Sacred Grove ... i say 'how high?'

<blockquote>As she gnawed on the branch, Marsh waited, watching her and the immediate area. He understood stress relief when he saw it, and was not about to interrupt. When she had suitably vented upon the bark, enough to lift her head, he spoke his wordless question and she nodded.

Again, her single word carried perfectly, and with a curt nod, he turned on his tail to investigate.

They had not come far from the borders, and it did not take long to return to the site of Borlla's troublesome return. By now, nobody remained, which was as he expected. Nose to the ground, the Second slowly stepped out into the area which had been so busy not long previous. Scents danced all over the ground, but he was not interested in most of them. He sought Borlla's, and once he found it, he hesitated.

It did not lead into the Grove. She had turned about, and left. Ears flickering back, momentarily confused, he located Indru's, which did trail back across the borders. After that, he looked for the male scent he would not know, the stranger Borlla had with her, and that also led back into neutral territory.

So he had been wrong. Either Indru had turned his sister away, or Borlla had been sensible enough to turn away herself. Either way, his judgement had been too harsh on one of them.

Deep in thought, Marsh turned around and began the short trek back to Corinna, and where she no doubt waited. Did she expect the same thing that he had? By her reaction at the event, he guessed so. He barely registered his movements as he prowled back, his ears perking as she came into sight once more. The mild bewilderment on his face may have said it all as he approached, even before he shook his head, a curious relief in his manner. Would this make things easier? He had cursed Indru, but he had been wrong to do so. He did not desire for a lingering divide between his leaders.</blockquote>

Gone Tomorrow

She watched him, immediately taking flight when she gave the instruction to do so. While not one for words, Marsh almost always knew what it was she wanted. Corinna had never been good at keeping her emotions veiled, and more often than not, they showed through her body posture. But there was something about Marsh's attentiveness that went beyond mere observation. It was something she had noticed, to be sure, but never dwelt on. Looking into the forest where he had disappeared, she saw his russet form one last time before he vanished from sight. There was no reason to dwell on it; she would not question his loyalty, nor why he had chosen her specifically. But she would not undervalue it either, and when he reappeared not too long after leaving, Cori was quick to wag her tail in response.

Green eyes searching his face (knowing well enough that she wouldn't receive a verbal answer), Corinna was quick to pick up his puzzled expression. She had been expecting a scowl, a confirmation that her assumption had been proven true. But his look, combined with the gentle shake of his head, showed her otherwise. Tipping her head to the side in her signature mannerism, Corinna peered at him, the confusion and surprise clear on her face. What had happened that Borlla was not showing the pack's lands to her friend? Had Indru chased her off after she had left, or had Borlla seen the fruitlessness in her request and departed?

Lifting herself up onto her paws again, Corinna let her relief stick fall to the ground, the coveted prize momentarily forgotten. Leaning forward, she nudged Marsh's cheek in thanks. She would need to find out what had happened, which meant seeking out Indru. Perhaps not today. Regardless of who had ultimately made the choice, she knew her mate's heart would be breaking for his sister, and it would not be with fondness that he would talk with Corinna. Stifling a sigh, the leader pulled away from the Second, taking a couple steps back. She needed to find out what had happened. "Thank you," the words slipped out, their intonation true. With a dip of her head, she turned her body around and began walking in the direction of the pack den. Hopefully that was where Indru had gone. Pausing in her step, she turned her head to check to see if Marsh was following. Satisfied that he was, Cori righted herself and forged ahead, hoping to find answers.

{exit}

<blockquote>The confusion was mirrored on her face, and he knew that she had gotten the message. What would she make of the fact that Borlla had not crossed the borders? Calmly he waited, letting her digest the news in her own time. When she approached him with her thanks, and he pushed slightly against the touch to his cheek, relishing it. Though unable and unwilling to speak, he responded to her simple words with a soft growl.

<i>Of course.</i>

She turned about, and the loyal creature that he was, Marsh was not far behind.</blockquote>