Secret Woodlands Heart of Silver Heart of Gold

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

They had moved as quickly as possible and had made it there the fastest they could. He was surprised to find that Nina was not the first one to arrive. In the shadows, a younger man was, watching them. There was no greeting and Ash had to keep a snort of amusement from escaping his muzzle. It was certainly something he would have done. After that note, it wasn’t too long after that Nina arrived, her body movement graceful and looking very much like she belonged where she was. She seemed pleased enough to see them and Ash’s tail wagged in encouragement behind him, looking towards his sister with a respectful nod of his head. His tail and posture remained neutral, something that he knew he would have to get use to within Secret Woodlands, if Nina was to grant them entrance. His wife was the first to speak and Ash let her do her part. She seemed quite emotional and it was at that time that the man decided to take over for her. Clearing his throat, he stepped closer, watching the other woman who had come to stand by Nina’s side. Ash did not recognize her but nodded his head towards her as well as he proceeded to speak. ”We did not have enough members to sustain ourselves and it was clear that we had to disband. We are all here to ask if we could be a part of Secret Woodlands. We will all do our parts accordingly and work hard as if it were our own.” He paused then, making eye contact with his sister before proceeding. He wanted to make this last part perfectly clear to her. ”I will be honest and tell you that I am not planning on having to remain with you for long, dear sister. But until my wife and I figure something out, we, and our children, need somewhere to stay…and of course, serve under you, Milady.” He waited then, his mossy green eyes connected with his sister’s. He was pleading with her, practically begging her to help them. They were family and she had made it clear to him that family mattered. He could only hope that she would prove that now.

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

The boy silently waited along with his parents and siblings for someone to arrive. A strange woman came first, and he cocked his head curiously. Was this the famous 'Nina' that his father had spoken of? His father had told them of this woman, saying that Nina was his sister and their aunt. She looked nice, but had that same look that his mother got when Nineva ran off time and time again. His brows furrowed in concentration, but his thought process was broken as his mother began to speak. Something tugged at his heart, and he looked up at his mom. She sounded so sad...Why wasn't dad doing anything? Korrin immediately went to his mother, his rusty form waving between her legs. His muzzle bumping affectionately against her left foreleg, and the boy ached to take away the sadness in his mother's voice. If this was the Nina that dad always talked about, they would be okay. Right? The boy looked up at his father than when he began to speak. The boy had his question answered when his father labeled Nina as his sister, and the boy's tail wagged lightly in happiness. So this was his aunt. His curious, green gaze wavered when another woman he hadn't noticed before caught his attention. He didn't smile though, because to him she was still a stranger. But she seemed to be Nina's friend. The boy was confused, and made a mental note to ask his parents later. Redirecting his attention towards his father, he moved from his mother's form and pressed his growing body against his father's massive frame. Would this be their new home? It was odd, for he had only ever known his parents kingdom. Did his aunt have the same rules as his parents? Was her family nice? These were questions Korrin was eager to have an answer to, but for now he would listen to - for once - the interesting adult talk. "speech ”Speech”

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Mirren despised being late, but the trek from the opposite end of the thicket had taken time enough.

The call at the borders was little different than others like it, but when the swarthy Tainn arrived on the scene it was apparent that something significant had happened ─ and he was surprised to come upon not one caller, but an entire family. The Leader approached from the depths of the forest with questioning eyes, glancing over the lot of them ─ Nina and Aideen included ─ carefully. They were mostly unfamiliar faces, though he could clearly draw a likeness between Nina and her brother, their relation unknown to him.

He'd been within earshot to catch most of the father's explanation ─ that their pack had been unable to sustain themselves and that they had come here seeking admittance, though he admitted himself that they weren't planning to stay. With summer behind them all and winter well on the way, the Woodlands wolves would be foolish to turn away able bodied hunters. On the other hand, being the loyal, lawful creature that he was, Mirren certainly didn't like the sound of a handful of strangers sweeping though his home and departing on a whim, whenever that might be. Something about the thought of living among them knowing they were not a permanent fixture of the pack made him question the divide that situation would create. Yet, as he glanced briefly over the children ─ some of them Lyanna's own age ─ the man knew full and well that turning them away and what that could mean for the little ones would be hardly justifiable.

Having missed the initial greeting (or perhaps lack thereof) and some of the conversation between the queen and their company, he drew to Nina's side opposite of Aideen as those gathered continued to converse. He wore his dominance as well as neutrality as naturally as the sky was blue, the stoical mask on his face expressionless, for now. 

Unitas stayed hidden until the scent of his mother rolled over the boys pitch black muzzle. At her touch he rumbled a little whine while looking at the other wolves. Then he glanced up at his mother with a half smile glad that she had showed up so soon. His tail wagged twice as the warmth of her coat warmed his side. When Nina moved out of the underbrush and headed towards the little family Unitas followed slowly but surely. He revealed himself cautiously while staring down the wolves before him. If they were going to walk upon the entrance of his domain Tas wasn't going to be happy about it. From his placement opposite the little pups Tas then sat there silently and listened to the words that were then exchanged. He almost let an annoyed snort escape his muzzle as the silver she wolf. She seemed very familiar with his mother, and that ticked the dark wolf off. Then the reddish brown male began speaking, and one word in particular caught Unitas attention. The burly male had called Unitas's mother "sister". Wait wait wait.. back up the conversation a moment. That big buffalo is my uncle? Unitas looked at Ash with narrowed eyes. The male was huge, with a ton of muscle and strong thick limbs. It was those slanted green eyes, the same as Nina's one good eye, that Tas teal orbs settled upon for a moment before looking away. Then he glanced to the pups huddling around the tall she moose. They gray woman would be my aunt then.. and the pups... My cousins? His eyes switched to the burly gray male with the ugly scars on his face. That wolf he could not tell if it was related to him or not. Then he looked over to Mirren as the leader settled near Nina. Great another wolf I don't want around... Unitas huffed before getting up and padding around the little family investigating their scents. He paused near the pups, Rose in particular, before wrinkling his nose at the scent of wet damp earth and cold stone. Wherever they had come from Tas hated the smell of it. He much preferred the woodland wolves pack scent of herb and moldy leaf litter. Then the black Hervok continued prowling around the family stopping to scent Ash lastly. "Speech"

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Nina’s members were ever faithful to her. Most of them were quick to answer her call and she did not hesitate to show her acceptance of their presence. She listened to wait her sister-in-law and brother had to say, her face showing her obvious concern for them. It seemed that Whisper Caverns was not as well off as Nina assumed they were. She had also not been informed of how they had been when Deacon had come for a visit, being lost in her own world of misery. Her tail swayed comfortably above her back now as she listened to them, observing the children that they came with. When Mirren arrived, Nina pressed an affectionate kiss to his cheek, letting him know that she was happy that he was there with her. He had done all he could to get her back on her feet and she would be in debt to him.

Turning back towards the Cavern wolves, Nina spoke smoothly, knowing well that even if her decision were not approved by the pack at first, they would come to accept what she had decided. Clearing her throat, she spoke clearly to her friends, "All of you are family to me…and it would be a dishonor to you and myself if I denied any of you. You are all welcome here and may stay here as long as you need to until you find common grounds, as long as you abide by my rules and do your fair share." She was pleased with this, her single gaze moving to look at Mirren before she stepped forward to mark the Cavern wolves as the Woodlands. As she stepped away, her single eye remained on the children for a moment, curious as to how they were going to find their own members. In a matter of minutes, a devious smirk set on the golden queen’s face.  Turning towards Narimé, Nina addressed her firmly, "My dear, might I have a word with you?" With a nod from Nari, a small smile flashed onto the woman’s face before she turned to address her pack mates that gathered. "I trust that you will make my brother and his family feel at home and show them around? I must have words with Lady Lagina." Her tail swayed high above her back as she said this, her single eye looking towards Mirren one last time before she disappeared into the thickets with Nari hot on her tail.

{NINA EXIT}

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

Korrin came to her, as he always did when she was in need for comfort. Unfortunately, this was something her russet brother would not be able to fix for her. For his sake, she returned his smile, but the moment he had left her side again it vanished as quickly as if it had never existed to begin with. Their father was calling out, beckoning someone to them, and she came to realize this was their new home. Disgust shone darkly in her mismatched eyes, the terrain absolutely nothing like that of her beloved home. A tantrum began to brew within the pit of her stomach, but she fought it down, refusing to resort to Rose's usual tactics. It was clear that her actions were still thoroughly garnering reactions, however, and she found herself steadily despising it more and more. The attention made her feel likened to least favorite sibling, it made her feel shameful, but mostly it reinforced that as much as everyone coddled her, no matter how many nice words passed from their lips, they could not give her what she wanted. They could not fix a single thing. Yuka's voice surprised her when it entered the air, for her brother was not very vocal and she had come to accept this. When he did speak, she listened intently, but as his words tumbled into her ears she felt her dismay grow, for it seemed that not even he understood her. Home is where the heart is, he told her. Why couldn't any of them see that they had left her heart behind in the dust of the Caverns? She shied away from him even then, separating herself from the entirety of her family. Even the arrival of others did not spark her interest. The girl did not care about this queen and king, nor whatever extended family may reside within the thicket. She did not value the immense kindness Nina was doing her family, for she could not fully understand the futility that had chased them from their home. Through it all, the explanation, the acceptance, Nineva remained withdrawn into her shell. It wasn't until Narime was asked to come separately with this new queen that Nineva livened, the thought of them dissipating enough to shake the anger away from her for a moment. She attempted to follow, she couldn't let mother be left alone, but she was kept from it, and as Mirren lead into the depths of this new residence, Nineva could only watch the image of her mother fade from her lacking vision as the deal was sealed; she no longer had a home.

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