Secluded Spring How Many Times Has it Been?

Times were getting easier for her, though the mental pain would take awhile to health. However, her pack mates and own mate had been helping her greatly throughout everything. She had kindly refused the offer to be released of her duties for the time being. The pups had been born, giving her a new kind of motivation when it came to her job. The pup‘s health were one of the most important things to her right now. No one could ever end up changing the facts from fake. Not many of her friends had caught sight of her more than once. Many didn’t expect her to be much of problem but Nina had made many common mistakes. . .one of them being her brother.

Her brother had attacked her. . .bringing her many scars and injuries. One of them being her right eye. Permanently shut for the rest of her life. She had tried exercises for herself as for her own therapy session but had utterly failed through all of it. All she had gotten was minor muscles twitches in her eye. An obvious sign that something was still in her eye. Since being back home, Nina had not yet been to the spring. A place she had missed throughout her time away. This was where she would be going for a small time period, considering she would have to get back to the pups soon enough.

When she arrived her instant response was to jump into the spring, overjoyed that she had once again reunited with the water. But she remained calm, walking towards the water’s edge and looking at her reflection. Her head tilted slightly as she watched her form. She went from a beauty, to a disheveled mess, and now, once again, she was reclaiming the beauty that had left her when she had been attacked. Life now gleamed mercilessly in her eyes and a new gleam of confidence was within them. She would continue to remain strong.

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

Sloane was feeling a little out of place, but happily so. He'd been a loner for over half of his young life and now had a place to call his own. Lady Aeylen had accepted him and he would do everything in his power to make sure that she didn't regret that decision. He had spent the last hour or so lazily making his way across his new homeland. It was beautiful and he was enjoying the freedom from the plaguing thoughts of where did he belong and where was his life going. Now he had a place to call home and a vital purpose to his life.

The scent of fresh water wafted to him and a grin crossed the large male's face. He loved to swim and a nice long drink of fresh water would be wonderful right about now. He shifted his directions slightly to make a beeline for it. The thought of a swim had his footsteps moving at a good clip through the woods and he nearly missed the faint scent of another wolf drifting towards him on the breeze. It came from the direction of the water and carried the scent of his new pack. Perhaps he would be able to meet another of his pack mates. A small wave of nervousness passed over him, as he was not used to being a part of something bigger than him yet.

As the scent grew stronger he could tell that it was a fae, but not Lady Aeylen. It was oddly enough familiar though. He slowed his pace as he came upon her, golden brown pelt shimmering in the sunlight reflection off of the water. She seemed extremely intent upon the water. Almost as much as he himself had been at just the thought of it, mere moments before.

Sloane stopped and put a pleased smile upon his face as he greeted her, <b>"Fancy meeting you here, my friend!</b> He had met Nina not to long ago, along with another young woman by the name of Finn, whom he had shared his meal with.

Knight of Honor

Silence pierced the air as she stared at her figure. She was getting her form back. The muscles she had formally developed had left when she had been attacked, leaving her an outer shell of her former self. But now. . . .now she was getting her muscles back, along with her own self. Nina had been doing something naughty recently though. . .she had gone out of her territory, three times. She obviously not supposed to do so, given the naughtiness of it all. After he attack she wasn’t allowed to leave her territory, leaving her bored out of her mind.

The silence was soon broken by a voice that was very much familiar to her own ears now. Sloane. . . and he even held the scent of the pack on him. He was her family now. The word family seemed to strike a cord in Nina’s own heart, but she ignored it for the time being. Turning around to meet the other male’s gaze she smiled. She had seen this handsome male twice prior, once on the borders and once again with Finn, an old time friend of hers. Nina’s own green eye stared into the two amber ones of the younger male. It seemed as though her time in the pack, now a days, have become quite long. The fact that her friend was here and in the pack brought joy to her own gaze.

A voice that could have been mistaken as a pups escaped Nina‘s mouth, "Sloane! You joined the pack! Oh my goodness!"

She was overly pleased that this male had decided to join her pack. He was respectable and she felt drawn to him, not in the way she was drawn to her mate, but in a family sort of way. She felt that she could trust him, to a point, of course, and she felt comfortable around him. A smile was drawn onto the soft lips of Nina's mouth as she stared at the man in front of her. She had met him a few times and honestly, those were the one of the forst best encounters she had with any wolf in Relic Lore. He was respectable but for now, he was a higher ranking. The pups were probably in the denning site but she couldn't help but ask him, "Do you know who is watching the pups right now?"

(This post was last modified: Jun 21, 2012, 03:27 PM by Nina.)

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

Sloane was greatly pleased to see her again. He had now met Nina three separate times. Off of the border with the dark female, Volkan, with the timid and abused Finn a short while later, and now as a full fledged pack mate. It warmed his heart to see her joy at the sight of him. Good friends were hard to come by and she was proving to be the steady and true type to hold close to your heart. He had no romantic feelings for her, but still felt extremely protective of the resilliant she wolf.

He laughed at the obvious delight in her voice as she greeted him. <b>"It took me a while, but I guess that I finally answered your question about joining a pack. I am more than pleased to number you among my newfound family!"</b> He smiled and wagged his tail enthusiastically, even going so far as to step forward and nuzzle her cheek affectionately. Then he stepped back to get a good look at her. It seemed that she was recovering well from her vicious attack. She had gained weight and her coat had regained it's luster, gleaming golden beneath rich brown. He still could not believe that another could attack her so violently, but he was more than glad that she had survived and even seemed to be flourishing again.

When she asked of the pups, he shook his head in the negative. <b>"I can't be positive, but I am sure that the Lady Aeylen is back with her brood. I was privileged to have been met and accepted by her, but we parted ways. I would presume that she headed back to her little ones. You are the only other of the pack that I have met, as of yet."</b> As he thought of the pups that must be squirming around in a den nearby a slightly goofy smile graced his handsome face. Even as a gangly pup, he had loved the tiny balls of fur and looked forward to meeting thy youngest royals of the pack.

Knight of Honor

The golden brown female watched Sloane with common interest as the two spoke to one another. How had he decided to come into the pack. The fact that Aeylen had accepted him pleased the young female highly. She too had been accepted the fae and the fact that her lady had just added pups, continued to shock her. The older female would not accept other wolves without a good reason. But Nina wouldn’t pry, she wasn’t nosy like most of her other pack mates.

At the male’s next words she tilted her head in confusion. Hadn’t he met Volkan with her? It had been right after she had returned from her attack and she had seen him and Volkan by the pack borders. At least, she assumed that must have been correct. The brown fae smiled at Sloane her overall mode shifting from upset to happy. It seemed some of her friends could do that for her easily by just granting her with their presence.

When the brown male came to nuzzle her she nuzzled back hesitantly attempting not to flinch. He was her friend, he wouldn’t do anything bad to her. They were family now, bound to a code of loyalty. Her paws itched to do something productive but she knew he leg would still not allow it. Hunting had become something to struggle with and she had become incapable of hunting for herself, leaving her complete on a diet of berries and what not.

It had driven her into a pattern to where her form had lost its shape but now that she was back with her pack mates, they were helping her get back on track. Even young Sloane had helped her get back on track with a few simple statements to her that had effected her greatly, and she highly approved of him.

"Welcome to the family," she told him respectively.

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

He had to admit, after living on his own for over half of his young life, being welcomed to the family brought a pleasant flush of warmth to the large male. He had seen her brief look of confusion and wondered what it was for. He had just mentioned not meeting any other pack wolves besides her. Then it hit him. One of the times that he had met her, the very first in fact, she had been with another packmate. Volkan. He had actually met that fae first, before Nina had shown up with her body showing the signs of her recent attack. So technically, the very first packmate that he had met had been Volkan.

<b>"Thank you. I am truly glad to be here and have one that I count as friend already as part of my new family."</b> He felt a little silly, having forgotten momentarily about Volkan, so he tried to fix his goof. Dipping his head slightly with embarrassment, Sloane said, <b>"Let me rephrase.... You are the first pack member that I have met since joining!" </b><i>There, now he sounded less... daft.</i>

While they spoke he looked closer at her and while her pelt was sleek and shiny again, her form was definitely still on the slender side. With her damaged leg he knew that she couldn't really hunt and he wondered how she was sustaining herself. The sudden urge to hunt up a small meal came upon him and he said, <b>"I was just about to catch a snack. I don't mind sharing if you'd like to chat more when I get back!"</b>

He gave her a small wink and dashed off before she had the chance to turn him down, if she took a mind to.

Knight of Honor

Silence hung over the two wolves briefly. The silence was a comfortable one, something she couldn’t complain about at the moment. Her paws remained in front of her, her posture picture perfect. She watched Sloane until he finally spoke again. His first words made her smile and then his seconds ones made her nod her head in affirmative. He was a kind wolf, one she could definitely learn to respect in the near future. He seemed to listen to every word that one would say, no matter how foolish it would sound. She would be able to grow close to her pack mate and if he wasn’t like Volkan then she had a feeling that they would get along well.

His last words made her open her mouth to decline him sharing his good with her. But she never had time to. With a wink he dashed off leaving her speechless. The thought that she couldn’t hunt for herself made her sad. She would never be able to hunt for herself again, the thought made her sad, giving her no comfort what so ever in not being able to do anything for herself. The only thing she could do now was heal, no hunting, no fighting. Her movements would be too loud for hunting and for fighting she probably wouldn’t be able to stand on her own paws.

So she just sat there, waiting patently for Sloane to return to her side and talk to her. The thought that he cared enough to share his meal made her happy though. He was going to be loyal, something she had some problems with. Koda, her mate, had been exceptionally loving towards her, something that had shocked her completely after her attack. She loved him so much and she wanted so badly to go and join him. . .but she couldn’t. Her loyalty towards her pack and Kashikoi made her stay. She had promised the younger male that she wouldn’t leave him anytime soon, but now sometimes she wished she hadn’t made that promise, so she could have been with her love.

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

After managing to scrounge up a couple of plump rabbits, Sloane returned to Nina, anxious to catch up with her and get to know her a bit better. When he arrived back at the edge of the clearing, long fluffy tail wagging, it was to the sight of her sitting there with an almost longing look on her face. Knowing that it wasn't for him, he stood silently for a moment, letting her be with her thoughts. He wondered what she longed for and why sadness seemed to surround her. <i>Was it about the attack? Or was there more to it?</i>

Coughing softly the large male slowly approached her, leaves rustling in his wake announcing his arrival to the brown female. He lay the largest rabbit at her feet and sat a few feet away with his own. <b>"Not much, but they are good in a pinch! Enjoy, Nina."</b>

He knew that it couldn't be easy on her. She'd lost so much with her brother's attack on her. Both emotionally and physically and he saw no reason why he couldn't help her however possible. She was a friend and a pack mate now and it was the decent thing to do. He still couldn't fathom the thought that her own blood had attacked her so viciously and a large part of him wanted to run into the reprobate and give him a taste of his own medicine.

Knight of Honor

((I’m going to put a little surprise in this one.)

It seemed as though the time she had by herself went away in a pinch. She had been thinking quietly to herself and then, of course, Sloane returned. He had shocked her though, for she had not smelt or sensed his approach in any way. But when he cleared his throat and started speaking to her, she snapped her head in his direction, listening politely to his speech. Rabbits? Mm. . .it briefly reminded her of the meals Koda and Pakuna had gotten her awhile ago. Her tail wagged happily at the site of the male as he approached her. He had returned and with two plump rabbits at that. When he approached and set them down he claimed that they were for her, but she knew she would have none of it.

Picking up the bigger of the two rabbits she nudged it towards him before grabbing the smaller of the two and placing it in front of herself. Common curtsy stated that the higher the ranking, the higher the kill, and at the moment, everyone still remained higher up that her. She didn’t mind it though and she knew that if one day that her ranking was challenged then she would. She did want to ask Sloane something. . .she trusted the young male and she supposed that asking him for help would be the right thing to do. He had to know how to fight. . .maybe he could help her. Maybe. . .he could even help with her eye. She had struggled for many days to try and open it, but the only response she had gotten was a small twitch that gave her the impression that there was little muscle left in her eye.

Dipping her head respectfully at the male she dipped her jaws into the rabbit before tearing a piece of the flesh off. It was delicious. . .its juicy flavor melted away her insides and another would have thought it was her first time eating rabbit. She hadn’t had any decent meat in awhile because she hadn’t wanted to seem weak in front of her pack mates and ask them to catch her something. She had remained on a diet of strictly berries and herbs that were allowed to be eaten. Her tail whished around and she once again remained calm while eating her meal. After she finished she looked up at Sloane and spoke with utter seriousness, <b>”Thank you, Sloane. . .I was, I was wondering if maybe you could train me to fight? I can’t do anything anymore with my leg, but I figured. . .I figured with a little help, I might be able to work my way around it. . .”</b>

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

It seemed that he had caught Nina a bit off guard with his return. He often forgot just how silent he could be, especially for such a large wolf. He would have to make an effort not to startle her again. It wouldn't do to go around scaring your friends, after all! When he lay the rabbits down, she gave him a strange look and then returned the larger of the two to him. With a shrug, he lay down and enjoyed his plump rabbit. He was pleased to see her attack her own with real pleasure, almost as if she hadn't eaten meat in forever. With a glance at her injured leg, he thought that it may have been quite a while.

Then she totally caught him off guard, asking if he would teach her how to fight. As a healer, she shouldn't need to know how to fight, but then, if she had, she may not have been injured so badly. At least she seemed realistic about her leg. She would likely never be able to hunt much more than a field mouse with her loss of speed and stealth, but she should be able to fight a bit. At least to defend herself a little. He nodded unconsciously as he considered her request, giving some thought to the implications.

Then he gave her a more sure nod and answered, <b>"Yes, Nina. I will help you. Given your physical state you will find it difficult, but I think that we can do it together."</b> She had accepted his food offering gratefully, but he had sensed that she would never ask for it, so he hatched a plan that would help her in more ways than one. <b>"My only concession is that we don't begin until you are in full health and as strong as possible. I am anxious to start now that you've put the idea in my head, so I will hunt for you to build your strength quickly,"</b> he said with a charming smile. His words and tone left no room for argument. Not if she really wanted his help to learn, that was!

Knight of Honor