Secret Woodlands A place of her own

Iopah had hoped to sleep soundly. The new group had settled down together late in the night. For Iopah the night passed slowly. The quiet breathing and shifting of her pack mates kept waking her. It wasn't a matter of distrust. It was simply unfamiliar to her. She had spend the past five months alone. She was not used to the noise of pack life yet. At one point someone woke suddenly and Iopah turned her ears in their direction. She could see nothing in the inky darkness.

At last the clearing began to lighten, changing from pitch black to a diffuse gray. Grateful for the sunrise Iopah rose silently, nimbly stepping around her pack mates. Once free of the small clearing Iopah sighed in relief. One thing was sure: Tomorrow night she would need a place of her own to sleep.

She shook herself, her muted gray coat falling heavily on her athletic shoulders. The thicket was dense with nooks and crannies, places just large enough for a lean wolf. Iopah did not want to move far from the rest. She wanted to be in earshot in case she was needed. She started her search, stopping frequently to investigate likely spots. The correct place shouldn't need many alterations. It would only need to shelter her from the wind and rain. Engaged in her task Iopah was unaware of any fellow wolves.

(This post was last modified: Feb 09, 2013, 07:22 PM by Iopah.)

Note to self:: Before Azariah joined.

It had been their first night as a pack, and already Nina was starting to feel the thrill of being around wolves that she knew. The wolves that she could now depend on and help. Sloane had helped her…and they had both succeeded in bringing the pack together. The stress on Nina had been slightly taken off by the final formation, but the fact that her mate was still wandering around, without the memory of anything that had happened in Relic Lore had worried her deeply. Not being able to go find him because of the curse of the mountains. And yet…later she had gone, word of her brother’s fall coming to her, and she had gone to him. Had it not been her own mind set that had told her not to go find Koda? For now she was starting to deeply regret not going to his fall to stand by his side. Now…he had not recall of her…Shade, Elettra, and so many more. His memories…they were gone.

None the less, the exhaustion she had been facing with all the work she had been doing, was finally put to rest by a peaceful sleep, surrounded by the rest of her formed pack. Her mind was blank as she rested, letting her mind rest from all the constant thinking she had been doing lately. Nina awoke at sunrise, her one good eye opening, adjusting to the sunlight, before she looked around the area. It seemed as though Sloane and Hollow were already up and about, and the healer and alpha was happy to see that they were doing something already…perhaps bonding with one another…that would hurt no one in particular, unless it happened to be a loner who came across the borders. Yawning briefly, while stretching, Nina stood up and shook her pelt, watching the resting forms of the rest of the pack.

Her good eye then rested on the place of Iopah…for she was not there and she certainly was not with Hollow and Sloane. Lowering her muzzle to the ground briefly, Nina inhaled the female’s scent, before tracking the lady. Though rankings were not too clear yet, she already had who was where in mind. Iopah being directly below her, considering she had joined up with Nina before Ecco had, and she was the only other adult. Her tail waved behind her, perched high in the air, above her back as she continued to search for the female, when she did, she was intrigued to see the female looking around the thickets. Looking through the territory to get to know it better…or doing something else, Nina was curious. Stepping forward, she spoke clearly, greeting the gray female, "Iopah."

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

Iopah had spent months running through places. It was a useless effort, for the guilt and fear clung to her no matter how far she went. Not once had she stopped to know a place. She had been ghost, leaving no trace of herself. But with Nina, that had all changed. Maybe this was the great thing in store for her that Hollow had promised her of. And maybe not, but Iopah had done enough wrong. She was ready to stop running. Ready to throw her lot in with a pack again. She had found something worth standing for.

She was content and relaxed as she padded slowly throught the thicket. A badger hole caught her attention and she stopped to investigate. The gray and pale gold wold popped her head inside. She pulled back out, disappointed. It was much too confining. Iopah wanted to be able to feel the breeze and see the forest. She had turned and was about to continue in her search when her own name rang out clearly.

As Nina stepped forward Iopah dropped to her stomach, averting her gaze at her approach. Nina had made a generous offer to Iopah when she was an unknown and unsure wolf. And Iopah had every intention of proving her ability.

"Nina, good morning." She glanced up, unsure whether or not Nina had a reason for searching her out. There had not been a call and she should still be relatively close to the rest. "I hope you don't mind. I'm looking for a sleeping spot, I'm not used to sleeping with others." She smiled shyly. Iopah may come with issues, but she would not let them get in the way of her responsibilities.

Upon her appearance, Iopah immediately sunk down into a submissive gesture. Her old self almost came out and responded with the whole speech of how submission towards her would not be necessary, but now that she was alpha, things had changed and she would have to get use to her family bowing towards her whenever she came around. Swallowing back the words she had wanted to stay, she gently licked the golden female’s head, her own ears flickering upwards at the words that blew from out of the young girl’s mouth. When she had first met Iopah, the younger wolf had not been much of a talker, though Nina had somehow managed to get her out of her shell, with some help from young Kashikoi. The alpha was definitely glad she had found her though, for the pack wouldn’t have been the same without her.

Even though the female’s words might have been suppose to make Nina feel bad…they didn’t. A small smile tainted her lips when she was done speaking, her own voice serious, yet holding a playful tone to it, "Do you want to know a secret?" She then glanced around, pausing, to add more effect to her words, and possibly get the female to lighten up towards Nina. "When I was in Copper Rock Creek, during my whole time there, I never slept in the pack den." Her words were at a whisper, so that Iopah would have to strain to hear them, though not too much…her words were surely audible. Her tail wagged behind her, though it was still sailing high over her back, showing that she was in a completely relaxed manner. Then he question came, "Would you like some help?"

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

Iopah had been a lone wolf for many months and before that had been in a pack where she felt distant from it's other members. Despite all that, she understood the logistics of pack life. She knew the value of watching borders and hunting for the good of all. After all the first 16 months of her life had been spent in her cherished mountain. Her parents were dutiful teachers and she, an adept student. There was beauty in a pack where everyone knew their role, and their place, without needing to speak it aloud. But Iopah had lost some of the finer points. The easy familiarity with others. Over the past year she had built a wall between herself and that which may hurt her.

Speechless, she stared up at Nina, too captivated by the question to avert her gaze. She didn't dare refuse her alpha. Unable to speak she waited anxiously, holding her breath. Iopah blinked at Nina's whispered admission, almost surprised, as if she she had been expecting more. Her head raised ever so slightly. She smiled, and this time the smile reached her bright eyes. Somewhere inside her that carefully built wall began to crack.

Her tail waved at Nina's offer. "Of course," She glanced around them, remembering the badger hole. She indicated to it, touching her black nose to the top of the entrance. Her head shook slightly to show her dissatisfaction with it. "It's too confining. I want to be able to see out." She snorted in irritation and scratched the frozen earth with a fore foot. "The ground is frozen... too much work to alter it.

She wasn't looking for anything fancy. Hell, she had spent 2 weeks on the mountain pass, during those nights she'd found a boulder to act as a windbreak. She'd passed those nights tucked up to the boulders. Her gold eyes swept the surroundings. It was impossible to see very far through the twisting thicket, but it must be out there. She took a couple steps further, then glanced back, her gaze expectant and hopeful.
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I actually have a picture of her ideal sleeping spot. I know Nina has spent more time here, maybe she can suggest it. http://dyp.im/yEGvCs

(This post was last modified: Feb 07, 2013, 04:23 AM by Iopah.)

I have an idea. Push this back to after the tree fell in SW territory? If not, PM me and I'll gladly change it. <3

Her ears twitched in response to Iopah’s answer, and a small smile began to form on Nina’s face. She had been quite successful, and she was glad that the girl had decided to stay with her, for the alpha didn’t know what she would do without the woman by her side. She was the second within the pack, and Nina was extremely happy to have her with them. When the creamy female showed her the badger den, Nina quickly sniffed the ground near it, making sure that the scent was, indeed, stale. Her ears were pricked in Iopah’s general direction as she reported as to why she didn’t want the den here. It was some extremely good observations and it was one thing that Nina appreciated, knowing that the lady was wanting to look out for the territory and not be cut off from the rest of them.

Not long ago, a tree had fallen from within the thickets and Nina had been right there on the scene. With the pulling down of the tree, had also come some uprooted ground, of which, the alpha was sure no one else had discovered quite yet, and it would be a perfect place for the other woman to den. With a small nod towards her subordinate she spoke, "I think I know a nice place. Follow me." And with her words, Nina weaved through the territory she had come to know so well, as though she were a python, looking for the rat that it had poisoned and was ready to eat. Her body brushed against thorns, but not enough for it to prick or pull too much fur off of her beautiful pelt. It didn’t take her too long before she entered the area she had been looking for, snow still covering the area, though it was quite light. With a soft sigh, Nina made her way towards the foot of the tree, where is had fallen, and peered into the hole, happy that not much had changed since it had fallen. The large thing had not been too bad after all, for it offered some expanse of sunlight, to which the alpha would definitely visit once the spring finally came. Looking back towards Iopah, she smiled at the girl, "What do you think?"

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

Iopah tipped her head in curiosity at Nina's words. The thick fur of her ruff settled softly against her shoulders at the movement. Nina continually surprised her, her response had been swift and confident. It truly seemed as if the alpha had memorized every inch of her thicket. There was no hesitation as she started off, and Iopah fell into place behind her queen. The silence between them was comfortable, broken only by the sound of their paw pads on the snow.

As they passed through the thicket Iopah found herself studying Nina's gait. It was a natural opportunity and Iopah wasn't aware when she started. During the hunt there was a point when she thought she had seen something in Nina's movement. Perhaps an old injury. It had been nagging her and she couldn't help but look for it now. But there was no indication of anything. Her gold eyes clouded with doubt. She was sure she had seen it. In their final months together her mother had drilled into her the importance of close observation. It made the difference between eating and starving. The ability to detect old injuries in prey had certainly save Iopah's life after she started her north-ward race. She didn't like that she may be losing her touch.

It was the expansive trunk of the tree that Iopah saw first. In a forest of mostly upright trees it stood out. Nina made for the foot of the tree while Iopah took in the sight. It had been quite old and the space it left was noticeable. All at once Iopah realized the thicket was not reaching for her in the clearing. Iopah was a mountain wolf, used to wide expanses without a tree in sight. To have the forest constantly reaching out for her was disconcerting. This single fact was a definite plus for the site.

Nina's question pulled her back to the task at hand and she padded towards the uprooted ground. The earth gaped like a jagged flesh wound, long and shallow. Iopah stopped alongside Nina, brushing her muzzle against Nina's lower jaw, and peered into the darkness. There was just enough room for her to curl up within. She turned to Nina. Her head dropped submissively, but her eyes sparked with happiness. "This should do."

Her one eye looked at Iopah, curious as to how she was taking her leadess’ opinion. It was not often her view on things had ever mattered to someone, besides Ruiko. She had to control her wince of pain as the thought traveled through her mind, not wishing to let Iopah see the deep side of her that got too emotional. They all had that side, and only a few wolves had been able to see that side of her. The betrayal and hurt she could easily feel from the past. Even now, though she was compassionate and kind, she knew that if someone deserted her, she would not take it lightly and they would be exiled. It made her wonder about how some things in her family had worked, she did not dwell in her thoughts for long though, for her friend’s voice broke through her thoughts.

Her golden face nodded at her second’s words, pleased to hear that she liked the place Nina had seeked out for her. It was now time to move onto a more…business-like conversation. Pursing her lips tightly together for a moment, she looked over the creamy young girl before asking, ”Iopah, what skill do you plan on specializing in for the pack?” Her ears twitched as she silently waited for the girl to answer. She had not asked the question much in the past, but now that she was alpha, she supposed it would now be a highly common question that would come off of her lips. Nina needed to know what was going on within the pack and this was a good way to do it.

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

Iopah had turned back to the tree. The Barberi had not had a den so suited to her in many months and was eager to get her paws dirty. She was eyes several stray roots. They would be in her way when climbing in and out. Iopah was nearly certain the fall ad killed this tree. It would not be needing those roots anymore. Iopah was decided. They would need to come out. All they would need is a couple nips and they should come loose. Nina's serious tone turned her around quickly. She sat, ears forward in attention. Her head tilted slightly at the question. She understood the question perfectly well, but the why puzzled her. Was she only expected to excel in one role? Maybe Iopah was missing something.

She answered slowly, not sure if she was giving the correct response or not. "I can hunt and track." This Iopah was sure of. In the face of adversity all the Barberi wolves had become skilled hunters. It had not been enough for the Barberi pack, but the ability was there. Her mind ran over everything else her parents had tried to teach her. "I don't know how to fight." While not cowardly, Iopah's combative talents were limited to those that all wolves were inherently born with. Would she be taught how to fight if she was only expected to hunt? Her uncertainty finally compelled her to ask further. She only hoped Nina would not think of her as obtuse. What Nina thought of her mattered a great to Iopah.

She swallowed nervously, to simply ask 'Why?' seemed terribly rude. Iopah built herself up to a question, trying to explain her confusion over Nina's simple question. "My parents did not encourage specializing. They wanted us to be competent in everything." Iopah felt like she was limiting herself. She wanted to go on patrol -as much as she had hated it in her youth- and learn to fight. Was there a reason it was this way?

(This post was last modified: Mar 04, 2013, 01:34 AM by Iopah.)

As soon as she addressed Iopah, her full attention was on her alpha, and Nina found herself highly pleased with the way her pack mates addressed her. Had this been what Aeylen and Ruiko had felt all of those days when they had towered over them? When she thought about it hard enough she realized quickly…no they had not. They had taken advantage of the loyalty that the Creek wolves had given them and Nina would not do that to her family. Even if heart break did rule over everything, she would not let it block out the love she held for her family. She would try to be the Queen that they wished they could always have and had receive. She would try to make them feel as though they were equals to her, though it was very much the opposite. She ruled over all of them, even Iopah, whom would guard her position from anyone who would try to take her own spot. The golden angel trusted the creamy woman with this, and she was sure she understood why.

Nina patiently waited for Iopah’s answer and when it came, the alpha patiently waited for the girl to finish completely speaking, letting her own thoughts and words sink into place. It seemed odd to her how Iopah did not know how to fight. But she did not think much of it either, she did not have a problem with that. Nina herself did not approve of violence, as it only made things worse for everyone. It would prove good for them in the future for a hunter to join their ranks, for as of far, at least two or three of the pack mates which were walking the tickets were training to become healers, and one of them, of which was undetermined would receive the official title, as Nina could no longer take up all goals as healer.

When the creamy woman was done speaking, the golden woman spoke, "It is expected for one to attempt to do all tasks. But as one does specialize, does that one do the task more than the other roles. For example…say I was a Healer once. I would collect herbs and tend to patients, but in my free time, I would hunt and mark the borders. If that clears anything up for you?" Unfortunately, Nina had an odd way of talking when it came to others. Sometimes her words made perfect sense, while at other times her words would twist together and make an incoherent thought that sometimes could not be processed correctly. She never had much of a speech problem, to her words that she said made perfect sense, as would it to her branch of family. But after awhile, once a wolf got to know her enough, they could understand her way of speaking. Had her pack gotten there yet?

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