Fireweed Rise The Waiting Game

@Jessie I don't know where you are in regards to this whole thing, but they've been gone for quite a while now, so I thought it was high time to move it along ^^ You can either thrown Jessie in here, and then we can make them a "homecoming thread" in another couple days, or if you'd rather have her stay in the west a little longer, Drestig will be heading home on his own :)
- Just shoot me a PM if there is anything. ^^

Yet another day was dawning. How long had it been now, almost a month? The black wolf slinked out of his burrow, puffing out his fur against the cold; a grouchy expression on his dark face. He was far past done with this, sitting around, day in, day out, feeling the cold close in around him; Waiting! If there was one thing Drestig Avalon could not stand - besides maybe stick-in-the-mud-miss-stiff-wolves - it was doing nothing. Of course, the waiting hadn't been entirely unpleasant; he hadn't spend all of it alone. A, surprisingly soft, smile played at the corners of his downturned lips when he thought of @Silver . The black lassie had been visiting him regularly doing his time in the small burrow among the weeds, easing the passing of the shortening days. She was still as enchanting as the first time they met; gorgeous and strong, and full of spirit despite all that had befallen her over the past year. And her company was much appreciated; I do wonder if she will stop by again today..? He wouldn't mind that in the least. Still, pleasant company or not, his patience was lost. He had been gone from Oak Tree Bend for several months, his mission was completed, and winter was right around the corner; Who knows, the pass might freeze over while I sit here and WAIT! His grumpiness returned full on, a small growl rumbling in his throat. That would be nice, the snow blocking all passage of the mountain, like it had last winter, trapping him here while Triell and the children were left alone, to wonder what might have happened to him. The children... @Zera and @Darrah, he needed to get home to them! With a decisive grunt, the black man started trotting through the damp grass, out to find a meal for the day; Preferably a nice, big one! He had made his decision; if Jessie didn't show up today, he would be off on his own first thing in the morning, he was needed back home! Word count: 342 My mind is my own ”I'll say whatever I want to!”

Of course, she knew he was there. Jessie was, after all, one of the best scouts in the land, in her opinion at least. She didn't make a move towards him though, not at the moment, at least. Would he come to seek out his lost pack mate? Surely he must have realized that it should not have taken that long for her to complete her part of the mission. She had specifically cut her trip shorter, just so that she could see how quickly he finished his end of the deal. And despite her original coldness and determination to make him work fully for his keep, which she was sure he was trying to do, she was pleased. He had made if back in a matter of weeks, and between the packs that she had sent him to, she was deeply impressed. Last time she had seen Narimé had been quite awhile ago, but from what the woman could remember, the gray female was quite talkative, not a surprise considering who her mate had been. The thought brought a frown to her beautiful features as she thought of this. Now that she actually thought about it, she hadn't scented Sloane's markings at the border last time. The reminder concerned her, but she made no commentary.

After awhile, she began to get restless and finally decided that enough was enough. It was time for them to return to Triell and for her to let him know of the recent changes and give her own report on his subordinate. The Scout moved gracefully over the Rise, her lithe body moving easily. It was getting colder, and it was about time that the two companions returned home. The Tainn knew that she would have plenty to deal with when she returned, having not told Hotei of her departure. The space away from him had been nice. She had actually been able to think clearly for several weeks now, and the feeling was exhilarating. Now, was no time for her own needs though.

It didn't take her long to find Drestig, and when she did, the woman allowed a sharp bark to signal her arrival, her emerald eyes pinned on the larger male. She came to a stop in front of him, not too pleased with the fact that he had not thought to see if anything had happened to her after all this time had gone by. They were pack mates and they should have maintained loyalty towards one another throughout their trip. She would not, however, count it against him, he had worked hard and completed his mission in a shorter time span than she was expecting. Jessie greatly appreciated the hard work. None the less, the brash woman would not let this show. "Come on. We must head back to the Bend...on the way tell me what you have learned." And with that, she turned away from him, expecting him to follow and waiting for the information that she needed to hear.

D-ramaaaaaa!! <3

It was true, his opinion of the woman was not the rosiest. though he respected her diligence; to an extent. He also believed her to be a fully capable adult without need of someone else's babysitting, After all, she was the one who decided to split up! To be fair, his concept of pack life might be very different from hers, all he'd ever known of it before Oak Tree Bend being the scrappy band of young male's he'd run with as a yearling. So, while he knew this real pack was different, and he was definitely feeling a deeper sense of family and belonging than in his youth, his mind still operated on a 'every wolf for themselves' basis. He'd been on the move for a little while, paw instinctively taking him down the rise, towards Hush Meadow; both for the excellent hunting grounds and, more importantly, the chance of running into @Silver . He never got that far though, as suddenly, a gray form emerged from the tall grasses, sharp bark announcing her arrival like a general on the battlefield; FINALLY! Eager as he was to get back home, he couldn't help but feel elated, tail waving high at her approach; loyalty-issues or not, the thought of returning without her hadn't exactly sat well with him. His joy was quickly clipped though as Jessie, expression stern, offered no form of greeting but rather delivered stiff orders and set off towards the mountain. "Well hello to you too..." The black lad muttered, casting a wistful glance in direction of The Meadows, suddenly going home didn't sound so great; Not with her as a travel companion! And the reality of what going home would truly mean hit him; he would be putting the mountain between himself and Silver. Face contorted in displeasure, Drestig sighed and turned to follow his superior, who was already a good length away, trotting briskly. But as he raised a paw to take his first step, a thought suddenly occurred to him, and he turned his head back, raising his muzzle to the sky. Sending up a powerful howl, he announced his departure, so that Silver would not come looking, and put all his warm feelings into it; "Goodbye for now, see you soon!" Then he turned and ran after Jessie to catch up. When he fell in step with the colorless fae, his breathing was a little strained, face twisted into the slightest of frowns. His tail hang low by his hocks, and he kept his head next to her shoulder, keeping with protocol as her subordinate, even if he didn't like it! He allowed the quiet to stretch for quite awhile, in no way feeling like talking, especially with her, but finally he sighed lowly, knowing that they couldn't travel all the way in silence; and Jessie had given him an order. So he spoke, keeping his eyes straight ahead on the path, voice fiercely neutral; "I visited both Secret Woodlands and Whisper Caverns, establishing good relations with both. I told them of the news from The Bend, and asked them about their goings on. All in all good and quiet..." Feeling a bit lost as to where to begin with the details, still not keen on talking to the stilted lass, he stared ahead silently for a little while, then added: "No sign of Arlette or Fenru." His posture fell a little when he said it, he had hoped to find news of the white girl and her companion, but there had been no clues as to their whereabouts along his route. Then silence fell again, and Drestig suddenly found himself paying particular notice of the grey lady's scent; That's odd... Suddenly he stopped in place, head for the first time turning to fully face Jessie's, emotion flaring in his fiery eyes; He'd recognize those grassy and old flowery smells anywhere, after having spend a little month of his own on Fireweed Rise. "Wait a minute, how long where you there?!" He exclaimed, not bothering to elaborate. Such strong scent wouldn't have stuck to her fur from just passing through the grass, she would have had to have been there for some time; What the hell?! Word count: 702 My mind is my own ”I'll say whatever I want to!”

The pepper and salt colored woman happily trotted back towards the mountain when she heard Drestig following her. It was finally time to go home. The subordinate acted accordingly next to her side, even though there was no need for it right then. He cut right to the chase, telling her what she needed to know. It was good that Secret Woodlands and Whisper Caverns were still there and peaceful. However, the last piece of news given to get just dulled her spirits even more. Fenru had become somewhat of a little brother to Jessie since when she had joined Swift River. At the time, the boy was just a yearling and was suffering due to the kidnapping of his sister, Rissa. She didn't comment on this though, letting her own sorrow carry her heart down. Jessie was highly shocked then, when her companion disappeared from her peripheral. Stopping in her tracks, she once again tuned into her surroundings, ears flicking towards the other man when he began to speak, quite angrily at that. Huffing softly, the woman turned to face him, her black lips pursed. She didn't know how she was going to answer him, but she might as well have done it quickly. All the Tainn wanted was to go home.

With a soft sigh, Jessie sat down, making herself comfortable for this talk they were about to have. She was pleased that he had noticed her scent, even if it had been a slightly delayed response. She had given him orders and he had followed without question. That was what had mattered. She cleared her throat delicately, as she stared at him, deciding to be as blunt as possible, "About a day before you came here. The sir wanted me to evaluate you...and I did. You're loyalty skills could use some working on...if something isn't right and your pack mate isn't anywhere to be seen, then you should be concerned. Especially when you waited as long as you did when I am in the same profession as you..and much more skilled. However...your tracking skills and timing on this mission were phenomenal. You impressed me...and I'm sure you will please our sir and his as well." She then waited for his reaction, hoping they could get on their way back to where they belonged.

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

@Jessie

His nostrils flared with anger; he had been sitting around waiting for her for all this time, and she had been there already?! Impatiently, he waited for her to answer, fiery eyes sparkling dangerously. She took her time, turning, sitting down, adjusting herself; Oh I've just about had enough of this woman! Finally, she parted her jowls, carefully forming the words as she spoke. He kept staring while he listened, submission forgotten as he met her emerald gaze. Her answer made his temper flare up within; A day BEFORE?! She'd been there for all this time! And what just HIDING out?! She continued to explain though, and he managed to keep his mouth shut, though he was gritting his teeth. And she wasn't making it easy either, every word seemed designed to rattle him up further; Evaluation? Loyalty skills?! She was criticizing him for what? Trusting her to handle herself?! Oh, so you are MORE SKILLED than me, ha?! But it wasn't all criticism, in the end Jessie gave credit where it was due, and the praise enabled the dark man to see her entire speech in a different light. His face changed from enraged to thoughtful, brows wrinkling; So I did impress... That was something. Honestly, he hadn't expected her to admit to that even if it was true. Suddenly, a grin cracked on his face, and he burst out laughing; the sound was a littler rougher than normally, a cold edge to his amusement, but he lifted his ears, removing all threat from his posture. "Damn Swiftpaw, you are a piece of work, you know that?!" The Avalon remarked, shaking his head as his laughter died out. His voice was gruff, but not exactly unfriendly, and he smiled coolly at her; "Very well, I made a mistake, I didn't think to search for you," He sighed lightly, turning his head to look down over the weeds behind them, face growing serious; "I guess... I'm still not accustomed to pack life, looking out for each other..." He turned back to her, a fresh smile on his lips, small, but more real this time; "I'll... Have to work on that." A small pause followed, and then his smile widened; "Glad to hear I impress you though, I honestly didn't think that was possible." He looked at her with one eyebrow slightly cocked, grinning crookedly; it should be fun to see how she would take that. Her stiff manner continued to vex him, her bluntness often jarring, yet also admirable. Despite her deception, the ebony lad found himself starting to enjoy her company on this trip, appreciating her focus on the task. Word count: 441 My mind is my own ”I'll say whatever I want to!”

Jessie watched in amusement as she saw the many emotions cross over Drestig's face, letting her know something along the lines of what he was thinking. She, however, kept a straight face as she spoke, allowing him to digest what she was saying before he lost it on her. Surely, he was angry, she definitely would have been. But she didn't stop and though it was easy to compliment his accomplishments, she still found it odd that now she was the teacher to someone similar in age to her. When she saw him in thought, she was more comfortable, feeling like he wasn't going to attack her and chew her down to her bone. Her ears pricked when he spoke to her, eyebrows shooting up at his words. She blinked at him, his tone teasing her. Out of instinct, his paw shot to her chest in comfort, her emerald eyes pinned on him as he laughed. It was certainly a completely different reaction from what she had been expecting. She continued to watch him, waiting for what he had to say.

She was truly pleased when he spoke again, admitting his mistakes and willing to try to make them better for the time being. More secure about what was going on the Tainn put her paw down, use to the male using her maiden name, having not announced to the pack her mates ship and never planning on telling them any time soon. With Drestig's last little tidbit, Jessie's eyes refocused back on him, a smile twitching onto her lips, something that had been foreign to her for quite some time, making it feel somewhat awkward for her. Clearing her throat, she spoke teasingly, "Yeah...don't make a habit of hearing it, Avalon." She remained silent then, her gaze moving back to the mountains, her smile disappearing, his last comment entering back into her mind. Without turning her gaze back onto the male she spoke, her mind seemingly in another time, "I've been with Triell for quite a long time...years now. It's why I'm so hard on everyone. He has lost so much and he only deserves the best." We only deserve the best.

(This post was last modified: Dec 31, 2014, 05:59 AM by Jessie.)

She smiled, and the mood between them noticeably lightened, her words equally teasing when she responded to his outburst. His opinion of her rose at that, So she's not completely humorless, and he felt the cold edge leave his own grin. The grey woman's expression soon grew serious again, and her ebony student felt like he had gotten a glimpse of the real Jessie beneath the business-like facade. Her next words seemed to confirm as much, that she was not a stiff in truth, but simply hardened by years of loss; Loss..! Drestig's smile disappeared, an icy cold spreading in his stomach at the word; he remembered now what he had happily pushed to the back of his mind while he frolicked with Silver, the grave news he was bringing to Oak Tree Bend. Clearing his throat, the dark man followed his companion's gaze to the mountain before them, unable to meet her eyes as he started; "Jessie I..." He paused, swallowing hard. Then he forced his fiery eyes on her, looking to meet her emerald gaze as he spoke: "I'm afraid I did hear news about Ruiko... He... He's dead. Killed in a fight with a cougar, several months ago I fear." His brows were crinkled in pain, eyes full of sorry; for the death of a pack mate, and more so, for having to pass on that news to those who had known and cared for him. His gaze fell to his paws, shifting lightly. "I'm so sorry." He muttered, ears hanging low; he didn't know what else to do, so he just waited, fearing what the slender lay's reaction might be; I'm not sure I can comfort her... Word count: 281 My mind is my own ”I'll say whatever I want to!”

Lost in her own thoughts, Jessie barely noticed Drestig trying to catch her attention, but when she did, Jessie heard the edge of caution in his tone. It was enough to cause Jessie to look directly upon him, her emerald eyes locked with his fiery orange pits. She braced herself as her ears pricked forward, eyebrows creasing in concern. However, just as usually, when the news came the familiar jolt of her heart always followed. Ruiko was a good man, and while the Tainn had never known him well, he had been family. Brother to Triell and Hotei. A brother to her. With a sigh, the woman looked down briefly, not allowing the man in front of her to see the despair in her green orbs as she collected herself. It didn't take the hardened woman long. Her head lifted defiantly against the world and her shoulders squared themselves dominantly as she pinned her unrelenting stare onto her student, her lips pursed sincerely.

Knowing that she needed to remain business-like so that she could regain all the facts, Jessie spoke, "Who did you find this out from?" Surely if it was someone to be trusted, then Jessie wholeheartedly hoped that what was said, was the truth. The pepper-and-salt pelted woman didn't know how she was going to break the news to their leader. She knew it was certainly something that Triell would want to hear. After facing so much death and disappearances, Triell and Jessie had certainly felt enough of the loneliness, of the utter helplessness of not knowing if someone would stay or go. With this in mind, she waited, another conversation soon on the horizon for the duo.

@Jessie Feel free to wrap it up if it fits ^^

Her eyes fell, and Drestig felt his stomach plummet - as questionable as his relationship with the grey woman was, he still didn't like to cause her pain - and for a short moment the hurt was clear in her entire body. A trembling sigh left her lips, then she snapped her dark eyes back up to his, body straightening; the sorrow leaving her as swiftly as it had arrived. The Avalon shifted slightly under her glare, unprepared for this professional reaction to his grave news. If it hadn't been for that short blink of weakness, he would have thought she didn't mourn at all; How much must you have lost to keep this calm... He didn't like the possible answer to that question. In his fluster, it took awhile before he gathered himself to answer her query, voice uncharacteristically hesitant as he said: "Uh... The female leader of Secret Woodlands, up north, Nina Hervok. Apparently she fought the beast alongside him, but wasn't able to save his life." The ebony man's brow was slightly wrinkled, fiery eyes apologetic. As he recovered from the shock of her composed reaction, he began to realize what she was doing; She wants to be certain. As a scout one didn't only have to gather information, but also attempt to weed out duplicity, and double check what you learned; you couldn't just bring your leader disinformation. And in her usual manner, Jessie was sticking to her task, putting her duty to the pack above personal feelings. The training scout felt another small seed of respect bloom in his chest, even though her apathy was slightly off-putting. Clearing his throat, Drestig straightened back up a little, his previous uncertainty and discomfort at delivering this news falling away. Looking upon his teacher with the same businesslike confidence she was showing, he elaborated: "She spoke of once serving under Ruiko and seemed to be openly mourning his death. I believe her to be credible." At the time, the dark male had been very aware of Nina's body language and tone, taking care to study her closely as she gave him the information; she'd been similarly professional as Jessie, but he thought to have seen some emotion shining through. Word count: 371 My mind is my own ”I'll say whatever I want to!”

(This post was last modified: Mar 24, 2015, 09:32 PM by Drestig. Edit Reason: Tables >.< )