Secret Woodlands Poems, Prayers and Promises

Rude Pacem!

The boy forced himself to remain still as the leader, Koda, went on to speak to his siblings and the rest of the pack which included his mother. His ears were perked in interest as he listened to what Koda had to say. Most of the words did not pertain to him as he was only a pup, but he listened regardless. Koda introduced the two newest wolves as Nova and Camio. He spared a glance at Nova but not to Camio. Camio wasn't the cute one in Pacem's eyes. He snapped his attention back as Koda gave Nina the final rule over what happened to traitors. Pacem had never understood abandoning a pack - they did so much for you so why just leave without a word?

It was that fact that had made absolutely no sense to him. He would turn his chocolate brown gaze to his mother with a goofy grin as he waited for her to speak about whatever she wanted to talk about to the entire pack. His tail swayed slowly from side to side as his concentration started to fade. He thought back to adventuring outside the pack territory and how much fun it was. It was starting to grow cold out and so he could not remain out for long so he had to make the small missions worth his time. He fought back a slight giggle of his plans as he remained still again. Unitas and Silentium could not know his plans because they just weren't cool enough.

(This post was last modified: Dec 22, 2014, 12:17 AM by Pacem.)

She was still feeling a little bit prickly when the young boys arrived. Just before Silentium entered the area her golden eyes had curved around Aideen to glance at Nova, making sure that the darker woman had no retort. It wasn't that she wanted to cause a scene. She wanted the order that came about when everyone respected each other. Sometimes you just had to put your foot down to get what you wanted. Luckily, Nova seemed to have nothing to add.

The boys were a welcome distraction. The greeting she gave to the blonde child was more serene that the one she gave to his brother. As Silentium came to her side, she dropped tawny head to press her pale muzzle against his shoulder in a silent welcome. Unitas' greeting was returned just as enthusiastically as it was received. She glanced affectionately at him as he settled into place by her. The third child joined them and her gold orbs flicked back up to find Koda watching her contently.

It was a different look than the one she had given Nova earlier and her tail swept the earth at the weight of his gaze. A quiet smile tugged her black lips, but she glanced away. A pack meeting was different than a personal conversation with him. She couldn't meet his eyes with so many watching, particularly the black yearling that Iopah had already had to correct once.

Thankfully the meeting started, she admired the dark grays than ran through the silver on his shoulders and listened to him speak. He mentioned the deserters and her tail twitched sharply. Koda knew (firsthand at that) how she felt about deserters; She didn't bother looking back up to him. It was Nina who would determine how unwelcome she was allowed to be to any former Woodland wolves, so her gaze drifted in the brown-gold woman, waiting for the verdict.

He didn't have much to do other than to sit and listen. This Unitas could tolerate for a while as long as the conversation between the adults was interesting. He spotted Pacem show up even later than he had and stuck out his tongue playfully towards his brother in an amusing greeting. Then slowly Unitas started edging towards Pace while still trying not to make his movements too noticeable to the surrounding adults. Koda's voice cut into Tas's slow creeping and caught his attention. He spoke about deserters and what happens to those called traitors. Unitas frowned as he thought about the wolves who simply disappeared from their ranks. He thought it was kind of stupid to join a pack and then just leave. The boy didn't understand that there were likely many reasons for a wolf to join then leave a pack. He likely wouldn't find out until he was one day out on his own. If that day ever came. Resuming his slow advance towards Pacem, Tas kept his ear towards the conversation which now shifted to pack roles. His gem-like eyes switched over to Koda and Nina's forms. Unitas wasn't horribly interested in learning about pack roles. He would rather have a good time and do whatever he wanted instead of sticking to one particular thing. The child pauses only a few inches from Pacem now as Nina's movements catch his full attention once more. She seemed to be perfectly fine with letting Koda take the lead and say everything. Tas snorts loudly in disapproval then realizes his mistake. Looking sheepishly at whoever looked his way, Unitas then uttered a low "excuse me." as if he had sneezed and not made a rude noise. "Speech"

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speech The aspiring gaurdian had been working on a new route across the borders when he heard Koda's call. Not one for much social interaction, prefering the company of his own thoughts, the large male sighed but moved anyway, heading towards the call. He was a bit aways from where the older man had destined todays meeting to be so the man relied on his own memory to reach the meeting place in time. He knew the Woodlands like the back of his paw, though it had taken time for him to learn how to manuever his large bulk so easily through the tangled web of thickets the pack lived in. As he reached the meeting place, his bright blue orbs caught the sight of Nina and Koda. He hadn't been exactly avoiding his ex co leader, but he hadn't been actively seeking her out either. He found it easier for them not to interact, afraid that once again the posion between them would ignite. Miccah was man enough to admit that he had made some mistakes when he had lead the Woodlands wolves with Nina, but they had both had really. Hopefully in the future, they could move on from that. For now, he liked their distance. He nodded respecfully to Koda and Nina, before his orbs caught the familiar form of a small fae. She caught his gaze, grinning, and he almost smiled back, but what happened next made a slight scowl marr his features. A new wolf, especially a yearling, had no place to disrespect Aideen that way. This child would have to work to redeem herself in his eyes. The second was about to give her a silent reprimand with his eyes, but Iopah beat him to it. Glad that someone had taken care of the girl, he moved to sit beside Iopah, since the female huntress had sat next to Aideen. His form towered over the both of them, and Miccah watched as the children bounded in. He couldn't help but notice how one was missing. His eyes immediately snapped towards the surrounding area, his orbs ever observant. He wasn't close to the children, but it was his duty to silently keep watch from afar and keep them away from harm's way. Finally, Pacem came and the man let his tense posture relax slightly. His ears pricked attentivy as Koda spoke and the ebony male listened intently as Koda spoke. He held no ill feelings towards the lead male, since it was obvious that the partnership between him and Nina was better than Miccah's and hers could have ever been. Nina was to speak next, so he trained his orbs onto the woman, waiting for her to speak.

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(This post was last modified: Dec 12, 2014, 11:16 PM by Miccah.)

The first signal that Nova's behavior was unacceptable was Iopah's steely glare directed at her. Nova shrank back in her spot in embarassment, lowering her wide ears as she averted her gaze. She didn't want to get on the bad side of a woman that could tango head to head with a wolverine. It was just beginning to dawn on Nova that she was no longer a 'princess' who could get away with some things like she had been back at the Keep. Nina also seemed irritated over something, a black male with stunningly azure eyes was glaring at her, and one of the dark coated cubs kept glancing at her in a way that was unsettling.

Nova shifted uncomfortably in her spot as the lead male officially introduced her and Camio to the ranks, not liking the attention turned towards her. She was glad when the meeting moved on to other topics, which weren't terribly exciting but she stayed at obedient attention none the less. She wasn't going to do another misstep during this meeting, if she could help it.

What did catch her attention was Koda's mention of pack duties. It wasn't something Nova had considered before, and if she had to decide she wasn't sure what task she was suited for. She knew absolutely nothing about healing, she wasn't an amazing hunter, and with her propensity for getting lost there was no way she could ever be a scout. And she was still a yearling and had something to learn about nearly everything, so it was too soon for her to say either way. But it did start the gears turning. Maybe she would think on it and ask one of the leaders about it. She wanted to be helpful, not just a dead weight for the pack to carry.

(This post was last modified: Dec 15, 2014, 02:39 AM by Nova.)

Late post is late, my apologies -.-;

The rest of the pack steadily filed in, humbly greeting the leaders before finding seats around the clearing. Honestly, Aideen paid little attention, eyes having once more drifted Miccah's ebony form, standing nearby surveying the surroundings; keen, deep blue eyes always making sure everyone around him was safe. Only the sudden pushing brought the young healer's attention back to the newcomer by her side, and her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of yet another stranger, squeezing her way into the space between Aideen and the brown male. The dark girl leaned towards the man in a rather possessive manner, legs stiff and amber eyes pointedly looking over Aideen's head. The reddish lass wrinkled her brows, sending the brown boy a questioning glance, but when he made no move to speak, neither answering her greeting nor addressing the girl's behavior, the older lady shrugged and shuffled sideways a little to give them both their space. Iopah showed up by her side, settling next to her and sending a stiff glare in direction of the pushy female. Soon after, Miccah came over to join them, giving the dark brown female a similar treatment. Aideen gave her friends a warm smile, overjoyed to know that they would always have her back, and met their eyes in turn, holding the ebony man's for a few seconds longer than she had the huntress'. Then her attention was once more drawn away, as the boys arrived, one after the other. By now they were as big as the adults, if a little scrawnier, all three of them had grown over the petite healers head, and their differences in personality showed through clearly in the way they entered the meeting. Silentium came quietly, befitting his name, giving a short greeting to his mother before sitting down by Iopah's paws; the pale woman greeting him with a soft touch. Then Unitas came crashing in, grinning widely, tail waving merrily, and he eagerly greeted every wolf personally; Aideen grinned back at him and nibbed lovingly at his ear when her turn came, though she had not spend much time with them since they grew big enough to move about without supervision, she still cared deeply for Nina's children. Finally Pacem came, running and breathless as well, and uttered an apology to his mother before sitting down next to his brothers and looking around curiously; Very different indeed! And then the meeting was called to order, Koda addressing the pack with clear authority. He spoke of the decline in their numbers, and Aideen felt her heart get heavy in her chest, but she managed a fresh smile when the newcomers were introduced and she even felt a sting of pity for the pushy girl when she cowered under the gazes of the gathered wolves; the previous incident was forgiven. Koda continued speaking, and the orange lassie looked back to him, nodding solemnly as he gave Nina the last say over any retuning deserters; Though it doesn't matter... The only disappearance she truly cared about would never return. Then he talked of the winter before moving on to pack roles, and Aideen found herself zoning out a little; a role, she already had, and she couldn't imagine herself doing anything else. As the male alpha passed on the word to his companion, Aideen noticed movement out the corner of her eye, and she looked to the boys to see Unitas inch towards his brother, undoubtedly with mischief in mind. She smiled a little, but prepared to give him a reprimanding slap if he didn't get his concentration back to the leaders, but she didn't have to, something Koda had said, though she wasn't sure what exactly, brought the dark pup's attention back on the alphas, and a noise, not unlike a resentful snort escaped him. He hurried to cover it up, but Aideen raised a brow, looking over to exchange glances with Iopah and Miccah, her expression a mixture of amusement and outrage; though the previous was more prevalent. Then she turned her full attention to Nina, waiting t hear what the matriarch had to say to her subjects. Word count: 690 Thoughts ”Speech”

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OoC: Sorry I'm late!!!!

He tried to stiffle a hello back to Aideen but Nova pushed her way in and he couldn't help but be a bit shocked. Looking around at everyone he whispered a quick sorry to them hoping to apologize for Nova's mistakes.

When the leaders addressed them he offered a grin to everyone and allowed himself to scoot a tad bit away from Nova. Although he loved her dearly he didn't want to be associated with her stubbornness. Especially at a pack meeting.

As they moved on with the meeting the topic of roles was brought up. Camio never thought about what he really wanted to be. Perhaps a guard, although he felt he wasn't strong enough for that. Maybe he could be a teacher or adviser. His brain rattled for something to claim as his role. Maybe he would just go talk to one of the alphas later after the meeting.

As the role of talking was passed from Koda to Nina he shifted his gaze from one to the other. Making sure to listen keenly he noticed the appearance of the pups. He had never truly interacted with other wolves younger then yearlings. Flicking his tail he waited for the next move to be made in the meeting. Hopefully it would be of lighter topics. Of course with winter on the way it would likely be about staying safe and filling the stomachs of the pack members. One could only guess the many possibilities that could be discussed at a pack meeting.

and all the love lost was the love that i kept
in coffins and boxes, a museum of the dead

It was all so overwhelming for the boy, he had never been surrounded by so many wolves at any given time and it set him on edge. Sitting stiffly between Iopah and his brother the emerald eyes flicked between his mother and Koda anxiously. All he wanted was for this to be over with so he could escape to spend some time in solitude like he preferred. Then suddenly his mentor was speaking, Silentium focused his eyes upon the male and his ear strained forward in an attempt to catch everything that he was saying. Even with the concentration the words were said much too quickly and even at his age he didn't understand some of them.

It took only a few moments before the blonde male was discouraged, something he rarely let himself feel. Usually he channeled the negative feelings into determination to try harder, to get better so next time he would be able to understand. It was the sight of his brothers, one by his side and the other beside Iopah, obviously understanding so easily, not even having to try. So wrapped up in his own failings Si failed to notice that Koda had indicated his mother would address them. The second the male stopped speaking the pup stood and without looking at anyone he fled.

He pushed himself harder and faster, golden ears pressed firmly against his skull to block out any noise that he might have heard. Silentium didn't want to see any other pack members, he didn't want to see anyone, he just wanted to be alone where he wouldn't have to try so hard. For the second time in his life Si ran past the borders and though he would return he few hours later at the time he hoped he would never have to return.

EXIT SILENTIUM

Unitas had long since grown bored again. He was digging at the mush by his paws absently since Pacem hadn't returned his small gestures to joke around. Maybe he hadn't noticed Tas trying to stir him up, but Unitas thought different. He believed that his brother was openly ignoring him. The ignorant dumby. He barely, if at all, noticed the looks of the adults glancing in his direction. Not that he cared what they thought of him. The only wolves he wanted to look good for was his mother, Iopah, and maybe his brothers. Lots of information was passed to the wolves around the the meeting. Unitas half listened in on the meeting, and half day dreamed about running through the thickets. He imagined himself blazing a trail through the game trails covered in a thin blanketing of snow. Sometimes he would see a rabbit and give chase to it. Other times he imagined a small herd of deer running off away from him. Huffing a sigh and bringing his attention back to the wolves before him, Unitas glanced to the forest wistfully. His teal orbs shimmered as he stared at the trees. Then the dark Hervok turned his gaze back to the other wolves looking at each adult hoping that they would let him leave soon. Suddenly his lighter coated brother Silentium got up and dashed away. Totally confused by his actions, Unitas's eyes trailed after his brothers form before it disappeared into the forest. "If he's allowed to leave than can I go to?" He asked quickly before looking towards Nina with a pleading look in his puppy dog gaze.

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The meeting had started smoother than Nina could have imagined. Koda spoke to their pack mates just as he once had. It was almost as though he had never left, but of course, he had. If he would have been there for the whole year that they had gone without one another, the former couple would be standing much closer and looking at each other with utter adoration. Sometimes, the woman wished that she could go back to those days, when things were easier and they were so very in love. But then she would remember the utter heartbreak and could feel a semblance of how Elettra felt... How she possibly was the way she turned out. The Archer woman had a lasting impact on Nina's life and to it, Nina owed her everything. She was someone to look up to and a symbol of Nina's power. She certainly had no inkling as to how she should feel now, but the alpha did know that after the loss of Hollow, she felt much more bitter and cold-hearted after his disappearance. Without knowing if he was dead or willingly staying away still hurt her on the inside. Now all she had were her children. Koda was quick with what he had to say and the Hervok was once again thankful that he didn't stall. He gracefully handed the topic over to Nina, but before she could reply, Silentium sprinted off. With a worried gaze, Nina looked after him, her attention once again diverted when her other son spoke of. Clearing her throat, she spoke softly, "Yes, go with your brother." After watching Unitas' departure, Nina turned her attention back to the pack. Allowing her voice to project over the pack, she spoke briskly and assertively,  "As Koda said, last winter was a horrid one and I don't want a repeat. Everyone should be sure to stay in pairs of two and I ask that you watch over the children. Soon they will be yearlings and it would be considerate of all of you to consider who you want to teach in what area." She paused then, her mind briefly wondering to Hollow, a ache in her heart present. Last winter had been what had claimed her mate and she knew she would never look at the seasons the same again. Clearing her throat, she continued, "However, since winter is upon us, I believe it is time to fill our caches as much as we can. Iopah, you have proved time and time again that you are a perfect coordinator for a hunting party. I will leave the planning and who you are willing to take up to you." She gave a nod to her second, not finding the need to cover anything else, except for the deserters. "As for those who are no longer here....you will inquire to where they have been and if their leaving was on accident. I will personally decide their punishment or if they will be permitted back home. You are all dismissed." With a flick of her tail, she disappeared into the thickets, in search of her sons.

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{END}

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