Empress Riffle Mother Knows Best [M]

Nia Hervok Side by side or miles apart  "Speech" The aging wolf had searched far and wide for her daughter, coming to find her in the least of expected places. She had been passing through the Lore for old time's sake. Nia had been shocked to catch wind of the faint trail. She followed it for miles, crossing through different territories within a certain range. Was her daughter a scout? The fresher the scent became the more aware she was of males. By the time she’d finally come close to her daughter’s pack, she could no longer smell her over the potency of the men. She regarded it as a safe move, one that protected against the prowling loners. To that, she was grateful to the alphas. The old wolf stopped far from the borders. She would call her daughter out of her territory and into mutual grounds. Where she could still control the tides, and hopefully not be interrupted by prying eyes. During her journey, an oddity had struck the matriarch. She couldn’t smell the trademark in-season scent mixed with her daughter's perfume. Nia had a faint one this year, but that was per her age. Her brows furrowed. With the season grandchildren were heavy on her mind and she expected them. She wanted to see them come into existence before she passed on. Her muzzle lifted to the sky and her voice rang out for her dearest girl. "Talking" Tags: @Viorel and @Eros as they will be mentioned further down. OOC: Please note I've been working on this thread for a bit. I will note when I get to the end of the back-and-forth between my characters. If you wish to join, please mention me in plotting. EDIT TO ADD: Dated for 3/10/2024 to align with Nia's DEB join.

(This post was last modified: Mar 11, 2024, 02:17 AM by Nia.)

Sage had earned her rest, she’d been busy honing her skills and the cramps were at an all-time high. All she wanted to do was take a breather. She’d been running out of energy at an increased rate since the season started. This was supposed to be her first heat. While she didn’t understand what was wrong, it was abundantly clear she wasn’t okay. There was no scent. No burning sensation or itchy skin. Only the intense aching of her ovaries and the constant fatigue that loomed over her.

The unmistakable call of her mother reached out from beyond the pack’s territory. Despite being half asleep her head shot up. She was wide-eyed with ears pressed so far forward they might as well run ahead of her. Sage was slow to get up and made her way at a pace comfortable to her. Had she been feeling better, the woman would’ve sprinted her heart out.

When she reached the water's edge her stomach dropped. Why was her ma so skinny? She looked like she'd been away from the Glade for a while. This felt wrong. “M-momma?” Her voice croaked. Tears lined her eyes, “Momma, what are you doing here?”

Sage closed the distance between them and wrapped her neck to pull Nia into an embrace. She thought she’d never see her mother again. A darker part of her had believed that for the better. Still, she was grateful for the visit. "How long will you be around?” If Eros and Viorel were okay with it, maybe she could stay in the pack as a temporary resident. If not Sage could show her the old den in Cedarwoods. That would be safe enough for her to recoup before returning to the Glade.

(This post was last modified: Mar 08, 2024, 05:43 AM by Sage.)

Dead Empress Backwater

Nia Hervok Side by side or miles apart Nia’s heart swelled at the sight of her baby girl, “You look so mature.” She whispered in awe and shock. She could visualize the tiny tot her daughter had once been coming up to show her a dandelion. Those silly weeds she insisted were flowers. Nia could recall correcting her, time and time again, with little to no success. Even now, she didn’t consider it to have been an ill-picked battle. Failing to see how her nick-picking affected the confidence of her child. Now here she was a woman. Nia’s eyes flickered over her daughter's face, landing on her familiar green eyes. Her voice was bold, an announcement, “I came to collect you.” It was clear the senior thought this would be a walk in the park. She hadn’t considered her daughter's feelings on the matter. “It’s time you end your adventure and become a woman.” "Talking" Tags: @ OOC: The audacity

Sage immediately pulled back in horror, “W-what?”

She searched golden-flecked eyes with bewilderment. Her initial shock and sadness at the idea of leaving her home quickly fueled into anger. “You think I’m going to just leave my family?! You expect me to go back to the Glade?” Her tail lifted over her back as the decibels of her voice rose. The flames only burned brighter as her mother continued to elaborate, ” Become a woman? What is that supposed to mean mother?” Her tone became venomous as the she-wolf sized up to the larger. Her hackles lifted like tall blades of sharp grass.

Dead Empress Backwater

Nia Hervok Side by side or miles apart “I’m your family.” Nia corrected her, disregarding any bonds her daughter might’ve made. “Not them, not anyone else. You have me.” Her tone was demanding. “I’ve come to collect you, it’s time you continue the family line.” Pride stirred within emerald eyes. Nia looked down at her shorter daughter, arching her neck. Her hackles were on end but unlike the younger wolf, she did not snarl. No threat lingered on her face, only the sternness of a mother. Her dominance was clear in the way she relentlessly postured at her child.  "Talking" Tags: @ OOC:

Gasoline dumped over the flames of her anger. Of course, her mother was her family, but the Backwater chose her. They accepted her. She wasn’t an outcast here, she had made a home for herself. She was climbing the ranks and working towards a role! This was her family too. She wasn’t going to up and leave them. “I never belonged in the Glade, and you didn’t do anything to make it easier. You appeased him, worshiped the ground he walked like a love-stuck moron, and to his kids, you became a doormat.” Her mother’s words continued to rile the seething Hervok. She gritted her teeth before snapping back, “The family line?! Have you lost your mind? What family line! I have no interest in bringing children into the world to please you. I want true love, not mateship out of make-believe duty.” She returned the posturing with a ferocity.

Dead Empress Backwater

Nia Hervok Side by side or miles apart Nia was losing the battle, but not the war. As the argument steered against her favor she fought to turn the tides. “That’s not fair.”  She spat, unable to provide a reason why Sage was wrong. Instead, she launched into a verbal attack. “You are the eldest child, thus it is your responsibility. Do you want your mother to whither away without seeing grandbabies? True love, Sage, true love?!” Outwardly she looked beastly, but the inner workings of her mind she was working the scene. Manipulating her response so that it’d jab the tenderheartedness of her spawn, ”True love is for fools. They string you along and make you think you’re their world. Then, when you least expect it, they pull the rug from under your paws.” She would know best about this, after all. After the harsh onslaught Nia shifted gears, adjusting her tactic. Her arched head lowered to a respectful position. “...Sage…the Glade is no more.” Her voice fell to a whisper. A defeated expression washed over the old wolf. The once so big and proud matriarch allowed herself to seem so small. Painting the image of a shell of the proud woman she once was. Still was. Whether it was all an act to win her child over or mixed with true vulnerabilities was hard to decipher. “After you left, your dad and I decided to have another litter…” Her eyes fell to her paws, “I..he…we…” She knew the words but played the fiddle to the beat. “Honey, your dad abandoned the pack while I was pregnant.” The heavy words fell from her mouth with little regard. Nia had time to process the pain, now filled with bitterness. That did not stop the crocodile tears she shed to tug at her daughter's heartstrings. "Talking" Tags: @ OOC:

“That’s not true.” Sage’s tone gave way to her insecurities. Would if her mother was right and true love was a fantasy? Would if @Oleander wasn’t meant to be hers, or worse, had some hidden agenda behind his motives? Her anger faded into panic as she thought over every memory they shared. Raking them with a fine toothcomb for details pointing towards the idea that he could never love her. Amid her worry, she failed to see how young their relationship was, and equally delicate. Love was not something she held for him. Over time it could blossom if the two continued to court one another.

Panic gave way to heartbreak. One smashing blow after another, crushing the girl. Her tail dropped with her ears. The Glade was gone? She stared in disbelief. She wanted to cry, to mourn this as her loss, but that seemed selfish. “Momma…I am so sorry.” Her voice fell silent as Sage grappled with the news.

It only got worse from there and the woman thought herself unable to bear it all. “Honey, your dad abandoned the pack while I was pregnant.” Her legs buckled from beneath her as a dry sob echoed out. The words hit like a ton of bricks. She didn’t know how to process, what to say, or how to comfort her mother. Her dad left? He left the Glade and all his children…he abandoned her mother. Surely this meant love was a myth. Her eyes were wet now as she glanced around for younger siblings hiding somewhere.

Dead Empress Backwater

Nia Hervok Side by side or miles apart Her daughter crumbled beneath her, the mother casting a look of pity. She followed suit so that her large frame curled around. She began to shush the girl, grooming her fur. "I know it's a lot to take in, but I'm here, momma's here." She cooed, still faking her tears. Then Sage scanned the trees as if searching and Nia's facade fell. Her act crumbled, her head falling into the creamy fur of her daughter. She let out a heartbreaking cry. How did it come to this, where was her mate? Her children had died and the one left disobeyed her! He should've been here to help. To prevent the loss of their litter and to guide their eldest. Her chest ached with the reverence of genuine sobs as they overtook her. Bitterness continued to melt into pain. The words cut into her like a dagger, no amount of time could heal this, “They didn’t make it.” Her mate was one thing. Her children were her entirety. "Talking" Tags: @ OOC:

The pain became so overwhelming that she thought herself unable to take it. Then as it peaked, a numbness settled over her. She could not accept the feelings of grief and so her emotions flickered off.

For a moment silence engulfed the two.

Sage’s gentle voice finally filled the air between them. “Momma I am so sorry, but my life is here. I won’t be leaving.” She chose her words with tender love but left no room to argue. The next sentence left a bitter taste in her mouth and she winced as the words left her lips.  “You can choose to be a part of my life how it is." She hesitated, " Or you can go.” The woman looked over the frailty of her mom. Pleading within for her to stay here. They could work this out! Even if the alphas didn’t take her in. The cedars were not too far, she could take care of her and tend to her pack duties, right? This didn’t have to be a one or the other choice.
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Dead Empress Backwater