Oak Tree Bend What do you wish for?

For @Leotie

In the darkest days of the year, when the bite of winter was at its strongest, the Bend was falling apart. The irony was certainly not lost on Serach, who had felt himself living in a daze as he tried to overcome the shock and come to terms with the truth of what had just happened. He had been confident going into this winter, because his pack had been strong in numbers and in health. That had all been a lie, and it was hard to come to terms with that. If he had incorrectly assessed that, what else was he wrong about? But much to his dismay, this was not all some bad dream he could simply wake up from, so when he cracked open his pale yellow eyes and peered into the morning gloom he had no choice but to rise up and learn how to live with this new burden as best as he knew how.

The first step was trying to reassure those who still called the Bend home, and the best way he knew how to do that was to seek them out. Sahalie had come to seek him out after the challenge for her answers, but he was not going to wait for others to do the same if he could help it. So instead he set off, nose to the ground as he followed the scent trail of one of the Bend's quietest members. While there was an urgency in his step, he did not hurry. Instead of racing off to find her, Serach took his time and paused to sniff at the trees and dead foliage along the way. For some of them, he felt certain it would be the last time he would smell their scents, and there was some comfort in that, even if the pain from their loss was still fresh on his heart. As it was, it took more than an hour before the leader found his way to his original target. "Leotie?" He called out, peering through the trees to look for the golden coat. "It's me...just wanted to see how you were doing." No point in beating around the bush about it.

The recent events that had taken place within the bend had forced Leotie to come to terms with some truths about herself. For instance how much does she really know about living in a pack, sure she knew how to hunt and patrol. However, she had not understood what happened during the rank challenge until Triell was kind enough to help her understand. She had decided during her talk with him that she wasn't angry with anyone for how things had turned out. She knew it was the natural order of things and everyone had done what they had to do and were going to do what they thought was best. It was all a lot of turmoil that she wondered if the bend would ever recover from. It was something she knew that time would tell just as time had allowed her the chance to make it in a world she had known nothing about. Leotie did hope that the pack would recover and that it would have a bright future for everyone that would remain.

Her mind raced with the thoughts that had occupied it since the rank challenge as she moved through the trees of her home, only now she wasn't sure it was her home anymore. She had spent the morning patrolling the border to give herself some time to process everything a little more, border patrols were always good for that. Heading back the sound of her name caused her to seek the owner of the voice through the trees. Catching a close of the pale coat of Serach she turned to approach him, talking with him was something she felt she needed to do. “Hello Serach,” she greeted dipping her head before meeting his gaze, “I'm doing better, it's a lot to take in you know? How are you doing?” With Triell taking Naira and his children and leaving as well as Speiden and her children going, “This all must be really hard for you.”

(This post was last modified: Dec 27, 2016, 05:15 PM by Leotie.)

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

She came to a stop, and Serach padded closer until he was standing next to her. He hadn't expected anybody to be out and about on the borders today. After all, what was the point when you no longer had a pack to protect? That's certainly how it felt, although it did give him comfort to see Leotie there. Whatever feelings she had about the whole affair, it hadn't perturbed her enough to make her stay hidden. He envied her for that, knowing the amount of effort it had taken him to pull himself off the ground that morning and face the new day. "I'm glad you're doing okay...I know its difficult and confusing." She had been there in the aftermath, but he didn't recall how much she had seen of the fight itself.

"Will you walk with me?" he asked her, not waiting for a response before setting into motion. Movement helped, even if only marginally. "It is very hard. I care about Spieden a lot, you know. And Aponi has nothing but respect for her, but we wanted the opportunity to lead the pack together, maybe even start our own family. I don't think any of us could have imagined that the challenge would have turned into this mess." He sighed and looked to her, curious as to what was going on behind those blue eyes. She was a quiet creature, as far as he could tell. Who knew if "okay" really meant okay?

"Despite it all though, I don't want to leave. The Bend has been my home since birth, you know. I can't imagine any other place being home. I guess I took it for granted, that others felt the same way," he explained, his voice clearly resigned to the fact that his world had fallen apart. "And what about you, Leotie? Will you be following Spieden and Triell?"

What the man before her was going through Leotie couldn't imagine especially with how little she knew of what it meant to be a leader. Triell had explained some of it but she knew there had to be more to it in order to completely take care of the pack. She didn't know if Serach had sought her out or had come upon her but if he had sought her out then that had to be part of being a leader, checking up on their subordinates as he was doing with her. She nodded even he spoke of it being difficult and confusing, “Thank you Serach and it is difficult as well as confusing. I didn't understand a lot but I do now and have accepted what has happened.” Leotie had decided that it was how packs went on, the stronger wolves made it and created futures for their packs while the weaker ones didn't make it or did better. She supposed she had decided to do better since she hadn't perished that first winter in the Lore.

She nodded and followed as he set their path when asked to walk with him. She was worried about him as she was all of her pack mates so she genuinely cared about how he was doing however she wasn't expecting the amount he shared with her. “I know you care about her a lot how could you not? It's a horrible thing that happened but from what I understand from what's been explained it had to happen for you and Aponi to lead together and start your own family. However, I don't know everything that happened, it could be much different than that but the point is you and Aponi want a family together and no one can fault you for that.” Hearing Serach’s side of things helped her to understand the personal side of it and not just the way it is from a pack perspective.

“I don't think you should admit defeat yet,” she stated , “It looks bad now with Spieden and Triell leaving but Aponi fought to lead this pack by your side and if you give up on that dream now it would be for nothing.” She may not be an expert on how packs were run but she did know enough to know that, “I think others do feel the same but emotions are high right now.” Some probably were probably still shocked about how it had all happened. They all just needed time to process everything. He then asked her what her future plans were which was something she had been thinking about and how to tell him. “I've given it a lot of thought and it wasn't a decision I came to lightly but I've decided to go with Triell. I don't want there to be any hard feelings, it's nothing you did. It's just that I think it's time for me to move on. I have learned a lot while I've been here but I don't think it's enough and in order to learn more I think I have to leave the safety of the bend.” She hoped he could understand and that he wouldn't be angry with her.

(This post was last modified: Dec 27, 2016, 08:29 PM by Leotie.)

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

Serach listened with a quiet patience that was growing thin as Leotie responded. She was a sweet girl, but sometimes her inexperience was more trying than he was able to handle. After his discussion with Sahalie, he was well and truly done with wolves who didn't understand why Aponi and he had done what they had done. Exhaling, he breathed a sigh of relief as she reiterated that she understood the reason why the two of them had made the choice that they had. He wasn't sure how much he would emphasize the family point if he had to explain it - although that is what he had said to Sahalie - but if that was a reason that the rest of the Bend wolves found acceptable, he was willing to roll with it. It wasn't entirely inaccurate, but there was no point in delving into his developed mistrust with Spieden now. She was gone, and so it was irrelevant.

He came to a sudden halt, though, as the next words spilled forth. "I don't think you should admit defeat yet." "I've decided to go with Triell." He turned his head slowly to look at her, his pale eyes wide in shock. It hurt less than it had when Sahalie had confronted him and told him she and her families were leaving, but it was a punch to the gut nonetheless. Did she even realize how hypocritical she was? Was this what Sahalie had meant when you were supposed to tell somebody bad news but not be bold about it? His lips curling into a snarl, he stubbornly decided he'd rather stick with the boldness than fake pleasantries or concerns.

"You should probably go then. Now." He snapped at her, the fur along his back bristling. She had asked for no hard feelings, just as Sahalie had, but that was not something they had a right to ask. Not when they were the ones who threw his loyalty back in their face.

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

She felt bad for Serach as he seemed so defeated by what had been happening all around them and she was doing her best to understand his side of things. When he suddenly stopped and the look on her face after she had told him her decision she felt badly for telling him the way she had but she couldn't take it back now and she wouldn't feel sorry for making the decision that she had. Going with Triell was the best thing for her, she knew it in her bones and the growing anger on his face wouldn't change her mind.

Her eyes widened as he told her to leave right then, his snap causing her to jump back with her tail curled under her. She was surprised that he would react in such away toward her after he'd always been so kind. Still she accepted that he was angry with her though she didn't really understand it. “I'll go but I'm sorry it turned out like this.” That said she turned toward the border and left the lands that had been her home for the last year. She had hoped they would. Have ended things on better terms and she hoped that maybe one day he wouldn't be so angry with her. Stopping a few feet from the border she took one last look back before disappearing into the forest.

Exit

(This post was last modified: Dec 27, 2016, 10:36 PM by Leotie.)

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

Sorry this didn't pan out better...Serach's just not in a place to be sympathetic towards anybody who is leaving right now. Maybe one day they'll cross paths again!

She was like a child, and in any other moment Serach would have rushed to apologize to her for snapping like he had. But this was not any other moment. His heart had been torn into so many pieces he had lost count, and there was something about the way that she said it, as though she expected him to take it in stride and with a smile that infuriated him more than all the rest. Sahalie had at least known what she was doing, and although he had not yet crossed paths with the Tainn patriarch, he hoped that Triell would understand why his nephew would not greet him with a smile nor wish him well on his foolhardy adventure. But while Leotie had professed to understand, it was clear to him that she really didn't.

He watched her go with quietly, the snarl subsiding as quickly as it had come. He had not chased Spieden away, nor Sahalie, and he would not break the pattern by chasing out Leotie. This wasn't her fault, he thought as he turned back towards the den, ready to track down Triell for the final battle before he could put all of this behind him and begin to build anew. But it wasn't your fault either, he reassured himself, although he took no solace in that fact. For better or for worse, Leotie had made her choice. He could only hope that the world was kinder to her than he had been in their final moments together as packmates, although the frigid bite of winter on his haunches was a clear indication that it would not be an easy journey for any of them.