Sacred Grove wishing things could be different

Lorcan had taken the decision to be more proactive. After what had happened recently at Fireweed Rise between Willow Ridge and the Aurora Heights pack, as well as the warning from Odin about Morganna, the male was anxious to improve the pack's relations one way or another. The agouti wolf did not enjoy being caught in the middle of all the family conflict — with the Archer's seemingly at the centre of it all. It made made him uncomfortable and put him on edge, which frustrated him, as those were exactly the kind of feelings he had been trying to escape from back in Hearthwood River.

So, rather than continue to be consumed by the fears and worries which infiltrated his mind on a daily basis, Lorcan decided that he would take a trip away from the willows and go out in search of the missing pup, Revon. He hadn't done much except sniff around the borders and nearby territories until now, so this time the healer made an effort to travel further.

Assuming that the southern terrain had been thoroughly searched by now, his paws had strayed in a northern direction away from the willows and towards the wildwood, where he had collected the Chaga mushrooms for Ravenna almost a month ago. The draping bows of the willows gradually made way for much taller moss-covered redwoods, and the high-pitched chirping of small birds was replaced with the quiet rustling of small prey as they scuttled through the underbrush. The noises caused the male's ears to flicker and swerve atop his head as he loped within the shade provided by the dense tree canopy, momentarily stealing his attention away from the scents which filled his nose as he moved.

One particular sound, however, stole more of his interest as he advanced towards an uneven-looking downwards slope. Quickening his step, russet ears perked up optimistically in the direction of the rushing water. With a flick of his tail Lorcan carefully navigated his way down towards it, avoiding the large slippery boulders that scattered his path, until his golden eyes finally fell upon the white frothing surface of the freshwater stream. If a pup was surviving out here on their own, they would surely be in need of regular refreshment.

Cautiously the agouti male stepped towards the water and, after stealing a few mouthfuls to quench his own thirst, pressed his nose to the damp dirt and slowly began to follow it upstream...

(This post was last modified: Feb 04, 2018, 08:14 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

She ventured south - making sure to inform the others first - in order to stretch her legs and perhaps bump into some fellow loners. They could have made do with their numbers through the winter. There was no shame in simply staying as the female group with the exception of her son. In fact, it might even be easiest that way. Piety was no fool. She knew that even if the winter grip did not seem to lighten, it was almost time for the change seen in all females.

Which brought forth a strong sadness and a chain of thought. What would the dove end up doing?

Her head shook softly as if she was whisking away her thoughts. There was time to think things through. She had to remind herself to take things one step at a time. But as she padded along, movement in the corner of her eye called for her attention. Her stance perked up a bit as she attempted to look more lively. There was a familiarness to it but in that moment she could not pin it.

"Hello!" The long-legged female called out kindly. Then it hit her a few moments too late. That earthen coat and slender build. It simply couldn't be. As far as Piety knew he was long gone. Either way, it was too late to back out now. She had started the interaction too which meant she had to be committed to the act of civility.

# C W T

Moving slowly along the edge of the stream, Lorcan inhaled deeply as his muzzle hovered above the ground. The scent of moss, damp soil and rotten bark was all that filled his nose for a time as he continued to traipse forwards, his agouti figure advancing deeper into the looming maze of redwoods. The woodland seemed quiet, unventured for the most part, aside from the red squirrel which happened to bounce across his path.

The male huffed in frustration. He had been so certain that he would find her, or at least a clue as to her whereabouts. Though unbeknownst to him, Lorcan had found someone. Not the missing pup, but someone of more personal significance. A song-bird voice called out to him through the trees, managing to reach his ears above the rushing sound of the swiftly moving stream. 

Lorcan paused, a cold chill suddenly washing over him as he turned his head towards the direction of the greeting. No, it couldn’t be her. The male frowned, believing that his mind was playing tricks on him, as his paws crossed to approach her. Golden eyes narrowed as he looked across the stream and through the trees, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest in anticipation of that familiar white coat.

His gaze met the light brown of her eyes, then traced along the two scars on her face, confirming that it was indeed her before he dared to say anything. Lorcan stepped forwards, his pale paws teetering on the slippery edge of the rocks which lined the stream. “Piety...” He said quietly, trying catch his breath, as he studied her with concern.

A heartbeat later and he stepped his way over the stream towards her, his tail waving anxiously low behind him and his expression saddening. “I went back to the monadnock. Odin told me happened, I-I’m so sorry.” Lorcan whined. He went to embrace her then but suddenly stopped short, unsure if the grieving mother would welcome any comforting from him.

(This post was last modified: Feb 04, 2018, 10:49 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

Her good ear flicked as he spoke her name. It confirmed her thoughts and left her feeling a bit...unsure. What was she to do with his sudden arrival? Her name still sounded comforting as it fell from his lips. Then again she had never hated him. She had been furious with his affair outside of the pack but he remained after that. Until others left and he took his own leave. The sting was still strong in her heart but she forgave him with thoughts they'd never cross paths again.

Piety's once lively stance sagged at his closeness and words. She noticed how he halted before getting any closer. The tattered female respected it but she wouldn't have it in her to lash out if he closed the little-left distance between them. "He didn't die in vain. He went protecting our son, Cyril." She knew the burden that had left on the child but she was there to comfort him through it all when he wasn't adventuring to soothe his mind.

"How have you been, Lorcán? Better than me I hope?" She asked sincerely as her brown gaze briefly settled on his face, noting the faded set of scars. Her brows furrowed briefly not remembering those marks adorning the healer. Perhaps he'd elaborate more on that with her question. If not she likely wouldn't prod too much.

# C W T

As he stepped across the bubbling stream to approach her, Lorcan noticed how her posture crumbled. Instinct told him to hold her, to comfort her, but he held back the urge to sweep in beside her for the moment. He did not want to seem overbearing. Instead his paws stopped short, leaving enough space between them to allow @Piety to turn away from him if she felt the need to.

When she spoke of Wraith, his pale brows pinched together sympathetically and his golden eyes drifted down to one side in an attempt to hide how awkward he felt. The male didn’t know what to say, and the very last thing he wanted to do was to say something wrong and end up offending or upsetting her. Instead, after a pause, he acknowledge what Piety had said with a soft hum in agreement.

Lorcan hadn’t yet looked back at her, too busy trying to figure out what to say next, when her question to broke the silence. Russet ears perked up in surprise, having not expected Piety to enquire about his life after everything she had been through recently, before they swiftly pressed back down self-consciously. “Things didn’t work out too well between me and Inna…” Golden eyes flickered up at Piety then, unsure if he had ever mentioned the name to her before or not, before he continued on with a sigh.

“So I ended up leaving Hearthwood River.” The male gave a soft shrug of his shoulders. “I had planned on returning to Whitestone, so I could still be close enough to visit my daughter, but you had left by then. Then Odin told me what happened and how you were heading to Willow Ridge, and that Morganna had returned. He said that the two of you would probably meet up somewhere around here, so I thought I’d try and track you down and see how the pair of you were doing…” Lorcan offered Piety a sincere smile then. “Long story short – I ended up getting lost, found Willow Ridge totally by accident and ended up joining…” The agouti male gave a grin in amusement. It really has been quite the journey.

It was as he grinned to himself that he realised how long he had been talking. Focusing back on Piety, his chin tipped down in concern. “What about you? How have you and your son been coping?” The brightness of his golden eyes dimmed then as he looked at her, as he tried to imagine how hard the past few months must have been for them both.

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

Hearthwood? So he had been right under her nose the whole time. Perhaps it was no surprise he wanted to lay low, especially if he was there with the assumed female he had a fling with. If Piety still held enough pettiness she would have snorted with laughter or even lashed out. Instead, she held it all in and heard the healer out.

"Sounds like you've been busy." The mother mused softly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Willow Ridge is certainly the place to wind up. They treating you well?" She had no doubt they would as long as he was not foolish. They were a fair and just pack, she had just happened to step on a few toes in her younger days

His question caused a soft hum to stir from the female. How much did she share? He had spilled all after all, perhaps it was only fair to do the same. "There's a small group of us up north of here in the woods against the mountain. A collection of previous Whitestone members. We're all coping and healing together." Her shoulders rolled easily as she looked at his face.

Then a simple sentence fell from her lips. "I missed you, Lorcán." She had no other ideas on how to work the sentence in so perhaps it was a good idea to just drop the words while she still wanted to.

# C W T

Lorcan gave a soft huff out of his nose in amusement when Piety commented that he’d been busy over the last year. He smiled back at her. She didn’t even know the half of it, but the agouti male decided not to bore her with all the details. The past was in the past and Lorcan was keen to put all the bad experiences behind him.

At her question he nodded, though his russet ears flitted atop his head as he pondered over what he should or shouldn’t tell her. “They are...” Lorcan confirmed with a genuine smile, before it suddenly faltered. “Though tensions are a little high around here at the moment, which makes me uncomfortable.” The male paused for a moment as his golden eyes looked across to meet Piety’s light brown stare, wondering if he should mention @Sven to her or not. Deciding against it, he gave a flick of his black-tipped tail in dismissal and forced a small smile to his charcoal lips. “But I’m sure things will settle down eventually.” He hoped.

After sharing so much about the recent events in his life, Lorcan was curious to know how Piety and her family were doing. A pale brow rose in interest as she spoke of a small group of ex-Whitestone wolves sheltering together in the woods north of where they were. No doubt @Cheedo would be one of them. “Have you enough paws and supplies to make it through until Spring?” The healer questioned with concern. “Because if you’re in need of some herbs, I could try and gather a small selection for you..” He tipped his head to one side and offered Piety a caring smile. They might have both moved on but that didn’t mean that he no longer spared a thought for her welfare.

Charcoal lips pressed together as he gazed across at her in quiet contemplation. It still felt strange seeing her again after all this time, after everything that had happened. Though it seemed that time could not change some things. Piety was still as calm, pleasant and easy to talk to as he remembered, which both reassuring and annoying, as it only made him miss her company more. Apparently, his feelings were not one-sided…

Lorcan felt his heart jump and his cheeks grew warm in light of her confession. “I’ve missed you too.” He replied quietly with a smile. Finally he closed the space between them and placed his muzzle momentarily across her shoulders to offer the female a warm embrace. Stepping back again, his smile grew wider and a light began to dance in his golden eyes as he walked to now stand beside her to face the stream. “I thought of you the other night, beneath the skyfire.” The male recalled, turning his head to steal a glance at her, before he continued. “Did you see it? I always remember how you used to love watching the sky at night…” It was a fond memory of his. The pair of them staying up to talk and star-gaze together.

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

"Tensions?" A brow raised sharply. Piety had obviously not been far enough south to run into any of this trouble. After getting her own things in order the pale female had led her small family back north. They were not nearly as north as before but it seemed none of them had the desire to be. Which she understood rather well. "If things get too heated come find me, I'll be willing to lend an ear." It was hard not to smirk mentioning she only had one intact ear. The words had made an unintentional pun.

A more gentle, warm smile settled onto her worn features. His inquiries were kind. How much did she share? She trusted him for the most part but if he went spilling the small group's weaknesses to the south? There was nothing she could do but take a shot in the dark and hope for the best. "We could stand a few more paws, truthfully. I have hopes of setting up something more permanant once we get another set or two of stable paws." Her shoulders shrugged softly. Brown eyes lingered on his face for a few moments before she looked towards the water. Sheepish was certainly not something was as of late but it was certainly how she was feeling at this moment.

"Herbs would be nice but I might remember enough of what you taught me in Whitestone to get us through. If the winter ever goes away." There was no denying that this year was a harsh one. Snow kept piling on already present snow and it too terribly cold to be in open areas for too long.

The touch was unexpected but she still accepted it. Piety even went as far as to lean into him briefly before he pulled away. "I didn't see it. I think the trees are too crowded together." It was a shame she had missed it but certainly there would be more chances in the future. "I haven't even star gazed in a while." She confessed with a soft sigh.

# C W T

Lorcan nodded as he released a weary sigh, causing a cloud of hot air to billow out from between his charcoal lips. Russet ears pressed back against his head anxiously as he looked back up to meet Piety’s warm brown gaze. “Yeah, Aurora Heights seem to think that Sven stole their pup. I don’t really understand why they think he would do that, but things didn’t end well between Greer, Sven and Ravenna.” The male’s expression grew more worried as he continued. “Plus, I don’t think Morganna is the biggest fan of him either, which just complicates things even more.” Lorcan shrugged, releasing another long sigh as his gaze flitted down to his paws. “It’s just awkward being caught in the middle of it all because I respect all of them and I really don’t want to be forced to take sides…” The male finally admitted, with an uneasy look shot towards Piety.

At her offer to lend an ear should he need someone to cry talk to, Lorcan forced a smile and gave a rough shake of his coat to release some the tension that built up beneath the surface. “Thanks.” He replied gratefully. Piety always had been a wonderful listener and adviser to him.

Curious about her situation now that she had left the lowlands and the monadnock behind, Lorcan listened to find out how she and the others were coping now. He nodded in understanding as she mentioned her desire for a few more wolves to lend a paw, though was really caught his interest was when she suggested that she would like to make their move more permanent. A single brow rose. If she planned to settle where they had currently gathered, that would make her close enough to visit on occasion. The idea of having Piety close by pleased him. Then he would be surrounded by all of his close acquaintances. If only they would all get along… 

“Who have you got with you at the moment?” The question tumbled out of his mouth before he had a chance to stop it. Lorcan pushed his ears back, a little embarrassed. His curiosity always seemed to get the better of him.

When Piety suggested that she might remember enough about plants to get them through the winter, Lorcan smiled, much wider than he had before. The healer was pleased that she had not forgotten what little he had managed to teach her before he had left for Hearthwood. “Well if you change your mind, you know where to find me.” He offered with a gentle flick of his tail. He had promised @Morganna that he would supply her with medicinal plants if she ever needed some, so it seemed only fair to do the same for Piety.

As he embraced her momentarily, he was relieved to feel her lean back into him, pleased that he was able to comfort her in that moment. When she admitted that she had missed the skyfire and hadn’t star-gazed in a while, Lorcan gave a soft shrug of his shoulders. “It’s a shame you missed it. It was beautiful.” The agouti male recalled. “If it appears again, I’ll make sure to howl for you...give you a chance to find a clearing so that you can get a good view of it. You have no excuses then.” He teased, glancing down to her with a grin and giving the woman a soft bump to her shoulder. “I’m sure your son would love to see it with you.” He added quietly. The pair of them deserved to spend some quality time together after the trauma they had been through.

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity