Stonewatch Timbers Two bottles of whiskey for the way

For @Gent.  Surprise! The allies definitely have some news to share, and I thought it would be more interesting and dramatic if Naia and Gent could have a little.. reunion as well. Naia needs to meet the all-grown-up-important-WOTM version of Gent. 
This thread is set at the end of April (23rd or so), shortly before Tokino's body is discovered.

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The journey to Black Thorn Downs somehow seemed much longer than usual, even though Naia’s start point in the cherry orchards was much nearer than the Cedarwoods. The Timber lady knew that the feeling came from the fact that for the first time, Inali’s shining face would not be waiting at the end of the long track. Cut Rock River was currently on the move, headed north in search of their new homeland. As her family entered the cherry orchard.. her and Inali’s cherry orchard.. Naia found that she simply could not handle the flood of memories and feelings threatening to drown her. She received permission from @Maksim and headed west, to alert Black Thorn Down of their move. Naia would rejoin with her family at the northern end of the blackberry field, once they were safely out of the orchard.

It seemed like a sick joke when Naia finally reached the home territory of the Downs, only to find that they had gone. Maksim had warned her that this was a possibility-- that it was Minka’s plan to conceal her pack in the north before sending her strike force into Secret Woodlands. Naia had hoped that Inali’s intel about the Woodlands’ traitors had stayed Minka’s hand, and the scout had gone so far as to assume that peace meant the Downs might stay put. Peace or no peace, clearly Minka and her followers no longer felt safe among the blackberries. She sent a howl to her family across the field, letting them know that she was going to track northwards in search of the Downs refugees. Nose to the ground, the scout set to tracking down Minka and her followers.

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Days later, Naia found herself traveling across mountain terrain very different from the fields to the south. As her track continued the scent trails she picked up were less and less stale, and the scout knew she was getting close. She had noticed something odd about the trails—the scent of the Downs’ other leader, Minka’s mate, was conspicuously absent. What had transpired in the Downs after Naia’s information source dried up? Naia was growing weary of her search and concerned for her loved ones back to the east, especially the very pregnant Kisla.  Even more upsetting was that she kept imagining she smelled that Keep-thief-yearling from the cache raid winter before last, but Naia was sure it was just psychological.  Weariness could do strange things to memories and perceptions.

Naia halted as she drew up to Minka’s new boundary marker, her scent unmistakable and heavy upon the new territory. The scout announced her presence as an ally with a howl, requesting a meeting with a subordinate to pass a message. If Minka was as far along as Kisla in her pregnancy (if she was expecting pups that is— Inali hadn’t mentioned anything when they last spoke) then she would be relieved to not have to go traipsing all the way out to the border herself. If Naia had to be honest though, she was not quite ready to face Minka just yet. Her and Inali’s relationship could never be the same now that Inali was considered a traitor to the Downs.  As petty as it was, Naia was having a hard time not blaming Minka for banishing Inali.. for essentially stomping all over their love and leaving it to wither.

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(This post was last modified: May 18, 2015, 02:31 AM by Naia.)

ooc: eee best surprise thread ever!!

There was so much to do, and each pack member was in a rush to do it. Establishing a pack on fresh territory was a lot of work, which Gent knew well. The experience of descending from the peaks of Mount Dire into the Spectral Woods served to rescue Nomads Pass and give rise to Hollow Heart Keep had served well in giving Gent plenty of experience in how to approach the situation. He knew now from memory and past missteps what was most important to accomplish and how thoroughly, and the man wasted no time of his own to undertake the many tasks needed.

Currently, he was marking the perimeter; working tirelessly, the pack had nearly completed this portion of the job, and now he was mainly checking to make sure there were no gaps for foreigners to try and take advantage of, laying down his scent here and there as he saw fit. Only half way through with this duty, as fate would have it he was nearby when Naia approach their fresh boundaries and sent out a call. Something about the howl struck a chord with him, faintly tugging at some memory of a past event. Not entirely able to place his paw on it, but thoroughly intrigued nonetheless, Gent promptly switched his route, swerving in aim to meet with the unknown wolf knocking at their door.

It was as he drew close and her scent finally met his nose upon the slight wind that the pieces fell into place and he was able to picture her clearly in his mind. A woman much, much smaller than him yet who had somehow been able to best him over a year ago that Winter. The man bristled instantly, but forced himself to calm. He knew now that Cut Rock River was to be his allies, that their scout herself had even requested peace be made with his past pack. Even Minka knew not only of the rivalry that had occurred between them, but now through Gent himself she knew of his role in the transgression that caused such tension. She had been forgiving, but would his new 'allies'?

It didn't matter; he didn't need their amnesty. He had done what he needed to in order to keep his pack mates alive.

Gent approached the woman now, not aggressively but clearly guarded as he wasn't sure what her reaction would be to him; for all he knew, she could still view him as an enemy that should be attacked on sight.

"Yes, River scout?"

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The fur on Naia’s nape bristled as the familiar silhouette approached the border. It was a sobering reminder of why it wasn’t a habit of hers to pick fights—an enemy doesn’t simply disappear if defeated once; they can always return, bigger and stronger and angrier than before. The Keep-Thief-Yearling was quite obviously no longer a yearling, body rippling with adult muscle and icy eyes surveying her with adult judgement and restraint.. All qualities he had lacked the last time they met. The guardian’s dark coat was thick and healthy, reflecting the sunlight so fiercely it looked almost blue. If Naia had faced this man in battle fully grown, at maximum health and strength, she was certain the results would have been much different.

How strange that they should meet again this way, and how ironic that their positions were reversed—it was now Naia that came sniffling along Gent’s border. The fur down Naia’s back settled slowly, though the scout remained on edge—inhaling the dark guardian’s scent made her remember the unnatural taste of his blood in her mouth, a memory she tried to expel from her mind whenever it came up. “Naia,” she amended after he spoke, “River Second.” Honey eyes appraised the young man’s stance, realizing he must be Second as well.. or possibly Third? Or maybe he was simply a subordinate with the same cocky, overconfident attitude he possessed in his youth.

“I didn’t catch your name last time we met,” she ventured carefully, expression guarded. She would have felt silly exchanging pleasantries and pretending that they didn’t have a troubled history, but there was no need to dwell on the incident. She had decided that ages ago, when she convinced Maksim to initiate peace talks with Hollowheart Keep.   “Whatever came of the Keep?” Naia asked, knowing that Gent could possibly be the only wolf she would ever come across again that could answer that question. Naia broke eye contact and let her gaze trail off to the side, releasing the pressure for the young man to provide an answer. If it was still a sore subject, she wouldn’t push him. “I looked for you..” the scout trailed off, knowing Gent already knew what she had found when she went searching for Hollowheart Keep. A big pile of nothing.

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There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

It was clear to see that she was experiencing the same uncertain anticipation that he was. They locked eyes for a moment before each taking the opportunity to appraise what had last time been their opponent. A sting cut through Gent's pride as he was reminded how delicately-framed and small the other woman was; how she was every inch a scout, not a fighter. And still she had bested him. Excuses could be made all day long about what could have made such a feat possible, but the man carried the maturity now to see the truth. His own arrogance had been his downfall, several times over while serving the Keep. A mistake he was relatively certain would not be repeated here.

She corrected him on rank and name, and while he assumed she lacked the physical prowess to have challenged her way up the ranks, he wasn't surprised that she would have earned her way up through pure dedication and hard work. After all, she had risked her life that day for a contested kill on the edge of her border, when she could have easily surrendered the carcass in exchange for Sagacity and Gent to leave the area.

"Gent," he mirrored, though his ranking was left out for it was only temporary until he made his way to the top. Interesting to think that one day he might be discussing politics with Maksim Baranski.

She spoke of his lost pack then, and a dull softness came to his eyes. It sounded almost as if she cared... why? It was odd, too odd for him to even attempt to figure out. Instead, he gave her his unhelpful but honest answer.

"I don't know. I came back and they were gone. I haven't been able to find any answers," he told her, his voice somber. "I heard you tried to play peacemaker. Why?"

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The swarthy male gave his account of Hollowheart Keep’s demise, which left Naia not with answers but with many more questions. “I came back and they were gone.” Came back from where? Had Gent and his scout companion really started a war between the packs, just to scamper away in an attempt to avoid the repercussions of their own actions? Or did he mean they were gone when he got back from raiding Cut Rock River? Had the River wolves been at war with nonexistent pack the entire time? The scout’s eyes lit up with curiosity, but before she could ask more he returned her query with his own question. She hesitated before she answered, but reminding herself that Gent was now an ally, she met his question with honesty.

“We were facing war with Whisper Caverns as well.. not a scrap over an old carcass, but real war. We quartered the Caverns’ fleeing traitors, you know.. Minka and her followers. With the Keep, there was no treason or treachery involved.. there was no bad blood. We weren’t enemies.” In fact, they were more alike than anything, Hollowheart Keep and Cut Rock River, but also she and Gent; two wolves who would risk anything to provide a meal for their respective families. Naia sighed, letting go of the further questions she had concerning Gent’s whereabouts during the demise of the Keep. It was all in the past really, and they had more pertinent things to talk about.

“That’s not the war I came to discuss,” the Second finally said, shaking her head as if to toss away her ruminations. “Your scout brought word of an attack by some Woodlands traitors.” Naia could not bring herself to speak Inali’s name, not to this wolf who likely considered her a loathsome traitor herself. “I’m seeking information on them, their names and possible whereabouts, and how they are to be treated if discovered.. “ Naia dropped her gaze down to her paws, hoping to hide her dismay with Minka as she continued, “..And I came to make certain that there is no war between the Downs and the Woodlands.” Inali’s intel would have reestablished peace between the two packs, and the irony of the matter was that since the information was unlawfully gathered, Inali was considered a traitor for stopping a war.

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He listened to her explanation, ears flicking forward to stand tall and receptive with intent. This was a tidbit of both Downs and River history that he had not yet learned, and it interested him greatly to finally know the relationship between the two packs. He had heard the name Whisper Caverns once before when Minka had outlined Inali's crimes for the pack, but had not known the reason for their status as enemies, and wondered where they might be. Perhaps closer to Cut Rock River, south of it even? It wouldn't make sense for Minka to have lead her recruits in a backwards loop if they'd been north, closer to where she had originally founded her pack. It was a decent thing to make a note of, to ask Minka about these Caverns wolves later.

Gent nodded then as she wrapped it up, ears lowering back, and of course easily agreed with her. After all, it wasn't his pack that had been trespassed against in the first place. The Keep was to be forgiven, not the forgivers, and had certainly not wanted enemies to hassle with. Naira hadn't even wanted allies, she'd wanted simply to vanish within the ghostly woods it had seemed. With a tiny piece of his history resolved, he felt that much more confident in where he stood today. However, she had more for him, and as she got to the point of her visit his ears perked up once more.

So, she had relatively current information from their scout. That could only be Inali, for they had yet to elect someone to take her place, and Gent knew that none of them had had the time to pay a visit to the River wolves. He found this curious, that she should continue her pack duties when Minka had banned her. Was she simply being courteous of Maksim, perhaps ensuring that no miscommunication escalated the conflict? That seemed to be easy to believe, for it seemed her sole intent had been making peace. Gent then realized that this would have been the last bit of information they'd been given, and that there was a lot to catch them up on. It might have been best for Minka to handle a situation like this, but Gent had been there himself every step of the way and he didn't feel it was necessary to bother her, heavily pregnant and growing more distressed each day about Tokino's continued disappearance, with something he could easily do himself.

"Yes, the war is ended. I assume Inali also shared with you how?" he paused only for a fraction of a second before pressing on, for even if Inali had given her account it was important for him to reiterate the facts, not allowing for any miscommunication, intentional or not. He had never gotten the opportunity to interact with Inali one-on-one before her banishment, thus knew nothing about her other than three simple facts: she had been their only scout, resting at the rank of second, she had been a very close friend to Minka, and she had betrayed Minka's trust, effectively betraying the pack by extension. Even if her intentions had been benign, as things were he could not trust her, and what had occurred between all parties had been extremely messy. Therefor, he would not spare details when relaying his summary of the events that had thoroughly preoccupied the Crest wolves these past few weeks.

"She illegally obtained the following information: Nina was unaware that Lugh's attack had taken place, and had recently ejected four wolves from her ranks for breaking pack law. Inali apparently had also been fraternizing with the Caverns wolves, and refused to swear allegiance to our pack over our enemies. As such, she is now considered a traitor and we have been ordered by Minka to attack her on sight." If Naia and Inali were friends, Gent intended this to be her fair chance at warning Inali that Minka had indeed kept her promises, and he pointedly leveled his icy gaze at the scout before him to make clear she understood this before continuing.

"Minka and I approached the thicket wolves at their border to clear the air and discuss peace. I can verify myself that Iopah was one of Lugh's attackers. She has betrayed the pack and left with her mate Koda. Their other two traitors are Nova Aquila and her mate Camio, and I believe it was Camio who was the second attacker. Iopah I was surprised to learn had done something so violent but... I absolutely know Nova wouldn't of had it in her." At least, not the Nova he'd known back in the keep. Could she have changed so much as well? No... Aponi had taken the wealth of bitch from Naira's gene pool, there'd been not a drop to spare for Nova to take up.

"Now, we are Round Stone Crest. Lugh is doing well, I have been seeing to his medical needs and his recovery has been remarkable considering the fact that he's now a tripod. However, Tokino is missing and has been since the beginning of the month. He came this way North to look for Noble. Minka and I will be conducting a search for him soon, but things have been hard on her what with it being late in her pregnancy."

Was that all of it? He sure hoped so, for he was very much done running his mouth. He hadn't talked so much in a long time.

"So, does all this chaos make a scout's role interesting, or tedious?"

(This post was last modified: Jun 03, 2015, 01:04 AM by Gent.)

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The war’s cancellation was certainly a relief, though the River wolves wouldn’t have been around to help their allies fight anyway. Relocating the pack was going to take all of their resources and sap all of their strength for the foreseeable future, and the Baranskis wouldn’t dare put more strain on their children, born and unborn, on top of such a long journey. The feeling of relief was short lived, as Inali’s name was the next thing out of his mouth; her life’s greatest love on the lips of the man who had until just now been her life’s bitterest foe. Naia nodded quickly—yes Inali had given her the details, so he could spare her them—and yet despite her confirmation Gent launched into the story anyway. Naia couldn’t help but feel the slightest twinge of her old resentment for the Keep-Thief-Yearling, though logically she knew Gent wasn’t trying to hurt her on purpose.  During that bitter scrap of theirs, luck and speed had preserved her flesh from Gent’s attacks, but Naia thought now that Inali’s name on his breath pierced her deeper than his daggers could have ever reached.

He finished his retelling of the events leading up to Inali’s banishment, which were more or less the same as what Inali herself had shared. Naia could only marvel at how much of her life Inali had kept secret from her, such as her visits to the Whisper Caverns wolves. How could she have done that, knowing how tense it was between the Caverns and the River? Naia could have attacked or even killed one of Inali’s loved ones, never knowing until it was too late. Gent ‘s icy stare seemed to see right past her attempt at nonchalance, and Naia knew he was expecting some sort of verbal confirmation from her. “Inali was made aware when she left our border that she is no longer welcome at Cut Rock River.. Or any place we will call home in the future.” Naia’s sentence hinted at her news to come. “An enemy of the Downs is an enemy of the River.”

Naia hoped dearly that the ache in her throat as she spoke the words was unnoticeable in her voice. The pain dulled as Gent continued, delivering the information she requested in details that distracted the heartbroken damsel from her memories. His volley of names triggered her scout’s brain to spring into motion, and all of her concentration focused on storing the tidbits to perfect memory. Iopah, Camio-- assumed dangerous. Koda, Nova-- guilty by association. She would not forget the names of the traitors that had initiated this entire disaster, this war in which Inali was the only casualty. Well, Inali and Lugh of course, the “tripod” as Gent so tastefully put it. Perhaps now that she had names for her scapegoats, she would finally be able to forgive—or at least face—Minka Lagina.

“I am glad to hear of Lugh’s recovery, and send our congratulations to Minka and Tokino,” Naia replied, all traces of pain vanished from her tone and expression. Fate had been smiling upon Round Stone Crest, as they now called themselves. "Should either of them require attention, we have skilled healers within our ranks,” Naia offered. Her expression darkened to hear that the Lagina child was still missing, and now her father had disappeared as well. It could only be hoped that wherever they were, they were there together. The conversation had taken such a serious turn that levity of Gent’s final question caught her off guard. She blinked once and then smiled for the first time since the conversation began. “Only boring wolves get bored, Gent.” Her honey eyes glinted wickedly. It wasn’t really a response to the question he had asked, but they both knew that he already knew the answer. Gent would not have been picking around the Cut Rock River border two winters ago if he had not succumbed to the siren song of scouting, nor would he have answered her call at the border today.

“The River has news as well, if I can trouble you to pass it on to  Minka..?” Naia began, her expression sobering as she directed the conversation back to business.

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Gent was happily surprised to hear Naia's confirmation that Inali had been banished from Cut Rock River's domain as well. It showed great solidarity between the two packs, and he wondered if there wasn't more to the story of their alliance than simply harboring Minka and her followers for a short time. It was a great cause for the Laginas' pack to show continued allegiance, but did Maksim's returned dedication spring only from character and personal morals, or had Minka done him a service in return?

He pushed the thoughts from his head, knowing that these were not questions for his present company but rather for his alphess herself. He would be seeing her shortly, to relay the details of this event to her. Gent didn't much mind playing the role of scout in Inali's absence. After all, he had been dabbling in just about every other role since swearing loyalty to Minka. Thoughts attuned once more to the conversation at paw, Gent had pulled away from his reverie of thought in time to realize that Naia's face had changed when declaring the River pack's stance on the former Crest scout. Her features had hardened, lips tightening and eyes taking on a metallic glint as they seemed to be trying to hold something back. Ears swiveling to attention signaled his interest in this development, however as she continued onto the other subjects he'd brought up her demeanor melted back into what he was coming to know as normal for the River second.

Quickly forgetting the shift, he smiled politely at Naia's offering of resources. The expression deepened into something truer, as well as lopsiding into a shadow of a smirk as she answered his question with banter. Yes, with the past behind them, perhaps these River wolves really could be allies to him. Something about Naia triggered thoughts of Raela, and he considered the notion that the two might get along famously. Stretching even further, perhaps he could befriend the woman himself with time.

"No trouble at all," he answered, and awaited her message.

“Cut Rock River’s plight has been similar to yours—Round Stone Crests’s,” Naia began, trying out the new name of @Gent's pack. It implied that the pack had settled somewhere near a rocky peak, which sounded inhospitable to Naia, but she reasoned it was probably more comfortable than bedding down in a blackberry patch. What was it about Minka that compelled her to settle her pack in these hostile locations?

”We have our own traitor; Rook Lyall. We took him in as a new recruit during the cold season, and he took advantage of that favor. He completed his duties just fine, bust as he did so he was sniffing around our woods for a place to establish a pack of his own.” It sickened Naia that Cut Rock River had been exploited so easily, and she would take it upon herself to keep an extra eye on any new recruit from now on.   “He siphoned his new pack members from a very strong neighboring pack, Willow Ridge. We assume they will be.. less than pleased..  once they hear that we harbored their conspirator.” How could Rook have thought that the Baranski’s would agree to cavort with his fragile, fledgling pack and alienate the powerful Ridge wolves?

“In addition, Rook had concealed a few ties he had to Whisper Caverns, our enemy-- your enemy", Naia emphasized, just to make sure Gent understood how his pack fit in here. “With Rook and his followers estranged and settled in our own woods, and the Caverns wolves breathing down our necks, and the threat that the Ridge will bear a grudge against us… The Cedarwoods are no longer safe.”  It was a predicament the Crest wolves were apparently familiar with, seeing as they had retreated all the way up into the mountains to escape a single enemy.

“Cut Rock River has abandoned the Cedarwoods, and we travel northeast now in search of a new homeland. Kisla is expecting, so we plan to settle within this moon so she may deliver in safety.  For now, all our members are well, thank the fates.”  As she spoke of her family, Naia turned her honeyed gaze eastward. She had hoped to rejoin their march days ago, but this was business that needed to be taken care of while they were in—or at least somewhat near-- the Crest territory.

(This post was last modified: Jun 12, 2015, 04:31 PM by Naia.)