Secret Woodlands A Perfect Tourniquet

@Nina only, please <3 Midnight — Current Temperature: 75° F/24° C

It had taken time, but he'd finally found it. Copper Rock Creek, the place of his birth and the skeleton of a memory that haunted him in his dreams. It wasn't like he'd remembered, and his return there had been both satisfying and disappointing. The red and golden stones that shone from the creek bed were no less mesmerizing than they had ever been, but without his family there─without anyone there at all─the spring was more like a beautiful ruin, meant to be forgotten and not resurrected. Since his return to Relic Lore, he'd spent most of his days and nights within what he imagined to be his father's old borders, sleeping safely in the same washed out childhood den where he'd nearly drowned. During the day, he explored places he thought he'd once been, studying the land and trying desperately to draw a line between his once-happiness and the spring. But he couldn't connect the dots, and eventually the boy knew that all he could procure from his journey was comfort in knowing that his memories were real in another time. With what peace was to be had in his beating heart, Mirren spent a final afternoon on the grassy bank of the copper creek before taking a long, hard look at the place he was ready to leave in the past, and he left. With his preoccupation with the lost kingdom put to rest, the realization that maybe this was only the beginning flowed through his veins. He was hopeful, optimistic, even as he crossed into the shadows of the tortuous thicket as the last, scarlet rays of light disappeared over the western horizon. Even during the day, the forest floor wasn't easy to navigate, and the agile boy was hard pressed to focus on where he was putting his paws, less he stub another toe or bang his brow on a low-hanging branch. By midnight, the moonlight that lanced through the summertime canopy lit the woodland with scatterings of dim blue, where the roots of the old, twisting trees looked more like snakes and the shadows all bled together. In the distance, an eerie call echoed through the darkness─an owl─and for a moment he paused to consider what else could be prowling the shadow beside himself and the night bird. Crossing over a shallow, narrow stream, the dark-featured boy lapped up a fresh drink before resigning to rest between the mossy roots of a kind tree, his eyes staring idly into the darkness as he laid his chin upon his paws.

(This post was last modified: Aug 23, 2013, 06:37 PM by Mirren.)

I'm assuming it's safe to say he is in the borders? If not, shoot me a PM! <3

Things had been quite peaceful throughout Secret Woodlands for the passing weeks and it was certainly not something anyone could complain about. The only thing that had been of true concern to her as of lately was Hollow. The young man seemed to wish to push himself to his limits most of the time and it made her worry for his well being. As a skilled Healer she was sure she knew what she was talking about when she had told him to take leave for a little while until she proclaimed it alright for him to start his duties again. It was also something now a day, knowing that her children were out and about running around without anyone to watch over them. She also knew that she would have to let them learn from the mistakes that were going to be made. Even through all this “peace,” Nina had still been at work, doing her best to cover the shifts in which Hollow had organized for himself.

Tonight was one of the few nights that she was no doing so though. She was just simply out for a midnight stroll, and what she was going to find was not something that she had ever expected to find ever again. Her golden brown fur snagged every thorn or branch here and there, not too much fur was being tugged off though; she certainly did not want any bald spots. Her ears were already perked high, and she was sure that to her left she could hear the slight shifts of movement. Turning her golden brown head, she took a deep breath and spoke calmly but firmly, "Who is there?" Her single eye tried to take in the area around her, trying to come up with any form that would look like a decent sized wolf, but the foliage and darkness were too much for her single eye to observe anything with.

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

The sound of branches creaking and leaves rustling in the darkness caught his immediate attention. Who knew what else inhabited this place, which, even in its beauty, seemed a more suitable home for ghosts than wolves. The last thing he needed was an unexpected run-in with trouble, when he'd done so well to avoid it up to this point. Rising swiftly and quietly, the boy's sharp amber eyes searched the shadows, the warmth of his breath like a suffocating fog in his face. Eventually a voice echoed hollowly through the forest─a woman's voice─and he snapped his head in its direction. When he was sure he wasn't doing himself any favors by standing around quietly, he broke from his position and ventured closer. The moonlight fell upon her tawny form like distant sunlight on the floor of a mountain cave, just enough light to accentuate the tawny shades that marbled the she wolf's back and crown. She was looking for him, peering far and wide through the night and foliage, and it wasn't really apparent that her vision was limited, but the scent she carried was not mistakable─pack. "Here," he called to her in an even tone, approaching slowly at her flank at halting with a comfortable distance between the two of them. In the dim light, the golden shades of his eyes shone pale, the shadows and his own dark features in stark contrast with the ivory of his undercoat. "I am merely passing through─I don't mean to intrude..." He didn't think he'd trespassed, but thought it courteous and in his interest to make sure. Mirren was a smart boy, smart enough to recognize clear boundaries such as pack borders and with mind to respect them and those who put them in place.

(This post was last modified: Aug 16, 2013, 03:37 AM by Mirren.)

In all honestly, Nina was not expecting an answer from her question. She was probably waited for the scurrying of paw steps to retreat from her vicinity in fear that they had been caught. So when a male voice answered her to say she was shocked would have been an understatement. Recovering from her shock, she turned her head towards the voice that had answered her, the form that waited her putting her into a deeper shock. In front of her stood a boy, barely over a year of age from what she could tell, as he did not look like he was fully developed yet. Instead of the bare of fangs she would usually use on someone who had managed to hide from her in the darkness, she looked over his features, her single green orb landing on the eyes of the fellow. Eyes that looked so familiar and yet Nina had no recall of the boy’s scent or presence.

Confusion sparked inside of her, but she forced herself to push it away so that she could ask the one question that had been bothering her. "What is your name?" she muttered calmly and kindly trying to coax the young man to explain to her who he was. Within her she repeated the thoughts of how it was impossible that she would know this young boy. She had never recalled meeting someone his age or younger in her time within the Lore. Pups had been something she had not seen much of except for Aeylen and Ruiko…but they had taken their pups with them and Nina had no clue where they were now and had never expected to see the alpha pair or pups again. How wrong she was…

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

For a moment the woman appeared startled, turning to look upon him with surprise at the sound of his voice. He didn't really know what to expect from her, but it certainly wasn't a soft tone and a kind regard. He'd been fortunate to avoid his share of trouble, and it would seem that fortune would befall him once again tonight. Her gaze fell upon him gently, the emerald shine of her single eye still bright in the moonlight. He'd never seen a one-eyed wolf, and for a moment he thought perhaps he just couldn't see the other one, but either way the stranger was rather pretty and he couldn't help but to want to appease her by answering her question. There was just something about her he felt like he knew, something comfortable, and it felt strange and was made stranger by the way he thought he may have come upon her in his dreams, perhaps. He wasn't one to be open with those he didn't know, but his mother had always taught him to be polite. He was a prince, after all. "─Mirren." His voice trailed off as he listened to the way his name sounded against the eerie silence of the shadowy thicket. The air felt close and thick as he drew in a quiet breath, a flicker to the tip of his tail as he watched for the lady's reaction. If all went well, maybe she would dismiss his being so close to her pack's territory and would let him leave out without drawing any attention. Unsure of what to say next, and feeling like the best return would be a congruent inquiry, he spoke up with a question of his own, one whose answer could put to rest the weird itch he felt in the back of his mind. "What's your name?" Do I know you? Because I think I remember that gleam in your green eyes. Immediately he felt stupid. Of course they didn't know each other. He wasn't even from around here─not really, anyway─and he certainly didn't know anything about this thicket or the pack that lived here. A curious glare flickered across his face as his cheeks filled with heat.

It did not take long for the younger man to respond to her, but when he did she felt her breath catch in her throat and her heart skip a beat. That’s not healthy for you, she reminded herself. Taking in the man again and moving towards his eyes, she felt an old feeling of nostalgia. Before she could get her own question out, he asked one of his own and she found it only respectful for her to answer him to. Replying in the same tone of voice she had started out with, she answered, "Nina…Nina Reinier." Her heart caught in her throat, she tried her best to get out this question without sounding like she was crazy because if this wasn’t who she thought he was…then it would be quite embarrassing to say the least. Biting her cheek gently, she watched him in curiosity, "Are you Mirren…Tainn? As in…Ruiko and Aeylen’s son?" There was a hopeful spark from within her. As much as them leaving had burnt a hole in her chest, she could not help but be excited that Ruiko and his mate had possibly returned, she had after all lived with them for quite a long time.

She was so nervous for the young boy’s answer that she was fidgeting slightly, not knowing what else to do with herself. If this was the young Tainn, she would probably feel better too. She had taken care of him before and after his birth. Making sure Aeylen had all the nutrients she needed and keeping them in the best health…she had even saved Nios during a flood. Of course, she had taken just as much care of herself when she had become pregnant and watched over her children’s health, but even though Vaeta, Mirren, and Nios had not been hers, she had still put them high on her priorities and had grown close to the trio. So long had passed since she had seen trace of any of the five Tainns…and it was why Nina pushed her hope behind her, not wanting to be disappointed with herself if she was wrong.

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

He could sense the nervous sort of tension that seeped from her. The way she fidgeted, the swelling of the musculature of her jaws, contrasted by dim moonlight, as she clenched them together. In any other circumstance, he might have even be put-off by the lady's body language, inclined to slip away into the darkness to prevent something unpredictable or dangerous from happening. But this was different. Her soft voice was even and sweet─kind, even─and he couldn't get past the verdant green stare of her single eye. Nina Renier was her name, she replied, and it didn't ring any immediate bells though everything else about her somehow rung them all. Mirren had tried to forget Copper Rock Creek and the wolves his family left behind, and for the most part he had; there had always been a certain grief in his heart for having been uprooted and it stuck with him. He was feeling a bit timid, now, and was still unsure of what to say next. Moments of silence came between the two strangers as they stared with quiet intrigue into each other's eyes, and Nina was first to speak up. Where he was only unprepared before, Mirren was in shock as the words left her dark lips now. At the drop of his full name and mention of his father and mother, the young Tainn's jaw dropped and hung as lax as a dead deer's neck. His tail dropped, too, and for a moment he was as still as an icebound river. It took seconds to process, but when the shock began to fade he felt elated, fearful, and curious all at once. "Yes─you...you know them? My parents?" A pulse of excitement coursed over him like a wave lapping against the sea shore. The boy's black-tipped tail swayed faintly behind him as his heart raced against the walls of his chest. Friend or foe, this Nina was perhaps less a stranger than she seemed, and that alone was like a breath of fresh air for the hungry boy who was far from home.

(This post was last modified: Aug 23, 2013, 06:42 PM by Mirren.)

She tried waiting patiently for his answer, her paws still shuffling beneath her and when he did she was surprised to find the relieved sigh that escaped her lips. Nina had not even realized that she had been holding her breath. The fact that this was in fact one of the Tainns that she had missed proved to her how much their leaving had affected her, and though the very presence of the young boy made Nina’s heart ache, she knew that Mirren had no control over the past. Only his future…and maybe…Nina could slightly nudge him in a positive direction. Not before she answered his questions though and the alpha took pride in explaining how she knew the yearling’s parents. "Well…I was a Healer within your mother and father’s pack. I took care of you, Nios, and Vaeta until…you guys had to leave." Her voice lowered at the end in disappointment, remembering the sad day that the heart wrenching decision had been made. For some reason, she felt she owed the boy more of the story and so she continued.

"After your parents left the pack had to disband. I took some of the remaining members and found new ones to form this new pack: Secret Woodlands." There was a question that was burning in the back of her mind and she could not help keeping her mouth shut before she found herself asking, "Are the others with you, Mirren? Is everything alright?" She tilted her head slightly, the worry evident in her single green eye. It was obvious that the golden brown woman did not like it when others were in trouble and that was due to the nature she had grown up in and trained to become. The role of Healer was an extremely taxing one and it took plenty out of the wolf. She had not minded though, she liked helping others and making them feel safe, it was what had drawn most of the newer pack members to her ranks.

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

Suddenly he felt a degree of relief of his own as he listened to the woman's patient and telling reply to his inquiry. It was nothing short of amazing to the yearling that he'd somehow managed to cross paths with someone who had a share in his own past. What were the odds? He hardly believed in fate, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd been meant to land on Nina's doorstep. So this was it. She and her answers were the light shed on the mystery of what had become of Copper Rock Creek, disbanded and forged into something new, something that had to be strong. Secret Woodlands. The time he'd spent wondering how the pack and land of his memories had disappeared into thin air didn't seem so long in the wake of the news the familiar stranger brought. The golden depths of his amber eyes sparkled in awe as he heard her out, his mind's eye painting a picture of the past he was finally able to complete. He soaked up every syllable of Nina's words, mindfully watching the way her lips moved and the anxious sway of her body. When she asked about his family, though, his eyes fell if only for a moment to the ground. The truth was that he'd left them behind, beneath the shade of the great sequoia forest, to pursue his own path. They had been fortunate there, prosperous, even, but since he was a young boy he couldn't ignore the pull of Copper Rock Creek on his heart─the way it had haunted him─and had departed to find it alone. But the bond between brothers is a strong one. Biting his lower lip, he considered her question carefully before answering. "Mother and father lead a pack to the north, in Sequoia Vale, and Vaeta's there as well. I left, for my own reasons, but I'm not alone..." His voice hung in the air for only a moment as he thought of Nios. "I travel with my brother now. He's here." A flicker of a grin settled on a single corner of his dark lips at the thought. If he could count on nothing else, Mirren could count on Nios─he would die for Nios. Above all else, it was his responsibility to take care of his brother, and so far he'd managed to lead in the right direction; but that didn't change the fact that the two Tainns were alone in the Lore, packless, and starving. "We've made due along the creek, but summer is waning and the spring isn't grounds for hunting." The statement was merely a reflection, information he could share with her, but it wasn't beyond him that Secret Woodlands could potentially be a home away from home for both he and Nios.

(This post was last modified: Aug 27, 2013, 04:28 AM by Mirren.)

She would probably never admit it out loud to anyone but she secretly loved to talk about Copper Rock Creek. The place was her home for over a year and she couldn’t help but feel the familiar heat of love and compassion build up within her at the memories that she had made within the Creek pack. Even if it brought her pain sometimes, the good memories within the pack had always outweighed the bad. Now it was time for her to gather information from the young man in front of her. How much she could observe with just her eye was not enough though. It was obvious that Mirren had filled out and gotten much bigger since the last time that Nina had seen him but it was definitely a healthy change and she was glad to see that Ruiko and Aeylen had taken marvelous care of the young man. However, when she found that his parents had created a new pack a sour taste formed in Nina’s mouth. It felt odd knowing that they were still living high and mighty while the remains of Copper Rock Creek could have been starving at the time. They had regained their power though and in the end Secret Woodlands had been born.

To say she wasn’t happy when she heard that Nios was in the lore would have been a complete lie. Before they had left, Nina had been quite close to Ruiko and Aeylen’s youngest son and another small smile broke across her face when he mentioned that he was with him. She briefly wondered where he was and hoped that he was alright before she paused, as Mirren had continued talking. An idea formed in the back of her mind quickly along with heavy hopes that Mirren would accept her offer. In the past, Nina had been nothing but generous to those who came to her looking for a home, and though her opinion was much more biased with the two Tainns…she didn’t particularly have to address such things with the rest of her pack. A sad smile spread across her lips then as her soft-spoken voice echoed the offer that was repeating in her head, "Well…Mirren, if you and your brother ever need a place to call home here…Secret Woodlands is always an open option for the two of you." She bumped her muzzle against his cheek in an affectionate manner knowing full well how cruel the different seasons could be to someone.

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