Secret Woodlands Finding Neverland

The grief was so tangible all around her, that the woman felt like she could choke on it. Her gaze briefly followed her queen as she moved towards the large guardian, but it was clear that it would be a private moment so she turned her attention towards little Daniel. No one as of yet moved forward to state their goodbyes and as the scarred woman forced her body to finally move, there was a rustle within the thickets of someone's approach. Looking up, her blue gaze landed on the medic for the pack, Aideen, as she finally made her appearance. But it was clear what had caused her late arrival. Inali looked away from the display of farewell between Aideen and Daniel, her grief too ever present for the woman to bear. All this grief weighed especially hard on Inali, for she hated seeing her pack mates so full of misery. But this was a sad occasion, so grief demanded to be felt. It was the beginning process towards healing, and the pack would need to heal from this so they could grow stronger from it and forge a deeper bond. Stepping forward to say her own brief goodbye, she lowered her muzzle to briefly brush against Daniel's form. Laying a tender kiss atop his head, the woman stepped back into her earlier position. Turning her gaze to Nina, Inali waited for her to begin little Daniel's burial. "speech"”Speech”

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Silence hung in the air around them all as she sat with her face buried in Nina's chest. Mirren's arrival was reassuring but did little to ease the pain or comfort her. In fact, she knew deep down that there wasn't anyone who could make this feel any better. Daniel was never coming back, and she couldn't help him now. Lyanna stifled a sniffle and wiped her tears in the thick of Nina's coat, taking a deep breath as the tears continued to flow and her eyes wandered over the angles of the stiff form of the boy who didn't deserve to die.

Eventually, her grandmother leaned down to offer what little she could to the mourning child. Her words were soft and, strangely to the girl, all ones that she wanted to hear.

"If you close your eyes and imagine a place that you’ve never been before, you can see him there and visit him whenever you’d like. That’s the place that only you can go to, my darling, and if you want him to be there, he will be."

For now, it was hard to imagine such a place ─ one where Daniel would be whenever she so wished. She closed her eyes tightly and with frustration wished for Danny to be here with her now. It didn't come as a surprise when she opened them again and his body still laid before her, lifeless. A soft whine rumbled in her throat as she received Nina's tender kiss.

In that moment, in her mind, she began to search for that place she'd never been, for the boy she knew she would never truly see again.

It felt like she would never be able to find it.

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

Mirren watched without a word as the others gathered to pay their respects to the fallen boy and to Nina, his eyes eventually wandering to rest upon the sight of his daughter. She was so beautiful, her golden eyes the color of his own but so much like her mother's. They were full of life, and they were wet with tears of grief that hurt him to see. He breathed, slow and steady, in and out, the autumn air filling his lungs without satisfying the thirst for oxygen he couldn't evade. Nina leaned down to shed her comfort and wisdom with her granddaughter, her soft words touching him to the very core. They would resonate in his mind long after Daniel was laid to rest.

Eventually the emerald-eyed queen left her place and Lyanna in it, though not without issuing the girl her affection and nudging her toward her father. But Lyanna didn't move and instead she remained right where she sat, the look on her face forlorn, her body hunched over in defeat. Mirren went to his daughter, perhaps as much out of his own need for her as her possible need for him. Towering over Lyanna's form, the father silently roved his snout down the crevice between her tiny shoulder blades, breathing in the scent of her deeply before affectionately licking the crown between her rounded ears.

She was too young to know such a heartbreak, and in that moment he would have given anything to wick away the despair he imagined she must be feeling. In a way, watching Lyanna mourn was as defeating as the sight of Daniel's body, just inches away. Mirren knew well enough that words could not undo the damage of this in his daughter's life, so he told her the only thing he knew that mattered.

"I love you."

As she leaned into him, he glanced over to Nina and Miccah, who had stolen away in their own moment of privacy.

Here is the final round to wrap up replies. To claim points, you need to have at least 3 posts.  Also, to make it clear, the trip that Nina is speaking about has already happened.

Miccah was quick to accept her command, without question. She nodded her head curtly towards him, her lips in a thin line. With a sigh from Nina, they made their way back to the group. Many were silently saying their goodbyes to Daniel, but the golden brown woman’s single gaze moved to find Lyanna curled up towards her father. The Woodland’s alpha would be sure to keep an eye on the girl now, she did not want another Danica incident on her paws. Of course, the Tainn family did have a better history with mental stability.

Her thoughts were broken by the arrival of another. Aideen had come, no doubt trying to find other herbs that would have failed in aiding Daniel’s recovery. There was a point of no return that he had crossed and would not have been able to come back from. The only thing Nina had been able to do was make him as comfortable as possible. And then he had passed on to another land…another life. She received Aideen’s condolences silently, pressing her muzzle firmly against her loyal Second’s. After pulling away, she felt a bit more happiness in seeing that her friend was taking comfort in her mate. If she had two eyes, she would have made the attempt to wink at Miccah but she didn’t have that luxury.

Taking in her pack members, she rose her voice so that they could all hear, "After we bury Daniel…I must take leave for a few days. It is my responsibility as Daniel’s last guardian to inform those of his party of his passing. While I am away Mirren and Aideen will be in charge." When she had made it clear to everyone, she made her way towards Daniel, her jaws wrapping gently around the nape of his neck to pick him up. To a passer-by it would look like a pup had a long day and his mother was bringing him back to their den, but they all knew the truth. Nina led them to where Tacoma had been buried and mentioned for the other to help dig. Once it was done, Nina basked into silence before lifting her head and voice in song of mourning, allowing anyone who wanted to join, to sing of their own sorrows.

It seems when you're around, my life is complete.

The small woman watched as Nina came back from her private meeting. Her ears pricked attentively as she listened to Nina's words. Her attention moved briefly to Mirren, and her eyes showed her sadness. He was trying to comfort his daughter, but the man wasn't doing too much better with his own grief. None of them were. Daniel's death was hitting everyone hard, shaking them to realize again that life wasn't always peaceful. It wasn't always fair. To lose such a precious, innocent soul made Inali's eyes begin to brim with tears. Looking at Aideen, the nice Woodlands healer, hurt Inali. She had done probably everything possible to aid Nina in her endeavor to save Daniel but to no avail. He was gone. Inali's head was bowed as she followed the rest of the pack as Nina led them to where Daniel would be buried. Watching him be covered, knowing that the little boy would never rise again, made the woman's shoulders shake with her soft sobs. She hadn't gotten to know him as well as the others probably had, but he had still been a child, and children were very dear to her heart. Children were meant to live happy lives, exploring their days full of youth. In a perfect world, all children would live. But that was not the case. This world was anything but perfect. She leaned against @Bane's side, and too lifted her muzzle to sing of her grief. "speech"”Speech”

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(This post was last modified: Dec 24, 2015, 01:26 AM by Inali.)

With the matter closed and his confirmation given, the pair walked silently back to the group of grief-stricken wolves. A movement from the thickets that surrounded them immediately drew his attention. Miccah's attentive gaze latched onto the figure of his wife as she immediately went to Daniel's form and then continued to come towards them and express her condolences to Nina. Her feelings got the best of his wife, but the man took it all in stride and drew her into his embrace. If he could take away her pain and make it his, Miccah would do it in a single second. But that wasn't possible, so the man tried to comfort her sobbing form as much he could within his silent embrace, trying to give her strength. His gaze moved to Nina briefly as she spoke and then it turned back to his wife. He nudged her muzzle softly, silently informing her that she needed to compose herself for just a brief moment. As the temporary queen in Nina's future absence, the pack would look up to her for guidance. He was there to provide her with his strength. He followed the rest of the pack as Nina led them to the burial site she had picked out. The man didn't know about Tacoma, but by the look on Nina's face this place was special to her. He aided in burying the young prince and then watched as Nina began to sing her song of grief. Usually the guardian was reserved in showing his emotions, but his grief was too great. He needed to release it somehow. So Miccah went back to his wife's side and lifted his muzzle as he joined in Nina's song with his deep baritone, releasing his grief over the young life lost. "speech"

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(This post was last modified: Dec 24, 2015, 01:53 AM by Miccah.)

She took comfort in her partners embrace, the soft pressure against her back relieving the worst of the pain. There was no taking away the sorrow, and she knew it would last long, before its shadow had fully lifted, but at least they had each other, all of them, to help ease it. Nina began to speak, and Aideen turned her head slightly so that she could see the queen, while still pressing against her mate. The message made her wet eyes widen slightly in surprise, but she nodded softly, indicating that she understood. Then Miccah's muzzle brushed against hers, and she glanced up at him, a sad smile flickering across her face, his support helped her feel confident in her temporary position. Slowly she untangled herself from her dark knight, looking out over the mournful faces, her pack; They will all need support too… Healing took both time and care, she needed to be able to offer anything she could to help them all. There was a stubborn tug at her mouth, she was determined to do everything in her power. Nina picked up the small, cold body, and Aideen followed suite with the rest of the pack, stopping only to pick up her small bundle of flowers and take it with them the grave site. At the matriarch's signal, the healer joined her mate in helping to dig the grave, gently resting her flowers next to the boy, once he was safely lowered into his final resting place. Then she stepped back, again observing her pack mates. Most were crying, or had their heads lowered in sorrow, yet the young woman's attention fell on Inali, crying openly as the child was covered. In silence, the healer walked over to her, sitting down by her side and gently brushing against her shoulder, offering a comforting look through her own tears. Then Miccah came to sit by her other side, raising his own voice to join in Nina's song of mourning. Aideen closed her eyes, sighing as she listened to their voices mingling so beautifully. Then she too tilted back her head, joining her own, gently trembling soprano in the hymn, singing her hope that Daniel would find peace in the afterlife. Word count: 372 ”Speech”  Thoughts

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