Spectral Woods Running on empty

This will be a thread where Koda and @Zia are on their trip to Oak Tree Bend--prefer if any Oak member joins to lead them into the pack to meet @Drestig @Spieden or @Triell! First few round of just Zia and Koda please! Set in BTP first, as they move out into Spectral Woods!

He kissed his wife and sleeping daughters goodbye as the evening sun began to set in the sky, awaiting him was a trip South to a pack he had brief interaction with as a Secret Woodland member; today, he stood as a proud member of Broken Timber Pines. He was unsure of what relationship the Woodlands had with Oak Tree Bend but he could not allow that to deter him from trying to build a relationship with the members of the Southern region. He knew that with their dwindling numbers, the pack would need to construct some kind of alliance with the wolves of the East and he couldn't put off the trip any further--with fall in the wind, there was no better time.

The pine trees concealed him as he walked silently through his land, nervousness flooding him at the idea of leaving Iopah alone to patrol the borders and keep the remaining members safe. He was disappointed to learn that Silentium could not take the trip with him but in his place was the next best wolf, the second ranked female who had been one of the Pines founding members. He had known that Zia was a member of Oak Tree Bend before joining their ranks, and having her as a guide was perhaps better than anything he could have wished for, though he would miss his adopted son dearly--so quickly he had gone off in search of his brother Pacem, and Koda could not judge him. Family always came first and he understood that the relationship that he had built with the golden boy was secondary to the relationship he held for the Hervok brood from which his surname derived. He only hoped that the silent child would not forget them while on his long and seemingly endless journey.

He waited patiently at the center of the land for the silver woman to appear, a destination that had been agreed upon before their departure, and wondered how she was fairing since Inkhearts departure. Secretly he hoped the male was not hurt, but a portion of him was at odds as to whether to accept him a second time if he did indeed return, only time could truly tell if the male was deserving of his forgiveness as well as that of his family. He was well aware of the position that Iopah had on the issue and would side with her if it boiled down to protecting whats good for the pack--and right now, that was building up their allies.

(This post was last modified: Oct 01, 2015, 12:55 AM by Koda.)

Arla and Emma are the ish and made my pretties!
Koda will most likely always be accompanied by Chiron unless otherwise stated, or requested.

Sorry for the wait on this!

 

In relative silence, appeared from the trees, padding forth to meet Koda. Her demeanor was distant, but not un-friendly, especially to the male who had taken her in earlier this year. With a swish of her tail, she gestured to him to follow her lead, but maintained a pace steady enough so he may walk at her side. She knew the terrain well, having spent several years of her life on the Eastern side of the mountain. She was even confident enough to admit, that she was perhaps one of the most knowledgeable wolves around, when it came to this particular region. Every now and again, she would step ahead, briefly taking the lead in guiding her companion closer to the borders of Oak Tree Bend. She was hopeful that Triell would welcome them warmly, open to the proposal of an alliance. Yet she was also apprehensive. While she had left on favorable terms with the dark patriarch, she could not help but wonder how he may react seeing his ex-member now at the side of another. Regardless of how things played out, one thing was for certain; her allegiance laid firmly with Iopah and the pack. Whatever the future may hold, she would stick by the side of the tawny female whom she considered her best friend, until death pried her away. Before her departure, she spent an hours quality time with Arion. Teaching him how to hunt slightly larger, yet still manageable game for a pup his age. Showing him her favorite resting spots or a favorite log on which she liked to sun herself. She assured him that she would not be gone for too long, that this was an important trip she had to make. Besides, knowing how well he and Bracken got along, she was sure he would not get lonely or bored while she was away. It was this, that she was thankful for. That her lone son had been born into a pack filled with agemates, ensuring his childhood growing up would be an enriched one. But if only...if only Inkheart had not vanished yet again. Arion was missing a father figure in his life, and she worried for how the boy would fare without some sort of male role model. Pried away from her thoughts by the familiar sights and sounds of the forest in which the Bend wolves made their homes, she came to a stop as the heavily marked border registered in her nasal cavity. Silently, she surveyed the lands beyond, which she once roamed, searching for any signs of activity. She saw none. But this forest was a dense one, and with many of it's residents darkly colored, they could effortlessly blend in unseen, should they so wish. "This is it. We're here." She glanced to Koda, a short nod offered before stepping back. The signal for him to do the honors, as her Leader to summon an audience from the Oak Tree Bend Alphas.

 

Table by Pann, Image by Jolee

@Drestig @Triell @Spieden @Jessie You guys are all welcome to join!

Zia's approach was met with a quick nod of his large and square head as they moved through their land in relative silence; his decision to take the elegant second of the pack had come at a time when his son could not take up the duty. He trusted Zia well enough, much more than he did the male counterpart she had been accepted into the pack with, but he had asked his son for the purpose of bonding and allowing the silver woman to enjoy her time with her budding son. After Silentium's departure, he couldn't think of a better partner then the very wolf who had once been a member of Oak Tree Bend and thus there journey would begin--during the walk he pondered bringing up Inkheart. The dark male had been one of the founding members of the Pines and his departure had been both sad and unwarranted, he expected the silver second to be feeling worse off than himself over the departure, especially since she had so easily and quickly became a single mother. He wanted nothing more then to assure Zia that despite the odds, he would be there for her and the pack would continue to keep Arion safe, but he had a feeling that the silver vixen already knew where his heart for his pack members laid and thus the silence between them grew.

It was when they reached the stretch of land that was Oak Tree Bend that he turned his attention back to his partner, silently thanking her for leading them to the pack so quickly and without harm, before his head lifted toward the heavens. With closed eyes and a partially parted mouth, the leader of Broken Timber Pines called for those of Oak Tree Bend to come forward and greet their neighbors. It wasn't a demanding howl, nor was it threatening, in fact he wanted the two had come on peaceful terms and although they bore no gifts, as prey was becoming more scarce with the approach of fall, he was certain that this meeting would be a swift and casual one. He wanted nothing more then to get to know those of the Bend further and perhaps to form an alliance--without them, he was certain that his pack would still survive, albeit with more hurdles to jump over. He allowed his howl to die off in the wind and settled to his haunches, turning his attention back to Zia as he spoke, "I can only hope that they are friendly." he expected a hint of aggression considering they were apparent strangers but as long as they remained friendly there should be no casualties. "How do you feel coming back here?" 

Arla and Emma are the ish and made my pretties!
Koda will most likely always be accompanied by Chiron unless otherwise stated, or requested.

A call at the borders, not exactly a common occurrence at the Bend, though it happened now and again. This one was different though; The first! Before, he would have only stopped momentarily, listened for any signs that might require his assistance, then moved on. But now he was needed, he was the leader, who this visitor called for. So Drestig Avalon turned, rushing back towards the borders from where he had just come, feeling the slight tickle of nerves as he neared the origin of the call. He expected to find a loner, seeking admittance, and in his head, he went over what questions to ask, considering what this prospect might say. As he cleared the last trees, his body, surprisingly naturally, slit into dominant posture, tail curling up over his back, head lifted and ears pointing forwards. His eyes fell first on the male, standing in front, clearly the one who had issued the howl. He was large, not just taller than Drestig, but burlier; A muscle man… Immediately it was evident that things weren't as he'd expected. This brute was not an applicant, his posture, while not challenging, was not the typical, overly submissive stance a loner might take when confronting his possible future leader. Drestig stopped in front of him, brows rising expectantly, curious to hear who this stranger might be, and why he had come. "I'm listening." He said pointedly, eyes meeting the pale male's evenly. Then he noticed his companion, smaller and darker, standing back like silent support. The black leader's brows furrowed, eyes narrowing as he looked the woman over; "Zia?" His voice was surprised above all else, he didn't really know how to feel about seeing this former pack mate again. As far as he knew, Zia had left them, for reasons of her own that she had given Triell beforehand. So why was she now here again? Ember eyes drifted back to the large male, whom she was obviously subservient to, and his eyes grew narrower, though he held his tongue, waiting to see what they had to say. Word count: 348 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

An unfamiliar call from the borders was never anything welcomed for Jessie. Usually, it always had something to do with strangers with false intent or someone who ended up joining and leaving them. Today, it was a combination of both. With the call, Jessie looped away from Hotei’s burial, whispering a brief goodbye before starting towards the borders. Her pace was light and unhurried, sure that whatever awaited her would not be worth it. As she got closer to the borders, Drestig scent made itself known and the widowed Tainn had no problem following it onwards. It was nice knowing that someone had answered the call, putting her in no rush to arrive. When she did arrive, however, her eyes were instantly upon a familiar figure,Zia, one of their former members. The grey scout took her time in settled next to Drestig’s side, her lip curled back into a distasteful snarl. While she had never been close to the other member, she had committed a crime against Oak Tree Bend, there was no reason for her to return and Jessie had thought she had made that clear to Iopah. Her voice was cold as she addressed their former member, ”Zia…you’re the one that Iopah was talking about.” She displayed her canines without effort towards the other woman. While she considered Iopah a friend, Zia was a traitor and in her eyes would be treated as such. Perhaps she had been out of line, but it was worth it for the time being. Jessie Tainn

feainne-stock & Dawnthieves.de

@Koda

Spieden's ears flicked as a howl disturbed her from her search for chantrelles. She snorted somewhat irritably, casting one last glance at the mossy base of the tree she was rummaging under before turning towards the borders. Whatever it was they wanted, it didn't sound like it was particularly important, but she knew she couldn't just leave whoever it was to their own devices at her border. Large paws drummed a quick pace towards the border, but the heavy female was beaten out by two of her packmates. Her nose snuffled low to the ground, pulling in air scented of Drestig and Jessie, as well as two other wolves heavily scented of dry cedar and salmonberry. Uneven ears heard her second practically spit out "Zia... you’re the one that Iopah was talking about".

Spieden's bushy tail swayed upwards, arching over her spine as she ambled through a hedge onto the scene. Her fiery eyes flicked over Drestig and Jessie first, seeing her male co-lead in a dominant pose with Jessie looking much on the agitated side. Spieden took her place at Drestig's side, squaring her thick limbs in a confident stance, leaving Jessie at the man's opposite flank. A curious look started to cross the Coho's grizzled features as she inspected the two wolves before them, her large head tilting slightly to the side. Both well fed, a large tawny male and a smaller silver woman... Zia... OH! Her lofty tail swished a few slow wags. The pieces clicked into place as to the silver female's familiarity, she had remembered Zia from before, a quiet woman who had simply faded away in the chaos of the spring.

But Spieden's head remained tilted. "You're... back?" She asked, not angry but simply confused. Her attention flicked to the male, the more dominant of the two, giving him an intent gaze and expecting some kind of answer would fall out sooner or later.

@Zia Trix asked me to throw in Triell. Sorry for the wait, and the lameish post. Figured it would be best to the point.

I'll be the bright, and black, that's making you run

He may not hold a title, but this call felt like his business. If he never were leader again, the matters of the Bend were still his to worry over as long as he made it his home. It was with this in mind, he attempted to get to the edge of the borders as quickly as possible, despite being outside the territory.

He would find himself not first to the call, but rather last. It would have been better if it had been the opposite it seemed. Bright gaze drifted over the surrounded, he took place not on Zia's side but neither by those of his pack. Instead he stood in the middle, like the peacekeeper he had been born. While Zia had not been the one to call, it was apparent the fellow she was with was her leader now and had summoned to them.The Tainn found this a bit odd, but he could only assume this had something to do with her new pack and theirs. Drestig and Spieden did not greet Zia with open hostility, but a bit confusion. Her returning would likely seem the more logical reason to this visit. Triell didn't think so, not if she had what she had left for. A new life, love. But Jessie's disdain was evident, and when it came to her foul moods he especially missed his brother. His way to help ease the situation.

"Zia left with my blessing. I see no reason why she should be treated as an enemy. If any of you were unhappy and requested to leave I wouldn't make you stay in misery." A cool look was given to the silver Tainn, not believing he would change her mind, but may just remind her this wasn't the time or place. Loyalty wasn't just about staying. "What is it you two are really here for?" Cantered his head to the pair, his dark face reserved. Though he was hoping he didn't step too badly on Drestig or Spieden's toes by his request.

Triell Tainn

are you with me through it all?

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity