Secret Woodlands waiting for you on a bent knee

For @Nina!

Koda had caught wind of the scent of bobcat along the pack border. Whispers about it lurking near their caches and disrupting the sense of safety for their pups concerned him the most therefore he walked the expanse of the border constantly, lifting his head only when he felt he had come across a fresh trail. There was no doubt in his mind that many others had sensed the bobcat as well, the feline's scent wasn't hard to spot, but for some reason it continued to linger. Perhaps it was time to double the amount of time they protected their borders to intimidate it with a warning that they would not let this cat in without a bite to the hid. He knew he was lowest in the pack, a title hardly worth bragging about, but his protective nature wouldn't allow him to ignore this blatant trespassing on their home turf, and his duty remained with the safety of Secret Woodlands therefore he had become their unofficial guardian.

As he walked, no more like trotted at a fast pace, he thought of his mate and he became distracted during his border patrol duties. He couldn't help wondering what she thought of him, surely she was excited to see him having returned back home but her actions hadn't assured him of this--perhaps she still needed time. How much time? He wondered: days, weeks, months, a year? He had every intention of proving himself before the years end, but there was no telling how long it would take his mate to accept that he had left them without telling the rest of the pack. And his children, he had only the pleasure of Danica's presence to date and that had not gone as planned either, so far her memory of him was not a good one. He sighed, pushing these thoughts from his mind and putting his attention back toward the task at hand--lifting his hind leg he urinated on a bush before moving on. Even despite his efforts Nina kept popping back into his head, perhaps he would encounter her during his patrol, an awkward meeting that left for little romance but he felt most confident when he was busy. What he needed from his mate was the chance to assure her that he was back, for their family, for good.

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

Lately the mother found herself outside of the borders more often, trying to find any scraps of food to provide for her growing pack. Nina had no doubt that Hollow was doing the same when he knew that she was not out and about and was sure that he worried much when she was out, due to her disability with her eye. She was at a disadvantage outside of her territory on her own but she didn’t mind, she needed to find something of substance for the younger members of her family along with the children. Everyone who entered was another wolf that she had to make sure was strong and had enough to sustain them until the warmth returned to them. It was one thing that she desperately hoped for on a daily basis. By far, this was the coldest winter the former Hervok had ever encountered in her life and was thankful that she had a loving family to support her movements and not question her judgments, though she was gladly listen to any of their opinions.

She was returning from one of her outings with nothing to bare to her children and family. No herbs, no food; nothing. This winter she felt more than useless than she ever had, no longer would she have others who would be able to willingly provide for themselves and others, but they would all have to watch one another’s backs and protect one another. Secret Woodlands could not afford any injuries or something dying of starvation. Closing her single eye briefly she approached her borders once more, her single eye snapping towards a figure coming her way and immediately her breath was stolen from her. There he was, in all his glory, marking her borders just as he should have been doing for the past months when he had been absent. In an attempt to avoid his gaze and attention, the alpha spun on her heel into another direction of her territory and started towards the shadows, hoping she could turn there before her mate realized that she was in his presence, something that was probably attainable considering how aware they always were of each others’ bodies, but things changed, just as his vows had, and the woman had hope.

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the snow. Hunt Opportunity

Oooh, I get to use my new table! And I think its funny that Koda finds more food than Bastet who REALLY needs it lol

Steam rolled from his mouth as he moved on long thick legs at a pace that could bring him around the whole of Secret Woods before the approach of nightfall, he only hoped that nothing intercepted his path to deter him from his obligation of protecting his home. He was so focused on his task at hand that he hadn't noticed the pain in his stomach until it rumbled loudly in distress, whining for something to give him energy. The burly male was sure that nothing roamed the lands for him to eat, he hadn't caught wind of anything edible for days. It was a common case as of late and he feared the possibility that prey would never return back to them; suppose this winter was a sign that famine had taken a hold of the land. He remained optimistic, lifting his head on occasion toward the direction of the wind in search of both the bobcat scent (which could also make a tasty meal) and that of any deer, rabbit, bird, anything that he could bring back to the pack. Finding nothing of interest he continued on, making his way back at a steady trot toward the center of his new home.

Coming across another tree he lifted his leg to mark the base of the trunk, and glancing around him as he did this deed he caught sight of the golden brown coat of his mate, her hairs glistened against the rays of the sun despite its dimness. Frozen in his spot he wondered if she had spotted him too, as he watched in silence the whole while that she turned on her heels and headed the opposite direction that he stood. He panicked as she drew near the distance of the shadows, and finished his marking abruptly to intercept her before she was too far from him; this meeting was fate. He approached her cautiously, watching her retreating form a few moments before woofing in her direction in an effort to slow her down, as she was moving at a quick pace in the opposite direction. Nina! he hollered in hopes of getting her attention before she was beyond range of reach. It was as he closed the gap between them that he catch the scent of rabbit in the wind, it was a delicious smell that seemed almost foreign to him at this time during winter but non the less he felt his stomach rumble with anticipation. A part of him wanted to track this prey, find it, and bring it back to the pack but the rational side of him kept him on the path toward his mate, who remained his primary focus despite his desperation for food.

(This post was last modified: Jan 20, 2014, 05:24 AM by Koda.)

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

The woman thought she had almost made it, but just as she was about to cut into the shadows, the deep baritone voice behind her spoke, and Nina had to use every ounce of her control not to leave right then and run into the confines of her shadowy lands. Biting her tongue, she turned on her heel to face the much larger golden cream wolf in front of her with her single eye, her breath catching in her throat when she saw him closely. Knowing that she couldn’t avoid his gaze because that would be a disrespect to her rank, she raised herself tail and proud, just as any alpha would have and fixed him with a steely glance before any emotion could seep into her gaze, something that had always given away what she was feeling in the past, but today that wouldn’t happen, she would not allow him to get to her the way he had when he had once returned. For if he were to leave again, Nina knew that she would lose herself and the Secret Woodlands woman knew that she could never allow herself to get hurt the way she had when he left the first time ever again.

Clearing her throat, she spoke calmly, her voice monotone, ”Oh, Koda, I hadn’t seen you,” she lied easily before continuing, ”is there something I can help you with? I was just following the scent of rabbits.” As the strong scent of the animals tickled her nose, she thanked the Gods that she had been lucky enough for finding an excuse to avoid him. The pack did need food and during the spring and summer her excuse might have sounded fake, but now it was pretty real and serious. Her children and Bane needed food, anything really, that wouldn’t kill them, and so Nina had jumped on the chance to find something. But with her mate here, now perhaps she could catch more, even if she didn’t want to spend as much time with him. She kind of wished that Hollow would have been here to help her escape from this man in front of her. She had endured enough heartache since his return, but she would never voice these feelings out and instead waited for his reaction.

He searched her face, allowing his gaze to fall from her single eye; he couldn't help wondering what happened, and finally moved his curiosity toward the glistening gold of her coat. Like himself, Nina was aging, albeit much better than he was, but time had been harsh on her and he couldn't help wondering if he were the primary reason for sadness. There was no doubt in his mind that his absence had caused a rift in the pack but he had every intention on proving to her that he was here to stay, and when the time was right, he would regain the title he had worked hard for. He was could never be certain what the future held, but he hoped it would bring bury his past and bring to the light the wolf he really was--an average, family orientated man.

Refocusing his attention to the topic at hand he found himself nodding at her words, and released a smile when she mentioned that she were tracking the scent of rabbit as well. It was a welcoming scent to every wolf on the Lore, and if they were quick he was sure that they could capture a few to bring to the rest of the pack."That's funny, I was tracking rabbit's too." he started, shifting his weight on his thick limbs before continuing on, mind if we...hunt together?" the request sounded funny considering their strange relationship but he was sure that Nina could set aside her feelings momentarily for the sake of the pack. "It'll be like old times..." he trailed off with a smile. Surely her memories of old time were fond ones, it was the only time Koda could remember that she was happy. When he grew silent he felt the silence build, giving himself the opportunity to catch the stench of carcass in the wind and his stomach bubbled with anticipation of easy prey. Though he could not leave Nina's side to devour the prey buried in the snow, he made a mental note to seek it out once their hunting excursion was complete-- he would need it to help fill a cache and his belly once the hunt was complete.

(This post was last modified: Jan 26, 2014, 03:07 AM by Koda.)

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

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

The mother was tense and watched every movement that her former mate made, making sure that he was not too close to her and that he was not touching her in any way. She had tried to keep her distance, but she knew that it was her duty as a leader to follow through with her duty and interact with her pack mates, most of whom she viewed as her own children. As she looked throughout the many wolves within her pack, Nina had grown accustomed to being the oldest within their pack, but now that Koda had returned that was no longer the case...it didn't matter though, because her partner and subordinates were still that much younger, which would eventually be good for the pack, should they decide to keep it running. At Koda's words, the mother narrowed her single eye at him, expecting him to realize what he had just suggested and laugh it off, but it seemed as though her former lover was being completely serious and the golden hued woman had to clench her teeth together to keep from sighing out in exasperation. Where was Hollow when she needed him?

Her nose twitched when the scent of a carcass was blown towards her, and in a haste she quickly changed her path, knowing that they were most likely going to find better substance with something that was already dead than with rabbits which could easily escape from them because their old joints wouldn't be able to propel them fast enough. Finally, she responded to Koda in a strong voice, ”No, I'd rather not bring up the past....let us get some food though, it will still be getting colder throughout the winter.” Not looking back to see if he was following, and not really caring, the mother whipped through her thickets, her single emerald eye happily landing on the carcass that seemed to have been killed by another animal. Not bothering with courtesies and remembering the rank that she had given Koda, she took pleasure in sitting down gracefully by the carcass and taking her fill, the only indication that the other male was allowed to eat with her was the brief flick of her tail and ears.

No sooner did the words leave his lips did Nina make him regret them, the lump that formed in the back of his throat fell harshly down as he cast his glance in the horizon with purpose of avoiding her gaze. She had left him to follow the stench of a carcass and he hesitated momentarily before deciding to accompany her, perhaps if she allowed him to, he could get some of the left overs. It was silence that followed them the entire way to the mangled deer, and when he spotted a frozen leg protruding through the snow, excitement overcame but his outward expressions remained stoic in fear of showing too much emotion. He could sense her coldness, and couldn't help mimicking her in the process, as far as he was concerned he had only intended to meet with her to rekindle their relationship. Why she remained so angry was beyond him, but he was sure that recently her memories of him had turned to bad and he began to fight with the guilt that overcame him.

He watched with green speckled eyes as she approached the carcass with purpose and took her spot at the meatiest portion, tearing at it without a glance in his direction. He remained in his spot for a moment, watching her with caution and only when he caught the friendly wag of her tail did he approach the carcass and situate himself at a spot some distance from her. He could tell that his company was not wanted and considered leaving her at the carcass with a farewell after gaining his fill, but curiosity kept him in her company. Taking a chunk within his jaws he ate quickly, enjoying the taste of game on his tongue and appreciated the fullness it gave him when he felt himself grow content.

Gaining his full, for he was not as hungry as he thought he was, he turned toward Nina and bit his lip, rolling over questions in his mind until finally the silence began to kill him. He couldn't stand the tension anymore and sought to break through it once more, "Can our relationship be fixed Nina, or am I foolish to believe that we can forget the past once more and move forward?" he wondered, his head cocking to the side. He knew that the past was hard for her to acknowledge, but he needed to know if he was wasting his time assuming that their love could be back to what it once was.

She remained silent, her jaws working on the meat that was slightly frozen, but defrosted enough to the point that she would be able to digest it. She didn't pay much attention to Koda until he finally settled down across from her and a deep frown made its way onto her face as she watched him eat. Clearing her throat, she spoke calmly, ”You shouldn't eat so fast. It will give stomach pains to you, and no herbs I have will be help of much.” She narrowed her eyes at the cream colored man before her before continuing her meal. Hopefully, she would be able to bring back some to the three children that remained under her care, and she had no intentions of ever letting them starve as she was their mother, and would never dream of harm becoming them. When her former lover spoke once again, Nina's head finally lifted, her emerald eye staring at him, not mentally scolding herself for such rudeness.

She already knew the answer the his question, but didn't know the best ways of going about it. Taking a deep breath to calm her racing mind, Nina spoke, ”The only thing I can see our relationship becoming is a friendship and nothing more...love never dies Koda...but neither do memories, and unfortunately trust dies with those too.” She didn't want him to leave, she was offering her home to him, the place where he had been able to regain his memory, but with it a new side of him. It didn't surprise the woman much anymore, she knew what brain damage could cause, she had just wanted to elude herself to believing that he would be a special case, and in the end it had led to her own heartbreak. She couldn't completely blame him, it was her fault too for allowing herself to believe that things could have gone back to the way they were before.