Thicket of Secrets Diplomacy

Requesting @Nina and/or @Koda
- any other Secret Woodlands members are welcome too ^^

He had taken his time, journeying westward from the mountain peak. Too much time probably, but he couldn't help it! Being out on his own again, after so long, he felt free! The Avalon had grown quite attached to his no home in Oak Tree Bend, finding there a sense of family and belonging that he had never thought he would; along with as rare a thing as a wolf he could trust and respect, enough to call leader. But still, part of his heart always yearned to be truly free, to go where ever he felt and do whatever he wanted, it was who he was. That was why he had asked Triell to become a scout. This way he could serve The Bend while serving himself, getting his wanderlust stilled as well as bringing useful information and protection to his home and the family he had there. Of course, so far this trip had mostly served himself, he had wandered as he pleased, somewhat sticking to a western course, but taking a number of detours to investigate scents or tracks, or whatever else caught his interest. There was though a point to the trek - to seek out any other wolves dwelling within Relic Lore, and look for a couple of earlier members of Oak Tree Bend - and he was under orders, from the packs lead scout, to go north, then south in his search. And though he had taken his sweet time, he was beginning to wonder just how far west he was supposed to look, before it could be considered far enough. That was when he caught the first whiff of pack-scent, and a strange mixed feeling gripped him - excitement to have found something, along with a heavy aversion to what came next. This of course, was the downside to working as a scout; diplomacy. Drestig Avalon was certainly not one to grovel, submission to anyone was him highly opposed, yet to successfully establish relations with this other pack, he would have to show, at least, moderate respect towards their leaders; and he would need to stretch to his utmost to do so. Sighing heavily, the dark man slowed his pace as he neared the borders, raising his head to make a polite request for the leaders' presence; I'll just try and get this over with quickly. Word Count: 393 My mind is my own ”I'll say whatever I want to!”

Chari-ot @DA & Dawnthieves.de

Her current leadership with @Koda worked, much better than it would have ever with Miccah. They had spoken things over in a civil way and in the end they had agreed to their certain set of terms. None the less, Nina was much happier with the way that things were turning out now. So far their lands had been peaceful and not much ha occurred other than regular pack life. The mother would always be watching over her children, attentive to make sure that no harm came to them. They were all still trying to determine and learn the difference between right and wrong, but the Hervok knew they still had an extreme long way to go until they were fully educated for morals. Her sons grew stronger with each passing day as did Nina's love for each one of them.

She found that without pack duties to attend to every moment and their quiet borders, she was able to spend more time with her children, especially since they had never known a father and thus far had no father figure to settle back with. That was specially a problem because all three of her children were boys and she knew that boys needed a father to look over them and do fatherly things with. It was while she was watching her sons play when a call from the borders sounded. The woman immediately stopped what she was doing and tilted her head slightly. The one calling was trying to summon anyone from the pack, but not anyone specifically, so Nina immediately assumed that it was a longer.

With a short huff of annoyance, the mother murmured a farewell to her three sons before making her way towards where the call had sounded, knowing that it was her duty to do what must be done for her pack. She wasted no time in getting to her borders and lifting herself up into a dominant pose. Surprisingly, no one from her back had beat her to the borders, which was normally the case. He looked healthy enough and Nina wandered just why he would come their way if he was so well off. So she didn't hesitate in asking, ”Is there something I can help you with?” Her tail swayed high above her back, displaying her position in the pack that she was in and letting the boy know that it was time for him to submit.

Sorry @Drestig for the wait!

He had been busy foraging when the call came to him, and he moved toward it quickly after deciding the duty could wait, he couldn't after all, afford to leave a guest waiting. As he walked he wondered who could be visiting, there had not been much discussion with the neighboring packs, of his knowledge anyway, and he was anxious to know of their well being. He hoped it was one of Willow Ridge with good news, but he was sure that one of their members visiting was a rare sight, the trek from the Ridge took a week at best and venturing that distance with winter so near would likely be for an emergency--he quickened his pace just in case.

When he approached he was not surprised to see Nina, her prompt attention to their borders brought a smile to his lips, she was well versed in the role as leader and took her duties just as seriously as he did, and when he approached he nudged her shoulder lightly to signify his support. It was no doubt that she enjoyed his company more than that of Miccah, and he was glad to have given that gift to her, but he couldn't help wondering if the two could remain this cordial through winter when tensions and opposing opinions could likely cause tension. Shaking his head he dismissed these thoughts in light of Drestig's appearance and dipped his head once, an offering of peace, before adding his piece after Nina, "What can we do for you?" he smelled of the Bend, a stale scent he hadn't smelled in quite some time but it was a welcome scent. As far as he knew, there was no disputes between the Woods and that of the Bend unless Nina had say otherwise.

Quite alright, I've been busy anyway ^^

He waited, somewhat impatiently, tail swaying anxiously behind him. Dry leaves crunched under his paws as he moved his weight lightly on the spot, fall was quickly settling upon the Lore, and it added a bit to his urgency; He needed to get this mission over with so he could be back across the mountain before winter closed the pass. The thought formed a tight knot in his stomach, contradicting feelings warring within him; he wanted to explore, to take his time with this trek and investigate The Wildwood, but the last thing he wanted was to end up separated from the home and family he had found in Oak Tree Bend. After a while his worrying was broken by the sound of approaching paws on the forest floor. Taking a deep breath, the black man slowed his tail, lowering it politely to hang by his hocks. When the figure appeared from the trees, Drestig carefully adjusted his posture to a neutral, slightly lowered stance, trying to indicate his friendly intentions. This wasn't so easy though, especially when the golden dame came to stand before him, her entire body radiating dominance. There was no question, she was the queen here, and she demanded the respect that position deserved. Looking upon her with bright, curious eyes, the Bend wolf felt a strange feeling surge through him, like to voices were warring within him; one raring to submit before her superior position, the other yearning to oppose her, challenge her assumption of dominance, unwilling to yield to anyone. Despite his position, the dark man couldn't help but smile to himself, this was truly strange - had it been a year earlier, there would have been no competition between these two impulses, the second would have won out without question - yet now they seemed to be pretty much at a stale mate; Look at me, am I growing up? He almost chuckled, but managed to control himself. Straightening up slightly, Drestig morphed his amused smirk into a jovial smile, flattening his ears back in a show of polite submission; she had the authority here, and he wasn't gonna challenge it. The golden queen spoke, her voice firm and businesslike, though not unfriendly. Right as she was finishing her question, another joined them, his mirroring stance revealing his status as her male counterpart; The king. The creme-colored man offered a nod in greeting before asking his own question, following the lines of his partner. Drestig wasted no time, answering the large male's nod with a deep bow of his own head, his eyes on the woman when he lifted it back up. Still smiling cordially, he spoke in a generous voice, the politeness of his words kind of surprising himself; "Thank you both for answering my call. I am Drestig Avalon of Oak Tree Bend, beyond the mountain, and I come bringing greetings from my leaders, Triell and Nayeli Stormright-Tainn." As he mention his pack he made a small motion of his muzzle to indicate the mountain range behind him; currently hidden by the dense thicket, but he was sure they knew of it. Then he looked back, eyes on the male now, not quite meeting his honey gaze, in a further attempt to remain respectfully submissive; This is going much better than I feared... He mused absently; Though, things can change quickly. Word Count: 560 My mind is my own ”I'll say whatever I want to!”

Chari-ot @DA & Dawnthieves.de

The newcomer bowed accordingly, acknowledging her position and her rights to her land. At this, a pleasant, more light smile graced her angelic features. Aside from her closed eye, Nina was quite the beauty, a golden array of kindness. As long as she was found in the correct environment. Before the other man could speak, her new partner appeared from the shadows, much more acquainted with the area now that he had remained for an extended period of time. Her tail waved above her back in a happy manner, pleased to have someone that she could tolerate by her side for the day, especially when she found out who he was and where he had come from. When Drestig spoke, Nina's ears had instantly perked towards him, interested in what he had to say. When a familiar name touched her ears, she could feel her heart pump with excitement. Tainn and Triell no less.

Flashes of a memory of a deadly fight between many packs and her fleeing the scene came to mind, along with a much more rain day encounter with Triell, where they had first become acquainted. At a later date, she had then saved one of the man's pack mates, of the River pack. But that had been years ago and obviously many things had changed. The Tainn had been a kind soul and it did her well to know that he seemed to have many things coming for him. Knowing that she had to remain business-like in this setting, the Hervok cleared her throat before replying, ”Triell...I remember him. Such a kind man. I do hope he fairs well?” Her single emerald eye trained on the man in front of him, waiting for anything else that he would have to say, and listening to hear if her partner had anything else to add.

@Drestig and @Nina

He issued a sideways glance toward Nina, comfortable at her side before his attention returned to Drestig, the wolf from Oak Tree Bend. He hardly remembered the Bend, and when the male made mention of a Triell and Nayeli he sent another sideways glance to Nina with hopes that she knew them as his memory had begun to fail him. Since his memory relapse nearly a year ago he could not recall those he had met before, and felt a wave of guilt overcome him because of this, he hoped that with Nina at his side he could gather what information he no longer had to build his own idea of who they were. He could judge from this messenger that the pack was a peaceful one and took pride in their alliances, he did not see why the two could not see the friendship through the winter.

He knew that with winter around the corner the two packs could eventually cross paths, he could only hope that this Triell would not be offended if he admitted that he did not remember him during their meeting. Nina spoke first and he was glad that the name rung a bell with her, no doubt the pack held some kind of alliance if the queen of the Woodland was happy to hear of him. He settled comfortably to his haunches after realizing that this wolf posed no threat to him but he was watchful of the movements from this dark coated male with pumpkin eyes just in case he came because of his own personal reasons. With introductions out of the way, and knowledge of why the male had come in the air, Koda found himself wondering how the wolves of the Bend were preparing themselves for the upcoming winter--they were furthest from the heart of the land and their hunting ground was smaller than that of the Woods...he wondered how their numbers would fair.

The golden queen smiled at the end of his introduction, which made him relax a bit; Alright, so far, so good! Her subsequent question added to his ease; Triell and the Woodland alphess were already acquainted, making the whole thing that much easier. Meanwhile, the silver-tipped male stayed silent, sitting down to further dispersing any tension; Well, this is well on its way to becoming quite cozy ain't it? Drestig felt a smirk coming on and fought to keep his polite composure, eyes on the one eyed lady, who was still standing. He decided to remain on his legs as well, thinking it would appear more respectful. As it became clear that no other words would be uttered from the pair, Drestig cleared his throat, focusing on the queen as he prepared to answer her question; for a second he wondered whether to look at her scar, or keep his eyes respectfully fixed on the bridge of her muzzle, but soon chose the latter, feeling a mild shudder of embarrassment at the idea. "That he does, ma'am, his pack grows strong, and he just fathered his first litter!" The ebony lad smiled warmly, eyes bright as he spoke of Zera and Darrah. It hadn't escaped his attention how the woman's scent revealed that she was also a mother; that, along with the healthy look of both her and her mate?, indicated a strong pack. Still, Drestig decided to propose a question to make sure: "And we hope the same is true for you..?" He let his gaze drift to the burly male, showing that he meant the query for the both of them, and that he was still attentive of the man's presence. Then he leaned back, watching them with sparkling, flame colored eyes, waiting to hear what they would have to say. Word Count: 303 My mind is my own ”I'll say whatever I want to!”

Chari-ot @DA & Dawnthieves.de

Nina was glad that Koda was allowing her to take over the situation since she knew Triell better. While Koda made himself comfortable, Nina remained standing, keeping her gaze pinned on the male in front of her. It was good to know that a scout had been sent out to find out more information about the lore and Nina would definitely think about doing the same once Secret Woodlands grew in numbers. She listened to the boy's response to her question, her smile widening slightly. It was wonderful to know that the Tainn had children of his own. It had been awhile since Nina had seen him and while she had never imagined him being an alpha, she could easily believe it. The Tainns had a leading gene in them, just as Ruiko and Indru had when they had led their own packs. In turn, Ruiko and Aeylen had taught her well and she had risen to the top. There was no time to think of the past because a question of his own was sent her way. For pack appearances, she gave a loving glance towards Koda, which was not difficult, considering their past relationship, before looking back towards Drestig. She cleared her throat, her delicate voice drifting towards him, "We are well...we just had our second liter and have thus far had no casualties this year." She made brief eye contact with Koda, letting a silent communication form between them. Of course, Nina didn't exactly enjoy lying, but she hadn't seen or spoken to Triell in years and while she was unsure of how he was now. The pack needed to look strong and sturdy, and with the many leadership changes recently, Nina needed a steady story to stick to. Secret Woodlands was, after all, a strong pack. Her gaze then snapped back to the man, her voice wavering slightly, "It seems that you were much more successful at finding me than I was at finding you....but I must admit I have some...devastating news for you. My former alpha, Ruiko Tainn...he-" her voice cut off then, taking a deep breath. She leaned towards the Reinier, knowing that he knew well of her relationship with her former alpha, for comfort. She then spoke again, her voice much firmer, "He's dead. He was attacked by a cougar and we weren't strong enough. In the end the cougar lost his life but took Ruiko's with it. I'm sorry for your loss." She then lapsed into silence, waiting to hear the man's response.

Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

@Nina and @Drestig!

Though he knew very little of Oak Tree Bend and their members, he knew that any information he could gain from them would be beneficial in determining the health of their neighbors. In his eyes, any news was better than none, and though he wished no ill happenings to any pack, their losses could mean potential gains if it meant that in some way their pack could benefit. As the two wolves discussed, the pale male stood in that background simply listening, his eyes swiveling behind him in search of any other wolves that would join them and when he was sure none were coming he settled slowly to his haunches. There was nothing truly frightening about Drestig, aside from his bright pumpkin colored eyes, and because of this he was calm as the queen of the woods discussed what she felt was important to this male. She mentioned Ruiko, a wolf whom he assumed he had once known before his concussion (much of who Nina knew, Koda had as well) but his memory had always failed him, therefore he tuned in keenly to the woman at his side as she explained what happened and felt the pit of his stomach drop--admitting death was always hard.

He admired the strength of Nina, she had always been able to hold her composure during a time of such tragedy and for this he felt his own confidence swell, he needed to be a pillar of strength for the woman who had lost yet another friend too soon. So many loses the golden woman had endured, he only hoped that next year would bring them more good news, perhaps the arrival of new life and the ascend of more well rounded wolves would be the story of the Woods, they needed more happiness to befall them. Without saying a word, for it was apparent that Nina was waiting for the response of the dark haired male, he stood watching the male and waiting for his reaction without a single word.

(This post was last modified: Jan 01, 2015, 12:08 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 one eyed woman smiled brightly back at him, looking happy about the news of Triell's fatherhood, and Drestig didn't hold back his own grin; A good sign, she really cares for Triell. Which meant there was a good chance of establishing an alliance with these wolves of The Thicket. She also seemed to be the dominant of the two, even if they both held a leading position, continuing to do the talking, only offering her companion a few glances, while he stayed silent, observant. The training scout made a mental note of this, It's always good to keep informed, and reserved most of his attention for the queen, listening both politely, and with open curiosity. The lady made a show of sending her mate an affectionate look before speaking of their well doing, peaking the black chap's interest as to the exact standing of their relationship; he made another mental note. When she paused he nodded his head lightly, offering a: "Congratulations." And looked briefly at the male again, to include him in the compliments. The sound of her voice, and especially the change in tone made Drestig look back to the golden dame, and when she mentioned Ruiko's name, his ears perked in attention, smile shrinking slightly; That serious voice... It did not bode well, and neither did her small falter in trying to deliver the news; Oh no! His expression fell, mouth opening slightly, brow wrinkling with emotion as she told him of the Tainn's fate. Ruiko had been a recluse for most of the Avalon's time in Oak Tree Bend, but he had been an important pillar in the pack, and close to both Triell and Corinna back when she still lived. He shrank back, shoulders slumping a little as he thought of having to bring this news to his pack mates, it would no doubt be a hard blow to Triell; Another loss..! After a moment, the ebony lad composed himself, straightening back up, closing his mouth into a somber expression, once more nodding at the alphess, more stiffly this time. "Thank you..." He started, mouth feeling dry as sand; "For letting us know. He will be gravely missed." Then silence fell, the Bend boy feeling deflated, like the news of Ruiko's death had been a physical weight that had hid him. For a while he just stared at his paws, trying to remember what more he needed to say. Finally he took a deep breath, looking back up at the scarred woman; "Before I leave, is there anything more you would like me to bring home to my leaders?" Once more, he glanced over at the silent male, not wanting to disregard his presence or authority, even if his female counterpart had done all of the talking. And, after a short pause, he cleared his throat slightly and added: "And, I don't believe I got any names... Who can I say I've met here, and what do you call your home?" He looked around at the browning leaves, smiling politely as he studied the thicket; Though personally, I much prefer The Bend! Word Count: 518 My mind is my own ”I'll say whatever I want to!”

Chari-ot @DA & Dawnthieves.de