Spectral Woods Coming Home

Set a few days after her thread with Triell here. Keeping it vague since it is in progress and just started. Anyone from OTB is welcome but tagging @Serach and @Aponi specifically.

The grey woman had been more than shocked to find Triell over the mountain and away from Oak Tree Bend borders, his home ever since the move from Swift River. Jessie would have thought that since he stayed behind when she left with Drestig, he would have been content to remain and lead. She should have known better after the conversation she had with him before she even started anything that lead to tension within her former home. It hurt to know that she had been the catalyst to it all. When the Tainn learned of all who left, she almost wanted to put a stop to her visit to the place that still held a place for her heart. Those who remained probably had no interest in seeing her or did not know who she was. But there was the issue of Serach. She had known him from puphood and while the former Scout of the Bend had never been formerly close to the man, Jessie felt an obligation to seek him out. Leading was, no doubt, new to him and now with everyone gone, perhaps it would be good for him to see a friendly face, even if they had not left on such good of terms. Her trip back to Oak Tree Bend was familiar and comforting. As she passed the grave of her former mate, she reminded herself that she was here for business and not her own misery. When she finally arrived upon the borders, she resisted the urge to cross, knowing it was no longer her place to waltz around the trees as if she owned the place. That was Serach's birthright, one he had not earned. She inhaled the smell of earth bark and leaves, a small smile forming on her lips. It was good to be back. She could not delay any longer though, she needed to get through with this meeting in order to continue on her journey. She had been away from home long enough. With that in mind, she lifted her head to the sky and called out for the new leaders of Oak Tree Bend.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

(This post was last modified: Jan 29, 2017, 04:59 AM by Jessie.)

Of all the voices in the world, Serach was least expecting that one. Ears perking at the familiar sound, he raised his head and listened intently, wondering for a moment if his mind was playing tricks on him. But there was no mistaking it - Jessie was here and calling for the pack's leaders at their borders. Abandoning his resting place, the Bend leader set off to meet her, a sense of urgency in his step although he was not sure if it was because of excitement or worry. The former Bend scout had not left the pack under the best of terms, and Serach remembered vividly the role he had played in making their farewell so dark. Jessie had been incessantly miserable, and in his rage Serach had cursed both Drestig and Jessie to a life of the same. It was not a fond memory, and there was a growing sense of guilt and dread as he headed towards the call. She must have been truly desperate to seek him out.

But as the familiar gray pelt took shape amongst the snow and trees, Serach wondered if Jessie was anticipating him. Sahalie had traveled back with one of their scouts to their pack in the north once, back in the fall, but by now no doubt she figured that Triell had taken the reigns again. But even that was called into question. As he pulled closer, his nose twitched as he breathed in her scent. There was the smell of the tundra from which she hailed, and the familiar scent of Drestig too. But there was something else familiar that made his brow furrow and his body stiffen as he stood still on the other side of the imaginary border line. She smelled like Triell. Had he betrayed the Bend only to take refuge under Drestig and Jessie's leadership? If so, then they had all truly come full circle. And if so, he wondered how the Tainn had told the story of why.

"Hello Jessie," he said, his voice quiet, but not unkind. For although the dark memories were the ones that clouded his mind now, there were good ones underneath those still from his younger days. "You're a long way from home, what we can help you with?"

The unknown scents that adjorned the Bend border only reminded her of how she no longer belonged there. That would not take away from the fact that she still considered them family despite how she left. Emerald eyes searched the dense forest questioningly, hoping it would give her some response as to what happened in her absence. It seemed like there was never any rest for the Bend. When Serach stepped out of the shadows, Jessie's heart gave a painful lerch. They had not left on the best of terms but she was still here for him. There were other things she had to cover but her intentions were kind. The Tainn's eyes softened at his approach, an unusual sense of pride stirring within her. This was his rightful place, as Corinna's son. It was hard for her to determine where they stood based on his tone and so Jessie remained weary, not wanting to damage the relationship they might have had anymore. She would not begin with business like usual. Serach was family, despite what happened, and deserved that proper respect. While her voice was rough, it had a soft edge to it, "I wanted to check on you." She started and looked him over. There were alone right now and this was probably the best time to dive into anything personal. "I ran into Triell during my scouting trip and he told me what happened. I was going to come here to see him anyway so I figured I would use the trip to see how you were doing," she explained this calmly, emerald eyes not looking away from the Donata. She remained neutral in her stance, not wanting to start off on the wrong side of Serach's moods. The grey woman had already made that mistake once and she did not plan on making it a second time.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

A younger Serach would have fled in the face of the awkward tension that filled the air. It wasn't threatening, but neither one of them had forgotten the last words they had spoken to each other and how quickly their complicated relationship had devolved into anger and pain. But there was no running for Serach now, and so he let her look him over and explain why she had made the long trip from up north to visit. Specifically to visit him, it seemed. At the mention of Triell's name, his brow furrowed and his lips curled up into a silent growl. But the fur along his back remained flat and after a moment, his forehead smoothed and his yellow teeth were hidden once more. The last time they had seen each other, Serach would have yelled at Jessie for that, but things were different now and as angry as he still was, he would not shoot the messenger.

"Then I suppose you know more than me as to what happened," he told her, shrugging his pale shoulders. A part of him was surprised that Triell had not gone north to join up with Drestig and Jessie, and another wondered where his uncle had ended up. But the majority part of him didn't care, or could not allow himself to care, and so he did not ask. "The man who helped raised me disappeared with his family and Leotie without saying goodbye, at a moment when we were already reeling from Spieden bolting out of here like a wounded deer." He took a deep breath and looked up to the sky before meeting her emerald gaze once more, a sad smile on his face. "So I'm hurt, and angry and confused, because I apparently knew a lot less about our pack than I thought I did." And the truth was, he wasn't sure he was ever going to get over it. He had matured enough to not snap at Jessie now, but he was a long ways off from beginning to accept that there might have been acceptable reasons for his former packmates to abandon them the way that they had.

Jessie was an observant woman and tried not to miss too much. Serach's reaction to Triell's name did not slide past her and it reminded her a bit of how he reacted during their last meeting together. It made her wonder just how much had actually happened in the time since she left. Serach was not rude, however, and his face relaxed in a matter of moments. He kept and level-head and responded. The Tainn remained where she was and kept her visage neutral so that she would not give anything away. After being a part of what kept Oak Tree Bend going for so long, she felt bad to know that it was finally falling apart. But Serach remained and she was sure he would do whatever he could to keep it together. He only confirmed that more of them had left, and Jessie could not give him any comfort as to why Triell had gone off. When really Jessie had her own suspicions. He had already been talking about it a year ago. He deserved happiness too. The pepper-and-salt colored woman's ears fell back when the tricolored man spoke about how he felt about the ordeal. Despite them not leaving on the best of terms, the last thing she ever wanted was for him to feel hurt and she knew that her last parting words were meant to do just that. However, something about what he said stuck out to her and sent a ripple of warmth through her. Our pack. It may have been a slip up on his part but it still meant something to Jessie. She had been a loyal member for years and considered them the closest thing she had to family. It was why she had come. Still, a selfish part of her felt a sick satisfaction knowing that those who stood against Drestig were gone. Maybe now they could finally see from their perspective. She was not there to convince him of that though. The woman pursed her lips in thought, pondering the best way to address what he told her. Underneath the new scents, there was Aponi and Ice, which could not be right. She wouldn't ask right then. Emerald eyes surveyed Serach's face, a soft sigh falling from her lips. She was hesitant to proceed but decided no further damage could be done. "You're never going to know everything that goes on within the borders, Serach and you can't blame yourself for that. There's only so much you can do." Her ears cupped forward then, eyes softening. Jessie was not here on business, she was here for him and she truly hoped that he saw that. Her eyebrows creased in thought before she continued, "And now that you're on your own, you don't have to rely on anyone. You have the pack as your support but you can have complete confidence in yourself." Jessie imaged it being hard having former leaders around watching every move just waiting for something to go wrong. Leadership was about making mistakes and learning from them and now Serach had the space to do so.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

Not as good as the original, but it will have to do. Sorry for the holdup!

When he had woken up that day, Serach had not expected that he would be rehashing, again, the pain he had held in his heart since the rank challenge. He certainly had not expected to be recounting it to Jessie, of all the wolves in Relic Lore. The faint scent of Triell and Naira on her fur after her visit to them was yet another painful reminder. A small part of him wondered how Jessie had reacted to the discovery, although the rational part of his brain doubted very much that she truly understood his perspective on it. Afterall, she and Drestig had done similar, although with a wry smile on face, he couldn’t help but admit that at least they had announced it the rest of the pack and hadn’t snuck off in the middle of the night like Triell and Naira had. In the grand scheme of things, though, it was only a thin silver lining on the cloud that was the challenge and its aftermath.

It hurt, watching the signs of concern on her face as she spoke, trying to reassure him that all of this was somehow a good thing. Serach could only answer with a micro shake of his head, as the wry smile softened into a sad one. There was not knowing about the private lives of his packmates, and then there was not knowing that somebody he had loved and trusted, and viewed as a father, truly had no faith in him at all. But he wasn’t going to try and explain that to Jessie; despite her goodwill and concern, he truly doubted she would ever understand. So instead, he looked past that to her last few words which were more humorous than anything else. ”I’m not a lone wolf yet, Jessie,” he retorted, the wryness back in his tone and in his face. ”I’m not ‘on my own’, and I absolutely have to rely on my packmates. I’m only the pack’s leader so long as they have confidence in me to lead them where they want to go. All the self-confidence in the world won’t change that.” She was trying to help by reassuring him, but Serach wasn’t buying it. Afterall, hadn’t he and Triell discussed just the opposite back at the beginning of winter? When Serach had asked if his uncle had wanted his leadership back and he had said no? Liars and fools, he thought silently, mentally deciding it was time to move past this discussion.

Straightening his shoulders, he looked at the Rye leader once more, doing his best to mentally push away their personal relationship and focus on their relationship to one another now, as pack leaders. ”You’re a long way from home, Jessie,” he repeated. ”How are things in the Fields?”

Sorry for taking so long on this.

Her words did nothing to comfort him and Jessie had to be reminded that the man standing in front of her was different from the one she knew so many months ago. It hurt her to know that he was going through a rough time but it only served as a high reminder as to why she left Oak Tree Bend. The darkness and sadness that came along within the borders, the feeling of lonliness. That's not what family is about. She was much happier now, despite the circumstances and she found that while she missed this home, she no longer regreted her decision in leaving even though she still missed those she considered family. While she did rely on herself for most things, Jessie also found at the end of the day, her heart would not be full if Drestig were not by her side. Serach's words resonated deeply with her but she found no clever response that would best suit was he said. He was much like his mother in that respect, strong and intelligent. The Donata's shift in posture was enough to draw her eyes. His prying did not bother Jessie, as it was her initial reason for coming to Oak Tree Bend before she had found out all that happened. And even then, it scared her to know that while she was far away from home, she still felt at home being close to the Bend. I can't stay here. She had been gone long enough and still had one more stop to make before she returned. Jaws parted, her words heavier now, "We've been having trouble with our neighbor and I thought it best to reach out to those that I knew and get familiar with the lore once more. Though I've been gone longer than I anticipated due to who I ran into on the other side of the mountains." Her ears flicked back at the mention of this, not wanting to offend or upset Serach. She had only lengthened her journey by coming to see him but it would not go to waste. "Do you know a Morganna Archer or Craw?" They were who Jessie was most concerned about. Those below them only took orders, but the pair of them together were ruthless and she was unsure of the lengths they would go to ensure they got what they wanted.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

He was grateful that she allowed him to steer the conversation away from the Bend, although he would not admit that out loud. Serach had good days and bad days when it came to reflecting on the whole experience, but in general he just wanted to put the whole thing behind him and focus on the things he could change in the present. That included keeping an ear out for other happenings in the Lore. Despite their isolation in the southern part of the region, it was always good to know what their neighbors, both near and far, were up to in case they ever did cross paths or bring their troubles to Serach's beloved forest. They were down a reliable scout too, although he wasn't going to admit that out loud to the Bend's previous scout standing in front of him.

He listened intently, his face darkening only for a moment as the mention of, or rather the implication of, Triell and his new pack. He bit back his gut response - to point out that Triell was seemingly always disrupting other's plans and intentions, and instead remained quiet to hear her out completely. It wasn't particularly useful information; Serach had no idea who her neighbors were besides possibly Hearthwood River. Silently he shook his head, contemplating the pair of names she had shared with him. "Don't know the names, I'm afraid. The Archers though...they're over in Willow Ridge, aren't they? Have they relocated too?" Or had the pack split? It was bound to happen - not everybody was as content as Serach was to stay in his birth pack for most of his adult life. "Hearthwood River is your neighbor too, or at least they're further north. Have you spoken with Kisla?" He didn't know what state his sister would be in to provide help, but it was worth trying to gauge how his sister had responded to the situation.

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

In Oak Tree Bend, Jessie had found the family she always desired. The woman would always be thankful for that. At a low point in her life, the wolves she had gotten to know over the years built her up, only to tear her down again when they left. It was how she knew a personal connection had been made with them. Otherwise, why would she care? Yet even despite caring for the few remaining within the Bend, Jessie would never risk being hurt in such a way again. She felt a more secure future with Drestig and that was where she was going to stay. Emerald eyes traveled to Serach's face, her lips pressing together into a firm line. Jessie had no intentions of bringing up harsh memories to the alpha of the Bend but it seemed that no matter what she said, something gloomy would pass through his mind. Her heart fell slightly when he shook his head, confirming that he did not know the wolves that had caused her to go on this trip in the first place. It seemed that the pepper-and-salt colored woman was giving more information to Serach than she was even receiving. Jessie would not deny him anything that she knew, it would be cruel and immature in her eyes. Despite everything that happened, he was still family to her and anything that would benefit the Bend she would gladly provide. When he mentioned his sister, the woman maintained her perfected mask of professionalism, not wanting to wince at the reminder of going to visit Hearthwood. Does he even know? If he did not, the woman would rather he hear it from her than a subordinate he didn't know. To him she said, "As far as I know, Willow Ridge still remains but I don't know if it's still being lead by Archers." The woman had scented the borders on her to Oak Tree Bend before she had run into Triell but she assumed that Serach did not want the extra reminder or the tidbit of information, as long as he knew that the Ridge wolves were still there. Ears flicked back then, the only indication that she was approaching the next subject cautiously. "Hearthwood River is my final stop, so I'll be speaking with them before I return home," she cleared her throat before continuing, "but the last time I spoke to someone from Kisla's pack, she was not leading anymore. Have you seen her recently?" The details given to her were minimal and she did not really know that was going on within Hearthwood River.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

(This post was last modified: May 30, 2017, 12:18 AM by Jessie.)