Hope of Peace

@Nina

Inali just had to know. She had to know if the attack on the Downs healer was one that was warranted or not. The petite scout had to know if the woman that she had once considered such a good friend had been a part of the awful attack. She couldn't stomach the thought. Nina had been her friend. Even now, Inali could only think of the Woodlands matriarch woman with respect. The blue eyed lady could only mourn the loss of the regal woman's friendship. They were enemies now. Minka wanted war. Neither idea sat well with Inali. She was still the woman that Nina had greeted so kindly when Inali almost stumbled upon her lands about 2 years prior. Yes, she had changed. Inali had grown. But she held tight to that fond memory, and how Nina had given her the gift of getting close to her to bestow a blessing on the unborn children that were now full grown adults. The woman could only shake her head, a slight smile on her features but with a dimming warmth in her blue orbs. How could she have been so young and foolish? Her smile seemed to diminish as her thoughts continued. The picture of the woman she had grown to respect, the woman that had warmly invited her into her lands to meet her children, was not a picture she could connect with the mangled body of Lugh when he came home. That was why she was here. Inali needed to know if Nina had been a part of that attack. If she had even led it. If she had, then there would be war. But Inali felt no anger, no thirst of revenge. She could only feel pain, for it seemed she would never find peace in the midst of this growing conflict. As the light footed scout stopped a few feet away from the Woodland borders, she lifted her head and summoned for the queen.  ”Speech”

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(This post was last modified: Apr 06, 2015, 07:06 PM by Inali.)

Slowly, the Hervok had begun to gain some of her sanity back. With the return of Pacem, Nina found that she could find happiness in some things. Still, the heavy sadness remained in Nina's single orb, a reminder of Iopah, Koda, and Silentium's absence. The mother would have been able to deal with her former mate and former best friend leaving, but the fact that her son had left with them cut too close to come. She had once had such high hopes for Silentium and he had proved to be more than capable of handling himself and more than once. She just wished that for once Secret Woodlands would be left in peace and nothing bad would happen. Last year it had been Hollow and Tacoma and this year it had been Koda, Iopah, and Silentium. All the woman wanted was some goddamn peace. It was why when a strangely familiar call echoed throughout her territory she gave a small sigh. It was a member of a pack that Secret Woodlands was not on good terms with, but Nina had once been friends with the woman and considered her well mannered. It was why Nina did not rush to the borders to demand what the woman wanted, she just trotted towards her borders, at a pace not to keep the other woman waiting. As she neared the borders, Nina didn't bother raising herself in the other girl's presence. Due to her lack of pregnancy, her hormones were close to nonexistent now. With a timid smile, filled with sadness, the alpha looked towards the creamy woman, taking in her form. It had been quite awhile since the last time she had seen the other woman, and it had been with bad news. The Hervok woman could only hope that good news followed today's visit, but she doubted it, considering the last time they had spoken it had been clear that they wouldn't speak to one another ever again. Speaking softly, a far cry from her powerful voice she had formally owned, she spoke, "Hello Inali... What are you doing here? Is everything alright?" The alpha was obviously worn down. There was a definite slouch in her posture, pulling her even further from where she had been standing tall. She didn't want to think about what this meeting meant, but she knew her pack needed her, and so her ears pricked forward, awaiting to hear the woman's answer.

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It didn't take long for Nina to answer Inali's call. As the queen's form emerged through the thickets that she reigned, Inali's keen eyes roved over her figure and stance. This was not the powerful matriarch of the Woodlands. Her smile was timid as she greeted the scout, and Inali's blue orbs showed only confusion. Had something happened within the pack? What had happened that had made the once powerful Lady of the Thickets seem so...downtrodden and defeated. It was not pity she felt for the woman, but confusion. In this state, could Nina have attacked Lugh so ferociously? Nevertheless, Inali bowed her head in greeting. These were not her lands, and Nina was still the queen. It was ingrained in Inali to show respect where it was due. Her tail swished lightly as she fought her conscience in how to answer Nina's inquiries. Taking a mental breath, Inali opened her maw. ”I'm afraid I once again bring bad news," she began. ”Our healer came home beaten and battered. We thought he was at death's door." Her head rose slightly, her blue orbs piercing Nina's emerald gaze. ”Nina, I just want to know. Tell me the truth. We scented Secret Woodlands on his coat. The scent couldn't be mistaken. There is no reason for an attack to be so ferocious unless if he did something stupid, and Lugh is not an idiot."  She let the words hang between them. What had happened that day? Had Nina given the order to attack the Downs wolves on sight? Had she given the order to kill? With a dry throat, Inali waited for Nina's response. ”Speech”

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The healer watched the other woman carefully and Nina could tell that any news that the Scout was bringing would not bode well with her. Her ears flickered up towards Inali as she spoke, her eyebrows creasing in confusion with her words. Did Inali expect Nina to help their healer? They certainly weren't allies and Nina didn't want anything to do with their pack, except for Bane, Nina could care less about their pack. However, Nina felt slightly insulted when the next words escaped Inali's mouth. Her nose wrinkled, as if the thought burned her. Her jaws parted and her voice was slightly stronger when she spoke, "No. I would have nothing to do with that. An attack would only be made on another pack if they entered out boundaries. I had no report of such incident eit-," she hissed out almost as if she had been hit. Her single eye grew cold, and a growl formulated in her throat as she turned her to angry gaze towards the woman in front of her. Even though her gaze was angry, her stance was still peaceful, letting the woman know that it had nothing to do with her. Nina hadn't even thought about the traitors not giving her the information that she would have needed. It would bode well for Camio, Nova, Iopah, and Koda not to let her know what had happened within her pack borders when she had been gone. Her jaw clenched tightly, she glared, "You're a good woman, Inali...and it is why I am not second guessing your words. If the incident did occur within my borders, then I can promise you, it was either Koda, Inali, Camio, or Nova...four of which are no longer with the pack. They are traitors and have broken pack laws that we made to never be broken. Whoever attacked your healer is no longer with us. I would never give the order to attack, only if they need to react in defense. Either your pack mate isn't telling the whole story, or I allowed even darker wolves into my pack then I already thought." She paused then, her singular eye becoming sad as she once again was forced to think of all the betrayals that had occurred. With a sigh, her voice was soft once again, her voice holding an edge of longing, "Even though we are enemies, I would never put my son in harms way."

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The relief she felt at Nina's words was almost instantaneous. She had been so scared that Nina had coordinated the attack, had feared that she had even led it. But now, her fears were laid to rest. When the Woodlands matriarch had shown her anger, for a moment Inali had thought it was directed towards her, but thankfully it wasn't. An angry Nina was one she didn't want to mess with. Turned out that the Woodlands had lost members, members she didn't know had been important ones. Not everyone would've believed the russet colored woman so easily, and Inali was glad that Nina had taken her character into perspective. Inali wasn't one to lie about such important things. However, the next words brought her elated heart to a thundering crash within her. Nina had spoken that she would never put her son in danger like that. Her son - Bane. Inali flinched slightly. She was putting him in danger. Bane was in the midst of a war he didn't even want to partake in. He would have to choose between his mother and his new pack. The thought of his inner turmoil made her already mangled heart twist in her chest and she almost felt like she couldn't take in another breath. She loved Bane, as she loved Yuka. Once she had thought they were similar, but now they were as different as night and day. Her usual warm gaze shadowed as she looked at the matriarch. There was no going back, she had to say what she had come to say. Forcing herself not to shake, for she knew the betrayal she was doing, the gentle woman spoke. "Minka is declaring war because of what has occured." The words were out now and the damage had been done.

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The mother watched Inali carefully, trying to gauge her reactions to the best of her abilities. It seemed that her friend had taken her words into consideration and believed her. Nina was not one to tell lies unless it was absolutely necessary and while it may have been necessary in this situation, the Hervok had been telling the truth. Someone had not told her of the occurrences and it thoroughly pissed her off that she was disrespected in such a way. If they had not told her such things, than she should have considered herself lucky to have then gone. However, her heart still remained heavy in her chest for the losses she had endured. Lost in her own thoughts, she almost didn't catch what the other woman had said, but it did well to bring her attention back on their meeting. As soon as Inali spoke, Nina's brain went into overdrive, almost too much for her sleep deprived body. War. They wouldn't have enough members to embark on that road...but surely, Narimé and Ash would be quick to her aid, and Elettra would not let her fall without a fight. Combined, the three powers could crush Inali's pack if they chose to attack. Nina would remain solely on the defensive side of things. Reality crept back into Nina's mind, as her singular calculating eye pinned on Inali. Truly, it had been a risk coming this way and telling the matriarch such information, and while her acts were traitorous, Nina could see the reasoning behind it. Inali was a gentle soul, war...or..fighting in general was not what she enjoyed. Peace was her strong suit, and it was what could have made her a great adviser in a pack, if others would only listen.   Not really knowing Minka, Nina had no clue what the consequences to the woman's actions would cause. But perhaps Nina could offer some stability in this time of chaos. "I know what it must have been a huge risk for you to come relay this information to me. With that in mind, if things turn bad in any way, I will offer you sanctuary within Secret Woodlands until you find somewhere else to settle down, or decide that this is the home you desire." She weighed her words carefully, knowing that she next ones needed to be communicated. I was probably the most important thing she would say to the other woman in their entire meeting. Softly, she said, "I request that you tell my son what I have told you and what has happened. I trust him...just please tell him in private settings...and...and tell him that I love him with all my heart." She said the words strongly, her emerald eye almost glaring at Inali, daring her to question her familial ties. She held Bane close to her heart, just as she did all her other children, adopted or not. No one would ever be able to question that.

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A couple more posts and we can fade :)

Inali saw understanding in Nina's intense gaze, and her once tense shoulders sagged in relief. Finally. Some had seen her logic in the pack meeting, but had sided with Minka. Yes, her actions were treacherous but she had come to seek the truth. Lucky for her, she had known the truth all along. Nina hadn't done or ordered the attack, but rogues she had cast out were the ones who were responsible. The Secret Woodlands didn't deserve to pay for their traitor's crimes. Now justice could truly be served, and though Inali hated the thought of bloodshed, at least there was not an unnecessary war brewing. Nina's request startled her, but she immediately nodded with no hesitation. ”Yes, of course. I will tell him everything." Nina had always been an intense woman, and today was no different. There was no way Inali could refuse her words. It was clear the matriarch of the Woodlands deeply cared for the boy. After all, he was practically her son. She had raised him. Recovering, Inali smiled and her tail wagged lightly. Maybe it was time for the mother to know her work had paid off. ”You have raised a wonderful man, Nina. Bane loves you very much. If war comes, I know he will not fight against you." Her words were spoken with love and conviction. In no way was she close to Nina's level of love for Bane, but this was no competition. She cared for him deeply, and didn't wish the turmoil she had sensed during the pack meeting. One thing was clear, if push came to shove, Bane would try his hardest to protect the woman he considered his mother. ”Speech”

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Nina had not always been as intense of a woman as she was now. When she had first entered the lore, she had been a lowly thing, content to remain at the bottom of the ranks, where peace would always reign. She had a love story with the kindest of gentleman but had turned sour with an injury that had changed everything in his being. It had torn their souls apart and it hurt her to know that they were no longer connected in the same way, didn't even have the mutual respect that they had contained for one another when they had first met. Her heart sank in her chest once more, coming to the realization that love might never come for her ever again, except for the love of family. It would be enough for her in the long run, but sometimes she wished to have that love that she had once craved and held on dearly to. Luckily, her brother had made her wake up a realize what was going on in her life and that she did not need to be dependent on anyone to survive. And for that, she was eternally grateful. Inali's voice pulled her back to the present, a pleased smile lighting on her lips. Bane had always been a bright boy, part of it being the need to be better, not particularly for her but for his birth mother, who had not spared him a second glance. While it made Nina angry that Ashanti had wanted nothing to do with Bane(who was nothing like his father), her adopted daughter had done her best to push past it, but in the end, it had been her breaking point. None the less, it seemed to have the desired effect on Bane's sense of effort. He was always trying his hardest and exerting himself more than the rest of his family. He was a protector, a Guardian, and her son. While it was obvious that Inali had affections for the boy, she knew that the other woman had enough common sense to know that Bane was certainly hers. The Hervok had raised him and she felt a certain sense of pride knowing that he was working hard to do what he loved. While she knew that Bane had familial ties with the Woodlands, she also knew he had a high sense of loyalty, but it would be tied to one thing, so if something wavered, Bane would be quick to follow along with it. Opening her mouth, she replied, "Thank you, Inali. For everything. It is good to know that he is growing into the wonderful man that I expected him to be. I'm sure he has plenty of ladies on his tail." Had it been physically possible, Nina would have winked at Inali, signalling that it was a joke, but instead, the small twitch of her lips was the only give away.

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Inali's tail wagged happily as she spoke with Nina, her own lips quirking in amusement at Nina's joke. "Soon, he'll have to push them away with a stick," the woman played along. It was nice to end their conversation on such a light note, displaying their affections for the boy they each cared for. But Inali knew it was time to go, and that thought alone was enough for the smile in her eyes to dim slightly. It was time to head back to the pack and face the consequences of her actions, for these Inali knew would not go unpunished. Smiling slightly at Nina, she bid her farewell with a gentle wag of her tail and a nod. At least, if things didn't go well she would have Nina to return to, for the woman had graciously offered her sanctuary within her home. Taking her leave, the lithe scout turned her back on Woodland borders and began to move through the dense foliage. It wouldn't take long to get back home, and Inali used this time to think and plead to the fates that Minka would see reason. It may have been betrayal, but she had regained knew knowledge that could change Minka's view of thinking. With Woodland allies, Inali knew the Downs wouldn't stand a chance. The woman could only hope that maybe a truce would be called and she would be fared. Little did the woman know, this would be her last day as a Downs wolf, and she would have a mark that would never let her forget why. "speech"”Speech”

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Alas, it was once again time for the two women to depart. Unlike their last meeting, it seemed that they both wanted to end this conversation on a lighter note. Perhaps it was with the knowledge that there would be much darkness to come in both of their futures. But Nina felt a certain amount of calamity within her as she watched the creamy Scout to depart. The Hervok had no doubt that this would not be the last time she would set her eyes on the other woman. Whether it be because she needed shelter or there was a war coming between them, it would not be the last time to two saw one another. Satisfied with this new information, Nina returned to the pack lands, finding Mirren and informing him of the information in which she had gathered. Immediately she set out, to find her brother and speak with Elettra about reinforcements. They would not be the ones to engage in war, peace was the preferred option, but that did not mean that the Woodlands wolves would not be ready. They would have forces ready and on stand-by for if and when this stand-off occurred. Nina would take every precaution necessary to ensure the safety of her family. Even if there was little left of it, they were what mattered to her and she would stop at nothing to ensure their protection. They deserved far more than what they were being handed and if Nina let these wolves defeat them, she would surely go to hell.

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