Hearthwood River spirits in the dark are waiting

The tiny black pup did not understand everything that was ever said to her because she didn't understand this word or that. She did understand what this meeting was about and she was scared. Oksana stayed tucked against her mother until she had moved to talk to everyone. She then pressed herself against Lorc until her mother returned. She was sure Inna would make this all better. Her mum always made everything better and she would make this better too, Inna had to.

That was until that kid showed up talking about listen to Lach. It was her uncle Lach wanting to leave and her mum that was saying stay she wanted to stay. More talking happened and almost all of it was 'blah blah blah' to her, she didn't understand the words. Then her uncle Lach and Ayti sounded mad making Oksana pressed herself even further against her mother. Her gaze followed the chocolate man as he went away back into the forest before her mum spoke again. 'Change’, she wondered if that was good or bad. Maybe she would ask Inna later what it meant before they went to sleep. A look was sent to that kid because it seemed that her uncle Lach was in the same side as her mum even if everything the adults said still sounded like 'blah blah blah’.

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Whilst opinions were obviously divided amongst his pack mates, it seemed the vast majority of them were opposed to the idea of leaving Kingsfall. Lorcan couldn’t help but feel relieved as he listened to the speeches made by Aytigin, Inna and Lilya, glad that like him, they were able to look past the grief and see their wonderful woodland home for what is was.

The healer had to admit that he had not liked the feeling of the forest immediately. It had been so different from the vast openness of the northern tundra, but over time he had come to appreciate the areas of dappled sunlight and cool shade which the tree canopy provided. The abundance of flora also provided the pack with a greater sense of privacy and security, something which Lorcan had not experienced atop the flat plateau of the great monadnock – although had it not been for the maze of trees and shrubs which littered their territory, maybe that mountain lion would have never made it inside the territory.

Dark lashes blinked as Lorcan turned his frowning face towards Lachesis, russet ears perking up as the leader spoke to all of them. The frown which had plagued his features soon softened when the pale male acknowledged his suggestion to train up some guardians, pleased that the leader had found his idea useful. Golden eyes glanced around to all those present around him as Lachesis then asked for additional suggestions. Immediately his attention was caught by Aytigin. Whilst his eyes narrowed into the large dark male, he did not feel compelled to shut him down, despite his blatant rudeness towards their leader. Lorcan agreed with him.

Biting back his tongue as Aytigin stormed away, his attention then turned to Inna. A single brow rose at her suggestion as his mind wondered back to his time in Whitestone. Turning to glance down to Oksana, who had since clung to his ankle, he gave the pup a reassuring smile before he looked back towards his pack mates still present. He remained where he was, allowing his daughter to cling to him whilst he addressed the adults.

“I know this isn’t Whitestone, but, when I was there they had this rule…Wolves that wished to join were required to bring three gifts, over three days, and place them at the borders. The gifts were like a test, used to show the potential’s skill – but the task of bringing the gifts itself also worked to put off individuals that may have just wanted to join the first pack that they’d come across, or those that were not willing to work in order to benefit from the pack.” He looked across to Lachesis, his expression hopeful. “I’m not saying we should do the same thing, but maybe we could devise our own test or something?” With a soft shrug he glanced back to Oksana and settled down on his rear, content with his contribution.

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

What was Oksana on about?  Why was she on about her Mama?  At least she had one.
 
Theo’s ears laid flat against his skull, eyes narrowed slightly as he studied the dark pup…but it didn’t last very long, because the adults were talking again, and they very clearly did not have much care for whatever the children had to say.  Lilya was hard to listen to…or understand…and Lack just seemed upset, and as far as the young Tainn could tell, nothing was actually happening.  Wolves were still talking, and leaving, and no one was talking to him, so what was the point?
 
The sable pup blew out harshly through his nose, whiskers bristling with frustration.  But it was what it was.  No point in trying to argue with them now, especially when his words fell on deaf ears.  It seemed like Oksana had come to the same conclusion – or if she hadn’t, she’d decided to stay silent, as well.
 
Without his sister here, and any other parents to speak of, Mathéo Tainn gave a soft sigh and glanced around as some of the adults started to depart.  He could follow…or stay.  It probably didn’t matter which he chose.  It wasn’t like the boy had anywhere to belong, anyways.

THANKS EVERYONE <3 feel free to post your exit posts (or nothing!) I'll be arching this September 4-5 so that gives you a week to through something in if you'd like :B u guys rock @Laike @Lilya @Lorcan @Inna @Oksana @Matheo @Aytigin

The large, ebony male remained as defiant as ever, quickly throwing Lachesis’ words back at him. He was not an idiot; XIX knew that death and despair would follow them no matter where they went. It was an enviable part of life and he couldn’t avoid it no matter how far he ran. He just was not sure if his pack—his family—would want to remain in the Kingswood, where so many wolves they had cared about were now buried. He hadn’t been sure, as he kept avoiding the Ethos, for visiting their graves made the loss more real. “You don’t think I know that?” He spat back in response, his brows still pinched together as his upper lip curled. However, what the male responded with had taken the alpha by surprise, his ears twitching in annoyance. He was leaving?! He snorted to show his frustration but did not chase the male—he did not care. Once the meeting was over he would deal with Aytigin’s insubordination. Right now his sharp tongue was the least of Lachesis’ worries.

His chartreuse gaze turned to the sparrow as she spoke, suggesting that they spend more time with the children and giving them more lessons. The male nodded in response, his expression growing more calm. “I think that’s a great idea, and I encourage you all to spend more time with the children. It's important to start getting them more involved in patrols and hunts,” he added, his gaze sweeping the crowd as he spoke. “We’ll do a pack hunt soon, once the pups grow a little more…” and when the dust settles. Wounds were still a little too fresh in Hearthwood.

As the raven spoke he nodded once more, for he, too, had grown tired of wolves merely stopping in the Kingswood until they regained their strength. Lorcán was quick to speak up after the Baranski, describing how Whitestone’s rule to those wishing to join. A brow raised as his interest peaked, his head falling slightly to the side. He liked the idea of testing those who were looking to join—to make sure they actually wanted to be a part of the tight-knit group. “I like the idea of that,” he mused aloud, a small smile rolling onto his dark lips.  “I wouldn’t be opposed to brainstorming some ideas with you, Lorcán,” he added, curious as to what test they could come up with for potential joiners.

“I think this is a good time to wrap up the meeting,” the ghost announced after a brief pause, his tail giving a soft wag behind him as it remained arched above his back. “If you have anymore suggestions please come find Lilya or myself. But for now, I encourage you all to engage in more border patrols and take the children with you.” If only Lavender was a little more determined to venture past the communal dens… He would have to change that. “Unless any of you need something, I have some things to attend to,” he added in reference to Aytigin’s departure. The ghost wanted to deal with the situation as quickly as possible in order to figure out where the male’s head was and discipline him for his outbursts.

stick with those who stick with you

It didn't surprise Inna when Ayti voiced his opinion, it was what he did and she respected him for it. However, she wasn't sure the way he went about it was appropriate for the meeting. What surprised her was the tone he took and then Lachesis getting angry, she'd never seen the Pale leader so angry. She worried for Ayti especially when he left the meeting as he had. As much as she wanted to go and see if he was okay she knew she had to stay and finish the meeting.

Inna was surprised more with herself for actually agreeing with the suggestion that Lilya had regarding the puppies. They would need to start their training soon especially if they were going to be good members of Hearthwood. Her gaze went to her daughter, she would start Oksana's as soon as she returned.

It was Lorcan's idea that stuck out in her mind the most, she liked and Lachesis liked it. The Raven felt it might be a good way to weed out the ones who were serious about joining from the ones who were not. “If they invest the time bringing the gifts they may feel invested in the pack,” she added as sort of an after thought with a glad to Lorcan.

Soon the pale healer dismissed the meeting and Inna took her leave, she had business to attend to as well. Finding a sitter for Oksana and speaking with Lorcan. She was going to go search for Risa, she was worried. With her daughter in tow she left the meeting place.

~Table by Jacqueline

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Oksana became a little more nervous as uncle Lach and Ayti seemed mad at each other and her little orange gaze watched at the chocolate man went away. She looked between Lorc and her mother to see if they were worried, should she be worried too? Then Lorc spoke and uncle Lach seemed to like what he said which did cause the tiny pup to smile. She was glad his idea was liked and her mum even seemed to like the idea because she said something too.

It was only a little bit of time after that that her mother had started to leave and Oksana followed. Maybe later before they went to bed she could ask Inna all the questions she had about what had happened. She was still worried they would be leaving home and she didn't want to. She liked the forest and would miss it very much. She was sure her mother would answer all of her questions or maybe she could convince Lorc to.

Oksana and Inna exit

(This post was last modified: Aug 30, 2017, 11:55 PM by Oksana.)

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Mathéo’s ears rolled further back as tensions continued to heighten between the adults – one of the others and Lachesis, no less.  It was like no one had listened to what Kisla said when she was alive, so why would they listen to the reminder her son brought along with him?  That he was small and young and inexperienced barely occurred to the boy, only that he was being utterly ignored.  It was like sitting in silence back in the den, for all intents and purposes.  There had been no point in him joining the gathering, other than perhaps he received the information a little faster than he would have if he’d stayed away.
 
But it seemed the others were dispersing now.  Even Oksana, who seemed to get the same silent treatment as the Tainn pup, was now leaving with her mother.  With no other cues to go on, Kisla’s orphan decided this was the clearest sign he would get.  If the other pup was leaving, so should he.  Let the adults sort out their issues.  Whether he bore witness or not surely would not impact the outcome, if this meeting had any implications on how the others felt.
 
Perhaps he would go see if any of the other puppies were at the main den.
 
Exit Mathéo.

Lilya knew then and there that she’d personally be the one looking into the children and how all of their training progressed… not just her own daughters. She cared about all the children, even if she knew some better than others, and even if she hadn’t been very proactive in their lives, knowing that their own mothers had been so focused on their lives like Lilya had been on her own offspring. Hopefully she could use it to grow closer to the remaining Baranski mother. Or perhaps interacting with the other pups might help bring Lavender a little more out of her shell.

Speaking of their eldest daughter… once the others started to depart she leaned closer to Lachesis. “M’gonna take Lil ta go find out where Lav ended up. I’ll find ya later so we can talk?” She murmured the soft coo to him before nudging their strange vernacular ridden child towards their den, figuring that Lavender was more of a homebody, and that she might be able to find her closer to the place she felt most familiar with. Later she’d seek out her mate so they could discuss just how they were going to train their children, especially with them having such different interests.

-Lilya and Lilliana exit-