right or polite. "It's nice to meet you Sahalie." He figured it was better than saying something he would likely regret.

He awkwardly shuffled his paws in the fresh snow. His pale yellow eyes looking down as he did it. He wondered if Maera could see him now would she still think him to be so sociable or well spoken? She always told him he had the right words for everything but that wasn't true here. He felt like any words he would say were the wrong words.

have you checked out my player preferences?

Her eyes still lingered on Sven and Leotie's friend hanging back at the tree, her smile faltering a little when nothing about his expression changed. He seemed cautious, disinterested, and maybe even a little unimpressed, and while she had never expected anyone to fall in love with her in an instant, she hadn't met anyone so aloof before. His behaviour was troubling in and of itself, but mainly for what it reflected: did he know something about her that he didn't like? Had Sven said something about her? Had her father? Leotie claimed her father would be happy to see her, but perhaps these were checks she couldn't cash. Or maybe the dark-masked man had drawn his own conclusions about her. With disappointment, her dark eyes turned towards Sven.

Sven.

Whatever he had been holding on to, her friend let go of suddenly. She could feel tears in the corners of her eyes as he came towards her. Sven had never been her home, but she felt more at home now with him beside her, head pressed against her like old times. She might have sighed with relief had Leotie's voice not brought her out of her nostalgic, girlish thoughts, and once more she was reminded of the overwhelming awkwardness and the man who didn't like her: Kerberos. She would have smiled at him again but his gaze was pointedly fixed on the ground. The girl threw a glance towards Sven: is this normal?

"I uhm," she didn't want to suddenly steal Sven away from them but at the same time she wasn't expecting Sven to suddenly open up about the things he was thinking in front of them. On top of that, if Kerberos didn't want anything to do with her then was there a point in divulging a whole load on him? Her eyes flickered from Leotie to Sven to Kerberos and back again. Where to even begin? "H-how long have you guys been here?" Better to ask the questions than answer things that hadn't been asked. She thought about asking to see her dad but then the ugly beast of emotion reared its head again and her ears drooped. She turned to Sven, eyes full of words, willing him to understand that they could talk later. "When did you all meet?" This one was directed more at Kerberos in one last effort to welcome him into the circle.

His friends began to fade away from his awareness, despite their voices and continued presence. He had shut his eyes tight, focusing only on Sahalie and the reassurance of her touch. With the stones gone the waves were free to do the damage he'd been so guarded against, that with which he was so familiar. She was here now, tucked against him but that wouldn't last. Like the others, she would give her explanation but no matter how full it was she would then walk away again and these waters would drown him.

It would be cold where her warmth had been, and he would be alone with his turmoil while she moved on, moving further out of his life in search of her fresh start. She would say goodbye to him, maybe even promise to visit, but then she would live out her days with Alastor instead. It was the pattern, and god how he wanted her to break it but Sven knew she wouldn't. The silver boy blessed enough to be her chosen partner was just Skoll in another form, and Sven would be reminded what it cost him to invest in anything outside of himself, that he was the world's second best.

His eyes felt hot and wet when he opened them, staring distantly over Sahalie's shoulder blades and into the darkness beyond her. He didn't speak, neither trusting his voice nor having any words to say for the questions asked. Sven Archer was all at once vulnerable again, and it made him want to disappear.

The longer the reunion went the clearer it became to the agouti woman that there was much more under the surface between Sven and Sahalie. She may not have grown up in the lore and there may have been a lot she didn't understand but this was emotions, she understood that. As she watched them together and the sound in Sven's voice as he told her friend that he missed her so Leotie gave them space and offered for them to have a few minutes to talk. However with the amount of emotion that seemed to be passing between them she felt more than a few minutes might be necessary. Needless to say she was starting to feel that perhaps she should take Kerb and head home, she knew he would go as he was feeling just as awkward as she'd started to feel.

Her gaze went back to him to find that he had moved a little closer to them and even introduced himself. She could tell he was trying to be polite despite his current feelings. Sahalie's question brought her attention away from Kerb, “Just a couple of months since about a week or so after we left the bend,” she replied to her friends question. She wanted to tell the Tainn more about why they were there and how they were doing but she wasn't sure if it was the time or the place so she left it at that. If Sahalie wanted to know more she could ask and Leotie would gladly answer, she was family after all. The agouti woman thought of Triell too and if he would get the chance to see his daughter or if she would go and not speak to him.

Her attention was returned to Kerb as Sahalie's next question was directed at him, she went to her friend and rank mate. She hoped giving him a quick lick under the chin would help to break his resolve about joining them. Like with Sven though she wouldn't push him into something he wasn't comfortable with. Being next to Kerb unfortunately didn't help her to feel any less out of place, like she was interrupting something but if Sahalie was trying to make conversation Leotie felt she could try as well. “What brings you to the Wildwood?” She asked curiously since this visit was such a surprise. Her gaze had flicked to Sven while waiting for a response, he hadn't seemed to have moved. She was worried about him and she was curious all at the same time but she was a little hurt too. She wasn't suelre if it was appropriate to feel as she did but she did and she was doing what she could to hide it.

What she'd thought about their friendship before was starting to come a little into question as he'd seems to have forgotten completely that she and Kerb were even there. She'd sat back on her haunches next to Kerb, where he stood and swallowed back the emotion that threatens to come to the surface. Her nose pressed into his scruff for a moment gave her some comfort, he'd never forgotten her.

<center>~Table by Switch</center>

(This post was last modified: Feb 22, 2017, 10:30 PM by Leotie.)

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

He didn't like any of this. He never thought he'd feel like an outsider but here he was feeling as outside as ever. Pale eyes noticed how tightly Sven stayed to this Sahalie girl. How emotional he seemed there was more than Kerb was ready to see. Who was she more than Triell's daughter and why did she matter so much?

Kerberos had been so lost in his own questions that he hadn't had time to answer the first of the Tainn's questions. He was glad that Leotie had chirped up to answer. The dark tawny male accepted her lick with a gentle nose to her chin. She had to know how he was feeling. They had always been so in tune with each other. Not to mention Kerb wasn't doing much to hide his emotions. He leaned into his rank mate. If he could disappear into her embrace he gladly would.

There were more questions, though. This one less general and felt more aimed at him. His pale eyes left his paws and finally looked to Sahalie's face. "I-I, uh," He stuttered and felt his face grow warm. "I don't know." His words were sputtered and he put his face into Leotie's shoulder. He wanted to shrink and disappear. Run away and never return. He knew he couldn't do that, though. Hiding his face in Leotie's fur was as close as he was going to get to disappearing.

"I'm ready to leave, Leotie." He whispered softly with a hint of pleading. There was too much emotion around them and he was never good with this. He thought he had gotten better at handling his touchiness but it seemed he just got good at hiding them. Kerb pulled his face out from her fur to look at Sahalie. "If you want to find us," God he hoped she didn't. "Sven can show you." Kerberos awkwardly bumped Leotie before strolling off. That was enough for today.

-kerby exit unless stopped-

have you checked out my player preferences?

so cade/kai feel free to fade in your posts.

A couple of months. Her shoulder fur felt a little damp. For Sven's sake, she ignored it. Apparently the former bend wolves had left Spectral Woods more or less immediately and settled here. Her dad must have had his mind made up before he even walked away from her. Sahalie wondered if they knew that her father had picked this place because it was where he had been born. Triell loved his memories, she reminded herself with a twinge of bitterness. She could not simply be glad that it was going well for all of them, not without work. "Wow," she commented neutrally, forcing herself to admit that it was quite a feat to pull off—crossing the mountain in the dead of winter, finding wolves laying down the borders of a new home—one that she had not pulled off yet. Sahalie was a child in comparison: a ragtag band of barely-adults who didn't know what they were doing.

Leotie went to comfort Kerberos, which was odd because it did seem truly necessary for reasons that Sahalie still couldn't understand and would drive her nuts with anxiety over the next few days. If they hadn't all been laughing a few minutes ago she might have thought that she walked in on them confessing some deep dark secrets. Something about her bothered Kerberos to a serious degree, and she found this difficult to brush off in the way she had with Larkspur and Askan's bad attitudes. He wouldn't even talk to her, barely even looked in her direction, like she had done something. He didn't even have an answer for her, stammering and embarrassed. She felt her chest threatening to cave in. What did I do?

"Uhm, well, I came looking for Sven, actually," she mumbled, feeling like this comment was in bad taste in the given atmosphere. "To say sorry... and a lot of other things." So many other things, some of which didn't have to do with her at all. It was hard to even care about the information she carried with her about Lila, Aponi, and his father.

Sahalie startled a little when the dark mask reappeared from Leotie's coat, and her mouth hung open as he gave his goodbyes and turned away brusquely. He certainly didn't sound like he wanted her to find "them." Triell was her father, and Kerberos didn't even want her to see him, it felt like. Certainly, he didn't offer his own services. Sahalie frowned. She motioned to Leotie with her nose, "I think he needs you to go with him. I'll be behind you guys." If she was going to see her dad she was going to see him now.

Her voice was watery and uncertain as she turned to Sven, "Walk with me?"

(This post was last modified: Feb 23, 2017, 01:24 AM by Sahalie.)

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

His ears lifted faintly each time his name was spoken, but he barely registered the words. He was too lost in himself, which in turn was slowly sinking deeper and deeper into that ocean of emotion. Trying to keep all four paws on anything solid, he tried to pull away from it all, but by the time his silver eyes found his friends, Kerberos had his back turned and Leotie was being directed away. Sven tried to catch her blue gaze with his, attempting to send some kind of meaningful message but in reality he didn't know what to communicate in that moment.

When Sahalie turned to him, he dipped his head once in a nod.

"Of course."

His voice was thin, and he knew he wasn't ready for whatever was about to transpire.

Sahalie seemed surprised by her answer to his long they had been on this side of the mountain and as for for other question Kerb couldn't answer it. She thought he might have just been too upset to answer it either way Leotie left it hang in the air. It would give her a reason to see Triell. The agouti woman did hope that the Tainn would see her father, she felt he needed that after all that had happened.

She felt Kerb lean into her before he'd hid his face into her fur making her glad that she had come to him. He needed her and like he had been there for her when she needed him she was there for him. She placed a lick to his crown as if to tell him it was okay though she wasn't really sure that it was. Sahalie confessed that she'd come to see Sven and that was why she was in the Wildwood. She looked to Sven again, he'd been quiet through everything but she felt he'd made himself pretty clear.

Kerbs voice softly stating he was ready to leave helped her realize she should probably go as well. His words left her feeling that he didn't want her friend coming to the border, Leotie didn't feel the same. So when it seemed her packmate was sending her away Leotie paused a moment, “I think you should see your father while you're in the area and I'm glad to know you're alright. Perhaps we can catch up before you go.” She then met Sven's eyes for the briefest of moments, “If you want to find me later you know where I'll be.” With that she turned to follow Kerb back to the Draw unsure of what would happen between her and Sven.

<center>~Table by Switch</center>

(This post was last modified: Feb 23, 2017, 02:14 AM by Leotie.)

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you