Cut Rock River in some sad way, i already know.

Veho and @Ophelia return from sabbatical, with @Cinder in tow.  Veho is at the border himself, though those two are welcome.  Open to one or two others.  Morning.  Partly cloudy.  47F/8C.

The sabbatical, though refreshing, had changed nothing. Veho stood at the borders of Grizzly Hollow with a heavy mind – though they were well marked in his absence, they reeked of pregnancy. They had too. There were more pregnant wolves than there weren’t while he was away. The very thought was enough to summon up a grim smile, and the man wondered not for the first time why he even bothered returning to a place that clearly cared so little for him. A mate that thought so little of his opinion or emotions. A pack that cared so little for respect or law. His own children dispersing now – he often though it was a matter of time before Ophelia joined the other three and moved to see the world as Tomen, Joan, and Felix had. Would any of them ever come back?

Would it matter?

For the first time in a very long time, Veho was beginning to feel the tug of the leash Rook had fastened upon him after Borden’s death, even though their initial agreement had promised anything but. When had he allowed this? The love of his pack had been so strong, once – but everything had been given away, and nothing had been received to restore now hollow coffers. The alpha sighed, his tail dropping low as he stared into the pack territory with dull, grey eyes.

“Why am I here?”

Why won’t you answer me?

(This post was last modified: Apr 27, 2017, 04:38 PM by Veho.)

would like to clarify that i've mentioned in here what nineva would have done if she has seen rook & ama, in her opinion, 'slacking.' i'm not at all attempting to state with certainty that she did witness this as i don't wish to assume either way on your guys' behalf what rook & ama's efforts have been. <3

Veho. She sensed him on the breeze as she walked the borders, always in solitude. There wasn't a soul left within the pack that she wished for time with, yet duty bound her still to care for them. In the alpha's absence she had assured that @Rook and @Amaryllis both worked tirelessly to fulfill their responsibilities. If any slack had been witnessed, she would have not hesitated to bare her fangs and urge them off their hind ends. Her own time had been consumed with hunting, foraging and monitoring, ensuring both their security and resources to the best of her ability.

It was exhausting work, but at least it helped stave off those tangled thoughts that haunted any moments of stillness amongst her days and nights.

Now that he was back, however, wouldn't this all be made better? At least in a small way? Nineva abandoned her route to seek him out, eagerly plowing through the slush to find her way to him. Ophelia's scent was in the air as well, and so too was that of a wolf who was simultaneously foreign and vaguely familiar. Yet when her one good eye caught sight of him, he stood alone, speaking something unheard to himself. She hurried.

The privacy caused her to act a bit more youthfully than she might have were others around. The entirety of her body wriggled as it approached him, muzzle seeking his comforting ruff. A whine pressed into the air; she had missed him terribly.

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

Didn't wanna chuck this post out so Oula's just watching angrily from the bushes unless anyone notices her lol

Oula kept as busy as she usually did, any time not spent hunting or passive aggressively pissing over wherever Nineva had gone before was spent digging away at the corners of her own personal den. It was spacious enough for one wolf, but with pups on the way she would need the space, and had no intentions of using her previous natal den so close to the pack's den, and subsequently Amaryllis' litter. Pleased with her progress so far she went on a stroll through the territory to loosen muscles that had gotten cramped from digging. The ground was damp, a slushy mix of snow and mud that signified some semblance of spring was finally on its way, her white paws darkened by dirt and mud. 

Oula was met by a familiar scent, taking a second to realize that Veho had returned. She picked up her pace, hesitating just out of sight as she wondered if he even really wanted to see her. Veho looked... not much different than when he had left, really. He still looked tired, deflated, defeated. It seemed the time away hadn't been enough to sand the edges off, or this place was truly so ghastly it immediately soured his mood upon return. Did she really need to add on the displeasure of seeing her traitorous face to his worries?

She had missed him, though, despite the kaleidoscope of shit going on between them. Her tail draped low at her hocks, just the tip of the bushy appendage wiggling. But before she could take another step forward and reveal herself from the underbrush, Nineva sprung forward, kissing up to Veho like his loyal little lapdog.

Oula froze in place, her ears folding back as anger flared, fighting back an irritated growl. She winced at the pain in her stomach as lives in her belly kicked her diaphragm in protest. 

Of any and all of the wolves to possibly join him at the borders – Veho had not expected Nineva. Not right away, anyways. His mate perhaps, or maybe the wolf who was supposed to lead next to him. But perhaps he should not be so surprised, for where Tomen had actually wanted to join his family, Nineva had felt like family too. The young beta was greeted with a small noise and gentle touch, but little else.

How telling.

“Nineva,” he rumbled, ears tipping forward as he gave the youth a once over. “You look well.” That, at least, was a relief, that the pack had not dissolved into chaos and violence the moment he looked away. Whether that was due to leadership, or simply more self-restraint on the pack’s behalf, he was uncertain. The alpha’s tail remained limp behind him. Veho took a step backwards, glancing around. “As does everything else. You’ve done good work.” He had little doubt that most of it was the girl’s doing – if not her, than the other wolves that had avoided pregnancy. Idly, he did wonder after Pip and Oula both, if they were doing alright without a mate or a second parent to help ready for impending puppies. He swallowed.

Impending puppies.

Ancestors, but he was in for it.

“Where is everyone?”

Little did he know, further downwind, he was being watched.