Oak Tree Bend I'm a word that no one ever wants to say.

@Spieden

Every day at around the same time, Darrah would secretly watch his new siblings doze away in the comforts of the birthing den. Sure it was a bit creepy, and perhaps even uncalled for, but he'd fallen head over heels in love with the pair! Even with only having spent a short time with them. The Tainn was excited to watch them grow over the years to come. Hell, he was still growing himself! They'd experience life together, and he'd allow nothing to come between that goal. He'd already grown too far apart from his first sister, this time it would surely be different.

'Too bad Nayeli's going to miss it all.. Again.' He rolled his eyes, making an exit from the mouth of their small shelter. 'Wonder how everyone's taking it.' Last time his mother vanished, a pack meeting was held. Search parties were sent out. The whole pack was thrown into a panic! This time however, well, nothing. It hadn't much mattered to the boy, but he had a hunch that everybody was finally sick of her bullshit. 'Welp, at least I'm not the only one anymore.' he smirked.

Knowing it was well past time Darrah thanked the new 'mother' of his siblings, the prince decided to seek out Spieden. Surely the Queen of Oak Tree Bend hadn't planned on picking up what Nayeli carelessly threw away, but she did nonetheless, and the raven-esque yearling could never explain his gratitude to the fullest. 'Wonder where she's located around this time..' trotting along the territory, he used his nose to track her scent. "Spieden..?"

One king, One crown.

Darrah Tainn

@Darrah I didn't see a time of day in your post so I went with just before noon, but let me know if this is wrong!

Spieden Coho

Spieden stood ankle deep in the shallows, fishing. At least, that's what she had been doing until a poorly timed lunge had sent the fish darting into the depths, far out of reach. She knew she wouldn't catch anything today, but still paced along the shore, or crossed through the shallows, searching through the glittering water and occasionally making a half-hearted snap.

The water was cool, soothing to her skin in this hot weather, and the air was fresh from the recent rains. It was a welcomed respite from the draining tedium of motherhood. No suffocating den or wriggling cubs latched on like painful little leaches trying to bleed her dry. No need to push out affection that was so thin and hollow even babes could see right through. Sahalie and Drift were growing quickly, and didn't hungrily cry for her as often as they had in weeks prior. Spieden was catching onto the routine, knowing she would have well until noon before they would need her again.

Spieden did not expect to hear someone calling her name. No one ever came out looking for her. "Darrah?" She called back. Her uneven ears folded, grey freckled brow furrowing in a troubled expression that had frequently taken residence on her face as of late. Had something gone wrong? What else was there even left to go wrong? It would be just her luck for Triell to disappear or the cubs to starve to death or something equally horrid. And the worst part was, at this point, none of that would have surprised her now.

Spieden waded out of the water, ambling up the bank and shaking the water from her pelt. "What's wrong?" She asked, looking through the trees for Triell's son.

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

It hadn't crossed the young princes mind that seeking out his alpha, for the very first time, would raise confusion in any way. In fact, he was almost baffled by the woman's concerned tone. Nothing was wrong, or at the very least to his knowledge. Was everything okay with her? "U-uhmm.. N-nothing?" he glanced around, restlessly seeking something that would raise caution. Had he somehow been injured? Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, how obscure. "A-anyways.." stepping closer to the wolf, he pondered over how to word his thanks.

Shaking his raven head after quite an extended silence, the boy decided the best route would be to just come out with it. Spieden was surely a busy woman, and the Tainn would hate to waste her time. "Actually, It's about my new siblings.." he paused to study any change in expression."I guess I just want to thank you.." He smiled. "You didn't have to take over.. Nayeli's.. position, but you did." And why was that? Had she wanted pups of her own? The alpha hadn't struck him as the type, though how would he know? "Has my father given you his thanks yet?" Surely Triell had, these were his children! Although Darrah hadn't really seen all too much of his kin as of recent. Perhaps either or wouldn't be a shock.

As he waited for a response from his leader, he couldn't help but think about previous encounters with the woman. They've never had a one on one before, in fact, last time they were in distinct vicinity from each other, Darrah was throwing a hissy fit over the return of his mother. 'Tch, wonder if she remembers. How embarrassing.'

m

One king, One crown.

Darrah Tainn

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.

@Darrah

Spieden Coho

Spieden's troubled stare held as the boy stammered that nothing was wrong. It was hard for her to believe, and all that left was for her to wonder why in the world he had come looking for her then. Her paws shifted hesitantly underneath her, keeping her place as Darrah moved closer. She wasn't really the chatty type and so she didn't think Darrah had come looking for her just to talk about the weather.

Spieden's breath hitched and held when the young wolf mentioned he had come to talk about his siblings. Oh no. Spieden inwardly cringed, she thought she had been doing an... acceptable job given what she'd had to work with but was all too aware in the places she fell short as a caretaker. Her mind was swirling that she almost missed the next words out of his mouth, completely taken off guard. Her mouth dropped open, the crease of her brow remaining, but with confusion now instead of worry. Was he being sarcastic? He sure sounded earnest, and as far as she could tell, the smile on his inky muzzle was just as sincere.

"Oh... Uhm.. No problem." She mumbled while idly scuffing the ground with a forepaw, still looking puzzled and struggling to do something with the thanks.

"No, ahh... He didn't. We don't really, uh, talk or anything... You probably see him more than I do."  Spieden answered awkwardly. Taking care of his children hadn't really changed things between them, and if anything she avoided him now, ducking out whenever he came to check in. She did not want to see his disappointment at whatever mark she was leaving on the Drift and Sahalie.

I'm really sorry! Life's been chaotic! It shouldn't take me that long to respond again Dx.

As his alpha spoke, Darrah's stomach turned in a way most intolerable. 'What?' he could feel a soft growl wanting to escape his throat, but held back in hopes of not offending his company. Triell hadn't said his thanks? Was the alpha really that despicable? "I see.." He paused, wondering what could possibly be holding his father back from expressing such a necessary form of gratitude. These were his kids Spieden was raising, had that not mattered at all to him? The Prince would be sure to give his King a piece of his mind when the time came.

"No, I don't see him anymore either.." Sad to admit, but Darrah had seen about just as much of his Father as he had his mother upon her first return. There wasn't any explanation, or at least none that he could stir up, they were just growing.. distant. He'd like to blame Nayeli and her second disappearance, though the first time around hadn't done a thing to cease communication between himself and Triell, why would it be any different this time around? Perhaps the alpha was just too busy, worst case scenario perhaps he'd simply just stopped caring. Either way; the yearlings life would go on. Depression was a state he never planned on visiting again, especially by the paws of another family member.

"Does it bother you..? Triell.." Darrah wanted to play upon how ungrateful Triell was being, though knew he hadn't known Spieden well enough for such talk. "I'm shocked."

One king, One crown.

Darrah Tainn

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.

@Darrah

Spieden Coho

Spieden shifted with slight discomfort. It didn't really bother her, no. She was used to doing things without being asked nor thanked. That she wasn't ordered and took things on of her own volition was just enough of a reward for her. Whether or not anyone appreciated anything she did wasn't something she really lingered on.

However, what did bother her was that Triell was apparently just as distant with his own blood. He was attentive enough with his cubs, and she had assumed he was similarly close with his older children. There was nothing Spieden wouldn't give to see her family again, nothing she wouldn't do just to know if any of them were still alive. She could not begin to imagine what Triell's own demons were, but still could not empathize with his actions.

"No, not really, I mean... I don't really care, I'm not doing it for him." She replied with a shrug of her broad shoulders. Sahalie and Drift were the sole reason she went to the lengths she did. She couldn't let them die and that was that. Triell's opinion on the matter was of little consequence.

"He's... A bit odd. I can see why, losing his mate twice and all, but... I don't know." She said with a huff, paws shuffling beneath her to pace a few steps one way, then back the other. "He doesn't have to like me, that's fine. But I would have thought he would still be close with his own family... Does that bother you? That you guys never talk, I mean." She asked, curiously pressing. She didn't understand this family, and while she'd lived here a year and was even raising Tainn children, she felt like she never would. "Has he always been like that?"

Darrah frowned as the leader spoke. Triell had never once appeared disrespectful to the heir before, though they'd always been a little shaky with how close they were. Perhaps there was a side to the alpha male in which the young Tainn had yet to see, though that was a terrifying thought in it's own way. Bottom line, the father should have said thank you to the woman raising his children. Especially under circumstances in which they weren't hers by blood. The prince hadn't lost any anger toward the man, and would most certainly confront him about it given the chance. After all, what was there to lose?

Spieden's next words came as a bit of a shock to Darrah, as it hadn't been something he ever really thought about. In fact, it was something he made tremendous efforts to never think about. "I-i...... W-ell.." stammering, the prince's ears lowered a bit. Had anyone else approached him with the question he definitely wouldn't have given an answer, though this was his alpha and that simply wasn't an option. "In a way.. I suppose.." the raven-coated wolf attempted to stay vague. "H-hes always... been sort of like that, I think.." nervously, the prince began to glance around his surroundings, purposely avoiding eye contact with the leader.

"I guess the best way to describe it.." Darrah murmured, knowing it'd only be polite to give her more of a response than what he'd already expressed. "He's very.. particular about when he want's to be close to us.. Sadly he's not really up for conversation most of the time..." Or was that just with him? Come to think of it, the prince hadn't the slightest idea how close Triell was with his sister. Perhaps being reclusive was something he'd only done to his son. "But just like you.. I guess I just don't really care..."

One king, One crown.

Darrah Tainn

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.

@Darrah One more post each?

Spieden Coho

The boy started glancing around like he was looking for an escape route. Spieden inwardly winced, she didn't mean to put the kid on the spot like that. As an authority figure in the pack she really didn't want to make a habit of inadvertently squeezing answers out of everyone. Spieden backed up slightly, letting her eyes wander from his form so that he might not find her so intimidating. She almost told him to nevermind, but somewhat surprisingly he continued speaking, managing to stammer out a stilted answer.

Spieden would have thought that Triell wasn't always so reclusive, that so many hardships would have changed him. But from what Darrah was saying it seemed like Triell had always been like that, at least for as long Darrah had been alive. Which wasn't all too surprising to Spieden and wasn't really anything she couldn't have figured out on her own, but hearing it from his children gave her just the tiniest peek over the rosebush into the Tainn garden.

"I see... I'm sorry about that," She said sympathetically. To her Darrah sure didn't seem like he "didn't really care", but she had already pushed things enough and didn't need to keep digging. "Well, thanks, for the... thanks." She said with a small smile.

A splash sounded out from the water behind her, Spieden's ears folding against her skull and her shoulders flinching as she looked back over her shoulder. She glanced towards the water, seeing something silvery shimmy through the center of the creek; that must have been the one that had gotten away. Her grizzled head swung back towards Darrah, "Well, I better get back to it... Those fish aren't going to catch themselves. You're... welcome to join me, if you want." She offered.

(This post was last modified: Sep 07, 2015, 06:09 PM by Spieden.)

Sounds good!

The woman apologized, and even though he hadn't really seen the need in her doing so, the prince nodded in conclusion. Being close with the Tainn bloodline or not, Darrah was almost positive that he'd turned out alright thus far. After all, he had Drestig and other influential elders to guide him down a path of success. Who needed strong bonds with parents? Not this guy. <b?"No problem."</b> returning the smile, his tail began to wag ever so slowly, pleased with her gratitude. "You deserve it."

It was quite a pleasant sight watching his alpha nonchalantly excite herself over a simple act such as fishing, and he was overzealous with the invitation to join her, though unfortunately Darrah knew he still had quite a few things on his to-do list for the day. "Ah, I'd love to, but..." with a sigh, the heir bowed in appreciation. "I've got quite a few tasks to accomplish today, though I'd love to take a rain check.." it was rather disappointing to decline such a wonderful offer, though the Tainn couldn't help but wonder if perhaps this meant he was finally growing up a bit. 'Choosing work over play, just who am I?' snorting at himself, the yearling turned to show that he intended upon making an exit soon.

"I'd hate to ask you this Spieden, but..." thinking of the proper way to word what he'd say next, Darrah only hoped she'd understand. "Please continue to raise my siblings for a while... They've grown quite accustom to you.. And I'm positive there's not a single wolf out there who'd do a better job.." sheepishly smiling, the prince hoped he hadn't overstepped some boundaries with the request. "You're an amazing leader, and even though it probably wasn't in your plans, an amazing mother too. I would have been lucky to have you as a pup."

I curse the blue skies.

Darrah Tainn

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.