Whisper Caverns Hello again, old friend

Namid and @Desideria have arrived to request and alliance! Please only @Ash and @Narimé for this one. Note: Namid and Desideria are a respectable distance away from the borders of Whisper Caverns, not within them.

I HAVE LOVED THE STARS TOO FONDLY

TO BE FEARFUL OF THE NIGHT

Namid’s paws brought her across now familiar lands, much more recognizable now that there wasn’t a few feet of snow blanketing their marks. She shuddered at the memory of those long cold months alone, without much of a soul to talk to until she came across Vespertio who then inevitably saved her life after her drop. In the aspect of everything, there had to have been a reason for her to have gotten lost in that first blizzard. If she had had the spiritual heart that her mother and brother had developed, she might have said that it had been the Ancestors guiding her to where she was truly meant to be. But, she had taken more after her father’s wandering spirit and eye for knowledge instead. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the heritage that she came from, quite the opposite in fact, but…in the end everything that went with it simply hadn’t interested her as much. She believed more in fate, that Fallen Tree Cove was always where she was meant to be in the end.

The day before they had left at about mid-day, her and @”Desideria”. She’d thought it best to take her subordinate because of what she aspired to be. She’d need to know the lands around them, and also need to see how a proper interaction between packs needed to go. A scout was a messenger, and if they didn’t have the proper etiquette things could go south quickly. She’d planted kisses on each of her children’s heads, answering any questions they might have had and lingering with Vespertio. They’d said their good-byes, offering more kisses before heading out. They made their way through the Sacred Grove directly below the mountain, then from there they had traveled to the edge of the marsh. They’d rested that night in a small hollow before moving on, now successfully coming upon the border she recognized still well. There weren’t as many scents there, she found, as there had been when she’d left and that fact alarmed her. A small frown tugged at her muzzle in concern, but she stopped a respectable distance from the border. This would surely be different from before, for she was coming to Narime as an equal now and not as a subordinate. Still, she would treat her with the respect she deserved for Namid did indeed respect the woman greatly.

Turning her attention to her friend she motioned for her to stand a foot or so behind the queen. “Hopefully this will go without incident. Narime is an old friend of mine, and we are here to respectfully ask for an alliance. Please sit back and listen and I will do all of the talking. Your only job is to take notes on the interaction, and god forbid if they attack we will run not fight back. Do you understand this?” she said, her voice kind but still solid. She didn’t need her friend trying to defend her, and despite the big heart that she had she would need to let Namid handle this no matter where things went. With Desideria’s confirmation, the pale queen lifted her muzzle to the air and emitted a friendly call for Narime and Ash for they both should be there for that moment. Then, she allowed her stance to shift to an open and friendly manor. They were at another pack’s doorstep, not their own and it would do no good for her to express any form of dominance.

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Ash had been in such a good mood as of late. His beautiful wife and children were alive, healthy, and still remained in the pack. All of his children were healthy, though it had become quite obvious to him that one of the children had been cursed with the Hervok trait of blindness. Luckily, it was only in one eye, much like his little sister, Eva. It disappointed the large man to know that his little sister had disappeared from the lore. After all, they were the only three that had broken away from their crazy father. Luckily, it was only in one eye, much like his little sister, Eva. It disappointed the large man to know that his little sister had disappeared from the lore. After all, they were the only three that had broken away from their crazy father. Unfortunately, they had needed to leave their family members behind and now Nina was the only kin he could turn to. He had ended up loving her dearly after all they had been through and Ash could only love her more for acknowledging that she had such a large heart. One large enough to accept him for his wrongdoings. The only problem was, he still had a temper and when set off had no control of it. When an eerily familiar call echoed from the borders, Ash felt his shoulder muscles tense, his eyebrows creasing. Usually when he recognized a call, it could never be good, or it was someone who really should not have been there. Especially considering that the woman calling knew both Narimé and himself. Snorting, Ash turned towards where the call had sounded and pushed his way towards where the woman had called. His body moved effortlessly through the territory, having become quite familiar with it during his ruling. When he arrived at the borders, his posture was erect and overbearing, as usual. Mossy green eyes found Namid quickly and a memory of the woman was quick to flood back into his mind. Pulling his lips back into a scowl, Ash’s mossy green eyes narrowed into suspicious slits, moving his eyes to briefly glance at the woman’s companion. His voice was gruff as he spoke to her, ”I thought I made it clear that we don’t treat deserters kindly…?” His did not let up on his hostility, wanting to know the reason why Namid would possibly think she was welcome back.

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I think I've finally seen the light..in you.

Her day had been a nice one so far. The children kept her amused and busy for the first half of the day. Then she handed them off to Yuka for a short time to get a drink and food for herself. When she came back the woman had found Nineva and Korrin tussling again and Rose trying tattling on her siblings to her. Nari couldn't help but enjoy the normal life she was living right now. She hoped that it would never end, but in her heart Nari knew that eventually it would. One way or another the happiness would sour. Even if things did stay nice for a long while her children would still grow up. Time does not stop for anybody, not even for a queen. Unfortunately a howl from the border had turned her day from good to bad as Nari recognizes the howl. Namid had been a former pack member, and was well liked by the silver woman until she wolf with two different colored eyes disappeared. Now only rage burned in her belly as Nari once more left the pups with Yuka. She turns and begins to run to the border. Her legs tense and ripple as the muscles work hard to get the gray wolf from the center of her territory to the edges. Wind whips past her face and sounds white noise into the wolf's ears. Only the beating of her heart could be heard over the noise of the wind. Upon arriving to the scene a dark snarl leaves the queens twisted angry muzzle. She can scent that of a pack on Namid, and the woman seemed whole and healthy. Nari's fur sticks outwards as the woman lifts her head. She stands at full height, taller than even her mate, and stares venomously down at Namid. Ash's words keep Narime mostly quiet as she waits for the Star Dancer to answer the Hervok alpha. She didn't want to actually attack until she knew what had happened to Namid and why she didn't at least tell them that she was leaving.

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If she was being completely honest, and often the rogue had difficulty being anything but when reflecting with herself, it had surprised Desideria that the alpha had actually requested her to make this journey outside their pack's lands. While she had been working hard, very hard, to earn a role among the group, the small female had come to fear for her position after that…incident with Noble. While she had ultimately sided with her queen, it had taken her a moment to actually process the situation – perhaps more damning, the woman panicked at the suggestion of a fight, all but collapsing in on herself when violence reared its ugly head. For days, she had avoided her only female friend in the group, fearful she'd upset the Star Dancer – instead, she dedicated herself to her duties all the more. If nothing else, the timber wolf wished to be a good subordinate – truly, being a good girl was all she wanted. Despite this, Namid's call had her cringing and slinking from her little hidey hole. And yet, her friend deserved much more credit than that, for the scout in training was called upon to do her job. Her future job, but a job nonetheless. Silently, Desideria swore to herself that she would not, under any circumstance, let the Star Dancer down. When they arrived at the borders of Whisper Caverns, she drew to a halt, moving easily to the spot Namid indicated for her. "Quiet here," the rogue noted as she took her place, tail low and features quiet. The woman nodded at the directions, only hesitating at the notion she was not supposed to defend her Queen, but nodded all the same afterwards. "Yes, I understand. I'll keep notes," she hummed. Fortunately, the woman seemed to be able to keep her word – once the two alphas approached, the scout only offered them each a respectful nod. Not a single peep escaped from her, even as Ash opted to speak so poorly of her queen. Ears swept backwards at the notion of desertion, but Des willfully held her tongue. I will not fail again!

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I HAVE LOVED THE STARS TOO FONDLY

TO BE FEARFUL OF THE NIGHT

Quickly, as she suspected they would, Ash and Narime arrived to the scene. Ash being the first, his posture was anything but friendly. The pale queen stiffened for a moment, auds swiveling and straining forward and mismatched gaze giving a wide-eyed blink before she took a breath to collect herself and relax. Though she had a feeling Narime would likely not harm her, Ash was a different story. She didn’t know him quite as well as the queen whom she’d served a term under second from, and even his fiery coat suggested to his nature. The scowl was hard on his muzzle, posture stiff and powerful but she did not cower beneath it. Of course, she still remained respectful but she reminded herself that they were equals.                 The Cavern’s matriarch’s snarl was a bit of a blow to Namid, and a small frown slipped to curl at the edges of her lips. ”I thought I made it clear that we don’t treat deserters kindly…?” he said, and suddenly her face registered shock. Not once had she suspected that they might take her as a traitor, a deceitful thing that had made her bed in their homes then promptly abandoned it. That was something that the Star Dancer was not, something she made sure of after her past.

Namid allowed a dip of her head to both, mismatched gaze flashing over to do a quick check on her subordinate who seemed to be doing the same. “Hello, Ash and Narime. I am glad to see you are both doing so well,” she said, her voice calm and thoughtful. She allowed her gaze to trail between the two, debating how she should go about this before a small sigh left her lips. Nothing but the truth would be needed here, for no doubt both were looking for answers.

“I know my disappearance may have seemed suspicious, but…it was not something that I had planned. Whisper Caverns was my home, a place that I did not know I had longed for since being torn from my own.” she said gently. Her gaze drifted to the side as she remembered the day she was lost from the caverns, her frown only deepening. “I had gone out to see if I could perhaps catch a hare, but the search brought me past the borders. There had been dark clouds in the distance, but I had thought that I could make it back before the snow set in. The storm came fierce, drowning my sight and my senses. It was a foolish thing I did but…I decided to try and find my way back to the borders. All sense of direction I had had been taken by the storm, I could not have seen a few feet in front of me. When it finally ended, nothing around me was familiar and the blizzard had washed away all tracks. I went back out, completely lost but with a will to want to join you again. It happens that I went the wrong direction after being driven into parts unknown, and further blizzards pushed me even farther to what I know realize was the north. I wandered for months searching for the Caverns again, you must believe me. It was all I had wanted, even when the blizzards drove away the prey from my path and I was lucky to eat a hare perhaps every two weeks or more. I grew disoriented and managed my way up the mountain east of here. It was there I had the misfortune of stepping on an over-hanging snow drift and plummeting down the side of the mountain. I escaped major injuries but still managed a severely sprained paw, which…in my state I would have…” Namid said, trailing off. As she took memory of those horrible months, the ones she tried to forget about, her head had little by little lowered. She could feel the shame in her soul, the shame that came with her ignorance and broken promises to not only Rook but Narime as well.

“I was rescued by an Alpha that resided there. He took me to his pack despite my injury and that it was still the winter, when he knew that I would not be able to provide the pack food but simply take from it. He nursed me while my leg was all but useless, and even then I had every intention of coming back to you. But…it seemed that in the end I had found a home in him as well. The previous matriarch had abandoned them, leaving them for dead and he asked of me to fill that role. Narime, Ash, I am sorry for what I have done. I am offering my deepest apologies for not coming sooner, and…I understand if you hate me. I remember those who left you while I was in your ranks, and I remember each one a slap in the face as I have felt the same within the ranks of my own. I just…I wanted to come and try and set things straight. You both deserve that much respect,” she said quietly, ears folded back. It was a risky thing, for an alpha such as herself to be showing such weakness. But, they needed to know what she said was true and that wouldn’t come with having a stiff posture and challenging aura. Namid just needed to be herself, and perhaps…perhaps in the end they might understand. She could only hope, truly hope.

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The older she got, the more autonomy she was given, and it was best to believe that Nineva would take full advantage of each and every liberty. With age came too better ability to reason, her mind growing sharper and sharper with each experience, and she knew now that the best way to go about doing what she wanted was to obey her parents' rulings and earn the trust needed to be allowed to do such things. Sometimes, this was frustrating. Sometimes, she wasn't perfect and still bent the rules just a little bit, but mostly Nineva was turning out to be much better behaved as she aged. Her parents told her of the world, answering her many questions to the extent of their knowledge which, at this point, seemed quite limitless. Everything told to her was swallowed whole as undeniable truth, as she was not yet able to witness and pass her judgment upon the world. Even if they spoke of heliolatry and preached to her of the might of the sun, she would very well believe it to be a god and bow as it rose each morning. So as they warned her of the outside, of what lay beyond her parents strong and ever-comforting scent markers, it instilled a healthy dose of fear within her concerning anything that came from that unknown expanse. Yet while curiosity may have killed the cat, satisfaction brought it back again. When the call was received by her bat-like ears, she had meant to stay away. After all, she could reasonably assume that that was what her parents would want and expect of her. Yet the opportunity was far too juicy for her to pass up. After all, there were so many questions that immediately rose to the surface of her mind the instant those melodic notes drummed against her brain, and she craved the answers. Thus, Nineva struck out for the border where she could best guess the howl had originated from. Luckily for the pup, she was already close by, and did not run past even a whiff of @Korrin or @Rose , who both would've tried to stop her. Instead, she came upon the scene just as Namid began her unnerved speech. Overestimating her own skills in stealth, Nineva, who had approached from the right of both parties, crept low to her stomach and hide under the cover of thick brush. Her body was hidden, this she knew, but the little girl didn't think about how easily her scent might travel. Mismatched eyes peered through the shadow-casting branches, and her nose wriggled as it tried to assess everything it could about these strangers. Everything was compared to what she already knew, which was a little limited given the few wolves remaining within Whisper Caverns. Still, she could see that the ruddy colored woman paid deference to the other stranger with her posture, and that while the pretty one radiated kindness and amiability, she also was not being mindful of her height as Yuka and Deacon did when in her parents' company. This left Nineva assuming that wherever she came from, she must be the leader. The leader of another pack... there are others! But how many? Where are they? What are they like, could we be friends? The questions seemed to never end. But perhaps, most importantly of all, were the colors of the foreign queen's eyes. A smile appeared upon Nineva's mouth as her tail began to wag, and a butterfly fluttered its way up through her stomach and into her throat. She had noticed, and Rose in all of her grace had been quick to point out, that while her siblings eyes were changing to reflect their final colors (as their parents had explained), her own were doing something quite different. Korrin's at the time were teal, a mixture of what has been since birth and what will one day be. Rose's retained the blue, but were darkening as the sky did each night. Nineva's, however, were changing in two different ways. As one eye intensified in its cerulean nature, the other was slowly becoming void of all color. Her parents had told her it was nothing to be concerned about, but being alone in something so different was still unsettling, especially when you had a bratty sister who couldn't filter her thoughts from her words. To see this trait reflected in an adult was absolutely breath taking to Nineva. Now, more than ever, she wanted to meet this woman herself, to ask her what it was like to have different eyes and if anyone ever pointed it out and teased her. Yet she was still talking, and it would be utterly rude to interrupt whatever business it was she had with the Hervok regime, and so the little girl sat determinedly tight. Patience, Nineva.Briefly her eyes flicked to her parents before returning to the speaker, but what this quick glimpse had caught caused her to double take and return her eyes to them. Both of them looked angrier than she'd ever seen them, and her father was practically snarling. To see that level of disgust in his eyes shocked her completely, as even when he was disciplining the children there was nothing but love in those electric green eyes. Suddenly, her thoughts on this woman changed drastically, for if her parents were so upset by her presence then certainly nothing good could come of her. More determined now to sniff out what exactly this was all about, Nineva once more leveled her gaze upon the diplomats, resolutely listening to each and every word. It was easy to follow, as it was much like a story, though a bit more detailed and grounded than the ones told to her for her and her siblings' entertainment. Still, it was the beginning of it all that fixated her attention. She had left the pack, that was what her parents were mad with her for, and if they were so upset about it then it must have been a very serious crime. As the woman continued on, Nineva also understood that what she was doing was submitting a plea for why her bad behavior should be excused, just as the little girl tried to reason with her parents each time she was caught doing what she wasn't supposed to. Each and every time, her parents had been firm. Would that continue now? Or were some trespasses excusable? The outcome was crucial to Nineva's understanding of leadership and the way law worked, and thus she waited with baited breath for her parents' judgment.

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(This post was last modified: Aug 15, 2015, 04:25 PM by Nineva.)

The fiery man was generally extremely firm when it dealt with traitors of the pack. Of course, every once and awhile there would be an exception. Usually, every time, these seemed to be women and sometimes it made Ash doubt his ability to remain levelheaded in the presence of them. When it came to his children, he knew that he could not let up, it was how they learned what was right and wrong. He had learned this when he had practically been a father to Belladonna when she was little and had neglected taking care of Datura as well. It was probably one of his biggest regrets over his reign on Poison Path. Perhaps if he would have done better, everything would be in its right place. But then if he had changed things he would have never been in Whisper Caverns and he would not have been happy. Namid did not have a chance to answer his question because Narimé arrived looking equally, if not more, pissed off that Namid was at their borders. It appeared that she had brought one of her pack mates. The fact that Namid’s posture did not seem to budge only angered him more and his anger did not diminish. Not even when the ever present scent of his daughter drifted passed his nostrils. A small growl left his muzzle at the realization that Nineva was most likely nearby and would, no doubt, hear the words passing between the wolves. The creamy wolf’s greeting was calm and collected, a steep contrast to the greeting she had received from the two Cavern’s alphas. The Hervok continued to listen, his body tense and hostile. As her tale continued, for a split moment his eyes shifted, looking towards Nari for confirmation that she was still there and it was not someone else standing next to him. A blizzard was what took Namara away from him, or at least, that’s what he told himself it was. He did not want to believe that she had just left, especially once they had sealed their bond. Shaking the memory from his mind, Ash’s mossy green eyes strayed away from his wife and back towards Namid, his lips still curled back in a scowl. Namid’s claim of injury made sense but it still angered Ash greatly that she had waited until now to find them and apologize. It could not have taken her that long to realize that she had entered the lore again. And they certainly were not too far away from the mountains. In fact, if it were not for the trees that covered their territory, Ash was sure he would have been able to see the outline of them now. Or perhaps, that was just because he missed the mountains and could tell from her scent that it was where she was. There was a certain longing for him to return there, his soul belonged there, but his heart remained with Narimé and that was where he would stay. When the other woman had finished her pity tale, the mossy green eyes held no pity, just a keen disinterest in what the woman had just said. It still bothered him that it had been quite some time for her to wait, and Ash made sure that he made this known to the other woman. ”So why come and apologize now? It has been…what…almost an entire cycle of seasons since the last time we saw you?” The man’s eyes were cold, something he had become use to from being in Poison Path. Never had he bothered being this insensitive since he had come to Whisper Caverns, not even when he had been dealing with Minka. Quietly, he waited for a response, hoping that his wife’s feelings would not be too affected by his coldness.

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I think I've finally seen the light..in you.

Narime kept calm as Namid went on to answer Ash's query. Her silver banner raised then fell as the she wolf with two different colored eyes goes on to explain how she disappeared during the winter. Narime seethes inside but unlike Ash, who shows his anger very visually, she keeps her outward appearance calm and even accepting of Namid's words. Then Nari leans into Ash trying to calm him while looking down at Namid.   ”Now now Ash. She's given us a perfectly good explanation as to why she wasn't able to get back to us...” The woman cooed to the Hervok man before the scent of Nineva invaded her nostrils. She glances towards Nineva and gives the pup a warning stare for a moment before looking back to Namid. Then she casually takes a few steps towards Namid quickly getting herself between Namid, Desidarius, and Nineva. Then she smiles warmly to the other gray she wolf as Ash speaks once more. Everything he said was entirely true, and Nari had already thought about how much time Namid could have come to them to tell how she was safe and sound. ”We lost many members during the winter. Those who left voluntarily without telling us are smart in my mind. They know we won't forgive them.  ” Narime smiled and shrugged to Namid. ”My question is are you stupid enough to come here and try to ask forgiveness when you didn't come to us immediately to say that you were okay? ” Nari turned her gaze to Namid and gave the woman a venomous glare. Her hackles began to raise as she looked over Namid.  ”We spent valuable resources looking for every member who went missing. I think Ash can agree with me when I say you are not welcome here.” She let her lips raise to show off her sharp teeth then her ears flicked forward offensively. She wanted to outright attack the woman, but not with Nineva right there. Nineva was the only reason the silver she wolf kept herself planted to the ground where she stood.

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Things were tense. Even a blind wolf could see that Namid did not get whatever welcome she was expecting from the Whisper Cavern alphas. No sooner had the discussion began than did a small, gray puppy make an appearance. While she said nothing, the scout in training could feel her heart begin to race, August eyes switching rapidly from the child to her parents. Why was the girl here, so close to the borders? While Desideria knew than neither she nor the Star Dancer would ever lay a single paw upon the girl, they’d given no reason for the alphas to trust them. The subordinate swallowed and fought back the urge to retreat, aware that her own Queen had yet to move. And if she thought things were bad, they were only getting worse. Ash’s questions seemed valid, though laced with venom – it was Narimé who offered threats with a smile, as if she wouldn’t have a second thought about raining down pain upon the pair who stood before her. Autumn eyes grew wider as the timber wolf glanced between the Caverns alphas and her own lady, the tail behind her limbs twitching uneasily. Both the wolves before them were much larger, and older too. They inevitably had more years under their belt, which probably meant more years scuffling. While Namid had come in hopes of an alliance, it seemed that wasn’t up for offer, and Dezzy had very little interest in finding herself on the wrong end of an alpha’s tooth or talon. (This seemed to happen far more than she would like.) Inching forward, she sought to stand closer to Namid, all while keeping her shoulders low and gazing lower. The scout in training meant no harm – she simply thought now was a good time to get gone.

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I HAVE LOVED THE STARS TOO FONDLY

TO BE FEARFUL OF THE NIGHT

Things were only turning from bad to worse, with the posture of both Narime and Ash looking close to attacking her. However, her tension only grew worse as the scent of a pup come into the air. Mismatched gaze slid sideways as she was able to catch the pelt of a silver youth before it snapped back to the duo. It seemed that she had not been the only one who had been busy that spring. She didn’t want it to come to blows, especially not in front of someone so young. She wouldn’t want her own children to see such a thing from her, and despite the situation she knew that Narime wouldn’t want that either. Perhaps that was the reason that neither had made a move other than Desideria, who had anxiously moved a bit closer to her flank. She gave the woman a quick glance, a simple look to be sure that she wasn’t doing anything to aggravate things but all she saw was anxiety in those golden eyes. She knew just as well as the woman that their best bet was to leave, and so she knew she would.

With the current happenings, Namid’s motherly instincts told her that she should not be outing the existence of her children. Nothing good would come of it, not until they were older and able to defend themselves. ”I did come here hoping to ask for your forgiveness, but certainly not to make an enemy of you. I realize now that it was a mistake to seek that, but I still feel I owe you at least the respect of an explanation which I have given.” Namid stated. Her posture did not go above theirs, but she did allow herself to straighten more. If they weren’t going to be at least partially understanding to her, she felt no reason to bow to their feet. The statement that she was not welcome there stung slightly, but it wasn’t something she hadn’t guessed during the encounter. Whisper Caverns was a piece of her past, but now it was not her home. She had lost a friend, but at least she had not lost her home. Not again. “We will be leaving now, I thank you for your time.” the woman stated respectfully, taking steps backwards and giving a nod to Desideria that they were moving out. She didn’t yet feel comfortable turning her back to them, and it was only when they were a little ways away that she finally turning and disappeared into the trees.

Exit.

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