Oak Tree Bend Just Be Still & Listen

For @Jessie. Set a few days after the Pack Meeting. Mid-Afternoon

In typical Serach fashion, the youth had done his best to stay away from his pack mates since the latest pack meeting. Spieden and Drestig had announced that Triell had left, off to look for Nayeli and hopefully bring her back. Settled down by the small river that ran along the territory's eastern border, the boy couldn't help but reflect on the meeting with a sour taste in his mouth. One could say that the Donata boy had alexithmyia; it was so rare that he spoke up and put himself in a potentially vulnerable position. He had done so at the meeting, not once but twice and had been shot down both times, his attempts at showing his pack loyalty barely acknowledged. It had hurt him more than he wanted to admit, and he had left the pack meeting with his head low and his tail tucked between his legs.

In the few days since, the subordinate had found himself reflecting more and more on @Kisla's offer that Serach could come live with her and her family in Hearthwood River. It was an exciting possibility, and given recent events, was beginning to appeal to him more and more. Staring intently into the water that pooled and shifted around his paws, the wolf shrugged his pale shoulders. He had promised to himself and Kisla that he would not leave without telling Triell, and so long as his uncle remained away, Serach was stuck. "You have the worst luck, you know," he said quietly to his reflection. He had come to the river to potentially fish, but even they were avoided him now, leaving only the tiniest of minnows for him to wearily watch.

Ever since Hotei’s death, Jessie had done her best to stay away from everyone at all costs. Occasionally, she would seek out Drestig for companionship, mostly to know him that she was still alive and had not succumbed back into her depression. Since the pack meeting, the widowed Tainn was trying to socialize more with her pack mates. Since then she hadn’t been granted much luck. She continued to keep to herself, anxiety grasping at her heart whenever she thought about getting close to someone again. Jessie knew that if she made her life more about business and her duty to the pack, then she would be able to move on with her life until she passed on. Hopefully, when she did, in a manner of years, she would be reunited with her love.

As a Scout, the pepper-and-salt colored woman had a peeked interest in anyone who was interested in leaving the territory to get information, especially in an area that she had not managed to make it to yet. While Serach’s interest had made itself known, Jessie had left the meeting before she had been able to hear the answer. However, she had been sure that Drestig would have been open to sending Serach on a trip to get more information for them. After a few days when she could still decent the scent of the Donata, Jessie couldn’t fight her curiosity of whether he was going soon, or if he was even going at all.

The woman made the decision to seek him out. She followed his scent, eventually coming to a small area of water. Serach seemed to be looking at his reflection, something Jessie had caught herself doing multiple times ever since Hotei’s death. Since she had gotten back on her feet, the gray dame tried to resist the urge to look at her reflection. She knew that all she would be able to see was pain beneath her emerald gaze. If Serach had not yet noticed the Scout’s presence, Jessie cleared her throat politely in an attempt to get his attention. Her usual coarse voice greeted him, “Serach…” she thought about asking him immediately about his scouting trip but decided against it. “How are you doing?” Jessie didn’t know what she was particularly asking about but quickly decided that it was about Triell’s departure. It was something she could relate to and the lady truly did want to know how others were viewing his leaving with another woman.

Truth be told, Serach wasn't entirely sure how long he had been sitting on the edges of the water. He had been to caught up in his own thoughts to notice much of what was going on around him. The boy certainly did not notice the familiar scent of Jessie on the wind or hear the sounds of her paws on the ground as she approached. The chuff sound of her clearing her throat startled him, sending him to his feet as he half-turned to face her. Staring at her, it took a moment for Serach to register who it was. Jessie, he realized, his heart rate settling as the adrenaline rush brought on by her surprise appearance faded. Wonder what she wants. He couldn't recall the last time she had sought him out, if she ever had. "'Lo", he returned, dipping his muzzle in greeting.

Stepping out of the water, the boy returned all four paws to dry land, pondering how exactly he was going to answer her question. The honest truth was that ever since the pack meeting, the youth had been preoccupied with the thoughts of possibly leaving the Bend for good. He wouldn't tell her that though; he liked Jessie, but they were not close enough for him to consider her a close confident, especially not with thoughts that some could very well consider treasonous. "I'm alright, I suppose. Thought maybe I'd do some fishing, but haven't had much luck," he told her. It was accurate enough, even if it was not the full truth. "How're you? Any signs that Triell is on his way back?" She was a scout after all, and the meeting had not really made clear just how long the pack's leader was going to be gone for. The longer his uncle was gone, the longer Serach had to muse over his decision, which was not necessarily something that he wanted to dwell on any longer than he had to.

She had startled the young man. While that had not been her intentions she couldn’t help the soft chuff that escaped her muzzle at his reaction. It wasn’t long until she returned to her manner of professionalism. Emerald eyes tracked the boy’s movement as he stepped out of the water and towards the direction that she was standing. Jessie had come to appreciate the white boy in the past weeks. He hadn’t bothered to bring up the death of her deceased love and didn’t have cautious eyes every time he looked at her. It made her feel like her former self and as if she wasn’t a fragile pup about to break with a single glance. At Serach’s mention of fish, the Scout’s eyes flickered towards the shallow water. While the idea of fish was certainly entertaining, it was not the reason she had come to seek out the Prince. Her green eyes quickly moved to meet his gaze again, his question catching her off guard.

She shifted awkwardly where she was standing, feeling a flush shoot through her body. The truth was, Jessie had not left the territory much since Hotei had died and especially not since Triell had left. However, Serach didn’t need to know that, so Jessie stretched the truth, “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t had time to go out a look around, Drestig has had me doing tasks around the territory.” While that certainly wasn’t true Jessie hoped that her friend wouldn’t mind her using his name to make up for her pitifulness. Serach’s question did open up the topic that Jessie had been hoping to discuss with him though. Without wasting a beat, Jessie spoke up, “Actually, that is along the lines of what I wanted to speak with you about. I left the meeting before it was dismissed. Did Drestig give you a time frame as to when you could go on your trip?” Having been a scout himself, Jessie assumed that their new alpha would have been open to Serach expanding his horizons. Especially since, as far as Jessie knew, the young man did not have an official role within the pack. If she was given the opportunity, the widowed Tainn would have liked to join him. It would be easier for her to get back into her role if she had others to push her along the way.

A lynx has left behind the remains of a deer. +5 Health

Jessie answered his question in the negative, and the boy found himself nodding silently in response. He hadn't had much hope that she would know where Triell and Naira were at that point - if they were truly looking for Nayeli, they would have to venture far beyond the pack's borders to track her down this time. No doubt they would be gone for more than a little while, depending on how thorough of a search Triell was conducting. But the boy knew from his own experience of spending months and months looking for traces of Sceral, Ice, or Fenru, that if Nayeli was truly gone, they would not find her no matter how hard they looked.

Jessie was quick to move on from the topic of Triell, though, and Serach looked up to meet her eyes as she asked her next question. His face twisted into a grimace and his shoulders slumped at her assumption that his interest in leaving for Hearthwood River had actually been addressed. "No," he spat, his tone more sad than angry. "After Sahalie left, everybody else did too. I take it to mean that Spieden and Drestig aren't interested in talking with Kisla." He wasn't entirely convinced of that, but based on their behavior at the meeting and the clear dismissal of Serach's proposal to go on the pack's behalf, they might as well have said they weren't interested.

Agitated, the youth began to pace, his head turned to face Jessie. It wasn't her fault, he thought, but she hadn't helped - she had disappeared too and as the pack's scout, her approval had mattered too. "I was thinking I would just go anyway," he told her, his voice matter of fact. His mind made up, he decided to tell Jessie the truth of what he had been considering before her arrival. "It's not like anybody would notice, and Kisla offered me a place in her pack." He paused in his pacing, staring intently at the pack's second, wanting to gauge her reaction to the news. He had said it with confidence, but there were still doubts lingering in his heart and mind.

His words shocked her. While she had left early from the meeting she hadn’t expected Drestig nor Speiden to ignore Serach’s request. She pursed her lips as she accepted his words, ears swiveling forward to hear the rest of what he had to say. His next words surprised her even more so. Jessie found that she could relate with his words, having similar feelings about the pack. She was no longer happy there but she had found that other things tied her down. It went against her nature to support or even think about leaving the pack but Serach had been within the borders since he was born and had remained. If anyone deserved their freedom to their terror of a pack, it would be him. The widowed Tainn allowed the silence to stretch between them for a few moments. Collecting her thoughts on the matter, she tested the air to make sure there was no one near. A crime overheard by anyone could be dangerous, especially if there was a misunderstanding. ”Others would notice…you’ve been here just as long as I have.” She paused for a moment, before continuing, ”But, if you asked Drestig to pardon you, I’m sure he would…you deserve to be happy.” She glanced along the water, her body restless for standing still for such a long period of time. ”Would you walk with me?” She mentioned forward, imploring him to entertain her wishes. She had never truly spoken to Serach and perhaps she should have, but now was not time for regrets. It could very well be the last time they would ever speak, as well as the first. Jessie Tainn

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She seemed surprised, but he was so used to seeing the unsatisfied expression on Jessie's face that Serach could not be sure. To his surprise, though, she did not immediately attempt to talk him out of his idea to leave. If anything, she was almost encouraging. His ears flattened against his skull, and his eyes narrowed as he peered at her, trying to understand what she was thinking. When she finally spoke, he felt a temporary wave of a relief wash over him. As much as he felt otherwise, it was nice to know that at least somebody would notice his absence and miss him. He quietly nodded as she mentioned that Drestig might give him permission to leave, but internally, he was not so sure. If anything, Drestig would be much more likely to try and talk Serach out of his decision. "I haven't decided yet," he told her, shuffling his paws on the damp ground. "I wanted to talk to @Triell, whenever he gets back." It was the very least he could do. No need to for his uncle to wonder where yet another one of his nephews had disappeared to.

At her request to walk, the youth nodded his head quietly, following her into the woods along the creek where he had unsuccessfully been trying to fish. He walked at her shoulder as the terrain allowed, close enough to be comradely, but not close enough to crowd her. Jessie had been in the Bend for as long as Serach could remember, and he knew that she was one of the wolves who had come with his mother from Swift River to start this new pack. So while he felt comfortable with his pack mate, this was one of the first times they had ever been on their own together, and it did fill him with a little bit of unease. But after a few minutes of silence, he cleared his throat and asked her the question that she had first asked him, "How have you been?"

Jessie wondered how the boy thought. It was a shame she had never gotten to know him better throughout her time with the pack, for it seemed that he was a critical thinker in the way he went about his life. With the man’s mention of Triell, Jessie had to hold back a bitter snort. There was no telling when Triell would return, especially with his false illusions that Nayeli had been taken again. Oak Tree Bend had eliminated the threat for her and still she fled. The Scout was never found of staying still, so she was grateful when Serach accepted her offer to walk. They moved together, close enough to be companionable but far enough away that Jessie felt was professional. The pair walked in silence, which the widowed Tainn felt was comfortable enough…until it was broken. The question was simple enough but the pepper-and-salt colored woman was still at a loss as to what to say. Drestig had said that she was better and physically, maybe she was, but mentally, she still felt like she was dying. She forced her body forward, suddenly feeling like cement was pulling her paws towards the ground and keeping them there. The Second swallowed and looked over at Corinna’s son, a hesitant smile pulling on her lips, ”I am still in the process of healing, but I’m getting better.” She supposed the way that Drestig put it was a better way than any. She continued, ”Hotei’s death was hard on Triell too, y’know? I think he looked up to Hotei…in a way.” She turned her head back to view their pathway but watched the man out of the corner of her eye to see his reaction to her words. Sometimes loss brought others together…and sometimes it tore them apart. Jessie Tainn

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(This post was last modified: Dec 24, 2015, 06:21 PM by Jessie.)

Terribly sorry for the wait, @Jessie!

The mismatched pair wandered along the trail in silence, broken only when Serach asked Jessie how she had been. He hadn't really had an ulterior motive in asking her - he certainly wasn't trying to dredge up any painful feelings or memories. They kept walking, but she glanced over at him as they did so, the hint of a smile reflective of the tone of her words. He had known that Jessie had lost Hotei - that the Bend had lost Hotei - but Serach and the older Tainn had never been close. Still, having lost many and more of his own family, Serach could only dip his head in a moment of respect for the late Tainn and the love he had left behind. "I know how difficult it must be," he said, lifting his head to look at Jessie. "But I think he would have wanted you to get better." The truth was Serach could not have really known that, having not been a confident of Hotei, but it was a thought that he had found comfort it whenever the loss of a loved one became too overwhelming.

As for Triell and Hotei's relationship, Serach could not comment, although as Jessie turned to look ahead of her again, the boy couldn't help but question her statement. Triell and Hotei had not seemed particularly close, at least not from Serach's outside perspective, but Jessie would know better than him. "They grew up together, didn't they?" Serach's face scrunched up as he tried to remember when he had first met the late Tainn. "But Hotei was older, right? So they weren't littermates." He knew that Triell had been one of several Tainn siblings, Indru, Ruiko, and Hotei among them, but he had never delved too deep into a family history that was not exactly his own.