Whitestone Monadnock the compromise

Knowing the time they would be away would be important for when she had to tell someone how long she'd be gone. Inna already knew that she was going to tell them when the time came and she hoped that she would be allowed to go. She nodded, “A week seems fair and not too long to be away from our packs. We can tell them we discussed a scouting expedition while I was here. Do you know when you would like to leave?” She would need a few days to get things in order but felt she could go with him soon enough.

Inna could tell that he seemed concerned about it being necessary to cache some food in their meeting place. She had to explain to him why she felt this way so she went on to tell him what had been said about her litter, the reason why she felt as she did. Then she told him what she wanted to do about it, to prevent her litter from hurting Hearthwood. She knew she was in the wrong when she'd gotten pregnant and the consequences should fall in her but not her pups. She feared that they would because she had broken pack law. Inna didn't want that for her pups, she wanted the best for them.

Lorcan didn't hesitate to voice his opinion about what she planned to do. Inna listened, taking in what he said and considering​ it. Despite her feelings on the topic she did smile when he called her brave. “Thank you Lorcan, I appreciate that and I know you will do whatever you'd able to. You have been very good to me despite the position I have put you in.” She brushed her muzzle along his to show she meant what she said. “I'm not going to pretend it won't be hard but I feel like I have to do this,” she admitted calmly meeting his gaze. “I won't lie to you that I am hurt by what they have said regarding our pups. I'm sure we can both agree it wasn't the smartest thing to do but do you really think the pack would support them if they believed they could be what stands in the way of their own litters surviving?” Inna asked him honestly what his opinion on the matter was, if he felt the same. She closed her eyes as he nuzzled into the fur of her neck relishing the comfort of have her. The lick to her chin was returned with one to his before he could pull away completely.

“I want them to be part of the pack Lorcan, to grow up with the other pups, play in all the places I did and learn to hunt where I did but I have to think of them, what's best for them and an environment where they aren't wanted, I'm not sure that is the best place for them.” She didn't want their children to be a burden on Hearthwood but at the same time it was about so much more than that and she welcomed Lorcans views and hoped he would be willing to talk this out with her. “I have a lot to prove to my mother and my pack and I don't care if they are angry with me, I deserve it but I don't want it taken out on my pups who have no say in the matter.”

She purred as he swept his muzzle under hers, they had an agreement about what they would say if questioned about their time together. With that settled she should have felt a little more at ease but she didn't as he mentioned questions being asked. He had quelled her fear but it left a question on her tongue. 'Who was this Piety he spoke of?’ Inna tilted her head as he hesitated and shook out his pelt, the ebony Baranski clicked her tongue. His actions didn't seem to match up with his answer, why would he seem so nervous to admitting to her being his best friend? “That's all she is?” Asked Inna, “I mean if she's more you can tell me Lorcan. It's not like you and I are more than friends, right?” Why should they be anything more than friends, it's not like she'd really been in his life until recently.

(This post was last modified: Mar 29, 2017, 06:07 PM by Inna.)

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Lorcan considered his answer for a moment. The Whitestone healer did not wish to leave his pack immediately, for he had only recently returned from his two week escapade with Inna. Plus, things felt a little tense within the pack recently with Craw being absent for such a long period of time and the sudden departure of a few of their newest members; Lorcan wanted to prove that he remained a loyal member of the pack regardless of his own personal issues.

“If you’d like.” He agreed, nodding his head. “After all, it isn’t really a lie.” He added with a slight mischievous grin pulling at his lips before it quickly faded as he grew more serious. “Ideally I would like to wait until the snows have melted a bit, but I’m beginning to wonder if such a time will ever come.” He murmured, golden gaze falling to the ground in worry before he glanced back up to her to explain. “There’s a plant I wish to collect. It’s supposed to be useful during the birthing process.” Rolling his shoulders, his tail flicked in decision. “We’ll leave it a few weeks before we meet up again, regardless of the weather, just to give us both time to sort things out. I’ll give you a howl when I’m on my way and we can meet up somewhere in the middle.”

The agouti male listened quietly as @Inna took the time to explain to him why she felt the way he did. Once against Lorcan resisted the urge to say something about what her family had called her and their pups. “I think if they love you, then they will do their best to support you and the pups.” He stated simply, although, it was easy for him to say - he wasn’t in the leader’s position. Inna then brought up another of her concerns, to which Lorcan couldn’t help but frown at. “If they were to take it out on our pups, it says a lot more about them than it does you, Inna.” He said, his teeth clenched slightly in annoyance. “If it does happen, which I really hope it doesn’t, then we will sort something out.” He promised her, though truthfully he hoped it would never have to come to that.

The purr that rumbled in her throat reminded him of the time they had spent alone together, causing a warmth to grow in his chest. Though that warmth was quickly stolen from his heart when she suddenly questioned him about Piety. He should never have mentioned her name. But then he realised that Inna was not acting all angry and bitter like he would have expected her to. Could she really handle the truth? Russet ears pressed back against his head as Lorcan silently deliberate telling her. Inna had just said that they were just friends, so, could it really hurt if she knew?

“I..um—” He stuttered, glancing across to her anxiously. “—I thought that maybe we could be more, but…” His chest ached then and his tail curled between his legs. “She chose to become mates with someone else. They’re expecting pups together this spring, so…” His voice trailed off into silence and his gaze fell to the ground. It felt even more painful now that he had finally admitted it to someone else. 

"You don't have to worry about me and her.." He said quietly, eyes growing wet as he stared at the ground. 

(This post was last modified: Mar 30, 2017, 03:20 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

With everything that had happened since her return to Hearthwood Inna felt it unwise to disappear again. She needed a little time to try and make things better with Aleksei and her mother if they would allow it. Inna already felt like she was risking a lot coming to Whitestone but Lorcan had to know. It was a risk she was willing to take so that he would know he was going to be a father. Since she had promised not to reveal to anyone the father of her children she couldn't hope they would understand why she had gone but maybe what she planned to tell them would be enough.

The question was how long until they went looking for a meeting place. Inna felt they needed to have a story to keep suspicion away from them. “I think it's best,” having that story made her feel a little more comfortable, “No, it's not we just aren't telling them what we are scouting for.” It might be lying by omission but Inna felt a little better about it then a complete lie to her family. Lorcan went on to explain when and why. When the snow melted for a plant that would be helpful in childbirth. “I think that would be a good time. Don't worry Lorcan, the snow has to melt so everything can come back. It has to,” she said before brushing her muzzle along his chin in an effort to comfort him. “I can help you collect it, we might need it and I don't want to be without it,” she said some of her nervousness about actually having her pups seeping into her voice. She had tried to not think about it much because the idea of it scared her but she knew she would have to face it. Knowing Lorcan was already thinking about it did help her, “I would like you to be there,” she said suddenly. He then detailed when they should leave and what they would do. “I think that seems ample time, I will be waiting for your call when it becomes closer to the time we are going.”

When she'd told him how she felt and what she was planning to do he hadn't really agreed, it worried her that this might be the one thing they couldn't agree on. He heard her out though as she explained her reasons and how she felt about all of it. He didn't get angry with her but instead seemed just as supportive as he had all along. “I hope that is the case but I worry their anger will cloud their judgement. I want our pups to be a part of Hearthwood and loved by all the members just as I was but as their mother I have to think of the things that could go wrong for their safety. I will give my family a chance but if it doesn't go well I'm glad to know you will help me figure out what to do.” Inna knew he was right about a lot of what she'd said and thought and even though she still felt she needed to work hard she was willing to give her family a chance to show they did care for her pups.

Inna wondered about the woman Piety he spoke of and even what impact she might have in regards to her pups. She was under no delusion that Lorcan cared about as anything more than a friend. As his friend though she felt it important that he knew he could count on her and bring his problems to her just as she had him. So having an suspicion he wasn't telling her everything she prodded just a little feeling he needed to talk. Inna waited for him to talk just in case she had been wrong, she didn't want to pry too much but she didn't want him to be upset either. Talking helped her and she hoped it would do the same for him. It seemed he felt like he wanted to talk because he explained about Piety to her.

She listened as he described what had happened and saw the sadness that came over him as he spoke about her. Inna's heart went out to him as she stepped closer to him and embraced him, “I'm sorry Lorcan I had no idea,” she said as he told her how he really felt about Piety. She shook her head as he told her what had happened, “I don't think that is fair to you, does she know how you feel about her?” Inna didn't think she liked this Piety woman after hearing what she'd done to Lorcan. To just push him aside like it seemed she had since Lorcan that they could have been more than friends there must have been a reason he thought that. “If you want to talk more I can stay and listen,” she told just so he would know she was there for him as much as he was for her.

Then he told her she didn't have to worry about Piety and him. Inna stepped back to look at him before trying to get him to look at her, “I’m not worried, I trust you will do what you have promised,” she said slightly confused why he might think she would be worried. “I'm worried about you though, are you going to be okay? I can't expect this is easy for you.”

(This post was last modified: Mar 30, 2017, 04:41 PM by Inna.)

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The agouti male appreciated Inna’s attempts to comfort him. He offered her a small smile and pressed the tip of his nose into the soft fur of her cheek to express his gratitude. “I hope so..” He sighed softly, leaning his face gently into hers to feel her warmth. “I’m pretty useless as a Healer until it does. I hate not being able to do my duty.” He admitted, golden eyes glancing across to give her a disheartened look.

Inna’s offer to help collect the plant was acknowledged by the Whitestone healer with a grateful nod of his head. “You can definitely help if you want.” He murmured. “—and I wasn’t planning to let you go without it.” He said with a playful chuckle before he moved his muzzle closer to place an affectionate kiss on her ebony lips. “I want the best for you.” He whispered with a genuine tone in his voice.

Russet ears then perked up when Inna expressed her desire for him to be present at the birth. Golden eyes widened for a brief moment at the idea of witnessing his own pups enter the world. “I—I’d love that. We—we could even name them together…” A large smile spread across his charcoal lips and his golden eyes glimmered with excitement.

Their conversation then turned to how their pups would be raised within Hearthwood and Inna’s reluctance to let her family support her with their upbringing, for fear that they would mistreat them due to their unlawful creation. “I think that is the best thing you can really do, is to try. At least then, you can honestly say that you tried to give them a normal life.” His gaze flickered across to meet the deep orange stare of his friend, to see if she agreed.

When he mentioned Piety he was surprised when Inna moved in to embrace him. He had half-expected for her to get angry at him and storm away in some jealous rage. Instead, Inna seemed entirely empathetic about his situation with another woman. Lorcan shrugged at her question. “I don’t know, I mean I never verbally expressed exactly how I felt about her, but I thought she knew—I could have sworn she liked me back but…” His voice trailed off as his gaze dropped to his paws awkwardly. “…apparently not enough.” His tone became a bit sharp then, highlighting his apparent bitterness on the subject.

Inna done her best to console him and even offered to stick around for longer to talk about the whole Piety situation with him, but he refused to make her stay just to listen to his stupid drama. “No, no I’m okay…thank you.” He murmured, lifting his head to meet her concerned gaze then. “I don’t want to keep you here for longer than necessary, you need to get back before it gets dark.” He said, offering her a fragile smile. He leant in to embrace her then and offered a last lick to her face before he stepped back to allow Inna to take her leave.

It was only once she had taken a few steps away from him that he suddenly remembered something. “Oh, before you go—” He exclaimed, stepping forwards to catch up to her. “I plan to tell the others that you were out hunting and that you got stuck in the blizzard. That would be okay wouldn’t it?” He asked with a curious tilt of his head. Once that last issue was settled, he quickly placed a final kiss on her cheek before he stood still and watched in silence as Inna travelled back in the direction of her Hearthwood.  

(This post was last modified: Mar 30, 2017, 09:20 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

Even though she wasn't a healer like Lorcan she could understand why he was upset about the fact winter didn't seem to want to leave. She tried to comfort him and reassure him that spring had to come, the plants had to return. She smiled as she felt his nose against her cheek and knew he appreciated her attempts to comfort him. “Just because you can't collect herbs doesn't mean you're useless. Winter or summer you can still help anyone who needs it.” She met his gaze, “All your inability to collect herbs means is what you have to use is limited.” She at least understood that much about being a healer from Lachesis.

When he mentioned wanting to collect a specific plant for when she had her pups she immediately offered to go with him. She wanted to be a part of every step just as much as she wanted him to be, they were in this together. A wide smile crossed her ebony lips as he said she could help, “I think it will be fun and maybe I can learn something too.” Her gaze dropped to her paws for a brief moment when he told her he wouldn't let her go without it, “I should have know,” she said meeting his gaze once more before he surprised her with a kiss to her lips, it caused the heat of a blush to rise in her cheeks. The words that followed it only made her more grateful that he was the father of her children and confident he would help her through this. “That means a lot Lorcan.”

What was more important to her then how he could help or him being there for her was that he could see his children being born. His reaction to her admitting that was what she wanted gave her hope that he would one day accept his role as father and want to be in the lives of his children. She couldn't and wouldn't hide how happy his words made her, “I would love it if we named them together,” she told him. The expression that came across his features only cause the smile on her lips to grow.

Inna couldn't deny the concern she felt having her pups in Hearthwood and it pained her that she felt as she did. Lorcan was right though, she needed to at least try because then she could say she had. Then if it went badly it wouldn't be on her, “I will try,” she promised, “I want them to have the puppyhood I did and the only way it for me to try.” Doing what was best for her children was so important to her, she wanted to be a good mother to them.

What was important too was Lorcan and helping him as much as he did her so when he spoke about Piety and what she meant to him. The emotion that he showed because of what had happened made her worry about him. She didn't want to leave him at the Monadnock having to be reminded every day with no one on his side. She embraced him to let him know she cared and was there for him. “If she did know how you felt Lorcan and you think she felt the same then what she’s done...I don't think that is fair to you. She should have spoken to you, found out where you were and how you felt,” Inna said gently tightening her embrace a little, “She doesn't know what she’s missing out on,” she added in response to his last comment. Lorcan was a good man, he had proven that to Inna time and again and if this Piety couldn't recognize that about him and how much he cared for her then she didn't deserve him. “You should be with someone who appreciates everything about you,” she whispered.

It was getting close to the time she needed to leave but Inna didn't like leaving him so upset and offered to stay so he could talk. He turned her down though, “As long as you're sure you're going to be okay.” She knew he was right though, she needed to get back, “Okay, I will go so I can make it home before dark but please remember I am here for you too and you know where to find me.” She didn't know if he would take her up on her offer but at least he would know that she was there for him like he was her. She returned the lick to her face with a kiss to his cheek.

It was time for her to return to Hearthwood and what she had to face there. It was with a deep breath she turned in the direction of home. She only got a few steps from him though before he had something else he wanted to say. She turned to face him as he made sure the story he wanted to tell would be okay. Inna nodded, “Of course, That is what I was going to tell my pack if they asked.” His kiss was returned with a brush of her muzzle against his cheek. “I will see you soon,” she told with a smile before turning in the direction of home setting off at a pace that would carry her there quickly.

(This post was last modified: Mar 30, 2017, 10:33 PM by Inna.)

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