Fallen Tree Cove I will always bow to you

OOC! @Namid back dated to 10/10 a few days after the pack meeting

The past two days have been  rough. Starting with coming back from unintentionally disappearing then having the fate of the pack fall upon her shoulders. An overwhelming amount of emotions filled the young woman's mind. Guilt, regret, worry, sorrow, and most of all fear. Fear slithered about the dark she-wolf taking control of her mind and body. It's claws dug deep into her thoughts, whispering everything that could go wrong. Her failing as lead female, letting the pack that has become her family down, is her biggest fear. Having every wolf hate, mistrust, and/or turn their back on her was a close second. This was the reason the pale agouti Queen had to be sought out -  well the temporarily former Queen. Facing Namid was something that had to be done but the ebony woman was scared shitless to approach her. Moon knew why the rightful Queen had stepped down but didn't want to make matters worse by bringing them up.

To call or not to call was the impending question. The air was still around the small half den Moonshadow had dug out for herself. Since the pack meeting, the freshly appointed alpha couldn't face the rest of the pack. So she made herself scarce to give everyone time to adjust. Feeling the weight of the responsibility pressing down on her, the dark alpha took to filling her time with boarder patrols and hunts to replenish the caches. Deciding she had stalled long enough, she mentally prepared herself to talk with Namid. Before she called for her, she decided to get a small meal for the true ruler.

Large dark paws padded over fallen leaves as her charcoal nose searched for prey. The scent came to her as clear as day as she halted allowing mercury iries to find their target. Once locked on it didn't take long for the midnight pelted woman to catch it. Once the rabbit was caught and killed Moon tilted her large skull back and lifted her muzzle to call for her queen. As the last notes of her call fade she began to clean her muzzle of the kill. As her salmon tounge cleaned away the blood she sat amoung the trees patiently waiting for an answer to her call.

Namid simply laid in the back corner of the communal den, staring out the opening with half-lidded eyes. She hadn’t moved at all that day, even when she began to feel vague hunger pains in her stomach. The will, or lack there of, to stay right where she was was too great and thus had taken president. If she had been her normal self she would have been up before nearly the entire pack, save for her husband who was always up before them all, and out and about checking on supplies and doing her normal rounds. But, instead she was doing none of those things. All she did was sit and think and think and think. She thought a lot about her oldest son, wondered how he was doing, wondered if he were...if he were dead. The pale woman often supposed even if he was she just wanted to know instead of waiting around wondering. For someone who loved knowledge as much as the former queen, it was the biggest annoyance to lack the knowledge of what happened to her son. But, then she would think about coming across his body like they had Anthem’s and she would fall deeper. And, she felt no reason to get up to do her duty because she was failing at that wasn’t she? She’d fallen so far, lost so much strength and reason that she knew she had to forfeit her role as leader. And then Moonshadow, young Moonshadow, had swooped in and filled the spot. Deep inside she was grateful to the woman for doing what she couldn’t, for being the strength that she lacked. Truly she had saved them all, and Namid herself had almost been their downfall.

So entranced she was in her thoughts that she almost missed the call that rang in the air. Fuzzy auds swiveled forward to catch the familiar sound of her name and her heart involuntarily sunk a little bit at who the caller was. But, she knew she couldn’t and shouldn’t avoid her. So, with great effort she heaved herself to her paws and gave her pale, almost white winter coat a shake before basically crawling out of the den. She plodded along, slowing before rounding the tree that shrouded the large woman. She dipped her head in greeting, holding back a wince at the strange sensation it brought. “What can I do for you, Moonshadow?” she asked mutely. In all honestly she wasn’t trying to be rude, it was just that she couldn’t muster up the emotion at the moment.

OOC! Out of character comments here

Her call didn't go unanswered for long but was long enough for the young woman to make herself presentable. As the last of the blood was licked away a familiar pale agouti form came from around a tree. This situation had ran through Moonshadows mind thousands of times over the last few days. That however gave her no comfort for she knew that this could go a number of ways. Namid could get angry or it could make her depression worse or or or. With a brief shake of her head the thoughts were cast out. There was no use in stressing over it any longer for she would soon know the outcome. With a warm smile Moon returned the greeting and moved to make her posture just under that of Namid. This was supposed to be a big no no as alpha. For Vespertio had to her that she must learn to hold herself above others. In this situation however with no one else around the ebony woman felt as if this would help give some substance to the words she was about to speak.

"I caught this for you" she said reaching around to pick up the rabbit. Her dark form moved and placed the snack at Namids feet and then move back to her original place. "I figured with everything going on a snack wouldn't hurt" she said with a sheepish smile and eyes looking away from the true queen. Large haunches found their way to the leave covered ground as silver orbs skittered around the landscape. A light breeze picked up a few leaves and blew them between the women. Moon's eyes followed them before looking back at the mismatched pair that were expectantly looking at her. Again she was stalling except this time was worse because someone was now really waiting on her. With a deep sigh the young woman decided to cut to the chase. "I wanted to talk to you about what's happened over the last few days. Especially the shift in ranks." Deciding to test the waters the dark she-wolf danced around the subject to get a feel on where her companion stood.

Namid knew that Moonshadow had the best of intentions when she lowered her posture to the pale woman, but she couldn’t help but feel a pang of...well she wasn’t entirely sure what. Perhaps it was a big of annoyance, the reason completely unknown to her. She didn’t deserve to be bowed to anymore, there was nothing regal about her. She was a shell of a woman, weak. Still, she bowed her head low. When she lifted, her mismatched gaze landed on the rabbit that had been nosed to her paws. It would have been better spent in the stomach of someone else, but even in her state she knew it would be rude to refuse a morsel caught for her. “Thank you,” she said with a small smile, dipping her head to take a bite of the animal. It was tasteless to her and her lack of hunger.

"I wanted to talk to you about what's happened over the last few days. Especially the shift in ranks." the larger, dark woman said and the former queen almost chuckled. Of course, she hadn’t really expected much other reason. But, in all reality there was no need for this meeting. Moonshadow was their new matriarch and even in the darkness Namid was grateful for that. She knew that without the girl their lands would have fallen into ruin, and if that had happened the Star Dancer knew not of what would have happened to her. She would have been further ridden with guilt and would be spiraling further than what she already was. If Namid couldn’t be there for her family like she should, she was glad that someone was. “If you are worried that I am angry you should not be. I am grateful, truly. Perhaps you do not realize it, but before you came back and stepped up the pack was all too close to ruin. Without you we would have lost the Cove. We owe you all a word of thanks,” she said, finally mustering up what she could for a smile.

OOC! Out of character comments here

The dip of the true queens head caused a surge of discomfort with in the dark woman. This was the purpose of this conversation. To make it clear that no matter what Namid was the rightful ruler and Moon was simply a place holder til she could get back on her feet. That when the time came for her to reclaim her throne she would have no challenge. Mercury orbs watched the pale woman acknowledge the rabbit and take a bite. It made the ebony female feel much better that her queen was willing to eat - even of she didn't have a desire to. Moonshadow remembered the depression from losing her family. Having no will to eat, drink, move, do anything really and even lose the will to live. It was a dark time for the lass and something she could empathize with. She gave Namid an encouraging smile as she took her bite "you're welcome ma'am". Moon would always refer to the lake queen as ma'am even under these circumstances. This woman had given her a home, a family, a second chance. No matter what she may think of herself the midnight girl would always give her the utmost respect.

Feeling it was rude to watch someone eat the dark woman adverted her eyes to the leaf ridden ground. As she began to speak dark audits pressed forward to catch her words. Not angry but grateful? While Moon didn't know exactly what to expect emotionally wise from the woman, but a little bit of anger or resentment would have been expected over being grateful. While @Vespertio hadn't explicitly said that the cove would have fallen to ruin the temporary lead had guessed it was pretty dire to have asked her so soon after returning to the territory. She still was uneasy about being "the savoir". As she saw from the meeting no one explicitly excited about the occurance - not even her. She didn't want to be alpha. She didn't want anyone to think she was stealing Namids spot or for anyone to resent her. She just wanted everything to go back to normal and for everyone to be happy. Silver dusted ears flicked back and the forth as mercury eyes glaced to the mismatched pair across from her. "I understand the need for the shift" she started hesitantly "however I want you to know that whatever may happen you will always be the rightful queen of these lands and that I am nothing more than a place holder. When you and Vespertio accepted me into your home I made a vow to serve you both as well as this pack and I intend to keep that vow. I am here to serve and help in anyway possible and when you are ready to reclaim your throne I will be more than happy to step down." Her words were sincere and honest. This was her home and shed do anything to protect it. So if that meant being way beyond her comfort zone then so be it.

Namid listened to Moonshadow speak, admonishing the pale woman as the apparent rightful queen of the Cove. This amused her, considering the circumstances in which she had acquired her previous placement. She’d only become the leader because the previous lead female had up and vanished and she’d been there to steal Vespertio’s heart away and step into the role. Truly, if there was one rightful leader still left in these lands she supposed it would be her husband, who had stuck with the pack from the very beginning. It was something that she admired about him, his drive and kind heart though sometimes it was hard for others to see it. But she could see it very plainly, sometimes more than she thought even he saw. Her smile widened at the thought.

”That,” she said, pointing to the point of the larger woman’s chest with her nose that would house her heart. “That is why you are worthy of leading, even if it is not forever. Many wolves think that, to be a leader, you have to be strong, you have to be willing to be ruthless. But from what I have learned you do not have to be you. To be worthy you need to be willing to see others, you have to be willing to be compassionate even when others are not, and you have to have the instinct to determine right from wrong. But, above even that you have to be loyal. You have to see the worth in the lands you are in and the wolves that are below you. You have that, Moonshadow. It is why, even if I feel I may have failed in some way, I am comfortable with allowing you to sit next to my husband.” In her brain and her body she held a spiraling bleakness, a strong depression that held her under like the eddies that would form in the Lake. But the logical part of her knew that it couldn’t last forever, some part of her had to hope that she would spring from this nightmare and do what she knew she could do even if her everything told her she was a complete and utter failure. Until that time, she truly was confident in the younger woman’s ability even if the dark woman herself wasn’t. Sometimes all it took was a little faith.

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

OOC! Out of character comments here

"That" the single word confused the dark woman at first. Her head tilted to the side just slightly as she tried to understand what her companion was referring to. The gesture of the queens nose didn't do much to clarify either. Her mercury gaze followed the gesture towards her chest before looking back up. "That is why you are worthy of leading, even if its not forever." Why? Because I see you as the true queen and I'm willing to step down? Her head lost its tilt but she still didn't quite grasp what Namid was saying until she elaborated more. The pale woman described what she had learned an alpha needed to be. They didn't necessarily have to be strong and ruthless. A good leader needs compassion, to be able to see others for who they are, to be able to differentiate right from wrong, to see the worth in ones lands and subordinates and especially to be loyal.

"You have that Moonshadow" The statement shocked the midnight pelted woman. She did? She wasn't sure if Namid was just saying this to make her feel better cuz she was the only choice or if she was being honest. Moon hadn't ever known the other woman to lie. The true queen went on to say this was why she was ok with the younger female standing by her husbands side. Ears perked when Namid said she felt as if she failed somehow. While the dark she-wolf could see why she felt that way, what she did was for the best interest of the pack. Stepping down was a better option than to allow the pack to fall. Moonshadow had always felt that the pale agouti woman had always done what she saw was the best for the pack. It was one of the many things she admired about Namid. A few moments of silence hung between them as gears turned within the large dark skull. She was unsure how to respond to, she guessed, the praise. "Thank you. For having faith in me. Especially since I have none in myself." She paused momentarily "I will do my best to live up to your faith." Shining silver eyes looked to their counter parts and a faint smile made its way to her inky maw. She hoped she could live up to it at least.

"Others speech" Thought "Speech"

There was still an unsureness in the woman, but she couldn’t be blamed for it. It had taken Namid a long while to come to grips with her new position as well and she’d questioned for many months if she were right for the role. It simply took practice and a bit of getting used to. A simple nod bobbed her head to the other woman, a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes like usual given. “Fight to have faith in yourself as well. It is not just me that has faith in you, it is our pack. If you have any questions you know you may always find me with just a call. We all have tests we must pass in our lives, I suppose this is ours at the moment,” the pale woman commented, rising to her paws and giving her pelt a habitual shake. All she felt like at the moment was going back to the den, all the energy from her sapped by the conversation. “All will be well,” and with those words uttered she turned and began to make her way back to take a nice long nap.

Exit Namid