Thicket of Secrets Broken

Azariah took no offense when Ashanti snarled at her, she merely backed away a bit. The other girl had obviously been through a terrible trauma and still seemed to be in some sort of shock over it, although it had been long enough for her scent to change as Nina's had with the beginnings of pregnancy. The golden wolf sighed. Young should be a blessing, one she herself would ever be denied. Her body showed no signs of going into heat so she had finally come to the conclusion that Solarra had been correct and she was barren. And yet poor Ashanti was burdened with a pregnancy that she had not wanted and that might just cost her her place in the pack. She prayed that Nina and Koda would have mercy on her for she had not asked for this. But the integrity of the pack must be maintained that Nina's coming litter protected. They would soon find out the terrified girl's fate for Nina and then Koda arrived, closely followed by Ecco.

Nina ashed what had happened and all Ashanti could do was babble in her fear and despair. Hollow answered for her and she could feel the lacings of his own fear in his words. He had tried desperately to avenge the white fae, but had not succeeded. Azariah wondered if his fear was due to what he saw as failure. He had cared for their broken member and that was far more important in her eyes. His need to protect and nurture was one of the many things that she loved about him. She moved closer to him and nudged him comfortingly, letting him know that she was there for him and proud of him. Koda proclaimed that Ashanti would not be the one killed and Ecco then decreed that she wished to go after the perpetrator right then and there and Azariah was a bit shocked by the gentle-natured wolf's fervency. Nina put a halt to that line of thinking and Azariah had to agree that flat out murder was not the way to go. Yet, even her tender heart beat faster at the thought of the cruel man that had hurt Ashanti being made to pay for his unforgivable crime.

When Nina tasked her with acquiring some lavender and a moss ball, she wasted no time heading out to the fields where Nina suggested she look with a soft, "Yes, Nina." As she left, she heard Ashanti stutter a mournful, "B-B-Bu-But pack laws." Although she desperately wanted to know what would happen, she did her duty and scoured the nearby area hoping to locate her items quickly. She soon found some young, barely budding lavender and collected a good-sized bunch. Then she searched for the moss. It was a bit harder to locate, but she managed and headed back to the group with her stash to help Ashanti.

Destiny leads and I follow...for I am Destiny's Child

Hollow watched the turbulence unfold before him and at first, he began to think he should have left Ashanti where she lay until it seemed the opinions all seemed to face the same direction... anger. But not anger for Ashanti's apparent impregnation, but anger at her attacker, and Ecco was the most ferocious with her anger. Hollow truly wished he could join in, for anger at the male who had done this burned in his stomach but he could no longer voice it for he was also exhausted to his breaking point. For the past few moments the only thing that had kept him upright had been Azariah at his side and when Nina asked for her to go and gather a few herbs he had to ready himself so as to remain standing, and even still, swayed when she was forced to leave his side.

He watched her disappear into the fields and felt pride begin to swell within his heart and soul, they had been there for Ashanti just as he had promised her the all would be. She hadn't been punished nor shunned as she had thought and it was a relief that the cream colored she wolf would be protected. The yearling visibly relaxed at this realization and a strange impulse came over the dark male at that moment and he lowered his head and pressed his muzzle to Nina's chin and said, "I knew I could trust you Nina, thank you." His words solemn and low so that Nina would be the only one to hear. But as he pulled back he looked around at the others "Koda, Nina I think it best if we keep a close eye on our borders and maybe we should keep the females close by, at least until spring is over so that this male doesn't try to come back." The male spoke with a questioning inflection to the statement knowing full well the final word was up to them but he thought himself that it would be best to protect them all more closely.

Just as the words left his muzzle Azariah returned with the herbs and Hollow let his eyes linger and trace the lines of her face, with a sad look he gave her a weak and tired smile. I'll kill that male myself if he ever comes anywhere near you. His thoughts were becoming jumbled as Ashanti's latest stuttered statement came to mind... that was true, What will we do Nina? he thought, turning his gaze back to his leading female.

In a similar vein to Koda's anger, Ecco spoke up, voicing the thoughts that were bouncing around his own head. Jaw clenched, neck stiff, and paws itching to run, he felt ready to chase down whoever would hurt one of his subordinates so cruelly. But Nina, ever the wise, reigned Koda's wild thoughts back in, and grounded them all with what he knew to be true. They were not murderers, and it would only be to sink to the criminal's level to hunt him down. With a slow exhale he relaxed.

Hollow moved towards Nina, and though the words were lost on Koda's ears, he could tell it was some sort of gesture of gratitude. As the black yearling stepped back and addressed the whole of them, Koda nodded at his words. He found himself growing fonder of the young wolf who always seemed to have other's best interests at heart. He made a note find the time to try and get to better know the odd-eyed wolf, and perhaps with more time and experience the yearling would make for a trustworthy Second.

Another problem needed to be resolved, one perhaps the most tricky. "Nina... What shall we do now? Shall she be allowed to stay, or must she leave? I can't say I feel comfortable sending her off, especially in her condition." He spoke in a low voice, although certainly loud enough for those nearby to hear if they cared to listen. Barring some other disaster, Ashanti's litter would add to the number of tiny, hungry mouths the pack would soon have to feed. Of course his own blood would take priority, but Ashanti's well being could not be ignored. What was a pack if not to uphold eachother?

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

She remained silent as she let her pack mates converse among one another, their many voices greeting her listening ears as she waited for them all the quiet down. She then addressed Ashanti, her voice soothing and calm, just as Azariah bolted through the thickets, returning with what Nina had asked for. "You were forced against your will. That is not something I am going to punish you for," her voice was smooth and icy, void of any anger she had been holding onto prior to the words she was going to say. Whatever Ashanti had been through had certainly been something that Nina would not have wished upon anyone. Before she knew it, hollow was next to her, wrapping her in a quick embrace, his voice tickling her ear as he spoke. With his words, she gave a low growl of thanks for him staying with here and not deserting the pack.

With the questions that were addressed to her by both Hollow and Koda, she raised her head and made her voice clear for everyone to hear, "Ashanti will stay with the Woodlands pack and be treated as she was before this whole situation. The pack will take care of her just as you would I. The pup will not be slaughtered once born and will be treated as any other pup within our pack. Do I make myself clear?" She made sure to make contact with each and every one of her pack mates as she then stepped forward to take the materials that Azariah had gathered for her. Quickly, she stepped towards her small pack mate and gave her the lavender, her voice calm and collected, "Here Ashanti, inhale this. It‘ll calm your nerves…your brain will calm down too." She then stepped towards Hollow, the moss firmly clenched in her jaws as she ran the damp moss almost his sides, whipping off the dried blood, her voice clearing as she took in the healing wounds that would still take more time to heal, "Unfortunately, its not the time of year for the herbs I need to fix you up yet, Hollow. Good news is you are relieved from your border duties for the rest of the week. Koda, Azariah, and myself will take over that task until I deem you fit to patrol again." She nodded to him then, a small smile forming on her lips before it quickly disappeared and she stepped back towards Koda.

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

Ashanti calmed little as Nina spoke, she could stay…. But how was she supposed to help her packmates now? After all this time she still couldn’t bear to look at her packmates. However she had been gone two weeks. How were others supposed to look at her the same exactly? She knew that she would be judged by what had happened, not necessarily by her packmates just other wolves she knew. She did as Nina commanded, she closed her eyes and breathed in the scents of lavender, trying to forget what had happened and trying to make the best out of the possible situations.

It calmed her mind a bit, though the full affect would not take immediate action. “I-I failed, I’m sorry Nina.” She murmured before breathing in the scents again. She opened her eyes, aware of the situation at hand and ready to make the best of it. She truly thought she had failed, none of this should have happened. She could have stopped it by just not going herb hunting. But she had to, she knew that Nina and her mate would have conceived or tried to and she needed to start getting herbs together to prepare for such things. But she hadn’t even returned with herbs.

She was still all curled up, she was home. But was it a true home anymore with all that had happened? Was any place home now, or was every place a tormenting prison that never ceased to torture those who had inhabited it. “Orange eyes, black fur, smaller than me and he still managed. I failed.” She was calm.

The young male's heart soared when Nina reassured everyone that Ashanti could stay, at least he had been right to tell her she would be allowed. He flashed another appreciative glance towards both Nina and Koda. She will be just fine, you don't have to worry anymore. Hollow's relieved thoughts were broken as he felt the moss being pressed to him. Luckily none of the cuts were deep enough to cause real harm though now clean he could see the irritation he had created by ignoring them. The next words Nina spoke shocked him to the core, relieved for a week? No I just need a good night's rest and I'll be ready to go! The young male's brain began to protest for he almost could not fathom not being there to protect his family.

"But Nina I -." Hollow cut himself off deciding it better just to accept her word and be grateful he could have the extra rest. Hollow then found his way to the golden form of Azariah and pressed into her side. "I am exhausted, do you think you could hep me to my den?" There was no hint of playful love in his tone as he would sometimes have, no he was truly exhausted. It was all he could do to stand, but Ashanti was safe now and that was all that mattered to the dark yearling. He had succeeded, "She's safe now." Hollow muttered the words to himself. As he waited for Azariah's reply

Azariah kept silent as Ashanti's fate was discussed. She truly could not imagine Nina and Koda turning the broken girl away, but the law had been broken, willing or not. How would her new leaders react to this? It would have a direct effect on their own young. Her leaders decree of amnesty relieved and gladdened her heart. She hadn't had much time to get to know Ashanti, but she'd always been strong and confident for one so young. It had been and entirely different confidence than her own. Her confidence came from the unwavering love given her by Solarra on her worth and her growing knowledge. Ashanti's had seemed to be so much more... and now she was curled up trembling and clearly terrified of the fate that awaited her. Nina and Koda's words seemed to leave a shocked expression as she mumble dejectedly about her failure to protect herself.

The small fae wished that she was in a position to comfort the larger girl, but she clearly was not at this time. Perhaps they could become friends and Azariah would do all that she could to help with Ashanti's litter as long as it did not compromise her care of the alpha's litter. She sighed inwardly at the evilness that had torn the poor girl apart. The attack was bad enough, but she would have a constant reminder of the deed in her young. She could only hope that they looked and acted like the mother rather than the villainous sire.

When Nina doled out the medicines to sooth Ashanti's tattered mind and Hollow's abrasions she gave her leadess a sad smile for the unfortunate circumstance. It could not have been easy to give Ashanti amnesty, knowing that it might compromise her own family, but it was the right thing to do and Azariah took pride in knowing that her leaders were honorable and strong in the face of turmoil. It was then that Hollow approached her and asked her to take him to his den. Her worry doubled when she saw the utter exhaustion written all over him. Gone was any hint of joy from his voice and she winced inwardly, knowing that he somehow blamed himself for this. It was just who he was, taking responsibility for his family. It was one of the things that she loved about him most, but he was so hard on himself.

With a tiny half smile she nodded and after giving parting glances to the others, she led her sad and tired knight slowly towards his den, letting him lean on her small shoulders for once.

(Exit Azariah and Hollow)

Destiny leads and I follow...for I am Destiny's Child

Nina, always reasonable, quickly delivered a just solution. It would probably be awkward for Ashanti and the cubs she would have, and he hoped to make it the easiest he could on the young mother to be. It wasn't her fault for this, and no technicality of the rules would make him be cruel to the girl. It hurt to see how even with the assurance that none of it was her fault, she was still beating herself up over it, apologizing for something she didn't cause. Koda sighed, proud shoulders sloping as he knew nothing to say that would make it better. Nina stepped back towards him and he looked to her, a small nod and glance to her green eye, knowing she had made the right decision. It was the least they could do for Ashanti.

Hollow and Azariah made their way off, and Koda gave a concerned look to Nina, then Ashanti. They couldn't leave her out here, and it would probably feel safer to return with an escort at her side. "Nina, maybe you should lead her back to the den. I want to do a round of the borders myself and make sure everything is secured." He wanted to make sure there was no trace of the orange eyed rogue, in case he had decided to trail Ashanti here.

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

Everything else that happened went by in a blur, she did not hear anything else that was said by her pack mates, though she was pleased to see that Azariah and Hollow went back to the den. With a quick once over, she noticed how Ecco had seemingly disappeared in the act of the situation, and Nina conveyed a soft sigh. Her pack was going to have their rough edges, just like they were having today, but hopefully things would fall back into a normal pattern soon. With the pups on the way, she did not need any more stress on her shoulders. When Koda’s voice whispered in her ear, she flicked them, a large yawn escaping her mouth as she nodded her head to him, telling him that he would take her back to the den. Getting off of her paws and stretching again, the exhausted leader walked towards Ashanti and brought her forward, walking next to her side.

Murmuring gently in the woman’s ear, she spoke softly, "Let’s get you some rest…you will make a great mother, Ashanti. The pack will help you." The whole time on their walk, Nina whispered encouraging and comforting things in the soon to be mother’s ear. Nina could not begin to imagine how hard this was on Ashanti. She was still a yearling when this had happened to her, and it was something that she had not deserved to happen to her. Things were definitely going to be hectic for the next few weeks, but if the pack stuck together then everything would be okay, and Secret Woodlands would not have problems.

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

{Ending this with this post}

Ashanti got up obediently as she followed her alpha, who whispered encouragement along the way to the pack den. Sobs and shudders were all the white girl would do, she was speechless and scared. She was in the pack still, which she guessed was a good thing, but she was scared. She didn’t want to be a mother; she didn’t want this son or daughter, whatever it was, to be her child. She wanted to dive into the small herb store like nothing had happened. A small little whimper as Nina commented how great of a mother she would be, it reminded her of a word or two she had shared with the only man she had ever truly loved, the man who was dead {or at least she assumed} because of her aunt. Bane Athelisa, the man who was supposed to be her mate when she was old enough to take him.

Everything that had once been happy in her life was now gone. She wanted to just curl up into the darkest corner she could find and die there. She wanted this worldly life to end, and all the blood that surrounded it to disappear. She managed to speak one little word, a word that changed everything. Everything that she had ever believed in, and her personality was evidently permanently changed as she spoke three simple words. "Nina, I’m scared." She whimpered out, her entire self on edge as the continued forward. It was the start of a new beginning, but was it good or bad?

{Fade out}