Whisper Marsh Friends, Family & Mates, Oh, My!

A variety of wolves were trickling into the area and the only thing the lady could do was watch. Her tail swayed behind her while her fur was being blown dry by the soft wind, the rustle of bushes bringing her full attention to the meeting in the process. She didn’t even view their gathering as a reunion…this was too important. She blinked and was taken aback when a massive red male made his way into their little entry place, her jaw nearly dropping. He looked as though he were larger than Sloane, considering that the youngest Thorben was one of the largest males she had ever seen. Her good eye drifted towards Tempest as the silent man sat beside her and the Reinier instantly marked him as the third Thorben sibling she had been hearing much about. It was good to see another remember of Sloane’s family. He looked as though he could easily run over her, as though he were a tank…which would have been intimidating if Nina hadn’t been so focused on something else.

Her head soon turned back to where she had been before when the familiar scent to Elettra and Koda passed over her. She inhaled their scents deeply, letting their familiar scents rooted into her brain once again. When they came into view she nodded respectively to the both of them, her one emerald eye gazing over slightly longer before she settled her attention back to the situation. Elettra’s voice rang over them all, and for once Nina felt an odd sense of ease. For once it was nice not having to be the one to lead everyone around. Another alpha was welcomed in her mind for now, it would give her some time to relax the tension she felt in her muscles every time she told another something. Even though she knew they would do what she asked or commanded. She had hardened up, most definitely, but perhaps not as much as she should have. Something that she would definitely have to work on.

She kept quiet for a short time, listening to the words passed between the wolves before her. In a weird way, it was odd to see all the connections the ones around her had. Everyone at least knew someone for somewhere…it just proved how small the land really was. When everyone was silent her tail whisked the dirt on the ground behind her, unsure of where this meeting should be leading. She knew almost everyone around here, save the large, burly male that had stood by Tempest’s side. She turned her head, not allowing him to leave himself out on this conversation…and as odd as it might of seemed, she introduced herself in the odd silence, "Nina Reinier. Pleasure to meet you." She nodded briefly to him before her good eye reverted back to Sloane, nodding towards her mate, "Koda."

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

Upon his arrival, many were quiet, though there was no complaint from him about it. Silence was peaceful and it helped him think. He stood his ground next to his sister, just as he usually did, taking his time to size up his younger brother. He had definitely grown since he had last seen him, developing his muscles out more and Guiness was quite curious to find out if Sloane had found a pack to settle with on his journey. If anything, the scent of the golden female covered his coat, even slightly more than Narimé’s own, giving the large male a confused edge about him. The golden lady didn’t smell like any pack that he had encountered (though not knowing of most of the packs didn’t make up for this) and he cocked his head to the side slightly, confused to this. The silver girl was so close to him, yet this golden fae was sitting comfortably next time them as though they were siblings, which from appear, she clearly was not.

His investigation did not dwell far though, for soon his alphess and her partner arrived. He had heard of the male and seen him once, but perhaps this would be the first time that he would get to know the man better. Upon the arrival of his alpha’s his head dipped low, a bow of respect for Elettra and Koda…but perhaps more of Elettra, considering that she was a lady. All ladies deserved a proper greeting, no matter who they were. Many words were said and his brain processed them easily, his golden amber eyes narrowing slightly when he saw the small nudge for Koda…he was staring at the other golden female. The situation confused him, and the brief flick of his tail was enough to confirm it. Something was obviously going on…a bunch of things that he didn’t know about and perhaps, didn’t need to know about…at least, not yet.

When a sweet, yet strong unfamiliar voice greeted his ears, his head turned towards the golden female…Nina…why did her last name sound familiar to his ears, he did not know, just simply nodded to her before quietly speaking to her, "Guiness Thorben." He saw her quickly nod her head before she turned to say something to his larger brother. He snorted quietly, his red fur easily blending in with that of his sister’s. He bite on his tongue to fight a yawn that he was holding in rolling back his shoulders and perking his ears. He wished to know why the gathering had been called, besides the obvious reunion for the siblings, there had to be a meaning behind all of the…extra wolves being here. Guiness was definitely not for the larger crowd.

Pillar of Strength

Had he been a less confident wolf, this gathering might have overwhelmed him, but Elettra had chosen him for more than one reason and he stood sure by her side as he took everything in. He had never seen the ruddy wolves before, save Guiness, but he had ears and eyes and knew them to be the bear of a wolf's siblings. So, Sloane, Guiness and Tempest were reunited after who knew how long. He was glad for them for family was of utmost importance.

The pale wolf also did not miss the closeness of their young huntress Narime' and the large russet male, how she seemed to lean into him almost for reassurance. He would have to find out more about this pair's relationship. Was it just friendship, or more in the making, as it appeared to be to him? As alpha, he was a bit torn on how he felt about the possibility of them becoming mates in the near future. Willow Ridge would lose a dedicated member and talented hunter. But, every wolf deserved a chance at happiness, didn't they? Who would he be to stand in the way of love and deny another what he himself felt for his own mate?

There she was, just scant yards away and he felt locked in place by duty. He was here with Elettra and there were two full fledged members of his pack looking on. Three, if they accepted and counted Tempest Thorben. How could he possibly go to her? Then it happened. Elettra nudged him forward in Nina's direction, in front of all of the wolves gathered here. He turned his cream and silver head to face her and met her silver eyes with his own as if the ask, Are you sure? Yet, it appeared that she was certain. He gave her a rueful smile and nodded his head to her in thanks as he felt an enormous weight lifted off of his shoulders.

He walked forward until he was by his lovely Nina. Then to help answer all of the questioning glances that were passed their way and praying that he didn't offend Elettra, he greeted her, "Hello, Mate" Now there was no turning back. Everyone would know that though his duty might lay with Elettra, his heart lay with the golden brown fae before him.

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

Formally being told that this was, indeed, Sloane, Elettra dipped her muzzle into the direction of Tempest for the confirmation before her full gaze found Sloane at his address. She smirks, a quirk of her grey rimmed muzzle at what he had said of her and her pack. "All of boasting, I do hope?" She inquired, that perhaps not only her pack would be well known by it's powerful, hardworking and dedicated members, but the woman which led the army of them. "It is good then to finally meet you." She had heard much word of him herself, but perhaps not nearly enough. She knew him to be a former member of Copper Rock Creek, now along the side of Nina and as well the brother of soon to be /two/ of her members. Though she knew not that he would rise to power at Nina's side, nor that he was the lover of Narime, despite this. Hopefully now, amongst them, she would be gained this information.
Alas, her attention once more falls upon Narime, her sudden tension with her own arrival now coming to light, the shifting of her gaze in wonder, her placement to the side of Sloane. So the three of them were siblings, Nina was with Sloane as to be again pack mates and Koda, her mate and leader along Elettra's side to Tempest (soon enough) and Guiness. But where did Narime fit into all this, Elettra wondered? And as she did, her attention befell the silver young woman.
Elettra's attention lingered on Koda then as he fled her side, moving into the direction of Nina as she had allowed, his greeting to her an opening for all those around here. Narime, Guiness, Tempest...Sloane even, would all know the truth if it. Well, despite the fact that Narime had shown to have known the truth prior for her questioning at the 'hunt gone wrong'. With Narime and the two Thorben siblings, it would make five wolves within her pack knowing (with Sica and Shade) as far as Elettra was aware. Though she had no means to lie to her pack members, simply not to toss the news around without caution. They would all find out at one point, nothing which Elettra could not handle.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, although there seemed a lot to keep up with in such a large group. She felt whole again, now that she had found Sloane and was back with Guiness. She hadn't realized just how much she'd missed his ever-present company. Her encounter with the pale wolf, Valiant, had brought her too close to her past and she was grateful that Sloane had appeared before she'd lost it, but Gui was her Rock. He anchored her in any storm and she just plain needed the big guy. Looking at the familiarity between the young Narime' and Sloane it seemed that there was more than just a family reunion going on here. Despite the nervous looks that Narime' gave in Elettra and Koda's direction, she unconsciously leaned on her leggy brother for reassurance.

When Elettra gave the silvery male by her side a nudge forward and he approached Nina, her brows drew together. After the looks, this was even more startling and she glanced at Elettra in question. Then she heard the words from her soon-to-be alpha. "Hello, Mate." ...Wait... Mate? She looked to Elettra once more, a bit shocked. She'd never heard of such a thing. The Thorbens were a very traditional and honor bound clan. Mates that lived apart? Alphas that were not mates? Much as she wanted to ask, it was not her place to do so. She would have to learn to accept it, for she had pledged her dedication to Elettra and her pack. That and her need to be near Guiness had set her destiny in motion.

Deciding that she would let everything else work itself out, Tempest turned her lithe form towards the now-solitary female and approached her, flicking her ears back slightly and lowering her head and tail respectfully. She knew that Guiness would stay close and was grateful for his moral support. With a suddenly nervous wave of her fluffy multicolored tail, the large russet female gave Elettra her undivided attention. "Miss Elettra. I ask once more that I be allowed to join Willow Ridge and stand by Guiness' side in support of you and yours?" Although she still exuded confidence, she'd done her best to show the proper submission to the leadess. She'd assumed that sooner was better than later to get this vital matter sorted out. If she was not allowed in, she would stay with Sloane and Nina, but it was not her first choice right now and she could only hope that she'd completed her quest quickly enough to please the regal fae.

(This post was last modified: Jan 07, 2013, 05:51 PM by Tempest.)

The Calm in the Storm

Seeing Tempest and Guiness together again filled the over-sized male with a contentment that he hadn't known in a long time. The only thing that had even come close was his private time with Narime'. Then, he felt a completeness that he simply couldn't explain. Her nervousness and worry conveyed themselves to him through the slight contact of her silvery fur mingling with his own russet pelt. As she leaned into him, ever so slightly for support, he shifted a bit closer to her, letting her know that he was here for her no matter what. Being here, by her side just felt right and he simply accepted it, enjoying her presence.

The leadess, Elettra seemed pleased with his words and he gave her a smile at her own smirk of humor. "Yes, Ma'am. All, good, of course!" His knowledge of her and her pack are from Narime' and Nina and they had nothing bad to say of the grand lady or her pack.He knew that although Nina wished that her mate did not owe his fealty to her, she did not hold his honor against the Lady. With a nudge, said lady urged Koda forward, towards Nina. He looked at her with a bit of surprise and more than a little bit of respect for her consideration. It could not have been easy for her.

He watched the play of emotions on his friend's face and saw the look of devotion on her mate's. When he heard the words that he spoke to her, the male moved up a notch in his book. He had managed to announce his claim as Nina's mate without slapping anyone in the face with it. Although there were some surprised looks, such as his own sister's. He understood her feelings. Such arrangements were unheard of where they came from. He hadn't yet had the chance to explain to her that he, himself would be in exactly such an unconventional partnership very shortly. First and foremost, he had to talk to Narime' privately.

He looked on with great interest when Tempest turned towards Elettra and made her request to become a member of Willow Ridge. He had thought that she and Guiness might join he and Narime' one day, so a part of him was sad to hear her choice. However, he also knew that if Narime' agreed to become his mate, that he would have to remain close to Willow Ridge. They had truly become her family and she would not wish to be far from them. Tempest's acceptance, if it were given, would merely cement the bonds between the packs. He leaned a bit more into his sweet Narime', basking in her presence, as he waited for Elettra's response to Tempest's query.

Knight of Honor

Sorry for the lateness..
Note: I believe this thread is right after Shade's thread "What is Life Without Love"

Becoming more and more comfortable with everything around her Narimé gave an apalogetic look to Elettra when the woman looked to the hunter with a curious sparkle in her eye. Now it was obvious to Nari that the leadess had noted her closeness to her russet protecter. What surprised her for a moment was that Elettra actually nudged Koda in Nina's direction. Though the girl kept her calm composure now. She really shouldn't be surprised when she already knew about the two alpha's not being mates. However El's acceptance to this was what calmed Nari even further. She didn't feel bad about being seen so close to Sloane anymore.

Besides she'd spoken to Shade before and his thoughts on her relationship with the younger Thorben only helped her to feel more complete and confident about her feelings for the male. "Besides..when we first formed the pack she spoke of rules, one rule stated that you are allowed to have a mate, even if they are in a different pack." She thought quietly closing her eyes and taking deep breaths while summoning up the courage to tell Elettra and Sloane her choice later. Maybe after the business here was done first.

Listening quietly and calmly to the rumble of Sloanes voice the young woman kept tabs on the conversation. A little later Tempest inquired about an opening in Willow Ridge. Opening her eyes now Nari watched the woman take the respectful low posture that any wolf joining would take in front of a leader. Closing her azure eyes once more the silver wolf waited for Elettra's answer. Personally Nari knew there was room for more hunters. There was always room for them. Especially with the pack growing so large now. Maybe if Tem was joined Nari could take her out on a hunt later. If she could find some prey first.

"speech"

The meeting was going quite smoothly for the time being. Everyone had arrived and they were all finishing everything in an orderly fashion. She was quite shocked to turn to find Koda in front of her, speaking to her and addressing her in a polite fashion, just as he always had. His words made her flush, a feeling she hadn’t had since the last time she had seen her love. Her heart started pounding slightly outside of the normal speed and her breath caught briefly. Before it once again resumed to normal. Her head reached out to meet his muzzle briefly before turning back towards the conversations in front of her. When Tempest spoke, her head instinctively turned to listen. Another member joining Willow Ridge…it appeared by the day the pack was increasing in power, and Nina could only hope the same fate occurred to the new pack.

Her furry tail flicked behind her, the stiff stance she had slowly turning into a relaxed one with her mate by her side to help her through her rough times. She then turned her head to look at Sloane and Narime…were they going to bring up their conversation. The two of them would have to get the point across to the Willow Ridge alphess soon enough and the sooner the better. She made brief eye contact with Sloane’s, filled with warning and some form of advisory. He needed to get the information about him and Narime out and in the open to the regal leader. Secrets were not good for a pack and Nina personally did not like secrets and lies being handed out. They should probably get on with the meeting so that they could all get on with their plans.

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

(Since Lightning is not feeling well, she asked me to PP Guiness a bit for her so as not to hold the thread up!)

When Nina stretched her nose towards him, he felt whole once more. He always did when she was near... somehow this beautiful fae simply completed him. He reveled in her presence for long moments, ignoring the reactions of the others as they absorbed his words and their full impact. He had once told Nina that they would thumb their noses at tradition when they decided to become mates so long ago, despite the distance between them. Much the same as he and Elettra had in becoming partners to lead a pack, rather than mates. They had not lied about it, but they also had not been forthcoming with the whole truth, until now. He knew that about half of the pack was now aware of the situation and he wasn't sure how they felt about it. The matter would have come up sooner rather than later anyhow with Spring mere months away. Elettra would need to choose a male to father her young soon, for they both knew it would not be him.

When the large female, Tempest, moved to face Elettra and requested entrance into Willow Ridge, he knew that his brief moments with Nina were over for the time being. He needed to step back into the shoes of leadership alongside his Lady. With his golden eyes full of regret and longing, he licked her cheek and gave his Love a look that promised that they would find time together very soon, before he reluctantly left her and walked over to stand next to Elettra. The powerful emotions that he felt for Nina were hidden for the moment and he was now all business next to the regal dark fae.

He gave the russet fae an appraising look, noting her good health and apparent strength. She was large, like her brothers... a Thorben trait it seemed, along with the coloring. Perhaps she would be a decent hunter to add to the ranks to help Narime', Reed and the others to keep the caches full. He also noticed the way the Guiness seemed to shadow her when she had moved, as if the two were a well-oiled machine. Well, a tight-knit family was a good thing and could only benefit Willow Ridge as far as he could see. He didn't say a word, but unconsciously he nodded his head slightly in approval. The final call was Elettra's, of course, as apparently the two had spoken prior to this gathering.

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

Elettra's attention had been laid between Sloane and Narime, the pair settled side by side one another. She listens to Sloane's words, noting Narime's tone in the area, though still curious as to the connection, with only the hopes of figuring it out soon enough. But it was Tempest which pulled the lot of her attention, offering direct words to her as the large woman made her approach. Large and powerfully built, she still mentioned her expertise on hunting, likely one to take down the prey at the ending of a good run, which small, slim wolves like Kyrie and Rose were well with. Elettra longed to see the woman in action, surely to be just as dedicated to her task as her brother was to guarding the pack's borderline.
"She is a well fisher, I've been told..." Elettra speaks, her words a coo into Koda's direction as he once more made way to her side, nodding in approval to the woman joining their pack. Perhaps when not running with the others on normal hunts, she could join along the side of Reed so that he was not spending too much of his time at the rivers and streams alone as the only well-made fisherman. "Welcome to the pack, Tempest Thorben." Elettra Archer announces to the larger woman with a dipping of her grey-rimmed muzzle, her attention tossing to Guiness for his own response to this.