Oak Tree Bend renaissance affair

All welcome. Midnight, 2nd night after this thread.
RE: Spieden, you need to hide your paw prints in the snow... 

She had been gone two days, practically unheard of for the busy leader. She'd told not a soul where she'd gone, and if she had her way, they would never find out. The night after had been spent alone, once the heady rush had worn off she'd put as much distance as she could between the male, running off into the shroud of dark without a word of explanation. She had wanted nothing more than to curl up in the security of the warm pack den, but instead sleeplessly hid beneath a hollow log until the first light of day. 

She wasn't sure what she had expected it to be like, and while the ache of longing had left her, it had been replaced by the hollow pain of regret and fear. She had never felt so stupid and foolish before. What had been done had been done, and it was out of her control what her body decided to do with that fact. She could only wait.

Spieden knew she couldn't stay out there forever, there was a pack to run, one that was down two of its core members. Her sense of duty just barely overrode the shame, and she made her slow, arduous journey back home. She followed the contours of the creek, her paws submerged in the shallows as she walked with halting steps, each stride shorter than the last as if she could delay her inevitable return. The water would pull away her scent and the current would cover her tracks in the streambed, but it could do little for the guilt that etched her scarred features.

She had waited well until nightfall to even cross the borders, taking every back-route and underused path she knew once she was forced to leave the creek behind. She wouldn't allow the treacherous snow to even take hold of her tracks, scuffing them over with hasty swipes of her tail to lend just enough plausible deniability. As soon as she made it to the edge of the clearing, her eyes meeting the massive oak at it's heart illuminated by the pale light of the half moon, she stopped in her tracks. She usually slept in the den, but surely everyone would notice her slipping inside in the dead of the night, and even if they didn't voice their questions aloud, the very thought of what they would think of her burned humiliation hot against her cheeks.

(This post was last modified: Mar 16, 2016, 03:32 AM by Spieden.)

When the dust had settled, and both Drestig and Jessie had left he had taken time from the Bend to collect himself. He wasn't particularly alarmed Spieden seemed to be doing the same. By the second day he was anxious. It just wasn't like the Coho woman. Sure, she left the Bend, but not like this. Not without telling a soul. Sahalie nor Drift hadn't seen hide nor hair of her either. With everyone else of the pack here, that meant she was alone. The Tainn never thought of her as a helpless maiden, but shit did seem to fly in groups in the blue woods. The time of year only increased his concerns.

While the dark brute patrolled, and marked the borders his decision flip flopped from waiting, to tracking her down over the course of the morning. He couldn't bare the thought of sitting idly by if something had happened to her. But,i t had taken him two days to return, so in the end he went with waiting just a little longer.  Surely as the sun began to set he kept an eye out, believing he would soon see her silvery marked brown coat in the distance. But, he did not. Begrudgingly he padded to the pack den, thinking he could lay down. Try to rest in the mean time. He must have. The stars had shifted in the sky, when some earthly noise broke through his slumber. The Tainn didn't move, he kept his head to his paws, eyes flicking around, adjusting. Despite the silver light he did not see Spieden in the distance. Now, he surely could not sleep.

A grunt he shifted into a sit, making sure that it wasn't one of the pups who had taken to a late night walk. Why they were almost yearlings, he rather not be worried about where one of them had gone either.  As his nose quivered there was not scent of them, but the air was quite still. Ears strained again, had he really hard something? This being the pack's primary location, what brainless animal would come for a visit? Birds were not of night, and he didn't think a raccoon would be so bold. A yawn, he fell back to his stomach, but this time did not close his eyes he couldn't help feel he was being watched.

are you with me through it all?

Spieden's weight shifted from paw to paw, willing heavy limbs to move from their roots but unable to budge even a step. With two sleepless days, she was tired to the bone, and truly there was no place she would rather be than in her bed. But she could practically feel the accusations that would rest on their tongues, too polite to be spoken but there nonetheless should she dare to show her face among them. She'd scrubbed the stranger's sickening scent the best she could from her fur, dulled as it was by dirt and snow, but she knew they would just know.

She stared for so long that the moonlit outline of the stones surrounding the den had burned itself into her retinas. She couldn't just stand out here forever... And she'd gotten this far. Finally she managed to push one paw forward, then a few more before stopping again. She'd made it past the tree, but still a nearly insurmountable distance stood between her and her destination. She stood, keeping her distance, and as she stared into the dark maw she could see two faint glints of topaz, a shadow shaped around them. Someone was awake, and not only that, they were watching her.

Her breath caught in her throat, her amber eyes staring back wide open.  So much for sneaking in unseen.

He spotted the dark silhouette, and breathed a sigh of relief. It was Spieden. Thank the stars. He wouldn't have to wonder what happened to her, or attempt another search. He didn't want to think about how greatly her absence would effect the Bend. Furry brows brushed together, bemused why she was being so slow, so hesitant. It wasn't like she would wake them all, as quiet as she was being.  When their eyes met he couldn't help feel something was wrong. Was she hurt? Didn't want to bring it to their direct attention? He could imagine she didn't want them making a fuss. She wasn't the type to care for that.

"You okay?" The query was a whisper. He didn't exactly want to wake anyone either. Just find out if the earth toned lady was all right. If she would just come rest, they could catch up tomorrow. From here he couldn't really pick up her scent. Even then he wouldn't have much reason to suspect, the season was dwindling after all. It wasn't like he was keeping track of who was and wasn't at the moment. He was just avoiding being alone, uncertain of his own feelings. "We were getting a little worried, but I figured you must have be getting some air with everything that's happened." There was a smile to his muzzle, but it might have been lost in his dark face so his tail softly tapped the ground. 

(This post was last modified: Mar 27, 2016, 08:44 PM by Triell.)

are you with me through it all?

Spieden couldn't be sure of the two eyes staring back at her until she heard Triell's low voice, a whisper that called from the den like a wisp on the breeze. Was she okay? What a question, even she didn't know the answer to that one. It was true that she was whole and unharmed, not a scratch or scuff or truly even a hair out of place. But there was a guilt eating at her heart and dread settled like lead weight at the pit of her stomach.

She hadn't meant to make anyone worry for her, further evidence of her irresponsibility. She hadn't thought of an explanation or justification, and though Triell probably hadn't meant to he practically provided the excuse for her. Fresh air. Yes. Or, at least that was what she had been trying to do. She had been trying to just wanted to wash the season's fervent sickness from her and keep far away from any who might take an interest in her state, but she'd ended up doing the exact opposite. What she'd actually done only really added to her worries.

"Yeah, that's it," The less she needed to explain, the better. She was never a good liar, too transparent. A long sigh heaved from her lungs. "I'm fine." She whispered.

Now that she'd been seen it would be all too suspicious to turn away or continue to stand there. Picking up her large paws a measured tread brought her inside the stony overhang. She skirted the opposite wall from the Tainn as she tried not to look at him, limbs folding to bring her heavy form onto the cold, dusty floor, two days quickly catching up with her.

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

It wasn't much of an explanation, but it was a response, and she was home now. They should both rest a little easier. All the dark thoughts about searching for her extinguished. Though he was prompted to prod a real answer from her at this time a night, and everything else he didn't see the point. Maybe, he didn't want to know. Maybe, he didn't need to. The scent of the Bend wasn't as significant, there were clearly no tell signs of anything wrong.  "All right," was all he managed to say in turn, keeping with the short and sweet. 

Eyes followed her as she came and laid down. Blame it on the fact he couldn't fall back asleep, but he cleared his throat. "Since you're here now I wanted to talk to you about are allies near the lake. I think its time we invited them to the Bend, actually get to know them. You know with things settled,. What do you think?" No, they were not mates, but they were partners in raising Sahalie and Drift, and taking care of this pack. The Tainn valued her input. He didn't want to jump the gun. But, he was thinking by the time someone got up there, and back everyone should be in the clear that shoving two packs together would be less of a big deal. After Drestig and Jessie had left they all needed something to look forward to. Keep moving forward and all that.

(This post was last modified: Apr 06, 2016, 03:27 AM by Triell.)

are you with me through it all?