Secret Woodlands Watchmaker

Freezing fog, 11 ° F, -12 ° C / RE: The northern lights are particularly brilliant tonight. @Miccah rank challenge. Continued from homecoming

Why had it come to this. Weeks he'd spent traveling to make it back to this place, but the kingdom he'd returned to was not the one he'd left, and the queen was not the one he had known. Nina had been transformed into a shadow of herself, one that was weak and overcome with grief to the point that she didn't seem to know up from down. Mirren would never forget the way the daylight had fallen upon her face the hour of his return; it was cast from the sky down upon the sharpened angles of her brows and cheekbones, the gaunt depressions beneath her eyes dark with shadow. Her tawny fur had lost its shine and had grown thin in places, and the blades of her shoulders stuck out from her back like crags in the mountainside. They're all gone, she'd said. What was more, Pacem had disappeared. Aideen had disappeared. And that traitorous bastard had taken what he wanted from Nina and left her to fate ─ left her to die, and left her children to die ─ with only one other soul in the whole of the world to keep her safe. Koda had never deserved leadership. He never deserved Nina's forgiveness (if she'd really even given it to him) or her re-acceptance into the pack. No...he deserved far less than what he'd been given. For he was selfish, taking advantage of those who so easily trusted him until he'd pillaged through everyone's happiness, everyone's safety, and everyone's hopes, only to take for himself one of Nina's dearest friends and leave Secret Woodlands to the winter. He was a coward, a poor father, a poor husband, and a liar. Koda was a traitor. And one day he would meet a traitor's fate, of that much Mirren was certain. The darkness was ambient tonight, the burning hues of green and violet and pink of the northern lights rolling across the sky like sunlight reflected across the crests of waves in the ocean. Fresh snow blanketed the ground in places where it penetrated the thicket's canopy, and a thick fog hung eerily in the air. It was fitting, really. Within it he moved like a ghost, silent, brooding, searching. Someone would answer for what had happened here. Someone would tell him why his home was now silent and empty, abandoned. Someone would tell him why Nina was wasting away...Someone would be accountable. Hidden in the darkness, disguised by the fog, Mirren's summons echoed through the night and the forest, now devoid of life. Miccah would provide the answers to his questions, and he would get out of Mirren's way or lose his life. This was no game, and the Tainn was done playing.

(This post was last modified: Mar 23, 2015, 06:14 PM by Mirren.)

You can skip me whenever :) Kite is just an observer and since its directly after homecoming she'd be here! 

Through the land shrouded with the fog that would come in Spring as the frost began to thaw and the snow began to melt they traveled, she, her mate, and Nina. Mirren would right this wrong for the woman that had been another mother figure to him, and Kite would observe. Unsure of Nina's mental health, Kite would make no moves for the woman's claim to the Woodlands herself unless Kite truly believed her to be unstable. While Nina was off, Kite had yet to explore the extent of how changed the woman was. Kite wanted to prune the Forest of the things that weakened Nina, to strengthen it again, to strengthen Nina again. That she was so gaunt...

But they had important things to tend to, first.

Kite was as curious as her mate as to what the Hell had gone on in their absence. She felt guilt biting vehemently at her heart for having taken her mate with her at all... Was this in some indirect way her own doing? No, certainly not. Koda prior to their leaving had been a good man, a strong man... and they believed him the sort to not abandon his post even if his heart did not rest with Nina. But evidently he had gone in whatever capacity it was, leaving Nina and the Woodlands to fall. That would be the legacy Koda left here, after all that time. Leaving behind the one thing that had never left.

The Tainn woman settled into the background as her mate called to the present alpha, Miccah. Her ears twitched atop her head as she listened for anything that would tell of his coming. Certainly the man would not ignore the call. Kite only offered a low growl of encouragement; in all things, she would have his back. Now was no different. No matter what came from this, Kite would be there 'til the end.

speech He should've known. Miccah should've expected the pack's demise when he had first seen the spark of interest between Koda and Iopah. Though, never, never would he have expected them to betray Nina in the manner that they had. They were traitors, and he itched for their blood to soothe the anger in his veins. He had not liked Koda from the beginning, but for a time, it seemed everything was going well. How wrong the alpha had been. And Iopah, the one who had been with Nina always. How could she have done this? The dark man had made a mistake relinquishing his kingdom to the man. Koda had only caused the Woodlands destruction and Nina's fall. Never had he seen the woman so...broken. She was a shadow of herself. Where was the woman that had hated his guts and him hers? He wouldve preferred angry words than monosyllables. She was devoid of life, and that shook him. Yes, they seemed to be on equal footing with eachother. The poison that was once in their partnership was no longer there. Now, there was absolutely nothing. No peace, no trust. It pained him to his very core to admit, but the Woodlands was bound to fall if they continued like this much longer. The call for him filled him with relief and aching loss. Once again, he would be relinquishing his kingdom, this now souless kingdom, into another's paws. But they were better paws than his. Damn better paws than Koda's. He swiftly moved through the dense fog, his paws silent as a fleeting shadow. As he neared the pair, his deep blue orbs ran over them both. He could scent Kite, and smiled at the thought of children in her womb. The dark man could see their figures through the fog, though unfocused they may be. Having enough of watching, he stepped away from the darkness that provided him anonymity, making his presence known. Miccah's muscles bulged as he walked smoothly over the terrain, silent as a ghost. His voice broke the defeaning silence, his rumbling baritone dark.  "I should've seen it coming. From the first moment I saw their interest in eachother." He growled his frustration. He had failed them all, Nina especially. He forced himself to calm, and then looked at them both again. His deep blue eyes locked on Mirren's determined amber gaze. "I will not fight you Mirren," he continued now in his normal gravelly baritone, his anger lay hidden. It was for another time. Without seeing, I know you have brought light once again to her eyes. You have brought strength that I will never be able to give. For that, I thank you." He knew the younger man and his mate were probably burning with questions on what had gone down since they had left. He would answer what he could, then relinquish his hold on the Woodlands. Mirren would bring strength back to Nina and the thickets that were their home. It would only be Miccah's duty to support and protect. After all, he had made a pledge long ago. He couldn't nor wouldn't break it.

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

There is a rabbit\'s nest nearby. +1 Health

The woman moved like a ghost between the two Tainns, her single emerald orb focused on the ground in front of her. Truly, she probably should have known what was about to happen, but in her frazzled state of mind, she had no inkling towards Mirren's motives. It was why, when he made the challenging call towards Miccah, she felt a moment of relief and perhaps...hope. Nina wouldn't dare put it that far, but she was clinging onto the last shred of what she could. The mother remained near Kite, basking in the other girl's presence before Miccah would arrive. The healer was in no mood to healing the others, especially with the herbal storage in complete disarray. Ever since Aideen's disappearance, Nina had needed to juggle both jobs once again and it had proved to be more of a hassle than she thought it was going to be at the time. Before Miccah arrived, Nina spoke quickly into Kite's ear, "Thank you for returning, I am in deep need of your support." It wasn't long after she said her words that Miccah entered the clearing, his eyes, seemingly resolved. He knew what this meeting was about and she was hoping he would give up his position without much of a fight. His words were a blessing, but when he began to speak of what happened, Nina found that her mind slipped back into oblivion, not wanting to hear how heartbreaking losing her son and watching her former mate and best friend leave. It tore her apart and she wasn't sure if there was much left of what she had of a heart.

Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

It seems when you're around, my life is complete.

His russet ears folded backward at the subtlety of Nina's voice as she murmured to Kite, somewhere just behind him. Their presences were like the undercurrent of a river as he waited ─ their bodies unseen, their voices largely unheard, yet their being moving things forward nonetheless. Having the girls there wasn't something he'd planned for, but, none of this had really been planned, had it. They would only fuel his fire, however, and right now he was smoldering, though it didn't show, not even a hint. On the outside, Mirren was like stone ─ hard and cold, still as ice and silent as the night itself. His silvered eyes watched the darkest folds of the forest for any sign of Miccah and in the back of his mind memories of Koda's face loomed. Smug. Condescending. Undeserving. Traitorous. Everything about him had always rubbed the Tainn the wrong way, and he knew now just how foolish he'd been to abandon his instinct long enough to be alright with Koda's rise. Or, re-rise. His tail flickered impatiently at his hocks. How? Why? And would this have happened if he'd stayed behind ─ stayed with Nina and @Vaeta and the children ─ instead of taking leave for the sake of his mate? In his heart he knew the answer, and it was no. He would have never allowed it to come to this, would have been wary of Koda and whatever tryst he and Iopah developed, and he certainly wouldn't have left Nina alone to suffer so. Miccah and Nina had always maintained a strained relationship, but wasn't there something the sable wolf could have done to temper her fall? A rustle in the foliage alerted him of Miccah's arrival. His ears pressed forward and a low growl welled in his barreled chest as the alpha drew near. Mirren didn't lower himself in submission or show even a single sign of subservience. Instead, he was a towering nightmare of a thing, darker and more threatening than the innards of a thunderstorm as his gaze narrowed without distraction on his pack mate. As Miccah drew a breath to speak, his jaws clenched with impatience, and frustration, and anger...until his words came out. "I should've seen it coming..." Mirren listened intently, finding that he wasn't quite as surprised as perhaps he should have been when the dark male made the admission that he wasn't going to put up a fight, that it was he who brought the light back to Nina. In those moments, he saw Miccah in a, albeit slowly-emerging, new light, finding that there was more wisdom in his approach than Mirren would have normally given him credit for. In the blink of a more satisfied eye, the Guardian saw what would have been his opponent as an allie, perhaps one of the only he had in a war that was steadily brewing. His voice was even and low, matter-of-fact and direct as he made his will clear. "Tell me why, Miccah." He paused for a moment if only to emphasize the importance of this encounter, and his dark mask did not disguise the seriousness that was plastered on his face despite the ease with which he chose his words. "...Tell me why our queen is consumed by grief, so much so that she can't even find her way out of her own head. Tell me how Koda and Iopah plotted against her, and why she was abandoned to suffer alone, or if you gave her your support in this time of trial. I want to know every last detail about what happened here in my absence, or Gods help every one of you." He knew the gist of it all, but the only way to raise up Secret Woodlands would depend on having knowledge of a first-hand encounter from someone who hadn't lost their mind, bless Nina's soul.

(This post was last modified: Apr 11, 2015, 07:07 AM by Mirren.)

speech His deep blue gaze didn't waver to the two women that stood behind a little ways away from Mirren. He kept his gaze steady on the boy who had grown into a man. Mirren was good and pissed. Excellent. His angry gaze met he was serious about what he said, that he wasn't playing around. Of course, Miccah hadn't been expecting anything less. It was obvious, even though he had never truly seen it, that Mirren and Nina held a very close bond. The one she had and still held with Bane. Miccah was silent after Mirren had finished. His next words needed to be thought carefully. Mirren needed to know and needed to have the certainty that he had and always would be loyal to Secret Woodlands. After a few moments, the large beast opened his maw. His voice was clear and low as he spoke, for he had no qualms speaking the truth. "Pacem and Aideen dissapeared when a late blizzard arrived to the Lore. That was when the pack's structure slowly began to crumble. One of our most loyal members and one of the royal children - gone. Spring came, and with it, breeding season. Koda and Iopah were in a relationship by then, but we thought nothing of it. After all, no one would dare break pack law." The black man spoke his last sentence in a darker tone, almost gritting his teeth, but he quickly regained his composure. Koda came to Nina, asking if him and Iopah could breed. Rightfully so, she told him no. It was against pack law. They did it anyway, and when we caught wind of it, we wasted no time in making sure that they never return again. Unfortunately, they took Silentium with them." His hackles bristled, thinking of that day. How calm Koda and Iopah had been, when they held the knowledge that they had betrayed their queen. And so easily at that. Not only had they betrayed her, but they were taking her son as well. Miccah stared at Mirren, their gaze briefly breaking as the black wolf's blue gaze flickered to Nina and then back to the Tainn. After that day...Nina grew distant. There was nothing more I could do than to keep the borders strong...so not to encounter any more..surprises," he finished in his deep rumble. Mirren would know that his words were true. It had never been...easy for Miccah and Nina to be around eachother. The thought that she would open up to him in her time of need was downright ludicrous. He had tried and failed. He had not been the man for the job, and both men knew it.

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

 

Miccah's detailed explanation offered enough information to enable him to make sense of the happenings that had Secret Woodlands figuratively on its knees. Now that the blanks were filled in, however, a larger problem loomed in his mind: how were they all going to fix this? The pack had lost a number of members (only one of whom, Nina's son, he considered a true loss) and Nina was not herself, wasn't as capable of leadership as she had once been. In addition to this, Kite was pregnant. The last thing Mirren wanted was for his first born children to be birthed into a broken home. And the caches were running dry. And the borders weren't protected, with only he and Miccah to keep the Woodlands safe. And, little did he know, there was more war to be had than the one he would erect against Koda and Iopah...  "...I see." The Tainn lifted his head with resolution, his non-verbal affirmation of his satisfaction with Miccah's words conveyed to the black-furred man with a nod. His brows came together for a moment and he looked briefly over his shoulder to his mate, searching the angles of her shadowed face as if they would hold the answers he would seek now ─ answers that would not so easily be found. A time of silence ensued as he collected his thoughts before returning his attention to Miccah. A flicker of intent graced his pale eyes. "I believe what you say, that you've done all that you could in light of the...unforeseen circumstances that have led to this mess." In his mind, Mirren acknowledged that Miccah would be his right hand, instrumental in helping carry out whatever plans the Leader chose to institute now. In rebuilding the bonds that would strengthen Secret Woodlands, in rebuilding the trust between what was left of them, it was now or never; and it was important that he set the example to be followed. "The fact that you're still here, and that you're here now, says more than any words you could offer..." He shifts his weight, his defiance of the wreckage delt to his home and the threat it still posed burning white-hot within him. "My will to raise and protect this pack is unbreakable, and the price for what has happened here will be paid for in blood. Swear your unwavering loyalty to me, and I promise that we will raze Relic Lore to the ground until justice is ours." No matter what.

@Mirren @Kite @Nina Lets wrap this up :) some exit posts and a fade?

At Mirren's nod of acceptance and his short reply, Miccah raised his head in aknowledgement. He waited patiently for Mirren to speak once again, Miccah's tail flicking idly. At the Tainn's words though, something swelled within him. It took him a moment, but he realized the feeling as pride. This boy, no, man, would not back down on his promise. He would follow through, Miccah had no doubt. There was no hesitance as the black beast of a man lowered his form in an immediate act of submission, easily relinquishing his role. There was no need to fight, no need to see how dedicated the Tainn was to these lands. His words were enough, and he knew Mirren would deliver. His bright blue gaze was cast down as the man slowly opened his maw. "I will serve you always...my King. His voice was strong and clear, for his mind was open. Miccah would aid his King in whatever he pleased. He could see it, almost taste it. Mirren would not only make the Thickets flourish once again with loyal souls, but he would rise and and Secret Woodlands would reign once again. Slowly, Miccah lifted his bright blue gaze, silently pledging his loyalty once again to the new King of the Woodlands. " ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

yay!

Her mate was the leader here, now. The alpha male. Kite admired him from afar, and as Nina spoke to her coherently, she blinked slowly. Before the woman had spoken a lot of gibberish... but at least Kite could see now Nina was in there. She moved to nudge the woman before seeing the alpha female lose herself again, spacing out. Kite lifted her head a little taller, now, disgruntled by the sight. Her eyes fell toward Miccah and Mirren, listening to their exchange, quite interested in what they had to say. 

Things were resolved between those two, and at the least, Miccah seemed like he would stick around and protect the Woodlands. Kite anticipated a lot of trouble coming, and she glanced to her flat abdomen. Soon she could grow in size if what she and Mirren had done yielded results... and that worried her. What were they bringing their child into...? Her head swung toward Miccah as he spoke last, and Kite shook her head to get herself out of her reverie. 

Kite looked to Nina. "Nina, will you take a walk with me...?" She asks of the leader, so that she herself could check on the woman's state now that this had been settled. She looked to Mirren, and to Miccah. "If you'd like to come, you're more than welcome..." She did not want to exclude either of them. Miccah had always been good to Kite, and here, he had shown to the tawny woman that he never meant any ill. It had been out of his hands. Iopah and Koda had been the one to not abide by Nina's request when they could have gone on peaceful terms. Miccah was not to blame. Kite turned and waited for Nina to lead the way.