Hearthwood River No Rest For the Weary

@Aytigin, mid morning, cold, sunny.

Her patrol had ended a short time ago, she'd taken Oksana with her but let her go off to do pup things after working all morning. The Raven was now on her way to the river in hopes that it wasn't completely frozen and she could get a drink of water. She didn't feel much like trying to break through the ice if she didn't have too. She'd already been up hunting early and then did a patrol, she was ready for a short nap before she went about her afternoon stuff.

For weeks she'd been working hard to get back into some kind of routine. She had the hope that maybe it would make her feel a little better about things. So far she did, it was time to put things to the back of her mind and do what needed to be done. She'd done it before and she could do it again. When she reached the river she found a small hole in the ice, a smile crept across her features. Quickly she lowered her head to drink, the cold water was nice after a morning of hard work. When she finished she turned back into the forest in search of a good place to rest her paws for a bit.

(This post was last modified: Jan 12, 2018, 01:01 AM by Inna.)

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It wasn't too often that Aytigin actually went off in search of someone to confront like this, but he didn't have much of a choice in this anymore. Lachesis was far too nice to actually do anything that needed to be done, and Lilya was in that same boat. Truthfully, Ayti hated being the one who got all mean with anyone - especially someone he had once cared deeply for. But this was in the best interest of the pack, and it would make them stronger in the end. He was completely positive of it.

She wasn't as hard to find as he thought she would be. Inna had, to her credit, picked up some of the slack she'd left for so long. But that wasn't enough to keep this from happening, and though Aytigin hated it, he did follow her scent to the water. He wasn't angry when he approached - he simply kept his stance full and didn't slouch as he padded up and cleared his throat.

"Inna," he stated, perking his ears toward the black wolf. "We need to talk."

Moving back into the forest Inna wondered if her she should go find Oksana so that they could spend some time together before she went on another hunt. It was what she'd done the previous winter when she'd still been a yearling. Two hunts a day but now with Oksana and the other pups in the pack she felt it that more important that they have as much meat as they could.

Any thoughts or efforts at finding Oksana were halted when the familiar form of Ayti appeared. Inna hadn't spoken to him since that day when everything went to crap. Actually it was the second or third time everything had gone to crap for her. On some level she still blamed him for a lot. Slowly she was seeing just how badly things were for her in Hearthwood. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to the man she'd once considered a friend but now he fell on the same list as Askan and Reyes.

“Of course Ayti. What is it you want to talk about?” She asked offering a smile. Despite how she felt about it she had promised to try and that was what she would do.

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There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

Ah, shit. This would've been so much easier if Inna had behaved as bitchy as she had the other week when they were talking to Lorcan. It didn't really matter now, though - she had said and done so much that it would be impossible for this to happen any other way, and it was becoming abundantly clear that Aytigin was going to have to be the one to do it.

"Listen," he began in an equally calm and level tone, but did not lower his massive stance. His hazel eyes were firm and just the slightest bit tired as he met her orange gaze head on. "Lachesis and I were talking the other week, and none of us are happy here. He's started to look for a place to move the pack - somewhere away from here." He paused for a moment to let that sink in before continuing. "I don't know for certain how he's planning on doing it, but I do know one thing for sure - and he is far to kind and cares far too much about you to tell you this. But it's what's best."

Ayti took a deep breath and closed his eyes before glancing back at her again. "If - when - we move, you will not be coming with us." His tone was still even tempo, holding no real malice. Only firmness and resolution, tinged with the tiniest bit of sorrow. "I swear to any god out there, Inna, if you try and wreck this for them - for Lachesis and Lilya and the kids - I will do whatever it takes to remove you from the picture. You've caused enough problems here, and I can't let it happen any longer. It's not healthy for any of us." And he truly knew that... but he still had no idea where the tightness in his throat and the burning in his eyes came from.

Maybe it was because he had almost loved her.

She of course couldn't help but wonder what the chocolate man had to say to her this time. It had to be important for him to come looking for her since he clearly couldn't see the mistakes he'd made. It didn't matter anymore to her, she was trying to start over and make things better. She wanted her life back the way it had been before everything had happened. It was hard but she was trying to put it all behind her.

It seemed that that wouldn't be an option as he spoke. Inna remained quiet to let him get out everything he wanted to say and she couldn't believe her ears. Anger coursed through the woman but she didn't let it get the better of her. So many times she had let it and it had only made things worse for her. So she took a deep breath and stood tall to face this man who was clearly stepping out of rank. She wondered what @”Lachesis” would think of this, of Aytigin taking it upon himself to do this to her.

First off her suspicions about the pale leader were right, why wouldn't he talk with her too if he trusted her? She held the same rank as Ayti, didn't she had a right to know of this too especially since it had been her parents pack. She didn't doing that Lachesis cared for her but sometimes she did have to wonder how much especially when he let things like this happen to her, let Ayti speak to her in this way. Her eyes had widened when he said she wasn't coming with them. “What right do you have to make this decision?” She asked calmly, “And what about my daughter? Are you willing to have her death on your paws when you send us out into the lore by ourselves in the winter?” She feared for Oksana's life which was why she hoped that if the little Crow left she would wait for spring when she was older and had more training and could make it. “Remove me from the picture? You can’t keep me from going this is my pack too and my home and you can't make this decision,” she told him tail lashing, “Do Lachesis and Lilya feel the same as you?” This was important she needed to know. Ayti made himself clear but did the alphas feel the same, the rest of the pack? Did they all want her gone? And what about Oksana, did they want her gone too?

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Aytigin took a deep breath to steady his own temper as the dark wolf argued against his decision. He didn't think she was going to just roll over and take it, but some part of him had hoped that she wasn't going to be too stubborn. But this was Inna, and nothing involving Inna could ever just be easy. Like Lachesis had said, he wasn't going to let her make him feel as though he had done something wrong. All he was doing was protecting the pack - being the guardian he was supposed to be. And that included threats from the inside.

"I have every right to defend the pack from anything that can bring harm to it," he stated levelly, meeting her gaze again. He made no move to approach her further, because he worried that if he did, a physical fight would break out. He wanted to avoid that as much as possible. "You've done more harm than good. You've damaged this pack. You are a threat."

He cleared his throat and closed his eyes before continuing. "You're acting as though I enjoy doing this. Like it's my favorite pastime or whatever - throwing innocent wolves out of the pack," he responded, his own tail giving a lash. "I don't like this any more than you do, and I said absolutely nothing about throwing Oksana out. She may love you, Inna, but you've hurt her as well." She kept going on about how he couldn't make this decision, which was ridiculous. His mind was already made up, and he would be sure to carry out on his words.

'Do Lachesis and Lilya feel the same as you?'

"I've been told that we can't kick you out because it would damage our numbers. They have told me to recruit beforehand so that the pack wouldn't be too damaged by your absence," he said coldly, narrowing his eyes into chips. Honesty was the best policy, after all. "I am not kicking you out, Inna, but I am warning you. If you try and follow us, I will do everything in my power to keep you away. I don't want to hurt you... but it's your decision how this plays out." The mocha-colored wolf angled his ears forward and raised his tail even with his back, wanting to show how serious he was on the subject.

This is what it had come down to, Aytigin threatening her if she followed the river wolves to whatever new home they may or may not have had. Had the work she’d been doing meant nothing? Had she been right all along that no matter what she did she could never regain any trust she'd once had? She knew she wasn't completely innocent in what had happened but none of them wanted to take their part in it either. Instead from the way Ayti spoke they all wanted her gone, that they would be much happier without her in the pack.

Inna didn't care to know the harm she'd done to the pack, what did it matter anymore? She couldn't fix it and they weren't even going to give her the chance. She met Ayti's gaze, “I'm sorry that you feel that way. I was hoping that trying to put the past behind me and move forward, doing better would make things better for everyone. I can see that you all have you mind made up about me and there isn't anything that I can do to change that.” It seemed her loyalty to Hearthwood meant nothing anymore.

What of her daughter though what would happen to her. The last thing she wanted was for Oksana to be cast out into the cold winter that could only get worse. She feared for her daughter's life if that happened. “It doesn't really matter whether you like what your doing or not. You're doing it and that's that. I want to know what will happen to my daughter? Are you taking her from me? I can't leave her Ayti and if I can't come I can't take her, it's not safe for her.” She was trying not to cry in front of him. Not knowing Oksana's fate or what the chocolate man had planned for her. It sounded like he didn't want her to have Oksana anymore. She needed to know what would happen to her little crow.

She also wanted to know if Lachesis and Lilya wanted her gone too, if they felt the same as Ayti did about her. He went on, she got the impression that they did feel the same but she couldn't be sure. “Please Ayti, that doesn't answer my question. Do they want me out of the pack too? Can you please just tell me.” she shook her head at him and snorted, “But you are Ayti only your leaving it to me to decide. If I don't want to get hurt or worse then I have to leave. Your that much of a coward you can't even do it directly or are you afraid that if you chase me out now your precious relationship with Lachesis will be destroyed?”

It had to be something like that because she had the distinct feeling that he was trying to keep his paws as clean as he could of the situation. Lachesis would never believe her if she told him that Ayti had told her she couldn't come so he didn't have to worry about that. All that was left was for her to make the decision herself and then it would look even worse on her, leaving the pack that she had been born into, been loyal to her entire life. It all made sense but she kept it to herself. What was the point in saying anything anyway.

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Ayti snorted softly. ”You’re right,” he stated calmly, hazel eyes coldly staring down the young woman. ”It means nothing anymore - not to me or to Lachesis or Lilya. It wouldn’t be bad if you had just stepped out of line once or twice, but you’ve continued to do so over and over again. Any other wolf would have been kicked out by now - your parent’s memory and Lach and Lil’s good graces are the only thing keeping you here anymore.”

He rolled his eyes with a groan. ”Your daughter is old enough to choose. She isn’t helpless, so don’t act like I’m throwing an infant out into the snow. She can come with us or stay with you or go look for that dad of hers - she’s a pretty big girl now.” Almost as old as he was when he first struck out on his own. Same time of year as well.

Of course Inna didn’t get it. Did he have to spell it out for her - that literally no one wanted her in the pack? Well... who better to do so than Aytigin Delaney? Such was his specialty. ”Yes, Inna, they fucking want you out of this pack. Does that answer your question?” he growled, growing rapidly fed up with the conversation at hand. ”I can’t make it any more clear than that. We all want you gone.”

With that being said, he didn’t even comment on the relationship with Lachesis bit. If Inna had such a poor opinion of being on good terms with her leader, then she didn’t belong in a pack. ”I’ve said what I needed to say,” he continued, his voice trembling with rage as he turned his back to leave her. ”My warning still stands - do not follow us.” There would be hell to pay if she did.

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It had become very clear to Inna through Ayti's words that any efforts she had made to try and right her wrongs had been pointless. That even though she had tried to put something behind her and tried to make things right with the pack she shouldn't be there. The chocolate man even made it sound like she was being handed her position in the pack. She had worked hard and stayed but none of that mattered anymore.

Then there was Oksana she had not understood what he was getting at or what was to happen to her daughter. The way he had spoken it seemed that he didn't want her to have Oksana anymore. Inna didn't bother to say anything to correct him. Nothing she said anymore was heard, that was clear too. All she did know was that Oksana couldn't be away from Hearthwood for the winter.

Then Ayti said what she feared the most and Inna could feel her heart breaking inside her chest. She wouldn't cry not in front of Ayti, he wouldn't know how bad the words that slipped from his mouth hurt her. It took everything she had inside to keep the neutral expression on her face and not breakdown right there.

There was nothing left for her, everyone she had ever loved and cared about was gone. As much as she wanted to go with them to wherever they were going for her daughter she knew she couldn't for the same reason. In a didn't know what Ayti was capable of, would he take her from Oksana to keep her from the pack? She couldn't let that happen. “Understood,” she said camly before turning and running toward her den. Only when she was away from the chocolate man did she let the tears fall down her cheeks.

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