Hearthwood River the deficit mounts

She hesitated for a few heartbeats longer than normal, her outward composure uncracked save for that one small indication that his question had struck something significant. It wasn't as though he were ignorant enough to think that questions about family were always harmless; it was a difficult life for predators, and uncommon was the response which indicated that all was well and dandy. The first hint was that she was not Lachesis' daughter, which implied she was either the daughter of subordinates or less, or her father had lost his leadership somewhere between siring her and today.

His intuition proved correct; with controlled voice which hardly gave away her pain, Inna revealed the fate of her sire, and Craw's ears flicked back momentarily in acknowledgement of the unpleasant news, his manner softening further just a touch. "I'm sorry to hear that," he wheezed gently. She hadn't returned a question of her own, though, so Craw took it as invitation to carry on, though made an effort to be delicate. "Was he a good man?"

Even though it had been sometime since her father had passed Inna was well aware of the fact she was still dealing with him being gone. There was also the fact her brother and both her sisters had gone, Inna didn't know if she would ever see them again. Lastly her mother who had promised to come back left the ebony girl feeling like she was just waiting for the day Lachesis would have to appoint a new lead female meaning her mother wouldn't be returning either. All of this weighed heavily on her daily but she knew now wasn't the time to dwell on it, her pack needed her to be strong so that was what she was going to do especially as she spoke with this man who'd come to their borders. She did hope that in this situation she was making both of her parents and Lachesis proud of the way she was handling it. Inna nodded as Craw offered his condolences, “Thank you, your condolences are appreciated.” She hadn't been looking for sympathy when she told him but the words were nice to hear all the same and he seemed genuine. His question about her father was a much easier one for as she was rather proud of the things he'd accomplished and the man that he was. “He was one of the best,” she stated the pride she felt for her father in her tone. Now she thought it was time she asked a question of her own though she didn't think it was as personal as what he'd asked she still felt it important to know. “You’re from Whitestone Monadnock? May I ask your position within the pack?” Inna was almost certain Craw was from the same pack as Lorcan but she was curious about where he stood, who she was talking with.

(This post was last modified: Nov 25, 2016, 04:03 PM by Inna.)

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The best. The professional nature of her tone slipped the longer the subject lingered on her father, her admiration for the dead man obvious to anybody paying half an inch of attention. As he expected, though, @Inna did not elaborate or offer extra details despite her passion, for she had quite identified herself as a matter-of-fact and blunt kind of creature. Craw did not mind that one bit, for it allowed her to continue rising in his estimation. As much as he enjoyed the blabber-mouth habits of the talkative, for it allowed the distinctly free travel of information in one direction (his own), it was not because he respected the chatty. Let his rivals have the gossips in their ranks; Craw wanted the Innas.

Finally, she turned it back around and pointed a question in his direction. An attempt to change the subject, perhaps? No matter; he would respect it. "The highest position," he rasped, the smile playing on his features again, wondering if she was just being polite in checking, or had really not thought she might be talking to its leader. Did he need to work on his presence? "I founded it in the summer with my mate, after leaving the south." He licked his lips, and turned it back on her, trying his luck in a guess: "Does your mother lead alongside Lachesis?"

Inna felt her father was most certainly a man to look up to for anyone but talking about him in more detail with Craw wasn't something she could do just now. It was however as she had suspected, that he was a member of Whitestone Monadnock and the leader no less. Meaning the man before was who Lorcan had spoken of speaking with Lachesis. She knew that whatever her alpha was speaking to Craw about wasn't something she could ask about and she didn't want Lorcan to get in trouble for talking about pack business with her. This knowledge would have to be kept to herself for the time being. She dipped her head in recognition of Craw’s position when he confirmed that he was the Alpha. “A prestigious position not easy to come by.” He also went on to tell her a little of how he had formed his pack but she became curious, “What made you decide to leave the south and start a pack in the Lowlands?” She wondered if he had just wanted to be an alpha of his own pack or if there was another reason. His next question was in regard to her mother and her status within the pack which to was an easy thing for her to answer. “Yes she does.” It was something that she felt Lachesis would tell Craw if it was brought up so she didn't have a problem sharing that.

(This post was last modified: Nov 25, 2016, 07:42 PM by Inna.)

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It was like a game to piece together the tiny snippets of information which @Inna deemed safe to offer. Craw had to wonder if she had been told to be so controlled, or was simply like this by nature. His smile grew by a fraction as she finally acknowledged his position, complimenting it, but did she have any idea what it meant to be a leader? What it meant to build something for oneself in that way, to hold it, to protect it, to let it grow? Not easy to come by for some - if you didn't have the right mettle. For others, it was surely inevitable.

Her succinct answer to his question left him with a few new strands of data to ruminate upon; that her father must have been the previous lead, that Lachesis had inherited the role rather than create it or take it for himself. Craw could not imagine the ghost had killed or harmed over it, the man had been far too mild-mannered, and Inna, who claimed to love her father, would surely not have stayed to serve under a man who had done badly by her sire. And while Craw knew little to nothing of her mother, this woman who had maintained her position, he had to guess the same would be true there. So what had killed this wolf who was, by his daughter's account, one of the best? And how badly had Hearthwood suffered for it?

But all that would wait. He didn't know if she could be encouraged to open up, but there was only one way he could think of to encourage it - considering that intimidation was inappropriate, under the circumstances. He had an answer of his own to give, and felt inspired to share. "My partner came from a pack which had once been strong, very strong, to hear her tell it. But times change - leaders die, leave, are pushed down. The leadership was weak, old, lacking in unity. Her mother was a good ruler but utterly failed in passing on her power to her daughter - my mate - who faced resentment and insubordination when she took over. We had had enough of trying to fix a dying pack, and chose to build something better out of its ashes. The lowlands became ours through chance; my mate was heavily pregnant during the journey and we took shelter on the monadnock so she could give birth during a storm. We chose to stay there."

There, that was a rich answer, if notably lacking in names and identification - if she could not be coaxed into something similar then he would stop trying for now. Her manner was admirable but it benefited Lachesis, not Craw, and he would not allow her to practice her diplomatic talents on him for nothing in return. "Why did your parents come here, rather than stay where you were born?"

Inna felt after the man had confirmed his position that there were things she could learn from him if she wanted to follow in her father's footsteps. It would be sometime before she could have that chance she knew and she would have to know if Craw could truly be trusted. All in good time though for now she wanted to know what kind of man he was and what kind of leader he was. Lorcan seemed to be a good man and she would hope that he wouldn't follow a bad leader. Inna however wasn't stupid, as least she didn't think of herself as so and knew circumstances could push a wolf unto a pack. She listened carefully as he spoke in answer to her question which was certainly more than she had required of him when she'd asked. Though she didn't think he'd acquired his leadership like her father had his motives for moving the pack were she thought good. He wanted to do it for the betterment of the pack which she felt to be understandable. Of course this didn't mean that she could trust him right then but it was a start and that was something. After speaking with Craw she had become more curious about his pack and though that with Lachesis’ permission she might take the man up on his offer for a visit. “It sounds like you had a lot of hard work when you choose to move. Do you think you have accomplished what you set out to do?”He again turned the questions back to her which she expected since it had been the agreement. Inna considered what he had told her in regards to his pack and what she felt comfortable in sharing with him about her pack and especially her parents. “I was born here,” she stated firstly wanting to clear that up as she felt it important he know Hearthwood River was her home. “There was a traitor amongst the pack that meant to do harm to them. With my mother pregnant and the pack not in the best of positions to defend itself my father decided it was best for all to leave the land that no longer felt like home to come here where he felt they could make a new home where they could feel safe.” Inna felt that the answer had given him sufficient information without giving away too much. She also felt that it also didn't reflect the state the pack was currently in which was something she was still struggling with. Why her family had left Hearthwood when her father had tried so hard to make it their home. She wondered what her father would say if he knew what had happened since his death, what he would do?

(This post was last modified: Nov 29, 2016, 03:41 PM by Inna.)

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@Inna @Craw *literally throws lachesis into this* <3

While the ghost was surprised to discover that the Pines had fallen apart, he also wasn’t. He did not know much about the pack, other than the fact that they remained neutral with each other, and that Koda was a reoccurring figure in their ranks. He did not know much about the wolves that resided south of Kingsfall and only hoped that some of them would find their way up north and stumble upon his borders. The snow had started to arrive, sporadically at first, before thickening and sticking to the ground in some areas. As a wolf of the arctic, he did not mind the cold—it seldom bothered the thick-furred wolf. However, he did worry about his packmates. Winter wasn’t for everyone, and with winter came sparse prey and illness. Adding more wolves could be both beneficial and dangerous to the small group, but there was certainly safety in numbers. And if he wasn’t accepting them into Hearthwood another pack would be convincing them to join their ranks.

Craw’s call came as a surprise, but a pleasant one. The scarred wolf reminded XIX of his fallen friend, the former king of the river. He was a straightforward wolf, his tongue sharp and quick to get to the point—which Lachesis liked. Craw was also careful with his words, only speaking what he felt needed to be shared; nothing more, nothing less. While they were close in age, Lachesis felt as though the silver wolf was someone he could look up to, and he was grateful for their alliance.

As he neared the silver wolf he was perplexed by the second scent that accompanied him. Inna? A soft smile spread across his pale maw. She had beat him here. The Baranski had wasted no time in settling back into Hearthwood and he was glad. Her presence was warmly received. It appeared that the obsidian girl had gotten into quite the conversation with the spider; Lachesis almost felt guilty interrupting them. Before making his appearance known he listened patiently to Inna’s latest response and a sense of pride surged through him. She had said precisely what needed to be said without giving away too much information; he would be sure to praise her later, without Craw’s presence.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he grinned as he stepped forward, nudging Inna’s shoulder gently in greeting. “It’s nice to see you again, Craw. I hope Inna has been good company while I kept you waiting—my apologies.” He was thankful that the Baranski had answered the spider’s call so quickly; she continued to impress him every day. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” Curiosity burned furiously within him, reaching out with hot, greedy paws.

stick with those who stick with you

Her insistence that this was her birthplace forced him to recalculate the timings in his head. He must have assumed that Hearthwood was younger than it actually was - and as @Inna went on to explain, it sounded as though the pack had formed in much the same way as Whitestone when it came to its pregnant lead female. That made the river pack exactly one year older than his own, he mused, appreciating that she had finally opened up a little and offered more than the bare minimum. Setting a good example must have worked.

A traitor... not feeling safe... Clearly there was more to the Hearthwood story than Craw was privy to, but that was fine, and he was happy to store away the questions for a more appropriate time and place.

Licking his lips in contemplation of what she had told him, Craw was preparing to answer her query when a white shape caught his eye, and he glanced past the girl to her leader, who approached with a pleased smile on his face. For good reason, too - Craw dipped his head in respect, casting a fond glance at the young lady who had made the wait plenty worthwhile. "She's been charming," he wheezed, moving to stand in the face of new company, "you should be proud. I want to pick up where we left off last time, and thought to visit your lands for myself. Friends cannot be strangers." His tail gave an amiable twitch, manner and posture made relaxed and easy from Inna's superior greeting. He felt just the right amount of held-at-arm's-length, for he was unknown to her and yet treated with utter civility and acknowledgement of the two packs' warm, if young, connection. He could not respect a pack too free with their information, too inviting, and while Hearthwood seemed small, he had liked each member that he had met so far. May it be a recurring pattern.

"To be continued, I hope," he said to Inna directly with an inclination of his head just for her, before returning his attention to @Lachesis, expecting the yearling to be dismissed or leave of her own accord.

I'm having Inna leaving in this post but she's had fun keeping Craw company.

What she had told Craw had been reiterated from what Lachesis had told her since she left out the details about the traitor and the flood as well as the fact of her father becoming alpha. It was enough to return the favor of sharing just a little more with her but not too much that it made her uncomfortable to share it. By no means did it help give Craw an idea of the current state of the pack and until she knew him better and how Lachesis felt about him it would have to be enough. The last thing she wanted to do was disappoint her parents or Lachesis by sharing too much and putting the pack in danger. Craw didn't get the chance to answer her question due to Lachesis arriving at the border. She had caught his scent, her ears turned back to listen for his footfalls as he approached. As he apologized for interrupting she dipped her head slightly until she felt him nudge her shoulder. She then turned her attention back to Craw as Lachesis spoke to him. His compliment about how good of company she had been was met with an appreciative nod. However, her ears perked to hear what the gray man had to say in response to why he had come for a visit. Friends, she was curious about that and she wondered if they were picking up where they had left off from the conversation Lorcan had spoken of. She was brought from these thoughts as Craw spoke to her once more, “I as well, it's been a pleasure,” she responded calmly. As much as Inna was curious about the conversation that was to be had between the two alpha's she knew it wasn't her place to stay. Rising to her feet she offered a slight bow to both alpha's before heading back into the forest to do some hunting before nightfall. Exit

(This post was last modified: Dec 02, 2016, 01:06 PM by Inna.)

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Lachesis knew he was lucky to have Inna. Some of the Baranski children had disappeared over the years—leaving Relic Lore behind to make a name for themselves elsewhere—and very few of them had returned. Inna was one of the few that had returned after a brief absence, and XIX was thankful for her reappearance. She was an exceptional young wolf and showed so much promise; Maksim would be proud of her.

Now that the pack had mostly recovered from their recent losses it was time to start rebuilding. They had been alone, for the most part, in the expanse before Craw and his group claimed the monadnock. But, now that they had company, making alliances was a necessary evil. The spider appeared reliable and level-headed; truthworthy, even. A smile stretched across his pale maw at the silver wolf’s words as he nodded in agreement. Hearthwood had already been isolated for too long—it was time to start making connections with their neighbours.

“Thank you, Inna,” he murmured to the inky Baranski as she turned to leave. He would fill her in later—she deserved that much after entertaining Craw in Lachesis’ absence. Once her dark shape had disappeared from site XIX returned his attention to his unexpected company, a warm smile pressed neatly to his liquorice lips. “Walk with me?” He asked as he motioned to the treeline with his nose, his long legs stepping into the direction he had indicated. The healer would keep to the edge of Kingsfall, for he did not want to dip too far into river territory. There was still boundaries, even with their growing relationship.

“How have things been since we last saw each other?” He asked, breaking the silence, as his yellow-green eyes focused on the scarred wolf. 

stick with those who stick with you