Spectral Woods A Love Reunited

@Hotei

The Swiftpaw was highly unsure if she had made the right decision in bringing Hotei back to her home, but the blizzards were getting worse and she couldn't imagine leaving him out in the poor weather. Ever since Corinna's death, Jessie had been desperate to try and get the fallen warrior out of her mind. It was something that always stirred a deep sadness within the pepper-salt colored woman's head. She had not been able to take up the position, she simply would not. If @Triell found someone who was fit enough for the throne then they could surely have it, but she knew that she would never take the spot that the other emerald eyed woman had once so properly held. The small girl knew she could not do as well of a job as her former alpha and didn't want to disrespect her by leading a pack poorly. Jessie's role was as a Scout and she would do nothing to change that.

Hotei now moved beside her, the Swiftpaw drawing close to him in the desperate attempt of seeking warmth from his body. They moved together, though Jessie felt much more nervous than he looked. She tried to move as gracefully as she could, but found it hard; the cold was easily getting to her limbs. It didn't take too long for them to get near Oak Tree Bend borders and she came to a stop, looking towards Hotei and opening her mouth to speak to him, "Are you ready?" She said nothing after, waiting patiently for him to say something. She did not want to get him into something that he wasn't ready for, because Jessie was sure that if he ever betrayed her again, she would never forgive him.

@Jessie @Triell
Sorry I took forever guys.

Hotei Tainn

It didn't take long for them to reach their destination, though it seemed like forever to Hotei. The cold seemed to get colder and the snow seemed to get thicker as they continued to trudge on. He supposed they were nearing their destination by the scent of wolves getting stronger as they continued to walk. Jessie moved closer to him, no doubt her small body seeking warmth from his large one. He moved so that his body was pressed closer to her to give her the warmth she desired and moved his body at an angle so he could share his warmth and block her from the wind that had begun to pick up. A wry grin briefly flit across his maw. He could never deny her anything, could he? Even when they were angry, he somehow always conceded to her wishes in the end.

Hotei may have looked calm on the outside, but inside he was completely terrified. Buck up. You didnt go through all this shit just to back out now, his subconcious whispered. It sounded strangely familiar to his late alter ego, Burn.

They stopped and Jessie turned to him, asking him if he was ready. He lifted himself to his full height, his eyes shining with bright determination. If he said his fear was completely gone, he would be lying. But this was for him and him alone. He would prove to himself that he could be loyal. "Ready as I'll ever be," he answered her before turning to look forward. He smelled scents that he could remember mixed in with scents that he never knew. This was going to be one challenging ordeal, for sure.

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They were once again comfortable with one another and Jessie highly appreciated the way his body fitted against hers and shielded her from the wind...the wind that was, no doubt, hitting him with full strength. With his lack of fur due to his burns, Jessie could only imagine the amount of cold he was feeling and unconsciously shifted even closer to him, to provide what she could for him. Once they met their destination, the woman had to remove herself from him once he gave his answer, knowing it would do no good for Triell to walk upon them so close. Corinna had been the only Bend wolf to know of her relationship with Hotei and she was gone now. No longer was her secret out in the open for every wolf to know about, though she assumed that Ice had acquired some inkling as to her feelings towards the Tainn when she had gone into her brief depression. No one else remained. And so Jessie knew that their secret was safe.

Convinced that she was definitely ready for this, she tilted her head back slightly and let out a loose, low howl for @Triell , knowing that he would arrive when Jessie needed him to. For the time being there was no leading female by his side, Jessie refusing to take the position for herself and knowing that she would be put to shame when compared to Corinna. She meant nothing to Triell...they were just pack mates, and should she have needed to take Corinna's place, she could only imagine what her duty would have been in the future, then she definitely would have had to worry, but for the longest time she had known Triell, he had never made any of them do anything that would make them uncomfortable, but that was only as far as her knowledge extended, and she only hoped that all would be alright. It suddenly struck her as odd, Hotei was about to be reunited with much of his family. His brothers, and his nephew. Shaking her head, she took a steady breath, hoping silently that this meeting would go better than she had thought of it going in her head.

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All is lost again, but I'm not giving in

A broken melody became his thoughts, became his new stride, became the cracked beat of continuing on. After Corinna's death he felt everything she had carried pressing to him, and him alone. The harsh reality was Sceral and Serach had neither of their parents. Triell was trying to make up for that, but it didn't seem enough. He wondered was this what Ruiko and Indru had felt like after the fire? A crushing responsibility, that had no escape. A responsibility he hadn't exactly been ready for, and wanted to up hold. He felt he was all wrong for the part. Even if they would be yearlings soon there was still that gap between being a boy and a man.

He should raise his voice for his pack and bring them together. There were things that needed to be said, and done. He couldn't quite bring himself to that point as if they would all relive the tragedy. It would now forever be a part of him. Wrestling up a sigh if only to break the quiet of his thoughts, Jessie's voice proved a better distraction. She needed him for something, and rapidly he began making his way to the Bend scout.

The black leader's ears lead him to the border where outside the woods the wind blew icily through his coat. He was focused, and when he began to pick up a scent his frame stiffened. He thought his brother Hotei was dead, or as good as. One hand he didn't exactly loath him, he wasn't pleased he had left them. He wasn't aware of the entire circumstances that surrounded his absence. So when the Tainn was soon faced with the silver female, and scarred brother he did not hide his displeasure. With crown raised, ears flattened, it was a cold stare he looked upon Hotei. "Because you're my brother I'll listen to what you have to say." There were no promises beyond that. He didn't need another deserter.

Hotei Tainn

Jessie's second howl brought his brother to them. It was clear Triell was not happy. His eyes were cold, and his whole posture practically screamed 'I don't feel like dealing with your shit. Talk.' At another point in his life Hotei, or should he say Burn, would've greeted his brother with a dry, 'nice to see you too brother.' Under the circumstances that he was now in, that probably would not be the greatest start to hopefully join this pack that Jessie called home. The cold wracked at his torn, worn body, but Hotei refused to show weakness. Not in front of Jessie, and definitely not in front of Triell. His legs bent as he lowered himself in submission, swallowing the bitter taste it briefly left in his mouth. Keeping his eyes low, the burnt man finally opened his maw. "After I left Swift River..I joined a pack named Willow Ridge, ruled by Lady Elettra. I was with them for a time...," Hotei trailed off slowly, not really knowing how to continue. He didn't want to seem like a deserter, but that was what it would look like. He would somehow have to change their minds. His baritone rumbled in his chest as he continued, "Things were going good, until the beginning of autumn." His yellow orbs snapped to Jessie, but quickly left her form. She had already left him by then, their beloved meetings over and done with. His mind had been an utter pit of confusion and despair, torn with trying to control his alter ego and dealing with the pain and anger that the Swiftpaw had caused by crushing him. He had been a lost man. "My mind was just going crazy. Too much confusion and I was everywhere, emotionally speaking. Until it got to be too much." This is where the hard part came in. Admitting his failure in loyalty. Hadn't that been why he had gone to Willow Ridge in the first place? The wolves he had encountered himself with had been loyal to their very core, all their loyalty poured into one woman that had reigned over all. He was sure that if he ever was close to Willow Ridge lands again, @Elettra would have no problem ripping him to shreds for his disloyalty. "One day I was on the borders, the next, I was out of Relic Lore completely." Figuratively speaking of course, it all had not happened in one day.

Hotei's eyes finally flickered up to Triell, trying to gauge his reaction, but he quickly lowered his gaze. He was too weak, and he didn't need his brother beating the shit out of him. "The time away from the Lore helped me to figure everything out, set my priorities straight. Now, I am here hoping to seek a home in your lands brother of mine." That was all he could really say. He stayed in his submissive posture, waiting for his brother to give him permission out of it. Truthfully, he was expecting to be rough handled some. He hoped his body was strong enough to take it, if Triell did end up deciding to dish it out. But who knew, maybe his brother would just leave him be? Though, the Fates had never really been by his side, so there was no use of hoping for a miracle.

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(This post was last modified: Feb 28, 2014, 04:23 PM by Hotei.)

All is lost again, but I'm not giving in

The dark wolf had little care if he was overdoing his role, he held his stance, wanting to leave no room for what he was capable of brother or not. The last thing he would be was a doormat, leaving easy access back into his home. Especially to someone who had so easily left its safety, and reliance.

The Tainn's eyes cast to Jessie temporarily, intent on finding out the reasons behind her presence. Since she was leaving the talking to Hotei, he hated to assume she had lead him back here. Yet, if she had maybe it was to leave the ultimate choice to Triell. Hotei was family after all, but hadn't his departure left a stale taste in her mouthAs promised he did not interrupt, but listened to the burned wolf's explanation. Joining a second pack to only leave it as well was not exactly helpful to his case. There was no story of why he had even left the River to begin with. Ultimately, he did confess the issues of his mind, but Triell's dark expression remained unchanged. He wasn't seeing a lot of good reasoning to let Hotei stay, even if he was being honest. What if he was still unstable? What if he was fine one day, to be a maniac the next? There seemed to be something different to him, could it be a change for the better?

It was in a matter like this he wished Corinna was here. Would she let him back? He was sure Ice would not. What did he do? If he really believed in second chances Hotei should have his. A growl twisted in his throat, he strode forward, getting into his brother's face. "You can stay...for now. If anyone disapproves of you, your gone and you can't come crawing back." Orange eyes bore into his yellow irises, Triell's own test of Hotei's control and sanity. After a couple seconds with simple low huff, he peered to Jessie, and than with a whip of his tail left the scene, feeling it wouldn't be best to chew the latest member of Oak Tree Bend to pieces simply because of his mood. At least for now.

{exit}

As soon as Triell entered the clearing, Jessie dutifully bowed her head to him, her gaze straying to the ground at his feet. She could tell that he wasn't in the best of moods and she silently prayed that Hotei would have enough sense in him to say the right things. Just with his opening Jessie winced slightly, not liking where this was going. The woman found herself holding her breath, quite terrified of what would be the end result of her attempts to give her love a home for the winter, and hopefully a home until he died. The woman took a moment to glance at Triell, trying to gauge his reaction to his brother's presence and found that she could read nothing off of him....unlike when Ice had been alpha. Jessie had been able to stand by his side silently and both had been able to communicate their opinions to one another through simple nudges and their body language, but she knew now that if Ice were still her leader, there wouldn't have been a chance that Hotei would have been able to get into Oak Tree Bend. It made the Swiftpaw feel slightly guilty, as if she were taking advantage of the leadership now.

The lady couldn't contain her happiness when Triell allowed Hotei in, and though it was much more of an aggressive greeting than she would have liked, it was still something. Flicking her mate's side with her tail lightly, she watched as Triell went away from them and glanced at the Tainn beside her, with what she hoped was reassurance. Not looking back to the man, Jessie scurried off after Triell, determined to stay loyally by his side and try to reassure him of the choice that she made. Hopefully, she hadn't gotten onto her alpha's bad side. It was definitely the last thing that she wished to do.

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(Exit)

Hotei Tainn

That had gone better than he expected, though of course it could've gone worse. He didn't sell himself very good, actually, he hadn't sold himself at all. Hotei had learned over the years, and with his time out of the Lore, that honesty was always the best way to go, even if it wasn't something someone hadn't wanted to hear. Glad that he had been accepted into this pack, Hotei made a vow right then and there. And this was one he was going to keep. He would prove to them that he was no wonderer. He would stay loyal to his brother until the day of his death. This new perspective brought a new change in Hotei. He was no longer (or at least tried not to be) the selfish Tainn he was before. He was a new man, but at this moment, he wasn't sure if he liked this new Hotei yet.

As the burnt man walked into his new home, he continued to delve into his thoughts. He wasn't some saint, but he was trying to be better, and that had to count for something. Right? Shaking himself out of his thoughts, the man set off across the borders. It was time to learn about his new home. Maybe he would meet someone along the way. If it would be a prospective friend or a future enemy was still to be determined. The easy part was done and over with, the hard part was yet to come. And that was getting not only his brother to trust him again, but to gain his pack mates trust and keep it. The Tainn was ready for the challenge.

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