Secret Woodlands seven devils in my house

His mind wandered back to the dark leader of the Ridge wolves – their stolen hours together were indeed at the forefront of his mind and he wondered if @Morganna was with pups – and if they were even his. Impossible to tell, as she had been straight with him that she had taken other lovers, he was only left to consider it quietly. Should he try to visit her to talk to her? Was there even a point to that?

Having returned from a rather inadequate hunt, the ebony male dropped the fowl he had managed to catch, his ears drifting back to his skull as he considered dropping it off to the den of the alphas. He had not formally met either, but no doubt @Aideen was with child, and would surely require the nourishment.

As hesitation pulled at him, the sun from the mid-morning sky peeked through a cloud above, casting the thicket in light. It was certainly an alluring place.. but was it home, now, after all that had changed? Mirren was gone, and so was Vaeta.. Hell, even Lyanna had left. Aside from @Nina and even @Belladonna , Nios knew next to no one.. and none he could consider a real friend.

He couldn’t even recall the last time he had a real friend.

(This post was last modified: Apr 12, 2016, 11:15 AM by Nios.)

'cause its home, but it's gone

She followed a rather dry daily routine. Nina generally did not interact with anyone within Secret Woodlands unless she was reminded of something that needed to be done. Now that she had denounced her duties as leader, it became much easier for her to do with her day as she pleased and relax. She did not, however, laze around all day and sleep, she found it a waste of her time and she knew that there would come a day that it would be all that her body would be able to take until she passed on. She would work until that day came, whether it be months or years. Usually, she spent her time, gathering herbs. When her joints weren't horribly inflamed, the golden brown lady would attempt to hunt. It was not often that she was successful but when she was, there was always a rush of triumph.

Now that it was spring, however, and that Aideen was pregnant, Nina made sure to stock up on herbs she knew could be useful to the other woman. Granted, she acknowledged that she wouldn't be able to make the trip to Hush Meadow or Drooping Willow to get some of the desired herbs without either losing them or drying them out, but there were plenty that she could make due within the Thickets. It was one of the reasons she chose the location. It was also a short trip to Ghastly Woods and Secluded Springs if she needed anything of a different variety, but Nina knew that if she needed something specially rare she would need to look towards the south or in the mountains. For now, though, she felt as though they were set.

As she made her way back towards the medical den, ergot firmly clamped between her jaws, the scent filling her nostrils, she barely registered Nios' scent. When she did though, Nina stopped and back tracked, following the man's trail carefully to make sure she was going in the correct direction. When she happened upon him, he was alone, and she had to lay her herbs down and place a paw over them before she could call out to him, her voice strong, "Nios! How are you doing?" Though her voice was strong, it was also light, as if she were talking to someone she was familiar with.

It seems when you're around, my life is complete.

A familiar voice called to him, and tipping his muzzle back, the ebony male caught sight of the one-eyed Healer. His form naturally slipped to a more submissive stance -- Nina was still higher among him within the ranks, but even yet, it was likely the younger male would always view him as dominant. "Nina," he greeted, his tone giving a soft murmur as he paused in his step. He had not seen much of her lately, ut it was not odd -- he had not seen many of the Woodland wolves.

He considered her question for only a quick moment, his broader shoulders lifting to a small shrug. "Well," he decided, his bright eyes drifting over her. Mirren had been close to the tawny matriarch, but Nios could not claim the same -- he was fond of her, yes, but he knew very little  of her. "And you?" His question stirred his muzzle to cant slightly, his tail giving a quick sweep through the air. No doubt Nina was adjusting to her new role as well -- and he briefly wondered how she was handling it, after practically handing the pack to Miccah and Aideen. Something difficult, he could only presume, as she had built the pack upwards after his parents had departed to the Vale.

'cause its home, but it's gone

His response to her presence was almost instantaneous and she had to do her best not to frown. She never liked when others submitted when she was alone with them, especially now that she had passed her thrown onto the next generation of Secret Woodlands. Nina made no comment. Nios was quick to respond to her question, his answer blunt. Her hope was always to get closer to the Tainn boys. She considered Ruiko and Aeylen family and had become such when they had offered Nina a home and helped her grow into the woman she was. Over time, Mirren too formed a bond with her, but the Hervok matriarch never formed a close bond with Nios nor Vaeta. However, the fact that he was with the Woodlands, sparked hope within her that they would be able to form some kind of closeness before the end of her time.

A delicate smile was placed on her lips and she did her best not to seem too eager to answer, "I am doing better. It is easier now, it's not as stressful. I'm just re-familiarizing myself with important herbs before Aideen's delivery." She would always hope for the best during a birth but Nina was well aware that anything could go wrong during it. She wanted to be fully prepared just in case something happened and the Athesila family needed her by their side on their special day. "Are you excited about the pups?" Nina asked the question quickly, a bright light in her single eye at the thought. It felt like only yesterday that Lyanna had gone missing and Daniel had passed on and it filled Nina's heart with great joy that more children were bringing brought into the dark thickets to bring hope to those who had lost it.

(This post was last modified: Jun 03, 2016, 03:22 AM by Nina.)

It seems when you're around, my life is complete.

He gave a gentle nod at her words, understanding that the shift of hierarchy was still likely an adjustment for the woman, even if she had passed her crown upon young Aideen's head. He had not questioned it, though it made him uncertain of his future with the Woodlands wolves.. especially with his brother, sister and niece completely missing now.

Her question drew his bright eyes, and he refrained from answering with another simple yet blunt response: no. He knew nothing of Aideen, nor Miccah, and while he imagined the Woodlands wolves were indeed excited to greet their future heirs, the question itself only served to remind him how much of an outsider he truly was.. though by now, it was of his own accord, and no other was to blame. "It will be nice for the growth of the pack," he answered, albeit carefully. It was then he wondered if Nina had any children of her own -- it would seem last year, the only pup he had seen about was Lyanna, and this year, she had stepped down. Yet after Ruiko and Aeylen had ushered them away from Copper Rock Creek, what had become of those they had left behind? "Do you have children, Nina?"

'cause its home, but it's gone

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

Her single emerald eye observed him silently, waiting patiently for the answer that was sure to come. The Tainn family was large and continued their legacy through generations, so Nina had no doubts in her mind that Nios liked children. She was pleasantly surprised, and somewhat amused, when he answered her. His reason was evasive but she did not press on the matter. The young man was quick to turn the tables on her though, pressing the graying woman with a question of his own. The woman's lips twitched into a hesitant smile at her question.

When she responded, Nina' voice was soft, "I do. I had two litters. My first was Tacoma, Ashton, and Danica. My second was Unitas, Pacem, and Silentium. But I've helped raise plenty of children." She sent a smile his way at that. Bane was, indeed, one of these children and she considered him one of her own. She stuck with her through everything, through her darkest of times and she had much to be grateful for. Luckily, she bounced back and could make up for it now by being there for him. Truly, she was surprised he stuck around but the graying woman would never complain aloud. All of her other children were gone and by their lack of presence, was sure Nios had already picked up on that fact.

It seems when you're around, my life is complete.

He gave a gentle nod, considering her words. He had n ever known Nina to have a mate, but he had been so young when they had moved away from Copper Rock Creek – and completely absorbed in to his own wants and life at the time. “Mom and dad had trouble having another litter after us,” he confided, wondering if their luck had since changed, He imagined Ruiko and Aeylen content in Sequoia Vale – growing old with one another, and perhaps with another litter at their paws. Perhaps, even that was where Vaeta and Mirren had wound up in the end. Little did he know that the woman before him had witnessed the death of his father – and not once shared it with either of the Tainn sons.

He released a soft sigh then, his bright eyes drifting from her to study the woodlands around them. “So why did you settle here after the Creek?” He had never understood why the pack had moved – and it was always he and Mirren’s intent once realizing the lands were vacant to rise it once more to fruition – but now another pack had settled within the springs, and the vicinity to either lands would be quite tight.

 Perhaps he could remedy that.

'cause its home, but it's gone

When he revealed this piece of information, Nina frowned, her single green eye radiating with sadness. She wondered how Aeylen was doing now that Ruiko was no longer a part of her life. They had always seemed like a close couple, very much in love, and the reminder that Ruiko was gone, stung her. "I'm sorry, Nios." Her voice was soft, not daring the broach the topic of his father's death. She had no doubt that he knew and it was so sad that he had no other siblings aside from Vaeta and Mirren who were no where to be found.

Silence passed between them, and the graying woman took a moment to reflect upon those lives lost to them. But it was not long before the Tainn brought up another topic, one that was much easier to form a response. Blowing our air through her nostrils, Nina spoke, "After your family left, everyone was very confused. They did not want to stay. I gathered who I could, along with new recruits and settled in the thickets for a new beginning." She dearly hoped that he understood this. Mirren had made his intentions clear. The Tainn siblings wanted to reassemble the legacy that was Copper Rock Creek. She had done what she could in the past to keep everyone together, but it had not been enough.

It seems when you're around, my life is complete.