Grizzly Hollow but to be in the grave so long, poor boy.

OOC! Sorry for being late! Also sorry for the crappy post!

Tyne had been on the far side of the territory patrolling the borders since he couldn't sleep. The call rang out through the cedars and reached the hunter. At first it was shaky but then grew in strength. The tone demanded everyone's presence and wasn't up for debate. So the tawny man moved towards where Veho had called from. The recent blizzard had dumped so much snow that it was neck deep in some places making it more difficult for anyone to quickly navigate their way through it. Since he was the furthest away he was of course the last of arrive. When he came closer to the clearing he could hear that Veho had already begun speaking. Upon approaching the scene golden eyes took in the forms of his packmates. Only a few were recognized by the sea wolf, Oula and Felix, Veho of course, and his age mate. Pip was on the outskirts of the group alone so Tyne moved besides her giving her a nudge to her shoulder. This was the first time in a while that he had been this close to the small Mizuno. Her scent was different - odd. The Kersey man couldn't put a paw on it and was drawn back to the meeting as his alpha began to speak once more.

Charcoal tipped ears pressed forward atop his head as his molten gaze fell upon Vehos form. The older male was obviously not happy with his subordinates and it didnt take long for them to find out why. Subordinates who have bred the words hit the tawny male full force as it clicked to why Pip smelled different. She was carrying pups? Who's? He knew they werent his and the only other males were Veho and Rook. Veho clearly didnt and from what else he was saying it wasn't Rook either. A loner then was the only option. This caused something within him to boil for he did not know if it was consensual on Pips behalf. If it wasn't then the man responsible would surely pay for his actions. Veho continued on making it clear that his pups would be the rightful heirs to the hallows and all others will be of equal standing. Tyne couldnt argue with that but what the grey male said next caught him off guard. He was leaving for a month? While it was understandable he wondered what would happen to their ranks in their leaders absence. It didnt matter however for he would remain as long as Pip was there. He would give his all for her and the pack. Why should the new puppies suffer for the actions of the generation above them?

The Hallows leader stated that he would depart after he saw his son off. The news of Felix leaving was new to Tyne and was actually kind of sad to learn it. Besides @Pip the boy had really been the only other one that the agouti man has interacted/gotten a bit close to. But if he wanted to set out the Tyne would wish him well. Golden eyes looked around to gage each wolf's reaction. He wondered how they would take the news.

For OOC preferences just check Moonshadow's profile

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

The entire time, the mute's gaze did not lift from where it had settled on the grass between her paws. Even when her agemate arrived and nudged her gently along her shoulder, Pip lay stiffly in place and hardly flicked an ear in acknowledgement of @Tyne's presence. Later, she would lament that she had not greeted him in her usual manner, but she could only lay in shock. Her expression grew more pallid the longer @Veho spoke.

She'd never heard him so angry. In fact, Pip hadn't believed Veho capable of anger. Not towards any of them anyway. Obviously, it was well deserved this time. Russet ears lay flat against her head in shame. Even if she'd been unaware, it was no excuse. In her head, she'd not make any. She'd broken pack law, just as he'd said. She deserved any punishment he thought appropriate.

But orange eyes did lift quickly and with gathering alarm at the mention of offending males being chased off. Kjell? Veho had met Kjell? Chased him off? What - when - ? Why?? He'd not meant any harm. He'd been gentle and kind and he...they...she... Well. She loved him, didn't she? That had to count for something! Why couldn't he join them here? It was what she'd always hoped for. Ever since that day the dragon had rescued her from that awful beaver, she had hoped he would join the ranks. And now her Alpha was threatening worse if he returned?

Horrified, her ashen face fell back to the ground. She'd done this. She'd been stupid and awful and had broken pack law and now Kjell had been chased far off out of reach. This punishment was too severe! Wishing for a voice now more than ever, she wished she could beg and plead with Veho to leave her lover out of it and only hurt her. Bite her, chase her, shake her like Ophelia had. But not Kjell. He didn't deserve it! He didn't, and she couldn't take the thought that he was hurt again.

The news that Veho was leaving was actually somewhat of a reprieve. His anger was not something she could continue to face for long without crumbling. When he asked for objections, she still would not raise her head even as she screamed in her mind that she very much objected what had been done to the one she loved. And perhaps that was what made it the most fitting punishment of all, for nothing could affect the omega so much as hurting a loved one. The little sea wolf's gut rolled almost painfully and her face showed it for a moment as she fought with whether or not to rush away and boot up her last meal. In the end, she remained where she lay and held her gorge down.

This was the worst pack meeting, she was convinced.

Oula watched as the rest filtered in, feeling much like a ghost as her presence on the fringes was all but ignored. She watched as Pip skulked to the edges as well, but it seemed that the pack's lowest was in her own little bubble. Her daughter didn't even spare her a glance, something that made Oula feel frustrated and forgotten. She shrank under Amaryllis' glances, not knowing what had caught the leader's gaze. Oula half expected her son to completely ignore her too, and only halfway concealing her surprise when the boy sat himself at her side. She leaned into his nudge, turning her head to place a small kiss on her son's cheek. 

Oula's attention shifted forwards as Veho began to speak, her stomach twisting in nervous knots. As she listened, she couldn't help as her ears flattened in indignation at being categorically called one of the 'naughty children'. Though as full of fire as he seemed, his punishments were not as dire as Oula had expected. Whatever probation she was under, Oula intended on flying straight from here on out. She'd already gotten what she wanted from her sole act of disobedience, and it would do her gestating litter no favors to get herself ousted for any other egregious acts. 

Oula held back a wince as Veho moved on to mention offhand that she had been the messenger of the situation between his mate and their female leader. She cast a brief, apologetic glance towards Amaryllis. Whether or not they had been trying to keep it secret, it wasn't her intention to be a snitch, of all things. She had assumed the two males had made another arrangement, but apparently that was not the case. But truly, she liked to see Rook get knocked down a peg.

The most shocking thing of all however came with the mention of Felix leaving Grizzly Hollow. She turned towards Felix beside her, her eyes wide in shock. Was it true?

He was proud, for a moment. Just one fleeting moment.

How could Felix be happy about his adventure when so much was happening back here at home? With his mama and Pip on probation? What did that even mean? The yearling glanced up at his mother, worry evident in mismatched as he studied the woman’s face. He knew she’d been upset – but he’d assumed it had something to do with Nineva’s sudden rise in ranks. That her smell had changed (and then changed again) meant very little to the lad; after all, it was just like Pip, and just like Lily. That all of them had gone against his father was…well, frankly, it was a bit hard to process.

He found then that Oula had met his gaze, and the boy felt his breath catch in his throat. He felt bad. Like he’d been the one to do something wrong. Like maybe she was disappointed in him. Felix wanted to curl up and disappear – how could Ophelia look so damn happy when everyone else was so upset?

Hopefully, the weather would clear soon. Suddenly, the young Macieo couldn’t wait to leave the tension behind him with the rest of Grizzly Hollow.

Gently reminding @Nineva @Amaryllis @Rook

Like the occasionally obedient dog he was, Rook was next on the scene, simpering up Veho as Nineva glowered at him. Were it not to reach the alpha, the man's proximity would have earned him a threatening snarl and a cautionary snap of her jaws. As it was, she was forced to remain silent, though her eyes spoke it all. With Tomen gone from them, she blamed the rebarbative Lyall more than ever before for just about everything. It was very much hate that now burned within her chest at his presence. Yet Veho claimed to love him still, and she could not disregard that.

However, the alpha met his supposed mate with ice, and once more it was hope that dominated her emotions. Would Rook Lyall finally be held accountable for his actions? The others filtering in earned little of her attention, she was so wrapped up in this possibility. It wasn't until Ophelia approached them that she looked away at all from that masked face, the sudden push of the young girl's growing weight upon her back startling the Hervok briefly. With affection she clicked her teeth gently after the heiress' flank and tail before turning her mismatched eyes to survey those gathered. Amaryllis neared them, but Nineva did not move to make room for her at Veho's side.

Whatever was about to go down, she felt her own proximity to the man to be vital. If he was to reinstate order onto the mess that the Hollow had so swiftly become, then she would willingly be the right paw at his disposal.

Then it begun, and every word the man spoke reverberated strongly with the young woman. As he spoke of incredulity that she and Tyne were the only ones capable of self-control, her gaze passed harshly over all savor Pip and the children, as she would like to know exactly how that could be as well. She knew that ultimately, they were all getting off easily, despite the verbal lashing. After all, she was certain that her own parents would have ousted the offenders without hesitation. Veho was extending one last branch of trust, however. Allowing them to atone for what they had done, to do better. Only time would tell if that would pay off, or if the strictness instilled in her as a child was truly the only way for order to prevail.

That Veho was leaving, for a month, did bother her. She did not want the man gone, and even as she was invited along and the thought of escaping all of this appealed to her greatly, she knew that she could not take up the offer. Someone had to keep the unruly in line, after all, and what if Tomen returned during her absence? There was no need to consider it.

"I'll stay here," she informed her alpha, "and help prepare."

What affection was offered was met with a hard glare; Rook fully backed away, if only briefly with ducked chin, drawn back ears and lowered tail that no longer wagged. In all truth, he might have expected a snap from Nineva then and there, but the reproach did not come. Regardless, the Lyall scolded himself in his head and took a seat at Veho's side (opposite of where the gray yearling sat), leaving a wide wolf's-length between them. He deserved this and he knew it. It would pass, he was also sure, but for now, there was a meeting to pay heed to.

Oula and Pip were next to arrive, followed by Ophelia and Amaryllis, then Felix. For the most part, he was ignored - Oula not even looking at him, Pip keeping to herself well apart from them, Ophelia offering little but a more favorable greeting towards Veho, Amaryllis holding his gaze before averting her eyes altogether, and Felix nudging him before taking a seat beside his mother with an even more tender salutation. Rook wrinkled his nose; it was only fair. He had not been there for the three Macieo cubs as much as he would have liked, being called away to family beyond Relic Lore and all.

Rook's attention had been trained on Veho's paws in the snow when he was startled by the Leader's rumbling, "I will not drag this out." The Lyall's body jolted, but he did not seek his partner's gaze, afraid that his glance might be misread. It was unwolf-like to stare unless he had demands to be made of someone and, presently, he had no intentions to piss off anyone else. What was laid out for everyone to consider, Rook took personally; everything reverberated within him with remorse. At the very least, he was glad Amaryllis was not caught in the crossfire between him and Veho.... and Oula? This struck Rook across the face with a figurative bear paw. Claws, pads, and all. His brows furrowed and he winced as he looked at the ashen woman. It could have been an accidental exchange of information, for all he knew, but a part of him still felt the hurt - just a fraction of what Veho was feeling in this current moment.

More words came: Tomen, having been gone all this time, was denounced as heir to Grizzly Hollow, replaced with Ophelia, Felix, and Joan. The three upcoming litters - his, Pip's and Oula's - would be seen as equals. Gone was his bloodline's titles: Lord, Heir, Baron... Stripped like feathers from a pheasant. It stung; and, to justify his decisions, Veho announced that he was leaving. Grizzly Hollow had allies and Veho was going to see to them and their welfare to place some distance between him and his lover.

Rook peered over at Veho's chest, then his face as his name was uttered, followed by the instruction that he was to take charge and responsibility of the pack in his stead. With the pending arrivals of the litters, this meant one thing: Rook was going to be busy and this was how he was to repent. The rest of Veho's words were not lost on the Lyall as he searched within himself any strand of strength and hope that would pull him through their time apart. His concentration was broken, however, when Ophelia agreed to accompany Veho and Nineva intended to stay. Air rushed into Rook's chest and he fought the urge to catch the Hervok's own mismatched irises. Shit...

His teeth grit together; if he and Nineva were to be left behind, then he was going to make sure that if any misconduct came about in Veho's absence, Rook would be sure he heard about it. What grudge he had been holding close to his heart regarding the yearling, though, was dropped as he realized that she would help prepare. Only then did it Rook truly register that they had all needed this. This was a reality check.

To Veho, Rook offered a solemn nod without neither a grimace nor an ounce of bitterness. The distress of not being told beforehand, though, would be made known soon enough. In the meantime, he would show Veho all that he wanted to see. They would reap from Rook's efforts; he would make sure of it.

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

@Ophelia @Rook @Nineva @Oula @Amaryllis @Tyne -- Final round!  Feel free to face or exit!

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

At the very least, the majority of the chastised wolves had the good sense to look ashamed of themselves. Even Rook, and that was a bit of a surprise. Part of the alpha had expected some upset; if not from his mate, than one of the pregnant women. It was quite clear that the mother of his children was very unhappy with him, though it seemed perhaps the news about their only son seemed to come as a surprise. The small, vindictive part of his mind smiled. Good. Being left out of the loop hurt, didn’t it?

Pip and Amaryllis looked unhappy in their own part, but…

It seemed no one else had anything to say. So be it.

Veho sat up a bit straighter. “Ophelia, we will leave in the next few days once the weather clears and we see your brother off. Nineva, I appreciate your dedicate to the pack. You are a true asset. As I said, we will be gone one month, and then we will back with news of Secret Woodlands and Fallen Tree Cove.” He glanced around the entire group of wolves before continuing. “I expect everything to be in order when I return. If there is no further trouble, we can reassess the probation.”

A soft hum. “That is all.”

Never had Pip felt so humiliated in her life. Probation. For following her heart and doing something forbidden. She hadn't even known what she was really doing. None of the pack had bothered explaining to her before just as her own mother hadn't bothered. Was it because she didn't speak? Was it as Ophelia always implied; that she was dumb? Because the inability to speak apparently translated to not having a brain or thoughts or anything as well.

@Tyne's presence did little to comfort the little female and only served to worsen her misery. He was too kind in the face of @Veho's coldness. She'd never thought the Alpha capable of such feelings, but apparently she'd been wrong. With his final word spoken, Pip didn't hang around. Why would she want to expose herself to more judgemental glances or sneers from Ophelia or the overall icy demeanor from a man she'd come to see as a brother?

The sea wolf's tail tucked tightly between her legs and she fled rapidly from the area despite crouching so low. Omegas as a rule had mastered fast movement in submissive positions when running off and Pip was no exception. She should go hunt. Go fish. Go scout. Go do something for the pack. But she couldn't find it in herself to do it now. No, first, she would seek solitude and lick her wounds alone without anyone else around to witness. At the very least, she was owed that.

Pip's exit. </3

She'd grown so used to making everyone upset that this bliss that came with not being the root of all trouble was enough to make her burst! Ophelia wanted to shout out, to howl in joyous celebration. But catching her brother's gaze, the light in her peridot eyes faded some and she at least felt some guilt for being so gleeful about it all. The pup looked to her mother then and saw what she'd pretended not to see before; she was upset, too.

The pale princess sighed and lowered her head. It would be nice if she could feel blissfully happy and in the right for at least half a day without feeling guilt follow. Apparently, it wasn't in her stars.

As Daddy addressed her, the girl pouted. Why did he sound cross with her now? She didn't like him when he was being so stern! He'd better get over it before they went on their journey! She didn't want to get yelled at every five seconds because he was frustrated with everyone else! Ophelia hardly took punishment for her own actions. She absolutely would not shoulder anyone else's!

When they were dismissed, the princess nodded and then padded over to her mother and brother. For @Oula, Ophie lowered her head and rubbed her cheek to hers before lifting her head to look at @Felix. Her expression for him was a peculiar one. Miffed was likely the best comparison. He should have mentioned it to her. Even if they didn't always get along, they were siblings. She'd expected more of him. At least he wasn't as bad as Joan, she guessed. With the look shared, the girl trotted off in the opposite direction of Pip to go find something to entertain herself while Daddy cooled off.