Hidden Tree a few of my favorite things

<i>Light rain — Current Temperature: 39° F/4° C</i>

The once burning, broken forest was beginning to finally look normal once again. It was strange, how things changed. Fall had already fallen here, but the trees didn't look so sad and charred anymore. It was cold, and Borlla shook out her fur, trying to keep herself warm as the wind whistled through the trees, bringing with it another patch of rain drops, light, but equally chilly. The trees kept most of the rain at bay, but the occasional drop she could feel to her skin. Her destination was ahead. Despite the fact that she'd been away for months, she'd never forget any inch of Relic Lore, especially this place. The massive tree suddenly rose up before her, bringing a smile to the solemn girl's face.

Corinna and she had been here only a few months before, working together to clean up the old den. And now what? All she got was glares. The roles had been switched and Borlla wondered if that was how Corinna felt those few months ago. Sighing, she moved into the damp shadow of the tree, and crouched at its opening, digging a bit to clear away what time had pushed into it. When there was space enough, she wiggled through it, and curled into a ball. It was smaller than she remembered, faint, ghostly memories. With another exhale, Borlla closed her eyes, listening to the rain falling against the trees. <b style="color:#32527a">"speech."

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Gone Tomorrow

The confident head was lowered now, cowed against the wind and the rain. Overhead, the trees acted as an umbrella for her, but they could only do so much to shield her from the elements. Why Corinna Donata had felt the need to leave the comforts of her own den and come here today of all days, she wasn't entirely sure. But she had once loved the rain, loved the way it left her feeling rejuvenated, as if nothing in the world was wrong. And she was feeling more and more like something was wrong.

He'd gone again, at least mentally. He was still around physically, but the absence of his emotions and his mind were what were bothering her. More than once she woke throughout the night expecting him to have vanished into the world like he had done before. And while she rebuffed him with all of her might, she did not want him to go. Things had felt better - things had felt whole - since he had been back. Those other Swift River wolves had come crawling out of the nooks and crannies of Relic Lore because he had returned, and she was worried that if he left, then they would go right on back.

So maybe that was why she had left, because she needed to come to terms with the fact that she was more than likely going to end up on her own again. Ironically, she had come to the place of her absent lover's birth for comfort. But she knew it was one area that Indru would never give up. Dashing through the storm, the Swift River leader approached the burned tree, noting with despair how lackluster the growth was. While outside of their territory, she wanted to bring her children here so that they could see, and perhaps had happened. It had shaped who they were, even if they did not know it.

Not approaching the entrance, Corinna circled the tree, nose to the muddy ground, trying to find a trace of her mate. If Indru was planning on leaving, he would not leave without coming here first.

Warmth crept in from every angle, slithering between her fur and almost caused the girl to just fall asleep. But while it was warm, it was small. With her eyes closed, Borlla almost felt as if the wooden walls were closing in on her, threatening to trap her within forever. She could only handle the feeling for so long before she had to open her eyes just to make sure that the things she was feeling weren't actually happening. But everything looked the same. Pale gray light came in from the hole mere inches from her face, and with it came the cold again. Sighing, she didn't feel like she could lie within the space any longer. It had never really been her home. That was a mile away now.

Stretching, she carefully slid out of the den, back into the rain. For a moment, she stood there at the entrance, and gave a slight look back before sitting there. Ears flicked back as thick stray drops fell from above. Through the sound of rain was another sound and Borlla strained to catch it, rising to her paws although she had only just sat down. She moved around the curve of the tree and spotted another body wandering around it. <b style="color:#32527a">"Corinna?" Borlla said aloud, though she almost regretted it. <b style="color:#32527a">"Oh..." She came around the side of the tree now, not wishing to add insult to injury by going back into hiding. Corinna was still her leader after all, if they couldn't consider each other sisters. Not that Borlla would have minded now... <b style="color:#32527a">"speech."

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Gone Tomorrow

She hadn't expected for anybody else to be here. Even though she came searching for Indru, she was in no way hopeful that he would be actually be here. Her eyes were half closed as she wandered through the mud, nostrils flaring as she picked through the various scents that had been collected over time. While the presence of wolves had been lacking, there was no shortage of other creatures who had come lurking. Foxes, rabbits, various birds - all of their scents invaded Corinna's brain. So she was surprised when she heard her name spoken, and for a moment, the she-wolf did not believe it had been spoken at all.

Head rising from the dirt, green eyes looked about her, peering through the rain. Indru? She could only hope it was him. They had a lot to discuss and they were running out of time to say what needed to be said. But no, the form that came out from behind the tree was not the tawny form of her mate, but rather the golden creme of his youngest sister, Borlla. Mentally checking herself, Corinna snorted. She should have known it would be her, this seemed to be their perpetual meeting place. Had the yearling Tainn been following her again, she wondered? "Borlla," her tone was flat and apathetic, deciding that anger was probably not the right route to go at the moment. "What are you doing here?" Granted it was Borlla's birth place, but their home was meant to be along the banks of the river, far from this place of death, ashes, and broken memories.

Borlla felt like an absolute lummox. And she was, if she really did think about it. Indru had always come first in her life. He'd raised her, basically, with Kinis and Triell, so when he'd disappeared, the first thing that came to mind was to find him and bring him home. And, unfortunately, that didn't happen. She got lost. So lost that by the time she'd found her way home, Indru had already returned. But she'd forgotten what should have come first. Her pack. She put the individual before the whole, and that broke everything. She always seemed to think about these things too late, when her logic didn't matter, and explaining would only make things worse.

A drop of rain plopped onto her nose, and she shook her head. Borlla recoiled slightly, essentially pulling her neck and head almost into herself, and letting her ears press against her head. Corinna's voice made her this way, and she didn't move for a moment. But pressing close to the tree felt strange now, and she took a step to the side, and a small step forward, so it didn't seem as if she was trying to hide. <b style="color:#32527a">"Um...Just visiting. I figured I'd go inside, since it's been...A year." More than that most likely, but it didn't really matter now. <b style="color:#32527a">"You weren't looking for me, were you?" Her voice held doubt, and fell at the end, as if she knew that Corinna wasn't looking for her. <b style="color:#32527a">"speech."

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Gone Tomorrow

Corinna couldn't decide if she liked the way the rain felt on her fur, or if she hated how it found its way through the thick barrier to her skin. The sensation was relieving, but she also felt exposed. Which in all truth, was how she was feeling now. With the return of the Swift River wolves, she had felt as if the barrier she had put up to protect herself had come crumbling down. Her anger with Indru had eventually faded, but now that he was growing more distant, she felt it beginning to grow again. His touch to her skin which had once brought relief was now a painful sting, a reminder that whatever it was she was doing, it wasn't enough. As for the rest of them, they came and went as they pleased, with very little recognition for herself and the pack she was trying to keep together. So maybe she was a failure as a leader, and that's what was causing her pack to dwindle.

All that from the simple touch of raindrops. All of that waiting for a response from her mate's youngest sister. Corinna wasn't honestly sure why Borlla generated such a reaction from her, why they had gotten off on the wrong foot to start with. Originally, she had expected it had simply been her mere presence that had bothered the girl, but now she wasn't so sure. But whatever it was, there was this rift between them that could be momentarily closed, but always seemed to regenerate itself. Listening, Corinna silently shook her head. No, she had not been looking for the yearling River wolf - what Borlla did with herself was no real concern of Corinna's. "No. I was looking for Indru." Surprise, surprised, the tawny leader who had once appeared so strong and resilient was absent again. "I figured he might come by here first...if he was planning on leaving again."

Borlla's ears flicked against the rain falling from above, and she withheld a shiver. Being around Corinna now made her nervous. She wanted to please the female, but it seemed impossible now. She made herself small, and wished that she'd stayed within the tree. According to the leading female, she was looking for Indru. He'd disappeared again. Borlla scowled, her hackles rising slightly before she swallowed. <b style="color:#32527a">"He disappeared again?" It was spoken as a question, but it hardly was one. <b style="color:#32527a">"...I'm sorry," Borlla offered, doubting that it meant all that much. <b style="color:#32527a">"speech."

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Gone Tomorrow

Awkward.

It was the only proper term for the atmosphere that had arisen between the two females. There was anger there, sure, as well as hurt. But more than anything else, it was just plain awkward. They had never really bonded much in the first place, and when Borlla had left on the heels of Indru, Corinna had felt the loss only as another viable pack member to help her feed the the newborn pups. The personal connection between them had not been strong enough for the lead female to feel personally hurt, and with the absence of Indru, Marsh, and eventually Triell, the fact that Borlla had also gone somewhat slipped away.

The apology sounded hollow to Corinna's ears, and she shook her head in a noncommittal way. What did it matter? Indru had not been there for months, and even while he had returned, he had been merely a shadow of what he was before. So what did it matter if a ghost disappeared? "He hasn't...yet. But I imagine it won't be much longer till he does." It was the honest answer. She could still find him every once in a while, lurking about the pack lands, but his dominating scent was fading fast. It would only be a matter of time before the rest of him went too. "Will you follow him again?" A trap, perhaps, on the part of the leading female, but one that needed to be set. For the safety of her pack, she had to know who she could rely on. "I understand the need to keep the family together." Green eyes met Borlla's for a moment, extending the way out.

Borlla didn't meet the eyes of her superior, choosing instead to glance a bit lower, hoping that it wouldn't be too obvious. This whole situation was increasingly uncomfortable to her, and it was almost as if the feeling was quite palpable. The words Corinna spoke were awful. Not in an offensive way, but in a way that Borlla was almost able to truly see the female's side of things. It made her angry at Indru for persistantly abandoning his mate and his family without a single word. So, no. <b style="color:#32527a">"No...Not again," Borlla responded silently, moving her eyes just slightly to see Corinna looking at her too. <b style="color:#32527a">"It doesn't feel like much of a family anymore. He leaves without one word." Besides, it wasn't like she really needed him anymore. <b style="color:#32527a">"speech."

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Gone Tomorrow

It killed Corinna's soul to animadvert about her mate, the wolf she had taken into herself as her ultimate confident and friend. But what else could she do? She could not continue to defend someone who continuously left her on her own with no legitimate excuse. It just hurt too much. Slipping down to her haunches, the leader lifted her head, exposing her face to the rain. It felt good, as if the natural elements were washing away the pain on her insides. But like dirt, it would come back soon enough. Lowering her head again as Borlla spoke, the faintest trace of a smile was visible. At least not everybody was leaving. "You still have one, you know," she commented after a moment. "Triell, Marsh, your niece and nephews...Me. We're all still here." They weren't blood, but what did that matter? "Have you gotten to know them at all? Rihael, Kisla, Fenru? Kisla looks a lot like you." She had the same creme colored fur that her aunt did, the look that it seemed most of the female Tainn's had. But that was not what made them family, or even the similar blood that ran in their veins. Their commitment to each other, that's what made them family. At least, that's what the Swift River leader had to keep telling herself to make it through the day.