Thicket of Secrets I'm always standing in your light

Catori froze as the alpha nodded in her direction. Was that for her? How does she respond to that? Nod back? Would that be the polite thing to do? Or is that a challenge? She didn't want to challenge the wolf. She was never that dominant to begin with. Was she to introduce herself? Maybe Ashton was supposed to do that for her? Why didn't they talk more on the introduction?

'Avoid eye contact.' as the thought popped in her head she averted her gaze to Ashton. She couldn't remember other ways to be submissive anymore, everything she knew moments ago had been washed away with fear.'Stupid.. What do you DO!?! You where JUST TALKING ABOUT THIS. Something about a tail... Tail uhm... oh no I look so rude no no no. RESPOND.' She bowed her head at the stunning black wolf. That was a start right? Polite.. No way that could be taken wrong...right? "A-ashton..." she whispered nervously. "S-should I.... expose my belly?" shutting her eyes tight. 'Oh my goodness what did I just SAY. Obviously both of them could hear that. What WAS that??! Oh no. No. Why why WHY?!?!' She began shaking even more severely than before, clearly not very good under pressure. 'You're done talking now Catori. Just shut. Up. Let him do the rest of the talking. You've already done enough.' she wanted to cry. Her idea of a good first impression didn't include saying stupid things about exposing her stomach, so why did she?

Miccah was answering the call, but why? Of course it wasn't uncommon for a subordinate to wait with you at the borders, but something just seemed off. Maybe it was the fact that Hollow's scent had already been so faint, but regardless, he felt uneasy.

Catching a dark pelt emerging from the shadows, Asthon couldn't help but notice the male sporting an alpha's posture. "Miccah?" He held himself high, certain of his position. This was all wrong. Had his mentor been dethroned? There wasn't much time to think on it, as Catori's panicked voice touched his ears. "No need, you're fine." He soothed, a quality fairly new to him. Thus, the male said it quietly, hoping Miccah would not catch it.

Only then did he dip his head to the male, showing him the respect he deserved as the alpha male of Secret Woodlands. Making a show of it in hopes Catori would pick up his posture, he allowed his ears to touch back on his skull. Then averting his gaze towards the her he began, "Catori. I found her on my journey home. I believe she wishes for a home." He kept it simple, hoping to draw the attention away from her and onto himself. "Hollow?" Unable to finish the question, Ashton was unsure if he wanted to know. With so much loss already surrounding him, would he be able handle another?

A small voice tore his attention away from Ashton, and his blue gaze landed on the girl beside him. At her nervous words, he couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped him. Ashton spoke, and Miccah's ears pricked in an attentive manner, but he kept his eyes on the girl for the time being. He didn't miss the whispered words that Ashton directed her way, words that he couldn't quite catch. "No need to be nervous, young one," he rumbled in his deep baritone in a kind manner. He didn't want her to be scared of how to act, for is she was Ashton's friend, then she had to be treated kindly. After all, he was the rightful Prince of Secret Woodlands. Finally directing his attention on Ashton, he let out a small sigh as the boy mentioned the name of his previous King. How would the boy react? Would he be so brokenhearted that he would run off again or would he deal with the loss like the man he was becoming?

Opening his maw, Miccah spoke. "When the blizzard came, you both got lost at the same time. I searched for you both for days, hoping that you both would find you way home. As of today, your the only one that came back Ashton." He wouldn't sugar-coat the truth. Their was a possibility that Hollow had perished. but he was sure that the boy could come up with the tragic possibility all his own without Miccah mentioning the awful words. He closed his eyes briefly. The man had been a friend, a man who he looked up to. A man that he had served loyally under. A man who he would've given his life to protect...and he was just...gone. Miccah opened his eyes suddenly, latching onto Ashton's. The large beast refused to look weak in front of the two youngsters. He had to be strong. Not only for them, but for the rest of the pack as well. They depended on him.

(This post was last modified: Apr 17, 2014, 12:13 AM by Miccah.)

"No need to be nervous, young one,"She could feel the alpha staring at her, he probably meant well but it only turned her into an even bigger wreck. "I uh, O-okay.." Catori stuttered. She glanced at Ashton and began to mimic his posture.. She'd be alright if she looked exactly as he did right? She tried to sit perfectly still in her new position.

They began talking about things she didn't understand. Why hadn't Ashton spoke to her more about this pack? 'Knowing ANYTHING at ALL about this pack would have been a help, buddy. I can't even keep up! Even just Picayune stupid facts! ANYTHING.' Hopefully this talk wouldn't last much longer. She already felt awkward and high-strung, there was no way she'd be able to go on much longer like this. She wanted to sigh but held it in, Knowing now probably was not the time to do such a thing.

She picked up the name Hallow in their conversation, apparently he was lost? No.. Dead? One of the two. Who was he? Maybe some friend of Ashton's? 'Hopefully they weren't to close.. I'd hate not knowing where a friend was.. Poor Ashton..' she thought to herself, waiting for her friend to react to this news. His reaction would tell her everything.

Gone. Another wolf gone from his life without even a goodbye. He should have been used to it by now, but strangely enough each loss reopened a wound that would never fully heal; Mercilessly tearing away at his insides. Suddenly he couldn't breath; The air disappearing from his lungs as though he'd been shoved. Had he even been breathing? The dark prince couldn't remember.

Images of their former king assaulted his mind; Swirling by in a way that made his head hurt. Hollow had been a father, a friend, a mentor, and for what? Ashton wanted to scream; Begged for just a moment alone to sort out his thoughts, but it seemed that things never worked out the way he wanted them too. Miccah stood before him. The alpha male of Secret Woodlands and all of it's glory. He could feel the deep blue gaze upon him now, causing goosebumps to rise beneath his thick fur.

As he set his jaw, the male contemplated his next words; Rebuilt the shell that had protected him for so long. Miccah would not see his pain, nor Catori. Indifference marked his features, and without missing a beat, Ashton spoke. "We will have to hope that he finds his way back." The words felt thick on his tongue, sickeningly so. How could he talk of Hollow like that? As if he were some picayune creature.

Changing the topic in hopes that they could move past their loss for now, Ashton spoke. "I would like to come home if you'll accept me." He let his words cling to the air around them for a moment before adding, "And I believe that she would like to wear the Woodland's scent as well."

(This post was last modified: Apr 17, 2014, 05:58 AM by Ashton.)

Miccah watched Ashton carefully, waiting to see how the boy would take the news. The almost Yearling was frozen for a moment, and held a look in his eyes that told Miccah he wasn't really there. But to Miccah's relief, Ashton quickly gathered up his emotions and placed a mask of indifference onto his face. Miccah couldn't blame the boy, for he guessed they all did it. You didn't want people to see your pain, so you sealed it up...until you could be alone. Miccah had done it many times in his life, and would probably continue to do so in the future. He just hoped that Ashton would allow himself to grieve properly, instead of keeping the emotions all inside. If you did that, Miccah knew from experience, all the emotions would come together and turn into one big mass of disaster, and start eating at you. That's when you really had to worry.

He tuned into Ashton's voice as they boy finally spoke up. He wished to be accepted back into the pack, and it seemed, his lady friend as well. His gaze went from Catori to Ashton, letting silence consume them. Miccah waited a beat, and then smiled. "You'll always be welcomed home, Ashton," he rumbled in his deep baritone. Moving toward the pair, the bulky man bent down and lightly grasped Ashton's muzzle with his own. Pulling away, he moved to brush his fur against his side to mark him with the Secret Woodlands scent once again. Doing the same to Catori, Miccah once again stood in front of them. "Welcome home you two. Feel free to show her around, Ashton." A kind smile on his maw, his tail flicked gently in the wind as he turned around to take his leave. As he left his new subordinates to their own devices, Miccah headed to another portion of the borders of his lands, intent to do what he always found himself doing - guarding.

{Miccah exit}

He didn't react. She expected some sort of something but Ashton didn't react. Maybe there was a reaction and she just missed it? She wasn't looking much at him after all, she wasn't looking much at either of them as a matter of fact. She expected at least some sort of sympathy for the lost wolf, maybe they weren't close after all. Maybe Ashton hated the lost wolf, or at least felt a strong indifference? That would explain the cold words that exited his mouth.

What happened next Catori found very bizarre. The alpha wolf told them they could stay,then put her muzzle in his own and brushed against her. Was this the initiation? She couldn't remember anything like this ever happening to anyone in her old pack. So strange to her that she almost even forgot the actual point, she could stay. It had only been about two weeks since she'd even left her last home and here she was. 'This... This is my home now..' with Ashton and the strange alpha and who knows who else. As the leader of the pack made his leave, another thought dawned upon her. 'I'm.... I'm the new wolf here...' How unbelievably awkward was this going to be? Ashton knew these wolves. She didn't know a single one of them. How was this even going to work? She was going to be clinging to Ashtons side like crazy, she felt a little bad. "Will...... Do you think they will like me...?" she muttered. A little embarrassed to be asking.

Hollow. A name, a description, his friend, his father; Everything and nothing anymore. He couldn't bare it, but he had to. If not for himself, then for his mother. How was she dealing with the loss of not only her guardian, but her son? Laced with guilt, he felt no joy in his re-admittance. He stood still as Miccah grabbed hold of his muzzle, lightly showing that he now stood where Hollow once had. He begged anger to douse his heart, wanting desperately to hate this male, but the rage never came. Instead, he felt nothing.

He felt Miccah slide across his side, sharing the scent of the thicket, and marking Ashton a prince once more. The realization was enough to make him sick. What would he be the prince of? Death? An eerie smile touched his face for only a moment, as he felt some sort of satisfaction with himself. Yes, the prince of death; Of nothing. Ashton Hervok, standing high above his kingdom of skeletons. It was a glorious picture, painted with the faces of all those he had lost. Damn it, why wasn't he mad? When Danica had cried over Tacoma, he felt nothing but irritation, and now this?

Upon Miccah's retreat, Catori's voice found it's way to his ears. What could he say to ease her burden? "They have to like you. You're one of them now." His tone was empty, lacking any softness within it's depths; The voice of a boy who had been broken over and over again.

Padding across the borders, he moved towards the heart of Secret Woodlands with Catori in tow.

(This post was last modified: Apr 19, 2014, 06:35 PM by Cezanne.)