Oak Tree Bend Burn The Ashes

For now @Triell only, please.
Eventually this will be a MANDATORY pack meeting - I will tag everyone when it opens up.

Fog was nothing new for the wolves of Oak Tree Bend, but today's vapor seemed particularly dense; And icy cold. Perhaps it was fitting that it would be on a day like this, where Spectral Woods showed its true, ghostly face, that the wolves of the Bend would gather to decide their fate. In any case, it had been much too long already, and the ebony leader was more than ready to abandon these nightmarish lands. So he walked a last patrol, along the line of the Sierra Hills, like he always did when he felt uneasy; Wherever I end up, it will be far away from those bloody stones! He paused briefly to drink from the silvery stream, the water still slow flowing and icy cold. No sign of spring here, but it had to be under way. Once he finished, he crossed to the old Oak, again taking his time, circling the tree, studying it from root to crown. It almost felt like an old friend now, a lot of good times had been spend under its branches; Not all good though… Far from it in fact, which was why it had come to this. Drestig scraped at the snow, unearthing the sprouting grass hidden beneath. He sat down, looking around at the naked trees, truly taking in this territory that had, after all, been his home for two years. His gaze rested on the den, on the hillside nearby, empty at the moment, unless someone had snuck in for a nap without him seeing. Of the entire pack lands, these were the least painful, many warm memories filling his mind as he sat silently, deep in thought. He knew though, that that happiness could never outweigh the sorrow, not so long as he remained here. That was why he had come to his decision. But first, he had a screw-up to own up to. So when his head finally tilted back, it was Triell he called for; Triell ONLY this time. And there was an unusual humility in his request; Not begging for his appearance, but not commanding it either. Word count: 353 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

I'll be the bright, and black, that's making you run

Internally he groaned. He wasn't sure if he was ready for this. No. Strike that. He would never be ready for this. He had hoped Drestig would simply call a meeting and Triell could hang as a shadow in the back. Hold his peace till everyone had voiced their thoughts. Maybe, then there would be less emotion and more rational thought. It would come to light with the rest of the pack. Everyone would  actually know what his friend had decided after their little talk.

 This, all he could think was shit. The time had come and he wanted to drag his feet to postpone it. The pup in him demanding this wasn't fair, and things needed to just stop changing. It was a turning point not just for Drestig, but for everyone. It wasn't fair to drag out the inevitable any longer. Drestig deserved to be happy. He repeated the mantra for both their sake's. There was a hint in Drestig's voice. The Tainn sensed a difference. But, it was holding onto he darkness beneath his eyelids he inhaled a few times, and than with a grunt pushed himself from his log and unto four paws. His deep voice rose in turn, with a rather neutral reply of I'm coming. As the brute padded to the call he dare not try to see further ahead than the trail before him. It would break all of his resolve, and he would be left with little.

It did not take him long to spot the black and silver figure by the particular Oak tree. Why he wanted to greet him warmly he didn't want to force it. Quietly, thick tail wagged reflecting some happiness, friendliness. He took a seat a wolf length away. But, there was no smile to his stoic face as his eyes rested upon the other man. He silently vowed to sit and listen with not just his ears, but his whole heart.

Triell Tainn

(This post was last modified: Feb 17, 2016, 04:32 AM by Triell.)

are you with me through it all?

Time ticked by, ever so slowly. For every second, the nerves build up within him; Where is he?! Could he have been so unfortunate as to choose a time when Triell was out of the territory, too far to hear his beckon? But then the response reached him, familiar deep toned voice ringing out in a very curt acknowledgement. Well, I couldn't expect him to be happy… The graying leader though, a small, crooked smile on his lips. Triell was expecting a goodbye, surely; Hopefully he'll be happily surprised. The Tainn finally appeared, his greeting as lukewarm as his call. But Drestig smiled at him, nodding his head while the other took a seat. He figured he might as well get it over with, and hopefully lighten the mood between them, at least a bit. His voice was a little rugged at first, but smoothed with use; "Triell. I owe you an apology." Simple as that, straight to the point. His smile turned a little sheepish, but he kept his eyes on the man, sincerity lacing his every word; "I wasn't fair to you, pushing you to choose like that." He'd taken the cowards way, trying to force someone else to make the decision for him. He had to stop that. So, with a deep breath, he put everything out in the open: "You were right, I wasn't telling the whole truth. I'm sorry, I'll make things right today." That was it, what he had to offer. Now he could just wait for Triell's response. Word count: 255 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

I'll be the bright, and black, that's making you run

He was surely anticipating the worst, he felt he had fallen short of what to expect any more. The smile Drestig presented him only threw him further off. The Tainn had felt they had had a cooling off period, but hadn't exactly felt anything had been fixed. Each day after their talk made it harder to say anything. Just for the fact Triell was a stubborn Tainn, and he wasn't about to change his mind and take it all back. He had meant it, and he was sticking to his guns.

Mostly he had been a bit worried he had pushed Drestig to the edge. It was not his intention. The guilt of being the real cause of his friend to walk away would not leave him. Apparently it wasn't so. Upon the words of the elder wolf, his dark ears flicked, and he sharply blinked in a moment of surprise. Maybe, there wouldn't be this rift between them, and instantly, he was relieved. So he had realized what it had felt like for him, and Triell hadn't necessarily been wrong in his inklings. "Well then, I can not say I'm sorry for what I said. But, I..I really want you to be happy, even if that means..." He could not quite say, if you have to go. Why he wanted to ask how he was going to make everything right, at the same time he did not. He was holding his breath. "I guess you plan to inform the pack of what you really want to do now?" He had no want for another heated argument. 

Triell Tainn

(This post was last modified: Feb 23, 2016, 04:06 AM by Triell.)

are you with me through it all?

@Serach @Fenru @Spieden @Jessie @Naira @Aponi @Leotie @Sahalie @Drift @Kino @Kyna
Alright guys, we're ready for you! As mentioned above this is a MANDATORY PACK MEETING. I'm hoping to start next round at the start of March.

The Tainn was hard to read, and Drestig found himself growing ever more anxious as he waited for a response, trying to gauge the other man's reaction. Triell took his time, blinking in… Was it surprise? Or something more severe? Finally he spoke though, and his words made the elder wolf breath a small sigh of relief himself. It seemed their friendship had not been completely ruined, even if it was a bit worn at the edges. Their argument had been a clash of wills, and Drestig was willing to admit his mistake, even if his younger counterpart wasn't quite. "You were speaking your mind, and I respect you for that. Even if it isn't always what I want to hear… And thank you." He said, voice sincere; Ignoring the unfinished sentiment. He knew he had pushed Triell to react so fiercely, and he should have known his fried well enough not to do it. He'd done a stupid thing in challenging the former leader rather than explaining to him outright; Which is why we're here now. Taking a deep breath, the graying man nodded, turning his gaze from the other's to look out over the clearing around them. He was still for a moment, preparing, then he answered: "Yes. Let me call them and I'll explain to everyone together." He turned his head back, fiery eyes seeking similar oranges, as if to ask permission first. Then he nodded once, and tilted his muzzle skyward, calling out to the wolves of the Bend. He had something to discuss with his family. Word count: 261 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

Things had seemed... tense. That was all she could say. But she could not gauge the source of the tension, and had after awhile convinced herself that she was imagining things. Could have simply been leftovers between the interaction she had witnessed between Jessie and Spieden --which was not, truly, abnormal. Yet, when she heard the summoning cry rise above the mists of her home she felt her heart skip a beat. Reaching back into her memory she recalled the only other meeting she had been a part of. Her father was home now, though, and her quality of life was so much better. Drift was back, she had two new friends. What could possibly be wrong?

She found herself humming as her paws excitedly carried her towards the main den area, only stopping when she came upon her father and Drestig. Sahalie wanted to look serious — to make sure they saw how mature she was now that she knew about meetings and had attended one. Her head whipped back and forth as she waited to see either a silver or orange shape appear from the trees, and hoped that their of her friends would choose to sit with her for the meeting. Though, Kyna might choose to sit with her mother.

The girl's gaze actively avoided the two dark men, however, having sensed something strange about their postures and expressions when she had arrived.

Spieden was overcome with a sense of deja vu as Drestig's howl rang through the forest. By whatever stroke of grace, it seemed the man only wanted to meet with Triell, and she fortunately did not need to be audience to any pissing matches between them. A decision would have to be made, but as far as she was concerned, the issue of which male would lead could stick to the other side of the hierarchy. She wasn't strongly invested in either outcome, she liked both men well enough, but neither more than the other. And either outcome would break hearts in one way or another.

As much as she told herself that she didn't care which way things went and was happy enough that the choice didn't rest on her shoulders, she found herself waiting and worrying about what was surely being discussed that very moment. Sooner than she had expected, a second howl from Drestig rallied the rest of the pack.

Quickly Spieden trekked her way back towards the great oak. As she arrived she searched each face for any clues of what had been decided. She found no answers, and would just have to wait to find out. With a quiet grunt she plopped her rear down near Sahalie.

As usual Aponi has been going about her duties in solitude choosing to keep to herself as she almost always did. The only wolves she regularly associated with were Kyna and occasionally her friend Sahalie as well. Dropping a rather plump squirrel into a nearby cache the silver ears flicked towards the sound of the call and she made haste in reburying her prize. They had been within the territory for about a month now and it had become easy to navigate, even within the thickest of fogs. Still it irked the woman to be back within the forest and off of her precious mountain which she coveted like nothing else.

Arriving to the meeting swiftly she did the obligatory dip of her muzzle in respect to Spieden, the woman she knew to be the female lead though they had never truly spoken in any depth. The silver fae also dipped her muzzle towards Drestig though the gesture was much deeper and the blue eyes trailed over his body in appreciation.  As the weather warmed she found herself more attracted to the influential male though she had not had a chance to get him alone to perhaps explore whether she would be able to persuade him as she had Phineas.

Sensing the tension among the adults a silver brow cocked curiously but she took her place without a word next to Sahalie casting a friendly smile towards the pup. Her own daughter was nowhere to be seen and the proud woman hoped she would arrive soon and show her respect however Kyna had been developing a rather rebellious streak recently.

When @Triell had left his log, Naira had lifted her head to watch him go, putting any thoughts of trailing him aside as the faintest whisper of a howl told her he had been summoned. Her ears had been failing her of late but her nose was just fine, and while the addition of @Aponi to the pack had so far been disregarded, she didn't hesitate to drag herself upwards and make her way to the oak tree when a second howl rung out. It had to happen sooner or later, she was just a little dismayed that had she been anywhere else, she probably wouldn't have heard the summons.

She brushed past @Spieden, a quick bump of her nose to the woman's jaw as she made her way over to sit by Triell. She treated her daughter like any other subordinate, unless she needed medical assistance or a lesson of some sort there was no need for her to seek her daughter out. Of course if it was answers she sought, Naira was easy enough to find. She lowered her hips tentatively, the lingering chill still wreaking havoc on old injuries. She hoped this meeting would be short and to the point, so she could retreat to somewhere warm enough that she wouldn't be forced to lumber along like animated stone. 

It hasn't even been two weeks since Kino had joined and already he was beginning to understand the layout of the territory. In no way did he know it like the back of his paw like he had the Crest. Hal helped him out often, explaining to him the things she knew and it never ceased to amaze him how many things within these lands had some sort of significance. When he was alone he still found himself lost at times, and to his embarrassment he'd even had to call for his friend to help him back to the communal den at one point but since then he'd been doing better. The first thing he'd tried to commit to commit to memory was the giant oak tree, and as the call from Drestig rang into the air for him that was exactly where he headed.

Moving his large silver body into a lope he made his way, taking a bit longer than he would have liked to reach the meeting point but he made it all the same. As he came through the trees, the first thing he noticed was Sahalie. His momentum carried him toward her, but his attention was now turning elsewhere. Intelligent topaz eyes fell to the two dark men, and while the tension wasn't fiery it was thick enough to make the hairs on his back stand on end. He turned to look at the others who had joined before him, seeing only two unfamiliar faces. A silvery woman, though darker than himself, and an aging agouti woman. The first woman was looking rather closely at Drestig. Curiosity, his natural plague, erupted within him but he remained lax. Kino was perhaps a kin to Dr. Eckleberg, seeing all and nothing at the same time. Sitting down next to his friend he gave her a friendly grin, a yawn parting his maw as he waiting for whatever news to be had to be delivered.

(This post was last modified: Mar 11, 2016, 03:24 AM by Kino.)