Secret Woodlands as good as his word

RE: Dark clouds overhead threaten an incoming snowstorm.
For @Aideen and @Yvly.  Grizzly Hollow has come to make friends and exchange plants.  :3

Had you been there tonight, you might know how it feels to be struck to the bone!

“This way,” Veho rumbled quietly, setting out through their snowy forest. “And keep a tight hold on this packet, alright?  We are bringing these plants to Aideen – she is a friend of mine in a northern pack.  Before the winter, we agreed to exchange herbs native to our pack lands.” He hummed softly, glancing over at his budding scout.  While he doubted she was interested in the particulars of the plants, he wanted to be sure she understood why they were going on the expedition, and why he himself insists on venturing out of Grizzly Hollow’s keep for the excursion.  That his ally in the Secret Woodlands did not know of his rise in rank was beside the point – she would find out soon enough.

With another glance towards Crystal, he scooped up his own packet, a second set of leaves carried in a much larger frons, and broke into a steady lope.  It would force them to travel in silence, unfortunately, but such was the nature of their business today.

Some time later, they reached a pack border, and Veho could only assume this was the land in which Aideen residing.  Setting down his bunch, he glanced over at his scout once.  “Perhaps after this run, I will be able to send you on your own to exchange with Aideen,” he hummed once, tipping his head back to call for his friend.  Hopefully she had not forgotten their arrangement.  “But we will have to be quick.  Did you note the storm clouds hanging over head?”

The return to the cedar woods was going to be difficult if they lingered.

(This post was last modified: Feb 09, 2016, 08:05 PM by Veho.)

//throws in wolf with no social decorum xD
I hope you dont mind I jump in?

The man walked along the borders, as usual. Even now as leader, this was where he spent most of his time and energy. His instincts and habits as a guardian were cemented within him, and he couldn't see them changing anytime soon. The Woodland king's form tensed as he breathed in an unfamiliar scent that was definitely not of his pack mates. A stranger was near, two, he took in as he breathed in once again. Were these potential friends or foes? There was only one way to find out. The two individuals were calling for his wife, and that made him even more curious of their presence. His steps silent, he weaved through the dense thickets and stepped out of the shadows to greet the strangers. His black banner rising naturally, Miccah briefly took in their scent and appearance. They were pack wolves, but not Woodland allies."Miccah Athesila. What is your buisness with my wife?," he questioned. His tone was neither hostile or friendly, but there was slight curiousity. Glancing at the herbs near their paws, he wondered if they were fellow healers. Or had they just come by for a simple visit and brought gifts? His wife had many friends, where he had a sparce few. Miccah stared at the two wolves, waiting patiently for one of them to come forward and speak. "speech"

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

(This post was last modified: Feb 09, 2016, 10:34 PM by Miccah.)

EDIT: I forgot, sorry everyone - Aideen knows Veho only as "Merlin"

@Yvly @Veho

Coppery eyes watched the clouds gathering overhead, through a crack in the canopy. Fresh leaves had yet to bud on the dark branches, closing off the thicket against the shifting weathers, and the healer couldn't help but sigh; How she longed for spring. There was no use in brooding though, the seasons would change when they felt ready, and until then she could do nothing more than what she usually did. Lowering her head, Aideen glanced around the small clearing, in front of her infirmary, smiling faintly at the carefully cleared and smoothed ground, she couldn't have anyone tripping on their way to see her. It was a simple task, one of many little things she had found herself doing lately, to spend the time. Winter had brought silence upon the Woodlands, wrapping the thicket in a cushion of snow and cold. There had been a few winter colds, mostly among the pups, but with @Nina at the helm, nothing was allowed to fester into anything serious; Especially since Daniel… All in all the fiery second had had a lot more time to herself than in the past many months. And while she enjoyed it, especially those hours spend with her mate, she was also beginning to feel restless; I wish something would… Happen! It was then, as if an echo of that very thought, that the beckoning howl reached her ears, carrying strong and true from the southern borders. A wide smile cracked on her dark lips, tail starting to wag excitedly as she clearly recognized the voice. In one fluid movement, Aideen spun on her heels, diving into her medicine den to grab up a thick bundle of herbs, lying at the ready; She had had it prepared for a long time. Then she was away, moving swiftly through the thicket, weaving in and out between trunks and bramble, soon enough reaching the origin of the call. Waiting at the border was a familiar, silvery form, flanked by a tawny stranger; And face by Miccah's dominant form. The petite woman quickly slipped up beside her husband, lowering her bundled plants carefully between her paws before she addressed the guests: "I had given up on you." She remarked, but there was a teasing glint in her eyes, and a happy smile on her lips. She turned her head to give a quick, pointed look at the dark man by her side, explaining cheerily: "This is Merlin, a fellow medic from the south. We met last fall when I went to the Cedarwood in search of herbs and agreed to exchange some medicines." Then she looked back to the visitors, waving her tail merrily as she proclaimed: "I'm glad you've finally come. And you brought a… Friend?" Her eyes turned to the sinewy woman, expression friendly as she waited to be introduced. This was indeed a treat after all these quiet days. Word count: 482 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

(This post was last modified: Feb 14, 2016, 01:46 PM by Aideen. Edit Reason: I derped in the name thing -.- )

PLOT WITH ME!

OOC here!

With the packet of herbs clutched tightly in her jaws, Yvly was unable to respond to Veho's explanation of the reasoning behind this expedition to a pack to the north. They were going to do an exchange with a friend of his, Aideen. She simply nodded in agreement, swiftly following behind his larger form through the snowy cedar trees. The trip was made in silence as neither could speak through the mouthful of bundled herbs, but she didn't mind. The calm and peacefulness, broken only slightly by the foreboding dark clouds above, was nice for a change as the scenery around them went from snowy forests to a heavy thicket that looked just slightly ominous. She couldn't imagine living in such tight spaces, but then again, she had grown up in plains that stretched for miles, occasionally dotted here and there with trees.

Soon they arrived at the foreign smelling pack border and she too, set her bundle of herbs upon the snowy ground. Now that her nose wasn't filled with the scent of plants, the tawny female could fully take in the myriad of scents around here. Not that different from her home, but the lack of the familiar cedar smell had her slightly on edge. She was now at the mercy of this Aideen, it was her home that they were at. But with Veho beside her she knew nothing could go wrong. "I'd be happy enough to do that, Merlin," Yvly said with a swish of her tawny plume, remembering to use his moniker as they were outside of pack territory. She wasn't sure if he had given Aideen his real name, so it was better to be safe than sorry. At his mention of the storm clouds she glanced up at the sky, brows furrowing slightly. The trek back home might cause them a little trouble if they stayed too long.

It didn't take long for a wolf to arrive, but she knew immediately that this wasn't Aideen. The brute was covered in stark black fur, and towered far above her. But she stood strong, merely dipping her head in respect as he asked what they wanted with his... wife? Well, Aideen sure did have a good taste in men. Yvly stayed silent, giving Veho the chance to respond, but before anything else happened a much smaller wolf arrived, cloaked in russet and black fur. This must be Aideen. She was quite tiny, but size didn't matter. Not all the time, at least. The smaller russet female spoke in a teasing voice, and Yvly let herself relax. If Aideen was going to be friendly, then she would return the favour. At her explanation, the tawny female's ears twitched slightly. So she did know Veho as, well, Veho. No use in using his moniker then, but she didn't mind. When Aideen turned to face her, she allowed a smile to emerge on her face. "I'm Crystal," Yvly said softly, glancing briefly sideways at Veho, unsure if he wanted them to breeze through this conversation or take the time for some small talk.

515 words

Yvly Doramor

imagine we are higher than the arrows,
casually we're breathing with the pharaohs,
tragically we fall just like the arrows.

Had you been there tonight, you might know how it feels to be struck to the bone!

While it did not take long for a wolf to appear upon the borders of Secret Woodlands, it was not the one he thought he’d see. The dainty, russet female was no where to be seen, instead met with a dark smudge introducing himself as Aideen’s husband. It was an amusing thought, though he was careful to keep his expression neutral as to not offend @Miccah – this visit was nothing untoward, and he only offered a small bob of his head. “I am Merlin,” he explained amicably, tail swaying high above his back. “This is my scout, Crystal, as she’s said. Some time ago, I had met Aideen and--”

The explanation was cut off by woman’s appearance; he need not waste his breath, for his fellow medic made much easier work of explaining his business here. Only once she had finished did he bob his head (albeit a bit sheepishly), and nudged at the satchel sitting by his paws.

“Ah, yes – I do apologize. Our pack was struck by tragedy; shortly thereafter, our leader stepped down, and I have become Lord of Grizzly Hollow, myself. There was so much to be done that I could not tear myself away from the territory,” he tried to explain, though Veho’s smile wavered at the thought. He had not meant to keep his new friend waiting – time had simply flown from between his paws, and he had no chance of stopping its eternal flow. “This is Crystal. She is my hopeful scout, a very reliable wolf; if you find these herbs agreeable, I thought I would send her on more regular trips, that you might not have to wait so long.”

That, at least, had been his intention all along, and not a scramble to save face.

Feel free to skip Miccah in further rounds since he will just be observing <3

He was waiting patiently for one of the wolves to come forward and state their reasoning why they were at his borders, when his wife appeared and came to his side. She made quick work of greeting her friend and explaining who they were to Miccah and why they were here. Nodding, the king silently took in Merlin's words and at the mention of a 'Grizzly Hollow', a vague bell rang in his head. Had he heard of this pack before? If he had, he had certainly not heard of a leader with the name of Merlin. Making a mental note to speak of this pack with Nina later, the large man knew she could have more information about this pack than he. After all, she had been in the Lore for quite some time and was a powerful woman with various friendships. The stoic man's blue gaze was drawn to his wife. She had satisfied his curiousity about the wolves that stood before them, but she was the more social of the two. Miccah had always been more comfortable within the shadows. Taking a step back from the trio, the man was content to stay in the background, silently watching the wolves before him and taking in any more information that could prove to be valuable. "speech"

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

@Yvly's turn c:

She didn't even realize she had cut her colleague off until she'd already finished speaking herself, then her cheeks grew hot and she ducked her head sheepishly. Merlin did not seem to mind though, in fact seeming rather embarrassed himself as he nodded at her and began to explain himself. Aideen's smile faded at his tale, eyes growing worried. Suddenly she felt bad for her little jab, she hadn't meant to make the silver man feel even worse. So when he paused she was quick to reassure: "Oh no worries, dear." The plants had not been urgently needed, and while she had wondered what had happened to him, she wasn't hurt, only happy that he had finally come. His companion introduced herself as Crystal, and he supplied that she was a prospective scout and might become a regular courier between their packs. Aideen smiled at the lass, nodding her head agreeably. She felt Miccah stir and glanced sideways, smiling softly as he pulled away, her swaying tail brushing against him as he stepped back. He seemed to be satisfied there was no danger from the visitors. The petite healer's attention returned to the two, copper eyes seeking her colleague's silvers as she began: "I'm sorry to hear of your troubles, I do hope everything is well now?" There was genuine concern in her voice and sympathy in her eyes. For a moment she wavered, not sure whether to congratulate the man on his new rank, but then she said, more cheerily: "In any case it is good to see you again, and I'm glad to hear the news." Then her eyes turned to the tawny woman; "I think it's a splendid idea to have Crystal visit regularly, that way we can trade information too, keep up to date on the goings on between our packs. I will be getting more busy myself, soon." It seemed they were both moving up in life, it made the russet girl smile to herself. Then she glanced back at her mate, in the end it would be up to him and Nina whether to accept such an alliance between the two groups. Though she felt confident in taking the first step, after all, it would soon be her job and this was good both for her own practice, and to show Nina that she was prepared to handle the position. So she looked at Merlin again, cocking her head slightly; "That is, of course, if you would be interested in such an arrangement?" She was still smiling, tail wagging casually, she couldn't see why they shouldn't trade information as well as medicine. Which reminded her – her eyes moved to the bundles at the visitors' paws, a sudden giddiness overtaking her; "Oh, let me see what you brought!" Word count: 463 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

PLOT WITH ME!

There is a rabbit\'s nest nearby. +1 Health

@Veho

Tawny ears perked forward as Veho began to speak rather highly of her, saying she was reliable. It had been a while since she had heard those words before, especially about her. She felt a warmness bubble up in her chest as the grey and brown male beside her offered the return of regular trips to the pack border, with her as the messenger. Yvly nodded to herself. Yes, she could do that. It would give her a chance to stretch her legs every now and then too. Aideen seemed to agree with Veho as she proclaimed that it was a splendid idea, even saying that they could trade information about the on goings of pack life. "I'd be happy enough to stop by every now and then," the tawny female responded smoothly, a smile on her face. Of course, she would still run everything by Veho beforehand to make sure she did not say something that should be kept within pack member knowledge.

Miccah did not seem to want to be a part of the conversation, or maybe he just had nothing to say. But Yvly noticed from the corner of her dark amber eye how he stepped back, closer to the thickets behind him. She pretended not to notice though. It would be rude to call him out on it, especially considering she was much the same when it came to strangers. The fact that Veho stood by her side was the only thing keeping her there. But she could learn to be openly friendly with Aideen or whoever was at the border when she stopped by. At Aideen's query Yvly glanced sideways at Veho. She did not see a reason why he would refuse such an offer and so was confident in the fact that he would trust her to make regular rounds. However, the black and russet female seemed to remember the herbs they had brought and looked down at her and Veho's paws, asking what herbs wrapped up in the bundle. Yvly had no idea herself and so was also interested.

346 words

Yvly Doramor

imagine we are higher than the arrows,
casually we're breathing with the pharaohs,
tragically we fall just like the arrows.

@Aideen -- You're up next! We can start wrapping this up if you like! :D

Had you been there tonight, you might know how it feels to be struck to the bone!

“Things are improving,” Veho agreed softly. Borden’s passing was well past them, now, and Rook seemed to be recovering, even if Cinder had not yet been located. They would find her, he was certain, but in the long term view of things – things were improving. Grizzly Hollow would make it through the winter, and in relatively fine shape. Aideen’s concern spoke well of her. The male hummed softly, and glanced at his budding scout.

She seemed fine with the idea – if she didn’t, then she wisely kept her opinions on the matter to herself in front of company. “Good. I think that will settle it, then. I think perhaps I will send her monthly, and see how we fare?” he suggested, looking between the pair of females. “You must tell me what you would like next time, especially now that spring is coming. Our woods will be much more bountiful.”

Veho extended his neck, nudging the small packet he’d brought with him. In the small packets the pair had brought from Grizzly Hollow was nestled some black hawthorn and the bark of white fir trees. While this could hardly be considered a bounty, it was fresh, and he had to hope not something Aideen had access to in her own thickets. “I apologize for the lack of diversity – our caches were raided shortly before the wintertime, and I lost anything that wasn’t seasonal. I do hope you will find these useful, at least.”

He paused and glanced towards the darkening sky. It had grown much more troubled since they had arrived. “It would behoove us not to linger for too long – but please do tell us what you’d like on Crystal’s next visit, and I will be sure to send her along with it.”