Wildflower Glade As Long As You're There

She had not been glad the way she had left things with El. Having your partner ripped away from your paws due to another was probably not a good feeling. It had even surprised Nina, the loyalty and devotion forgotten and love given to another. It made some think…what if that would have been them? No one would be the same if they lost their memory, it was almost as if you were burning a page in your life so that you could never go back and remember. She had felt for the woman, but Nina knew they would both be encountering one another again, it was a simple fact considering their newly formed alliance with one another and she knew now that Koda was in her paws, much would have to be done to make sure that her mate…if she could call him that anymore, would be able to regain anything. Hopefully, the golden brown healer would make this happen. The feelings that he had felt for her were obviously still there.

She had made her way back towards her home, wondering if the place where they had first fallen in love with one another would stir some kind of memory within his brain. Though the alpha had never dealt with memory loss, her tutor had instructed her on how to deal with such as a situation. At that time, she had stored the information in the back of her mind, never thinking she would have to use her knowledge for a loved one. The whole trip, Nina had to lead Koda, taking frequent breaks in hopes that the male would not collapse from exhaustion and the healer applying herbs whenever she would need to. It had taken a few days and finally, she had made it back to her secluded thickets. With a small snort, she made her way towards the patches of wildflower she had found awhile back while exploring. Twitching her tail, she turned and faced her friend, her partner and sat down, her one emerald eye glimmering. She needed to know if he would be ready, for in the near future, he would lead by her side. Her tone was brisk and business-like as she spoke to him, "Koda...we have much to discuss."

(This post was last modified: Feb 20, 2013, 02:36 AM by Nina.)

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

As the pair trekked across the lands Koda had to wonder how much of this he had crossed before. He tried to keep up as well as he could behind Nina, but he was sure in his "past life" this journey wasn't as taxing on him as it was now. He'd grown up relatively robust in health, but his fall on the mountain had set that back a fair bit. Each step and bob of his head brought a twinge of pain along the back of his skull, which at least wasn't as bad as it had been. With talent and care Nina looked after him, making sure they stopped to rest and applying bits of plant as needed. He thought about how he'd have to some day pay it back to everyone who had helped him thus far.

The forest around them thickened, long snags of branches reaching out towards them that Koda had to not-so-nimbly avoid. He certainly didn't need another fall. Eventually the forest did open up, and as Nina rounded about to sit in the clearing he had the sense that they were finally here, wherever here was meant to be. He sat down on the snowbrushed ground, hoping this rest would be longer than most, and faced Nina. He gave a firm nod when she said they had much to discuss, then winced when it caused another twinge in his head. "Indeed we do... What is this place?" He began, simple things first.

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

When she turned to see him, she did not see any look of familiarity in his face, and it was just another aching pain in her heart to see this. His words that answered her own just confirmed her own thoughts. Clenching her jaw to keep the whimper out of her voice, she spoke softly, "This is the Thicket of Secrets…it is where we first met." And fell in love with one another. She would not say the last part out loud, so that the information would sink into his forgotten mind. She remembered exactly what had happened on that night and how they had spent it together. It had been after that awful encounter with her past pack with-. Her ears pulled back, almost as if meaning to be flattened as her emerald eye looked back towards Koda. She knew that he could not take her word over his own memories, but perhaps giving him an idea of what his memory had been like might have helped.

"It was after an encounter at my former disbanded pack‘s borders, Copper Rock Creek," she added on, before stopping her mouth from moving once more, not wishing to overload him on facts and details that they could always save for another time. She did not know why, but her communication skills always seemed to weaken when she were around her mate and it made it hard for her to seem serious when she made no sense out of what she was saying. "Koda…could you close your eyes for a moment and tell me of what you are feeling?" She needed to know…just so she knew if she would let her hopes soar or slowly die down, before leaving her in an empty pit of darkness. Her tail twitched slightly, a clear sign, to those who knew her well enough that she was highly nervous and worried.

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

As she ground out those words through her tense jaw, he felt disappointed, if he should have somehow known this was where they had first met. He nodded slowly as she fed him just the tiniest scrap of information, her old pack Copper Rock Creek.

Was he being too obtuse? Missing the forest for the trees? Koda closed his eyes as she told him to. He let his toes wriggle into the snowy ground and settle down against the frozen earth beneath, if maybe the contact with the very soil of the thicket would further connect him. He breathed deeply, letting the scents of the forest and Nina's own scent pass through his nose. He'd been tense, his nerves visible in the rigid posture of his shoulders. What was it he felt? "Nervous," he admitted, his eyes still closed and a sort of grimace on his face. But there had to be something more than that, more than the nerves and fear and confusion that kept gnawing at him. He just wished he had an answer that would make her smile.

He didn't try to think and force anything, he'd tried that plenty of times on their journey here and it hadn't done him much good. He just let his mind wander, naturally drifting where it would with the Thicket and Nina's presence as his lifeline. What was it he felt here?

-- A flash of brown fur beneath his paws, dirt flying before he'd caught it the little critter. He'd eaten it all before she'd appeared, the same golden wolf, Nina, but with both mossy eyes looking at him and speaking in small, quiet tones. A buzzing, humming... It was an annoying noise, and at first he thought it was his head injury messing with him.

But then it made sense.

He leaned forward on the balls of his feet, suddenly excited by the small glimmer of memory that had presented itself to him. His eyes flicked open, "Bees!" He nearly shouted, a little bit over enthusiastically. A big grin was on his face with his tail swaying at his hocks, and he continued in a much softer tone, "You'd... You'd lost your voice. And I'd found you some bees and their honey for it."

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

They sat in silence for several moments, and briefly, Nina feared for the worse. What if he did not even know how to feel anymore? Emotions had always run on memories, it was how everyone knew how to feel about someone or a situation. The single word he uttered was enough to cause her to relax. It was good to hear his voice, certain and willing to give up the information she asked for. It was as if he was putting his own life in her own paws now that his memory had failed him. She was just about to speak again, when his voice graced her ears, the first word uttered confusing her slightly before it clicked into her brain. Soon after if flow of words caused a small smile to cross over her lips, one filled with the happiness she didn’t know she could possess anymore. He had remembered, if he had done so, then perhaps there was hope for them yet.

Her tail wagged behind her as she faced him, her emerald eye gleaming happily at him. Her voice easily radiated the happiness she was feeling, "That’s right…and then we stayed together and watched the stars dancing that night…" It was a slim chance that he would remember the full memory, but it was always worth a try. Perhaps this would make other things better for them too though. Memories were always something that everyone held close to them. It seemed as though, Koda regaining his memory would be a possibility. The boxes were obviously there, Nina just needed to find the way to open them all.

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

His smile broadened as he was able to remember the sunset that night, Nina pressed into his side as light streaked across the sky. Like peeling away a thin layer, Koda felt as if he were inching just a bit closer to finding out who the woman who'd won his heart was... And really, finding out who he had become after spending that lonely year after the fire. He'd almost expected a waterfall of memories to follow the first, but all he was left with was the remembrance of this place on that day. A small disappointment, but the smile on Nina's face made it worth it.

"Nina, this is wonderful. I only wish I could remember everything else now... But this is a start." He sighed but with a smile still on his face. A drop in the bucket of all the days lost, but a start none-the-less. He had hope that other things would soon reveal themselves. "A new start, almost. Do you think your pack will be willing to take me?" He asked, with leadership nowhere on his radar.

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

He too seemed happy with the way things had turned out for the first time Nina had attempted trying to mend his memory. It seemed that as the future went on, piece by piece, hopefully, things would fall into place and be completely normal once more. She knew that none of these things would happen though. She was always reminded about the small loner that had showed up on her borders. Nothing nothing nothing nothing wrong with me..me..me.. Anne’s words had stuck with her since the day the death wolf had shown up before being ordered to leave, none of them wanting to have anything to do with the diseased. If she could have helped, Nina would have, but even she knew there was no cure to the plaque that female had possessed.

Koda’s voice stole her attention back towards him though, her own ears twitching at each punctuation of his words. She was trilled that he was happy with the outcome and that he was excited to try and get the missing puzzle pieces back in order. They were on their way though and so far, they had a good start. Though, in an aspect, Koda was just like Nina in some ways, one of them being to quickly get down to business. With a small smile towards her mate, she spoke, "I believe they will. But before everything happens, I need to know. Will you be able to lead by my side?"

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

For a moment Nina seemed to become distant in thought, and Koda was sure there was no shortage of things to be thinking and worrying over. At his question she came back to attention, and his eyes widened slightly with surprise at the question she offered in return. That hadn't quite been what he was expecting. He looked at her curiously, then glanced aside as he took a deep breath. Such a big question, and so quick was she to ask it he was sure there was some reason behind her haste. He could almost guess the reason for it, after all spring would soon be upon them, and as mates it was the natural order for him to lead at her side.

He hoped it wasn't the season that was leading him into a hasty decision, but truly he loved Nina and wanted to be with her. That was the base of the matter that caused him to leave Willow Ridge, really. With his world turned upside down, she was his anchor in more ways than one. He looked back fully towards her face, and returned her smile, sure in his decision. "Of course I will."

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

Silence was greeted with her question, and her one brilliant green eye watched the creamy male in front of her as his facial expression changed in front of her rapidly. If the circumstances would not have been so serious, Nina would have chuckled at his expressions, but what was happening was no joke, and she needed to know his answer soon. Her tail behind her started to sway behind her, unsure of what was taking the man in front of her so long to answer. She relaxed immediately when his answer came though. Those simple words would calm the alphess down to enormous heights, and with a small smile, she stood up, her head craned upwards and she approached the man and came closer, her green eyes looking into his own golden ones.

This was the easy part though, and so she made her way forward, gripping his muzzle in her grasp firmly, before her muzzle brushed against his ear and she spoke, "Welcome to the family, Koda. Now let‘s show you our home." She mentioned for him to follow her as she made her way back towards her lands, her golden form moving slower so that the large man could make his way through the thickets. Things were finally seemingly going right. Sloane would leave to find his love soon, and her own mate would soon be standing by her side. Together, anything was possible.

{Nina Out.}

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