Cedarwood Forest dodging bullets with your broken past

Putting this up now so I don't have to ask for a bunch of loner docks to get removed/Nineva doesn't look too dead.
For @Kenelm and @Rook only. Takes place the day after this thread.

After a deep, restful night of sleep curled up against her savior and a succulent breakfast caught for her by the same man, Nineva was rejuvenated and once more filled with excitement. She couldn't live alone in the caverns, she knew that now, and certainly if her parents couldn't make it with just them and Yuka then Kenelm wouldn't be able to take care of her alone. The young girl wished dearly that she was older and able to provide for herself, and her new goal set included hurrying this process along. Until then, however, she would have to make do with living nearby and keeping an eye on her beloved home. Thus, together with Kenelm's tracking abilities and Nineva's faint recollection, they had taken the day to complete the journey to the borders of Grizzly Hollow. Though this half of the journey had been tiring just the same as the first leg (though a little less given the lack of utter panic and the horrors of nearly falling to her death), she was vibrating with energy as she began to pick up on the scents of the Hollow wolves. Prancing ahead of her guardian, she almost forgot to be mindful of the boundaries that were marked. However as the stench of them grew almost palpably thick, the girl swiftly remembered and pedalled backward. Her rump made contact with Kenelm's forelimb, and she craned her neck backward over her shoulders to gaze up at him. "Ready, uncle Kenny?" she asked him with a broad grin. She certainly was.

faestock @DA, Whimseystock @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

After the... exciting turn of events the previous night had taken, Kenelm had found sleep came to him far more easily once he had found a safe place to curl up and spend the rest of the night with little Nineva - though he had still awakened before the pup did the next morning. He'd considered sweeping away then to hunt for the two of them, only to think better of it in the next heartbeat. If Nineva awoke and found him gone, she might go into another panic and get into even more trouble. Instead he had waited until the girl awoke as well, then gone off and managed to snag a pair of thoroughly complacent marmots to share with Nineva, who had eaten enough to further convince Kenelm that she had indeed run away from home. That still didn't explain why her family couldn't have followed her scent trail and found her by now. The fact that he had been the first to find the girl, and only when she was in such extreme danger, filled Kenelm with a sullen anger towards her kin, whoever they were. Not one wolf could have been spared to search for a four-month-old pup? To one who had spent days innumerable searching for his lost sister, the notion was completely asinine. That said, Kenelm wasn't entirely sure he agreed with Nineva's current plan, either. Unlike Nineva, he had not met any of the wolves from this Grizzly Hollow pack she seemed so intent on joining. On top of that, he still wasn't entirely thrilled about lying to the King of this pack about his relationship to Nineva - although he had to admit they looked enough alike to pass. Then again, "uncle" didn't sound nearly as impressive (or deserving of trust) as "stranger who saved Nineva from falling into a sink hole." He stopped within a respectable distance from the border; his breath caught in his throat for a moment as Nineva came dangerously close to violating the pack's borders. Fortunately the girl caught herself in time, swiftly backpedalling into his foreleg before looking up and grinning at him. So much like Calanthe. In spite of himself, Kenelm smiled back and leaned down the nuzzle the girl affectionately, then lifted his head and called for the King of this pack, whoever he may be. They had no gifts to bring; after the marmots (which they had foolishly polished off without a second thought,) they had encountered no further prey to capture as tribute to these strangers. All they had was Nineva's youth and inexperience and Kenelm's own ratty, battered appearance. He hoped that would be enough to garner pity, if not respect.

With ash on the wind, I move forward...

Let's Cause Some Chaos

As was common for the Grizzly Hollow Leader to do, Rook Lyall was out on the pack borders, doing his rounds and traversing around the trees where either he or his parents had placed their mark. He had just finished kicking up some dirt against the base of a particularly crooked cedar when the sound of a youngster's voice tugged at his ears. "Ready, uncle Kenny?" It made his brow furrow for it definitely did not sound like Tomen's. Rather, it was a little higher in pitch, feminine perhaps, and his first concern was that one of Elettra's own - his cousin or some sort of ward - had accidentally come this way with her uncle.

The Lyall stood in his place for a while longer, wondering if there would be anymore to be said between them. If her uncle was smart, he would divert the little one's attention towards something else to make themselves scarce from the borders of Grizzly Hollow. It seemed as though that sort of remark would never come and, with determination in his step, he came to address an ashen man with a desaturated coat and his gray-coated niece.

His nostrils flared but he came forward with his head and tail held high. He was the Leader around here and they would be fools to think otherwise. "Hello there," he offered, but the tone of his voice was not even close to welcoming. In his eyes there was a suspicion there that conveyed his wariness of the duo. If they did not smell like the willow branches in the east, then there was no telling where they had originally come from.

"You're both quite close to pack boundaries," he warned. "I suggest that you find some other route around instead of diving right into this part of the woods."

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

the angles are all wrong now
she's ripping wings off of butterflies

Kenelm lifted his jaws to the sky, belting out a summons for whatever luminary laid claim to this region of the forest. As she watched him, Nineva was vividly reminded of her father and the day he had sung out a similar request. Her father, the king of Whisper Caverns, pleading refuge at another's door. The memory was enough to shake and stifle her excitement, but the sorrow was only allowed to dwell within her mind so long before resolve chase the feeling away. She had sworn to herself, as she fell asleep cradled within her new protector's arms, that she would not allow herself to be held back by grief any longer. From this day forward, she would only move ahead until once more she was home in the Caverns.

This determination shone brightly within her eyes, and they gazed ahead expectantly, ready to meet the monarch of this land. When finally she spied him materializing from betwixt the solid trees, her heart skipped a beat, and another memory was allowed temporary residence within her head. Nineva was reminded of a foreign empress who shared the defect of discolored eyes, a cursed flaw that the princess had, previous the diplomatic event, believed herself to be the sole bearer of. To see now a third being who shared the defect set the young girl's tail into motion, causing it the beat the air behind her. Choosing to dismiss the connections to the criminal Namid, she wished this to be a sign of good fortune. A sign that she was, indeed, on the right path.

When at last they were greeted, the edge to Rook's voice immediately quelled Nineva's enthusiasm. Swiftly, she stepped forward to explain, already aware that as a child it was permissible for her to make certain mistakes.

"Um, that's my fault," she admitted, ears falling to her temples as her tail curled up toward her belly. Large, hopeful eyes gazed up at the stranger, pleading that he listen to and find value in her words. "I ran ahead, n' Uncle tried to stop me, but I was just excited. 'Cause... we aren't tryin' to pass through, mister."

(This post was last modified: Sep 29, 2015, 05:42 AM by Nineva.)

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

Kenelm didn't miss Nineva's brief mood swing as they waited for the King to appear. Keeping his head and eyes turned towards the border, the ashen man dipped his muzzle towards Nineva and gave the girl a quick, encouraging nudge. He didn't have time to add any verbal encouragement before they were greeted by a Plains wolf furred in shades of grey, tan, rust, and black. His stance immediately marked him as the King Kenelm had called - Gaheris, he would be called. A shame Kenelm hadn't remembered that before making his call. The ashen man dipped his head and lowered his body in submission, prepared to offer an explanation to the odd-eyed King - but Nineva spoke first, relying on her youth to create for them a good enough excuse for having nearly invaded the pack's territory. Kenelm fought hard to keep from wincing at her words; childlike and innocent, and yet she was making his part of their half-truth so much more difficult with each word she spoke. At least she cut herself off at a decent spot for him to cut in. “Forgive me, Sire,” he said, keeping his eyes carefully averted and drawing in everything he knew about what it took to be a good diplomat as he addressed the King. “My niece and I are the last of our pack - her parents were killed in a rock slide that destroyed our den. I was only barely able to save Filae before the ceiling caved.” He nodded sadly to his tattered left thigh, highlighting as he did a few other scrapes from his battle with the loner at the fjord. This was the story he and Nineva had settled on before approaching the borders. The idea was largely Kenelm's, and he had had to work to get Nineva to go with it - no matter what had passed between them before, she hadn't been comfortable with the idea of even pretending her parents were dead and gone. Still, she had eventually contributed a detail or two of her own. Stealing a quick glance back at Gaheris, he added, “I swore to her father that I would care for her, Sire... but I can't do that alone. Not with winter approaching, and not as I am now.” He winced and rolled his weight to his right slightly, taking some of the pressure off his left hind leg. Lowering his head even more, he said, “I ask that you grant us a place among your pack. My wounds will not hinder me for much longer, and Filae will become a strong, dependable wolf in her own right if given half the chance. We would not burden you more than we could make up for, Sire.”

With ash on the wind, I move forward...

Let's Cause Some Chaos

"Um," the pup piped up, "that's my fault. She continued to explain how the two of them had come upon Rook's part of Relic Lore, with her uncle offer his own apology and how they had been the last remaining wolves of their pack. Hearing such a thing made the declaration claw and grab at his heart. He couldn't say that he empathized, having come from such a large family and knowing (or, assuming, rather) that his older siblings were alive and well elsewhere, but he did definitely sympathize. His own mismatched eyes sized up that of the young girl and the larger figure of her uncle, the only family she had left.

The man couldn't have been much older than him, but Rook caught his wince and fully realized now that the man had sustained an injury in the event of the rockslide. The Leader's face softened at last with his ears tipping back for the briefest of moments before coming forward again, knowing well that @Veho and @Titan would appreciate the opportunity to further put their skills to practical use. As for little Filae, he was certain @Tomen could benefit from having another cub as a play mate. A smile turned up at last on his face, already imagining how the two might get on.

Again, he came to regard the girl, but this time with a wag of his black-tipped tail. "Well," he started, taking from first glance that she would be a fine addition to the sanctuary that was the realm of Grizzly Hollow. He turned now to the brute, looking him over once more, "First we shall make certain that what wounds you may have will not hinder you any longer; then, we will see about how you may repay us for our hospitality. For you to save your niece from a collapsing den must speak of strength and speed that was stolen from you by unfortunate circumstance; we will see these attributes restored before anything else."

"Now, as for Miss Filae," his tone had become somewhat playful, as if he were plotting something of a surprise. "We will look after her while you rest and heal. I've a son just about her age-" He stole a glance at the girl's stone-colored coat, the hues which reminded him of a certain pack member already among his ranks, "An only child also... and I think he might benefit from her company."

There was a short pause between his words before gave another wave of his tail. "My name is Gaheris, Leader of Grizzly Hollow," he introduced himself but not yet considering them worthy of his true name, the one he had been born with, "Between the both of us, I promise to help your niece grow to become the best as she can be. Are you able to walk unassisted for just a little while more? Our lands - and our infirmary - are not far."

(This post was last modified: Oct 06, 2015, 06:26 AM by Rook.)

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

You're up @Kenelm!

The girl listened as the story they had invented together fell so easily from her 'uncle's lips. By now, after all the times they had gone over it together, she no longer winced as the words 'her parents were killed' bristled their way into the air. Nineva would grow to be more stoic than emotional in nature, but she was far from possessing alexithymia. In fact, her whole being here was a clear example of how strong and reactive her emotions could be without the proper baricades in place. She could not successfully block out the image of her mother and older brother leaving her, leaving them behind, and a sickness crept into her stomach as she considered the possibility of their wickedly tragic story some day becoming truth and Narime falling into an eternal sleep so far away from home.

Even as the plea tapered off and silence was left within which the king before them would make his judgment, this awful feeling persisted. Perhaps this was a good thing, Nineva reflected. Her ears had no problem sealing more tightly still against her skull, and her eyes reflected incredible sadness. There was no life within her tail, and her head bobbed downward, snout pointing vertically down at the ground. The natural turmoil she felt over the current standing of her family had morphed her into a wonderful little actress, though she had to wonder if it could truly be considered acting when what she was displaying was so real. It wasn't until that momentary pause within the conversation that she lifted her mismatched gaze to the one that so closely matched it, seeking acceptance within Rook's masked face.

When the corners of his lips turned upward, Nineva's heart lifted with them. Her tail tentatively picked up, swaying once, then twice, mirroring the tar-dipped appendage of Rook's. Every word that then flowed from his throat filled her with happiness and a relief that chased away the mournfulness of her composure. To know that they were not just tentatively but fully, warmly welcomed caused her heart to soar, and also to see such attention being extended to her hero and his injuries carved out an indefinite place for Rook within her heart. It had mattered from the start of this venture whether or not they took Kenelm in as well, for since he had saved her, she could not bear the thought of leaving him behind. He gave me hope when hope was gone, she thought fondly. He gave me strength to journey on. Finally, the universe seemed to be recovering from its tantrum that had so thoroughly upset the little girl's life, and she felt deep within her bones that now things would steadily and surely begin to fall back into their proper place.

Her ears perked up as her fake name was addressed by the paladin king, and a small smile crossed over her face as he told them of his son. The words only child also confused her, but she did not allow this to cause falter within her mirthful expression lest she accidentally upset the story Kenelm and she had worked to glue so carefully into place. It did not feel safe to ask, but still she had to wonder, what exactly had happened to this other child's siblings? Given the presence of Rose and Korrin within her life, and the lack of association with the Secret Woodlands pack, she could not know that Tomen had simply been born without, alone from the start. Had she known this, it would have caused her another bout of sadness, for she could not imagine having been without Korrin and Rose from the very start, even if they annoyed her sometimes.

"Thank you," she inserted between Gaheris' question and her Kenny's answer, the words incredibly earnest upon her tongue as she crept forward. Her nose nudged the alpha's jawline once she reached him, a submissively affectionate notion. "If you do medicine stuff, can I watch?" Tomen was already a fascinating subject within her mind, but nothing could trump her desire to learn. As much as she wanted to run off and explore, possibly with this lonely age-mate boy in tow, she could absolutely not turn down a possible lesson.

An only child. That struck a chord with Kenelm - he, too, had been the only pup born to his parents. The loneliness had been assuaged somewhat by the two other pups that had been born the same year, but it hadn't ever quite been the same as having litter mates of his own. He only hoped that little Tomen would not grow up feeling as out of place within his own birth pack as Kenelm had always felt within his own; it already seemed rather evident, judging by Gaheris' speech and behavior so far, that this Grizzly Hollow was a much worthier pack than Spirit's Gambol ever had been. Kenelm dipped his head, but he wasn't surprised this time when Nineva again beat him to responding to the King. After the strain he knew she must have endured hearing him parrot their story to Gaheris, he didn't grudge the girl a chance to draw attention away from the story and direct it towards something else... even if that something else happened to be what they might wind up doing to try to fix Kenelm's leg - or "medicine stuff," as she put it. He supposed he couldn't really find too much to tease her about there; medicine stuff wasn't exactly his strong suit, either. He spared Nineva a quick smile, but left her question to be answered by Gaheris. The King had given them both a great boon by allowing them entry, and on top of that he had posed Kenelm a question of his own. The ashen man dipped his head again in thanks and said, “You have my thanks as well, Sire... and I can manage to walk a little while longer.” He allowed a small, wry smile to touch his lips as he added, “I've already come quite a ways on it, and the wound has begun to heal by now.” He was ready to follow Gaheris the moment the King beckoned them across the border, if only so that he could finally have a home again. He was eager to make up for the lies he had told to earn his way into the pack - and to earn Nineva's way in, as well - as soon as he was able.

With ash on the wind, I move forward...

Let's Cause Some Chaos

I'll take this chance to welcome you both to Grizzly Hollow. Please check out what's going on in our Common Room, read our updates in the Announcements & Updates, and read over the Grizzly Hollow - General Information thread. As soon as this thread is wrapped up and archived, I will add you to our ranks.

They seemed more than grateful and for that, Rook - Gaheris - couldn't be any more happier. In this case it seemed to be a win-win situation. Grizzly Hollow would thrive in the winter with and extra set of eyes and ears and little Tomen (who was now not quite so little anymore) would find himself in the company of an age mate to - perhaps, if they got along well - experience the world with. Gaheris was sure that a little bit of competition might do him some good; being the baby of the family, in that sense, had done some wonders in order to find Borden's youngest son at the top of the hierarchy.

"Come along then," he invited with a nod. "I can give you a small tour along the paths we've established from one side of the territory to the other, go over some ground rules, and then allow you two to rest. I'm sure you've had quite the journey to get here. As for the medicine stuff, I'm sure our healers won't mind the company."

Little did Kenelm know that Uncles - whether they happened to be biological or "adopted" or even simply deemed as one of the family - were important the Lyall's. Gaheris, somehow, had meant to mention it but in his newfound mirth over allowing the duo shelter and sanctuary, he had simply forgotten...

He offered a smile to the girl then took a step off to the side of a particularly crooked cedar tree, confidently allowing his feet to meander along a path that had been laid down by only one other individual - a feminine one, specifically - until they met a clear fork in the road. Along one of these paths, he showed them the pack den (where Borden laid sound asleep) then led them off towards other places that might be interested in, especially the stretch of riverbank that cradled the stream that made up Jasper Rocks just to the north east of them. Then, with allowing then to do as they pleased (for Rook was actually quite a busy man), he took his leave. He would introduce @Tomen to Filae soon enough but for now, that opportunity, would need to wait...

(Fade.)

(This post was last modified: Oct 08, 2015, 06:32 AM by Rook.)

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.