Secret Woodlands Secret Woodland Pack Thread

Hope you don't mind Pax popping in for a minute <3

Paschal had been, in almost every sense of the word, a decent enough pack wolf. He had not socialized with many of his packmates, but he did manage to bring in food before he indulged himself in a meal, and he did patrol the borders like he was supposed to. It was the trivial, day-by-day things of life that the albino creature was particularly good at, especially when he did not have to fake his mental wellbeing. Most days were fairly quiet, so he could talk to himself without worry of being overheard or perhaps labeled as insane. He was sure Enia was a little skeptical of him.

The white vessel made his way carefully through the undergrowth toward the main pack den. After a long day of being a good little ergate, he was rather tired, and thought that a nap would be in good taste. Maybe the voices would speak to him in dreams, for they had been quite subdued since his entry into Secret Woodlands. The creature could only hope that meant that he was doing something right by them.

But as soon as he entered the clearing, he found that he was not alone at all. Apparently the queen of the Woodlands had decided to take a rest as well, and he dipped his head respectfully to her as he approached. The snow-colored wolf lay down to rest a couple of wolf-lengths away from her, rose-colored eyes scanning her small frame appraisingly. Reading wolves was something that Pax had become quite good at over the years - it was a sort of survival tactic.

"You seem tired, milady," he greeted cordially, and not flirtatiously in the slightest. "Is there something that I could do for you?" It was a genuine offer - as a part of the pack, he needed to play the part and contribute.

Aideen Athesila But it would seem that rest was to yet again escape her, as movement at the edge of the clearing drew her attention. Suppressing a sigh, the queen raised her eyes to the pale figure entering the clearing, her own head moving lightly in response, almost by instinct. It was their newest addition, the colorless male with the unusual condition. Part of her was curious about this – the inner medic, always eager to learn and help wherever she could – but lately, that part had been pushed far to the back of her consciousness, driven out by duty, and exhaustion. It saddened her, she enjoyed her healing duties, and liked getting to know her pack mates in the intimate way that included. But she had no time, no energy; I need a break..! She jolted ever so slightly when a voice suddenly sounded, lost in her thoughts, she’d forgotten her company. “Paschal?” She answered in a quiet, creaky voice; That was the name right..? They’d barely spoken a word since her accepting him into the pack, though she’d noticed his markers around the territory. Now the boy settled down a small distance away, speaking kindly, if a bit formal; Of course, he hardly knows me… The petite woman let out a quiet breath of laughter, shaking her head lightly. “Tired’s not the word,” She spoke, voice a little smoother now; “But no, thank you, I was just trying for a few moments rest.” She smiled at him as she said it, voice perked alertly, so as not to make the comment sound like a dismissal. She truly wanted to get to know her new subject, tired or not. Word count: 277 Thoughts ”Speech”

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The king just needed a moment. Just one simple moment to catch his breath, to simply just be He was bone tired, exhastion trailing after his every step. Miccah knew he was running himself ragged, but what else could he do? He was the sole lead of his pack currently, and there was too much to do. Border patrols, hunting, trying to find time for his children, worrying for his lost son. Where was there room for good rest? Yet finally today he decided he needed to take just a simple break in the communal den before returning to his various duties. After all, what good what it do to his family and pack if he worked himself to death? So with aching paws he made his way to the den. On his way he passed the now empty medicinal den, flinching at the sight. The den brought him good memories...along with bad ones. Thoughts he didn't want to think about today. So he quickly bypassed the medicinal den and after a few minutes he arrived at the larger communal den. Smiling lightly to himself the man sat, glad to be off his slightly aching joints. Age was finally catching up to the burly king, it seemed. He hadn't planned to lay down, and he hadn't planned to close his eyes. Just for a moment. Before he knew it, the tired king was asleep.  "speech"

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

(This post was last modified: Sep 30, 2017, 11:46 PM by Miccah.)

This wasn’t right, at all! Dad was sick again, and she could tell from her mother’s constant worried expression that it was even worse than last time. This had let to Aideen being just as stressed out as before she left, and seeing herself forced to promote the weirdo to help her lead. Their numbers had sunk painfully low as well, leaving them struggling for every scrap of meat, and with little time for other matters; Even important ones! The older sister had combed the Wildwood thin in search of her lost brother, but no matter where she went, there was no sign of him. As far east as the mountain range, which she knew he couldn’t have successfully crossed at his young age; South into the open marshlands, and to the Cedarwood, where Grizzly Hollow now lay empty and desolate. She’d even gone west into nameless lands, and north to the Timbers, but all with no luck. She was not about to give up though, even if everyone else had. Rushing through the Thicket, grumbling loudly whenever her sizable corpus got caught on the thorns, the russet yearling sniffed at the stale trails of wolves who’d long since moved on, leaving the area feeling ghostly and almost as abandoned as their previous neighbors’. She snorted, speeding up to plow through the underbrush with near to no care for the bramble raking through her fur. This just couldn’t go on! How were they supposed to stay the winter? With both Miccah and Aideen too worn out to even look for their missing son; what a fucking mess! They needed help! More help than she alone could provide. Without even noticing, her nose had locked down on one of the fresher scents, following it into the dying heart of the Woodlands. She was so riled up that, breaking through the shrubbery, she almost crashed right into the lither wolf - and barely took the time to stop before blurting: “Ma!” She gasped for breath, but didn’t slow down; “We have t’ talk!” Word count: 341 Thoughts ”Speech”

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Aideen Athesila She was a trained and practiced medic, she knew the dangers of long time stress - hell, her husband was suffering them right now. But what was she to do? He needed care, her son needed looking after, the pack needed her leadership. She’d promoted Paschal to help her, and he was doing as well as she could ask, but there was still too much work left over, too many things keeping her up at night. There was a constant ache in her chest, like something strong and dark had wrapped it arms tight around her and refused to let go. She knew as well as anyone that this couldn’t go on, but she was at a loss as to what else to do. Her best option seemed to grab some rest whenever possible, even if she couldn’t stand to close her eyes. Settled in the dented dirt right outside the pack den, the alphess rested her head on outstretched paws, trying to slow her erratic breathing. It was like this every time she slowed down for just a moment, this panic in the back of her mind, insisting she do something, anything! There are so many things that need doing! And every time her eyes fluttered shut, a small, masked face haunted her, smiling up at her with bright, curious eyes. She’d failed, on so many levels, but what hurt her the most was that she’d abandoned her children, and now Bero was gone. The rumbling, like thunder, in the thicket tore her from her waking nightmare, jolting upright, eyes wide and heart pounding. She wasn’t sure what she expected, in those brief moments of shaking branches - but it certainly wasn’t her daughter’s agitated form, bumbling out of the woods. “Sweethe..!” She gasped, but had no time to finish before Flair started speaking, sounding like she’d been running for hours. Aideen stood stumped for a moment, staring at her daughter with startled eyes. Her hackles started to prickle with fear of what might be coming, ideas speeding through her head, one more horrific than the next. She had to swallow hard before finally stammering: “O… Of course dear, what is it?” Word count: 363 Thoughts ”Speech”

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Aideen looked like a ghost of herself. Cheeks sunken and ribs visible, her otherwise so meticulously kept coat shabby and dull. When she looked at Flair, the girl saw fear in her eyes, like a cornered deer, haunted. It brought a bitter taste to the back of her mouth, nostrils flaring, even more enraged; It’s WRONG! Even her voice a hollow echo of the mother she knew, wavering when she asked her question. Cold ran all the way along the fiery girl’s back, ears flicking backward at the sound; I have to fix this! But there was no way she could do it on her own. “You can’t go on like this!” She started, bluntly, looking her mom straight in the eye, voice strong and clear; “You’re killing y’self, you and Da both!” It was a harsh truth, but to Flair it was obvious; And I’ll stop it! But what she needed was time. And only now did the daughter waver as her mother had, biting her lip and averting her eyes. This was the hard part, she’d never had any trouble speaking her mind, but actually carrying it through, that was what scared her. Creamy paws shuffled awkwardly, gaze flicking from the frost covered earth to the snow dusted branches. But no she would do this, because it was right. “‘Am leavin’ Ma. This Ain’t right, and I gotta fix it.” There, she’d said it, and amber eyes lifted back up to meet her mother’s coppers as the words fell. She wasn’t sure what reaction she expected, but she was sure it wouldn’t be pretty. Word count: 266 Thoughts ”Speech”

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Aideen Athesila It was like a slap in the face, a cold splash against already tender nerves. Since when had her first daughter grown up so much? It was surreal to have Flair telling her to slow down, the girl who was still just a bumbling fire-child in her mother’s eyes. But here she was, talking sense, and brutally honest too. Aideen grimaced, turning her eyes down as tears stabbed behind them. With none of her fancy training, Flair could easily see exactly what her mother knew to be true, and now she was in the position that no child, however grown, should ever be in. Aideen shook her head, blinking away the tears before her daughter could see them, at least that, she would be spared, if nothing else. The next blow was so much harder, sending new waves of shock through the queen’s tried body. Her heart jolted back up, eyes wide as they met her daughter’s once more. “I… Don’t understand,” she breathed, brows furrowed; “You’re leaving us?” Hurt and confusion filled her head, ears ringing slightly, and she wasn’t sure if her rapid breathing was just a reaction to the shock, or something more severe. After a few moments she decided she should sit down, and her body agreed, bumping her rear into the ground before she had time to ask it. The world spun before her eyes, and she had to close them, breathing deep, slow breaths while she tried to get everything back in order; Leave? She can’t! Not her too, I can’t lose any more of them! But she’d said she would fix it, how did leaving fix anything? After another deep breath, Aideen looked up at her daughter again, standing there so determined with her muzzle stubbornly raised. “How can it possibly help… losing you too?” Word count: 302 Thoughts ”Speech”

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The absurdity of the situation wasn’t lost on Flair, she might not be a very smart wolf, but she knew that parents were supposed to take care of their pups, not the other way around. And yet, it didn’t feel right, them doing all the work and getting nothing in return. They’d raised her, loved and cared for her even though she was a little monster, always getting into trouble. After all they’d done, for all of them, wasn’t it only fitting that their children started caring for them for a change? Once more, it was one thing to think it, and entirely different to carry it out though. Despite her gentle nature, Aideen had always been strong. She’d led her pack and cared for her family with purpose ever since her first litter was born, Flair could never remember seeing her weak. So having her suddenly collapse, shivering and pale was quite shocking. She looked on, wide eyed, paralyzed by this unexpected and alien frailty. It wasn’t until Aideen spoke again that the girl managed to shake her horror, walking to her mother’s side with quick steps. “Naw Ma, you won’t lose me,” she assured, voice gentler now; “It’ll be alright, you’ll see.” Flair brushed her russet muscle through the slightly lighter hairs around her mom’s neck, burying her nose in the scruff, like she loved doing as a pup. Pressing her weight into the skinny shoulder, she breathed the familiar scent that would always mean home and safety. “I’m gonna go get ‘em back, both of ‘em! Y’ won’t have lost anything.” Word count: 264 Thoughts ”Speech”

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Aideen Athesila She’d never felt so helpless. All she could do was return her daughter’s embrace, pressing her face into the creamy fur at her flank. When had she become the one needing her children’s comfort, instead of the other way around? It made her stomach clench. She was their mother, she was supposed to take care of them, yet she failed, over and over, and one by one, they left her. Flair’s reassurances made a sob rise in her dam’s throat, escaping as a strangled hiccup as she pulled away to look her daughter in the eye. “Both?” She whispered, rather hoarsely, brows furrowing slightly. In that amber gaze she saw sharp determination, a clear promise that helped settle her nerves a bit. She smiled weakly; “Cináed..?” Flair nodded affirmingly, her muzzle raised proudly; She looks exactly like her grandmother..! Aideen sighed and nodded as well, blinking the moisture from her eyes. She knew how her fiery daughter hated inaction, and she would love to have her oldest son back home again. Between Flair’s resourcefulness and Cináed’s tenacity, she was sure they could find Bero and bring him home. It would still be hard to see her go though, who knew how long it would be before she returned? “Good,” the queen said, the slightest waver in her voice; “I’ll give you the same directions I did your brother. But first, let’s tell your father and sister goodbye.” She stood, rubbing her flank along her daughter’s as she passed, leading her toward the medical den. After a few steps though, she paused, turning her head to meet Flair’s eyes again. Voice only a whisper, but filled with urgency she added: “Bring them home!” Word count: 282 Thoughts ”Speech”

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