Arbol Rosado Many Moons Will Lighten The Way

As per Silvia's request. Tags for SW wolves, but anyone is welcome ( @Miccah @Enia @Cinaed @Ainashi )

- Evening, Moderate snow - 28 ° F/-2 ° C

Aideen Smoke Athesila
Sometimes the tears we cry
Are more than any heart can take

Would this winter never end? Those days of mildness seemed too far gone, snow continuing to fall from overcast skies, day after day. Meanwhile the Woodlands grew quieter, emptier… And yet the territory seemed crammed to the female leader, the borders confining her, strangling her slowly. As much as she loved her family, the constant attention came to feel smothering after a while. She was restless and irritable, and she wanted peace. So, despite the hindrance of her swollen belly, making her progress slow and waddling, she set out beyond the thickets, to clear her mind and giver herself a break from the pack, and them a break from her.

As always when the need to wander seized her, the petite wolfess was drawn to the Blackberry Fields, her paws moving almost on their own along the familiar path. She was worried though, it couldn't be long before the pups arrived, but with the continued frost, the bushes had yet to blossom. It might seem a silly concern, but the mother wanted her puppies to be born among the scent of Blackberry flowers, as her last litter, and she herself once upon a time, had been. There were certainly other matters that deserved her attention more, yet she couldn't get this out of her head, like everything would be all wrong if it wasn't so; But maybe… She prayed silently; Just one! If she could find even a tiny, early bloom on one of the bushes in the field, she could bring it home to the natal den; And everything will be okay.

Unfortunately she never made it so far. Her bulging womb not only obstructed her steps, but pressed against everything else, leaving her nauseous, and with a pretty much constant need to pee. And to make matters worse, as the day started to wane, large flakes of snow started to fall more and more densely, making further progress all but impossible. With a groan, the shewolf had to concede that she could not continue on, and instead seek shelter among the cherry trees. While their branches were still naked, the low, gnarly woods stood close enough to stave off the worst of the snow, and the ground beneath them, while not bare, had considerably smaller drifts of snow than the surrounding fields.

So here the mother-to-be found cover, but she was still too restless to simply lay and wait. Instead she moved through the orchard, blinking in the lessening light, sniffing absently at the ground and trunks, in a habitual search of who and what might have passed through recently as well. Her full interest was drawn though, when she encountered a familiar scent, one she had actually been hunting for furiously around the thicket over the past days. This was one of those prime concerns; Rayne! Pushing herself into an awkward, half-lope, Aideen followed the trail uphill, a mixture of anger, worry and relief brewing in her chest. She'd been so afraid he had disappeared again, so furious that he would abandon her again; Worried for his leg which had never properly healed. But he was right here, she could smell it, and a smile spread on her face despite the displeasure.

Then she crested the hill, and as soon as she saw him, she stopped in place. She needed no examination to know, just seeing him was enough. Hunched against the trunk of the lone tree, graying pelt already dusted in snow, there was no doubt. "Oh Rayne…!" She gasped, tears brimming in her eyes. Her oldest friend was dead.

(This post was last modified: Apr 21, 2017, 10:04 PM by Aideen.)

His wife had been on edge the last few days, so the king had kept a careful distance. She knew he needed space, and so the man gave it to her. However, he was still protective and would always be so he only watched her from the shadows. The snow was a constant irritant to the man, since Miccah had never been a fan of winter. In this never-ending winter, he hated the slush that leaked between his paws and the snow that covered the thickets. This, combined with her pregnancy and no doubt constant attention from him and their family, chafed at her nerves. So it was no surprise when he had been doing a late patrol and his mate's scent was leading away from the borders. He made quick work of following her, determined to stay far enough away to give her the space she so obviously craved but close enough that he made sure no danger came to her. Yet, her cry made him rush to her side. The dark king's gaze landed on the prone figure that had made Aideen cry and the man took in a sharp breath. Never had he thought this would be Rayne's fate. He had thought that mad had simply left, again, dissapointing not only Aideen but the king himself. He had given the man another chance, and he had thought the man had played him for a fool. Just when Miccah had begun to consider the older man a friend and trusted member of the pack, his scent had begun to grow less and less noticeable on the borders until it had completely faded. Now, staring at him, the king felt only grief and guilt. Silently, he stepped closer to his wife and nudged her muzzle,letting her know that he was here for her if she needed him. "speech"

Burtn @DA, Colourize-Stock @DA, Momotte2stocks @DA, Celem @DA & Dawnthieves.de

Death was not a stranger to the youngest Athesila pup. Enia wished that it would stay away from the beloved members of her family but it seemed that Death wanted to keep its firm grip around the Woodlands. Nevertheless, despite the loss of both her grandmother and Belladonna, and now the disappearance of Duckweed too, the dark girl did her best to find the good things in life and continue on. Her father's health had improved considerably over the months and now held his crown back and her beautiful mother was now pregnant, expecting new Athesilas that they were expected to accept into the family. I won't have a problem with that. She wouldn't be the youngest anymore and the prospect of having new siblings that she would be able to take care of and play with was exciting. As she did a round of the border, the dark girl's nose picked up the familiar scent of her expecting mother and just like all the other times, she was unable to stay away. Small paws followed the path of her mother, weaving out of the territory and through the fields. It was curious that her mother would choose to leave now, especially with pups on the way but Enia tried not to think much of it. Her mother could do no wrong in her eyes and it would not surprise the daughter if the light woman needed some time away from the pack lands. Being holed up really wasn't all that run once I realized there was a whole world out there. But she had been content to remain with her family, knowing that it was where she belonged and it was where her heart was. On her way to her mother, she found her father's scent intermingled with hers. A half-smile formed on the girl's face. Maybe her parents were just spending some time together away from the pack. None the less, now that she was so far out, she wouldn't mind stopping by to say hello to them. However, as she neared closer to their scents, another became more prominent to her. Brows creased in concern and her pace increased in order to near her parents in quicker time. What she came upon was unexpected. In the area, her father comforted her mother but most obvious was Rayne's corpse covered in snow. Black ears fell back upon her head as she took in the scene, light brown eyes sweeping back towards her grieving parents. She was never quite that close with the old man but he had still been a member of Secret Woodlands for the extent of her existence. Enia had not thought much of it when he had gone off for a few days, thinking he was simply gone to seek something outside of the pack before returning. Clearly, she had been wrong. Still, by the distraught look brought on her mother's face it was clear that this death struck close to her heart and the youngest Athesila, for the time, was quick to dart to her mother's other side, providing the best comfort she could by pressing her small head into her mother's shoulder. This was just another blow for their pack, could they take another?

The small woman was completely unaware that she had amassed quite the following on her excursion. If she had known earlier, she would probably have gotten rather annoyed with both of them, Miccah especially, as he should know well that she could look after herself. But now, when her mate drew up beside her, she leaned into his caress, sobbing quietly, eternally grateful for his support. Rayne was the very first wolf she had met within Relic Lore, not far from this very spot in fact. He'd been such a joyful, friendly soul, a true kindred spirit, and they had been friends ever since, even when their adventures led them miles and miles apart. She'd helped reunite him with his sister, healed his wounds multiple times over, and spoken for him whenever he found his way back to her and the Woodlands. None of that would ever happen again. Aideen was nearly consumed by her sorrow, yet at the touch to her opposite flank she started slightly, pulling back from Miccah and blinking her eyes open to look over. Seeing her daughter there, conflicting emotions filled her breast: love and comfort, as well as heartbreak that she should experience all this; Again… Her urge to protect her child fought with her sorrow, no one, pup or not, should ever see their mother like this, so broken and hurting. She wanted to shield the girl from that, yet at the same time, seeing her friends body out the corner of her eye send another sob shaking through her, despite her efforts. "I'm sorry," she croaked through the tears, reaching to hug her daughter tight, both to comfort and seek comfort herself; "Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry!" For the whole thing, what had happened and the fact that Enia had to see it. But she couldn't do anything, once again she stood helpless in her own life, up against forces to big for any of them to counter; What more will I have to lose? Word Count: 333  Thoughts "Speech"

(This post was last modified: May 29, 2017, 09:31 PM by Aideen.)

PLOT WITH ME!

Permission from Lighting to pp Enia <3

Rayne may not have been his closest confidante, but over time, the man had become a friendly face to the king. He had become a constant figure within the Woodlands, and a man he had come to trust. He knew how hard this would be for his mate, since Aideen had always been close to the man. So when she seeked his comfort, he willingly gave it while he let her drown in her grief for those few moments. What he hadn't been expecting was Rayne's death, for the dark king had coldly thought that once again, they had been deserted. By the fates, how wrong he was! He had never expected this, and his heart clenched as his daughter came forth. She didn't need to see this, not again, but it seemed the Woodlands would continue to be cursed in this way. How many more would they lose? How many more could he lose before the darkness within him brought Miccah's own demise? But his own anguish was not important at the present moment. He gave his mate her moment with Enia, but then he gently nudged her shoulder with his muzzle. Pulling away, he spoke. "We need to bury him." He was not a traitor, so he deserved honor in death. He would be buried in the Woodlands, alongside Nina and the others that rested there. They needed to bring him back home. He didn't want Aideen to aid him, not in this stage of her pregnancy. He didn't want to bring in his daughter, but it was necessary. Turning to Enia, he asked if she could help him. With her aid, and a couple periods of rest, they arrived at the Woodlands burial site - where those that were family were buried. He wasted no time in beginning to dig, for it was time for Rayne to peacefully be laid to rest. "speech"

Burtn @DA, Colourize-Stock @DA, Momotte2stocks @DA, Celem @DA & Dawnthieves.de

She was not close to Rayne, to say the least. What probably hurt Enia the most was the way her mother reacted. Throughout her life, the Woodlands Queen had been a peaceful center for the dark girl to turn to when everything seemed like it was falling out of place. If she ever had any questions or concerns, the Athesila child knew who she would go to. Yet, Enia couldn’t deny the ache and pull she felt in her heart when she saw her mother, the strongest figure in her life, break down. A frown pulled on the child’s looks, not quite comprehending all that was occurring inside of herself. What Enia could comprehend was that her mother needed some form of comfort. So when her mother stepped forward, the dark girl immediately embraced her, eyebrows pulling down in concern. Am I supposed to say something? Enia licked her dark lips, her jaws opening, "It’s sokay, Momma. I understand." She did not remain in her mother’s embrace for long. Her father bumped into her shoulder, clearly trying to obtain her attention. Light brown eyes looked forwards the dark man, stepping away from the creamy form of the woman in front of her. It only made sense that they would bury Rayne. He was a part of the pack – family – as her parents so carefully put it. After all, they had buried Grandmomma Nina. Nodding her head in acknowledgment to her father’s inquiry, Enia did her best to help her father carry Rayne back into the territory. Due to her petite build, they had to take frequent rest, and once they arrived, Enia let out a relieved breath. Despite wanting to do her best for the pack, so much excursion took a lot out of the growing child. Still not done with the job, however, Enia worked with her father until the burial was complete.

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de