Thicket of Secrets Olympus Has Fallen

As she stood before her first-born’s body Nina could not help the pain that coursed through her. Dry sobs and hiccups escaped her mouth as she kneeled over him, watching the blood pour out of him. As a Healer, it made it all the worse that she was not able to make it in time to safe the boy before he tipped over and landed on his neck. What made it worse was that Koda had needed to step down and had gone away from a while until he was ready to return. She wanted the comfort of anyone that would help her and she knew what she needed. She needed her family. She needed the two wolves who she had known longer than all of the others combined. Letting a whine escape her mouth, she took a deep breath and called for them all, letting the hurt and pain she was feeling communicate to them…hopefully letting them get the message. She needed them, badly, before things got any worse. She called for her remaining children, who she knew were not far. Even though she did not wish for them to see their brother, she knew that they needed to know what happened.

Brokenly, she bent down and nudged her son one last time, the anguish and sadness she was feeling building back up. Tacoma had been her first pup that she had ever given birth to and had become exceptionally close to him. If anything were to happen to any of her other pups she would definitely feel the same numbing pain. She wanted @Hollow to be there to protect her from the rest and @Ashanti to be the one to understand her motherly pain. She wanted @Azariah there to give her some kind of medical herb to keep her nerves calm because any knowledge leaked out of her head of any medical knowledge. She wanted @Iopah here to comfort her and tell her that everything would be okay, as well as @Mirren , @Bane , @Ashton , @Danica , and @Eva to come to her rescue. Most of all…she wanted her mate who could comfort and mourn the loss of her son, but no such thing would happen and Nina was stuck in an overwhelming pit of grief.

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

He'd been immersed in what were, for now, self-assigned duties since his induction into Secret Woodlands: learning and patrolling the border, sniffing out the potential prey that riddled the nooks and shadows of the thicket, perfecting his craft as an adept and aspiring hunter to keep the caches replenished. Being part of a pack again felt better than he'd really thought it would. The boy was belly deep in a winding, shallow stream, his eyes searching the shadowy waters for fish, when Nina's call echoed eerily through the forest. Mirren's head rose slowly in surprise at the hopeless undertones that accented the leader's usually energetic voice. He resigned his post near the edge of the territory and quickly set off to find Nina, mulling over possible reasons why she'd be calling them all together with a skip to his now near-racing heart. When he did find the queen, it was not the sight of her that first caught his express attention, but the smell of death. Immediately his tail and posture fell and he sucked in a sharp breath, holding it tightly in as he emerged to lay his eyes upon her and the body of her eldest son. Her grief hung in the air like fog on a cold autumn morning, punctuated by sorrowful whines and noises he'd never heard a wolf make before. For a moment he was frozen in place as the weight of the situation fell heavily upon his body and his heart, his golden eyes shifting from Nina to the fallen prince whose body lay lifeless at her feet. Mirren approached the woman who had comforted, cared for, and rescued him many times with a fixed furrow in his brow, pushing away the whines that churned deep in his throat. He would be strong for her, now. Drawing closely to her side, he nudged her shoulder and cheek silently to offer her what comfort he could.

The sadness in the call pierced his heart like the sharpest claws. Hollow turned from the borders and set a course towards the sound, silence was unneeded as it was clear something was wrong. So he shouldered his way through ever bit of brush he could move. It was slowly registering that it was Nina and it had come from the pack den area. The pups! His blue eyes stretched wide as the thought crossed his mind and his paced quickened. Fear was a bright light in the eyes of the leader, he was hoping dearly that everything was okay, he knew as soon as he arrived that it was not so.

For the first time in a long time, his heart burned and actually made him suck in his breath sharply for the pain tore through him. The body of a pup lay before Nina, a lifeless form that had been a ball of energy such a short time ago. Moments passed that felt more like years, it sunk in so slowly that the pup would not get up. He began to shake, "But... I said... I said I would protect them." Slowly he crossed the clearing to Nina's side and gave her a nudge. "I'm sorry Nina."

The only words he could think to offer were there,. Hollow felt as though he had failed, he said he would protect them but he couldn't. Why did this have to happen, would it have been so if Koda were here? Koda. Hollow could never face him now, the pack was in his care and now Tacoma was dead. He couldn't even face Nina, all the leader could do was stare at the lifeless form with a small line of blood trickling from the edge of his mouth. Almost without thinking Hollow bent to the scrap of fur and whispered, "I'm so sorry Tacoma, I should have stayed here, you... you rest now and one day I'll come to see you and we can play, goodbye friend." With that his head rose and his own song of sadness was sent into the sky.

Ashton wonder as to why mother sounded so sad in her call. After all he had been sunning himself and she and Tacoma had gone off somewhere to play or something that didn't particularly interest him. Ashton was feeling lazy today and so he was very much off guard when mother made the sad call. Ashton continued to contemplate why she sounded so distressed as he made his way through the Thicket towards where mother and Tacoma had gone. Curiously he came upon the scene and notice Hollow with his gaze fixed on something Ashton couldn't quite see. Mother seemed to be looking at it as well and looking so sad he had to go to her. Mirren went unnoticed by the curious pup. As Ashton drew nearer he began to wish he had stayed home.
<p>
Tacoma looked a lot like prey right now. The prey that was often brought back to the cache would have a little blood coming from its mouth and it's head at a funny angle. Ashton didn't realize it for a moment and approached his brother quizzically. "Tacoma get up you're scaring mother and this game isn't funny." Not a muscle moved from his brother, not a hair stirred on his side. "T-T-Tacoma STOP IT!" The pup yapped loudly, something that had been a far off concept was suddenly real and close. Death. Tacoma was dead. Ashton went directly into denial. "C-c-come on T-tacoma, we're going home. You can get up now, you tricked us all." But no Tacoma was gone. Gone. Ashton began to whine and fuddle into Nina just like he had the day he was born.
<p>
All Ashton wanted was for Tacoma to get up, just get up brother. He began to cry and whine into mothers fur, he had always thought only prey died. But it was not so, they could die too. Now Tacoma had.

A painful howl. That was all that Asha had cared about when it hit the rather silent sky. She rushed to Nina, wondering what had happened, and as she arrived, she froze. The pain Nina must have been feeling to have lost her son. Asha saw his frozen body, and Asha raced over to Nina, sitting beside her as a friend and a fellow mother. Ashanti couldn't even imagine losing Bane, though in the beginning she herself had wanted him gone, it was different than this. She looked at Hollow almost in fear, wondering what exactly had caused his death. "N-Nina, I-I'm so sorry. I can't e-even imagine what your going through." She stuttered out in the silence that had enticed them all.

Asha felt more than just a mother whom felt the pain of a close friend losing her child, she felt that as a teacher, she had failed the little pup who had turned stone cold. She could almost see Tacoma running around with happiness and joy, but instead of what she saw in her head, she had to accept the reality of what was in front of her. A prince of Secret Woodland's had fallen. Goodbye my friend it's hard to die, when all the birds are singing in the sky. Now that spring is in the air, pretty girls are everywhere. Think of me and I'll be there. We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun, but the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time.

He would scramble towards the call as fast as his long limbs would carry him, as quickly as everyone else did make their way. The child's venture was longer, without the body to reach out and close the distance as an adult might, but yet still eased through the brushes with a slender and lithe body to move through their thick home much more effectively then some tank of a wolf might have. In time, he made his arrival too, silent and unsure of himself as he approached the crowd with an amount of obvious hesitance. He could feel the tension in the air. Smell the death that lingered even as the occurrence was still yet very new. Orange attention shifted to the body which those gathered hovered around, seeking what the meaning of this desperate call had been. It had been him, Tacoma, who had shown him some care beyond that of the Leading pair's other siblings. He who had spoken softly to him, who had come to stand at his side during the meeting despite Bane's lack of care at the time being. Now, with what little interaction he had shared with him. He was dead. Dead like his father, and he was not coming back. Bane had never before seen death, not death besides what he had seen in prey. However, Bane's understanding of death went far beyond that of Ashton's, who knew of it by the death of his own family member. He did not have to question, did not think that perhaps Tacoma was playing some sick joke. "Taco...?" Still, Bane could not help but whisper to the fallen child, taking a few steps closer but keeping back yet farther still then those else who had yet come to this event. This should not have happened to a child of the Leaders. Not Tacoma. Perhaps, it should have been him instead.

BANE Aranna

TEMPLATE © NDA OF RCR & RPG-D

Iopah sat just beyond the borders watching the still forest. Ocassionally a bird would call out, but Iopah paid no attention. She was hoping for something a little more substantial than sparrows. The summer was running into fall. The nights were beggining to cool enough for frost to etch itself onto the delicate meadow grasses. Here and there patches of the thicket canopy were bronzing. Before Iopah's eyes her home was changing.

An anguished cry went out and, even with the distance, Iopah could hear the wordless pain in it. Nina. Iopah shifted to look behind her, one foot pressed into the ground as she twisted. Something had happened. Iopah rose fully to her feet. It was an aimless cry, directed to all. Iopah made a soft noise as she rushed through the thicket. Something terrible had happened.

Her path lead her to the heart of the thicket. Another wordless call, full of the same pain as Nina's. Her ears pinned back as Hollow's voice echoed through the woods. Her own heart clenched within her ribcage.

Many of her family members had already arrived and were clustered around Nina's crouched frame. Feeling numb Iopah padded forward. She could smell the death, but could not yet see Tacoma's crumbled form. The second youngest was pressed into his mothers side, shaken by what had occurred. Iopah turned her gaze and there was Tacoma, awkwardly bent, laying on the ground. Despair and anger fought within her. A low growl rumbled in her chest. Out of everything they could have lost why a pup?

She blinked and looked away, feeling her anger start to drain. She looked to Nina. Had she found him like this or was she with him when he died? Iopah wasn't sure which was easier. Every wolf grieved differently, and if Iopah had felt anger what was Nina feeling now? Cautiously the second approached her queen, unsure how she would react.

"Nina?", she pressed gently. Could Nina hear her through her grief? Iopah swallowed, what could she say that was true? "It hurts, I know, but you will see him again. He will watch over you. There is no pain or fear where he is waiting for you." Iopah was sure of her words and sure of her belief, but she didn't know how Nina would feel. Hopefully it would help, it was all Iopah could give.

Everything going on around her was a blur. She wasn’t sure if her family was really there or not. Had they died too? Were they all going to leave her there in her own misery? Somewhere in the back of her mind she registered that there was another figure pressed up against her side, which was coincidentally Mirren. She could sense the presence of many others but their words were lost to her mind. It was only when her son walked up to Tacoma’s lifeless body, did the alpha finally snap out of her trance. A frown pronounced itself on her lips as she listened to her small son talk to the limp body in front of them. The pup she had once known that was filled with life was just….dead. On instinct, she leaned down and smoothed her tongue along the top of her second son’s head, trying to give him a sense of comfort. Bane was also there, crouching before Tacoma, seeming to have some kind of grasp on the kind of Death that gripped at her son.

In a sense of equality she then moved her tongue over Ashanti’s boy’s head as well, giving him the comfort that she knew that all of the Secret Woodlands pack would need. The death of Tacoma was untimely and proved how short life could really be. Those who lived longer than a few days were lucky and those who lived for many years were wealthy. Biting her tongue, she almost did not recognize her own voice when she spoke, all she knew was that she did not wish for it to smell like death any longer, "Ashanti…go…find as many flowers…and…lavender…as you can." Nina had distinctly remembered that her son had been intrigued by the herb that the mother was so attracted to. It would help calm them all down and lavender would be just the right herb to do so. Tonight…all duties would be put aside, it was time to mourn the loss of their prince.

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

I'm going to PP Azariah arriving just behind Danica to get her in here, so her post doesn't hold things up.


Danica had been growing rapidly and gaining some small grace as her form changed from awkward pup to longer legged and somewhat gangly looking. She was far from grown, but the beauty that was to be hers was slowly becoming evident. However much more grown she looked, she was still painfully shy around others and she felt it a weakness. Mother was not shy. Mother was strong and commanding and above all, the green eyed girl-child wished to emulate her beautiful mother.

This was the reason that she'd been working up the courage to approach Azariah. She'd noted that the small golden fae was quiet and seemed approachable. Danica was also fascinated with her eye color as it was so unique. This was an ever present quirk of the child, beautiful eyes. She was poised to announce herself to the healer, not too far away from the den when her mother's voice split the air. The distinct mournful sound of it caused the girl to whip her head in the direction from which it originated. The sadness in the call could not be overlooked and Danica's heart raced. Without a second thought for the small golden fae, she took off, suddenly needing to be with her mother and not knowing why the urge was so overwhelming.

So caught up in her desperation to get to her mother that she didn't even notice the soft steps of Azariah keeping pace with her, although unconsciously she was comforted by her presence. She came to a stop, her young heart in her throat and barely registered that the healer was still at her side as she heard Ashton begging Tacoma to stop playing and to get up... but he didn't. The feel in the air was so heavy that it felt as an actual weight on her young shoulders and she crouched low and crept forward slowly, legs trembling until she could see clearly what Ashton and the others were seeing. Tacoma lay on the ground, unmoving. Not a flick of his tail, no belittling look at her for her lack of adventure. How she wished for that look right now. The reality sunk in and she knew that he would never tease her or stand up for her again. His vibrant life had somehow been snuffed out. In her mind she cried out "Tacoma!"... but she knew that even if she voiced her cry there would be no answering one this time...or ever again.

On trembling legs, she moved to Nina's hind leg, unable to go closer. She pressed her small form into her mother as if her own life depended on it. A violent quaking overtook her then and a small, nearly inaudible whimper of "M-Mama?" escaped her quivering lips.

Image by Cool Text: Free Logos and Buttons - Create An Image Just Like This

(He doesn't really hate Tacoma, he's just hurting, thread for that to come.)


When Nina began to speak Ashton cowered further into his mothers fur. Life was going to go on, it couldn't it just couldn't. Not without Tacoma, his only brother had left him. Sad anger began to bubble up within the child and his thoughts were pained and horrible. Tacoma was so selfish to die before they could take down prey together, before they could go on their first real adventure away from the pack together. He hated him for it, he left Ashton and mother and Danica. No longer could Ashton bear to see his brother's broken body and so he tore his eyes from the sight and stared at his mother's paws. So much pain in such a young heart. His eyes began to grow hard.

The boy steeled his face and gazed around at the rest of the pack, in silence, Hollow wearing a look of deep sadness, mother and Danica both cried, Iopah tried to comfort mother, while all the others looked on with shock and horror. This registered and for a moment he felt a small spark of pride in the pack only to be extinguished in the anguish of the day. His heart had been broken by his brothers betrayal now. Ashton wanted nothing to do with closeness, what if they left like Tacoma? What if everyone died or got lost like father? It was another moment that would make him more like his uncle, more like another wolf whom looked so strikingly similar to him.