Thicket of Secrets Try Everything

For @Aideen and @Duckweed but other members of SW are welcome. Keeping in mind that Jessie still thinks Nina is alive. Backdated to December 23rd. Scouting dem 1/3

She was on her way. It was a relief to get away from the fields from awhile and travel towards the thickets, a place she knew was dense with what she was familiar with, minus the thorns. While Jessie had never met Nina formally, she knew that the woman had relations with Triell. The Tainn desperately hoped that this would help her get into the woman's good graces. It was Jessie's understanding that the woman had been around for a very long time and could make a potential good ally. As far as she knew, Drestig's meeting with her had gone well back when he had come to visit when they had gone on their trip for Oak Tree Bend, which meant that one of them was already in good standing with the lady. Truthfully, Jessie was excited to meet her and hoed to get some words of wisedom out of her. The Woodlands had been around for quite some time, ever since Swift River disbanded, and she could maybe pick up some leading tips from the lady herself. The well-versed alpha traveled closer to the borders but stayed a respectable distance away from them. She inhaled the scent of damp moss and herbs she could not remember the names to. Emerald eyes surveyed the appealing thickets, a sigh of happiness escaping her lips. This was the life. She did not want to be kept waiting and she was sure that the leaders did not want to spend all of their time with her. Without hesitation, the woman called politely for Nina and her partner. Hopefully, this would go well and they would have an ally on their side. Jessie did not know what they would do otherwise. After all, they were clearly outnumbered after what she had scented on the Monadnock borders.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

(This post was last modified: Apr 12, 2017, 10:24 PM by Jessie.)

Even his safe spaces weren't sacred, it seemed. Occupied by counting and organising the contents of their cache - which mostly involved finding the fish which had been there the longest in order to make sure they were eaten soon - Duck felt as content as he ever did, tucked deep inside the Woodlands territory, surrounded by friends. By wolves who understood him. It was not the most leader-y task, but it was one that, alongside fishing itself, the wolf felt most comfortable performing. Sure, he patrolled the borders and topped up the territory markers, but every time he cocked his leg he couldn't help but feel that his own brand of scent didn't exactly contribute to a good overall impression of the pack. Anyone who lowered their nose to it would smell only a weak wolf, he was confident of that. Before Miccah had asked his impossible request, the runt had barely done any border maintenance at all for this very reason, and he still believed that had been the right decision. That it still was.

And after all - what good was he patrolling? If he came across a loner, or a rival predator, or a trespasser, what exactly was he gonna do? Stutter at them and probably cry? It was a blessing that the thicket was so quiet, that they received so few visitors, because it let him see the territory as somewhere to relax. Where he didn't have to put up any barriers. It was his safe space.

But after being attacked by his stream, and then the murder of his mother in the Blackberry Fields, and now this summons of a howl for Nina, his sanctuary was rapidly shrinking.

Taking a deep breath, he stood, leaving the fish in their semi-organised state, and turned to find @Aideen. A call for the previous matriarch meant that whoever was visiting hadn't come around in a while, didn't know the latest news... and what she really wanted was for the new leaders, Aideen and Miccah. Their visitor certainly didn't want Duckweed.

"Aid-d-deen?" he called softly at the den where he had recently seen his leader and her mate to be cuddling, needing to check that she had heard it too. Because if he was forced to go and answer it... Secret Woodland's local standing would only slip further.

(This post was last modified: Jan 11, 2017, 02:49 PM by Duckweed.)

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

Aideen Athesila Exhaustion was becoming the natural state for the Woodland queen. Between border patrols, general leader responsibilities and caring for Miccah, as well as a few milder cases of the cold among the pack, there was hardly any time for sleep. She would catch what rest she could, often collapsing after a late night patrol, regularly sleeping in the medicine den with her mate, sparing the time of going all the way to the territory center. Of course she then felt bad for neglecting the pups, while they were old enough to handle themselves now, and understood how busy she was, they were still her children. She wished she had enough energy and time to keep on top of everything, it hurt her to have to choose; Thank the stars for Duckweed! Without the boy she would have drowned long ago. He held up half of the burden, and while he couldn't heal or fill in for her with the pups, his help meant she was able to do those things at all. Like this short bliss, curled against Miccah as he rested in the medicine den, firmly quarantined to avoid spreading the illness. His fever had broken though, and she was optimistic. Enough to break her own rules and press in close to his familiar, dark form; Just for a moment… And the world indeed seemed intent on holding her to that silent promise. She couldn't have more than just closed her eyes when a call in the distance woke her back up, eliciting a small grunt from her dark lips. It was an unfamiliar voice, mentioning Nina by name, which prompted another sigh, but she could hardly ignore the visitor. So she reluctantly loosened herself from her, still soundly sleeping, husband, giving her body a thorough shake to try and rid herself of the drowsiness. She'd just finished blinking the sleep from her eyes, when Duck's voice sounded from the opening. A smile instantly found its way onto her face, hiding her fatigue as she moved to meet the boy. Pretending not to notice his discomfort, she nudged him lightly, a cheerful note in her voice as she let him to the borders; "Come now, it's rude to leave our guests waiting." So they kept good pace, and soon reached the caller at the borders, an unfamiliar figure, just as her voice had. Aideen gave her a quick once over, noting the petite build even smaller than her own, but unlike hers the slick pelt was monochrome, making her deep green eyes stand out clearly. Tail held high, but posture otherwise relaxed, the Woodlands' leader came to a halt at a comfortable distance, bowing her head lightly in greeting before speaking up, voice still cheery; "Welcome to Secret Woodlands, I'm Aideen Athesila and this is my fellow leader, Duckweed Calor. How can we help you?" Word count: 476 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

 

PLOT WITH ME!

Scouting dem 2/3

The lady waited patiently at the borders, emerald eyes roaming over the thickets curiously. While Jessie did crave the trees that she left behind in the Bend, she didn't know how she felt about the thickets in particular. Even though she was small, she felt like she would have to be careful constantly when she was in the territory. An infection would be painful, especially on her paws. When a pair finally emerged from the depths of the thickets, Jessie's emerald eyes went between the two of them curiously. When she thought of Nina Hervok, she thought of a much older woman. The woman that stood in front of her was not it. Swallowing, the grey woman offered them a kind smile, knowing that despite what she thought this needed to go well. Her posture was neutral as the two approached and it was soon clear that she would listening to the woman, no surprise to her. The woman's voice jarred her thoughts. Aideen and Duckweed. Certainly a change. Briefly, the woman looked towards the man, smiling oddly at her but otherwise remaining silent where he stood. Alright then. The woman licked the insides of her cheeks before she spoke, "It is a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Jessie Tainn, alpha of Wild Rye Fields in the Lowlands. While this is certainly not the reason for me coming, where is Nina?" The woman's ears flicked back slightly, eyebrows creasing. While she was no personal friend of Nina's it would have still been nice to finally meet the woman. Drestig had met her and Jessie found it slighty ironic that he probably had not even relished the meeting at the time.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

(This post was last modified: Apr 12, 2017, 10:25 PM by Jessie.)

I shoulda told you guys that you can totally skip me x-x

The way in which she treated him was a constant source of bemusement and awe, how she was able to look at him as though he were anything other than a complete imposter. It unsettled and comforted him in equal measure, which left him constantly hanging in a strange limbo, feeling supported and trusted and yet simultaneously terrified of failing them. Because he was convinced that he would, eventually. After everything that had happened, he could no longer pretend that the thicket was untouchable to the evil forces of the outside world, and when they finally came knocking... he could not be counted among their gallant defenders. And yet how many defenders did they have? Bane had fled long ago, Rayne was elderly, Miccah was sick and Cinaed was so young, and that left the two sisters and the almost-as-dainty-as-himself woman in front of them.

And she was, at that moment in time, easily the strongest of them all. Duck tried to stand close to her glow so that he might absorb a little of her willpower.

He ducked his head in easy compliance as she spoke, falling into step beside and just behind her, far more comfortable with taking her lead than anything else. Ideally he would have been able to dismiss himself and carry on his business, but that wasn't an option anymore, not without it reflecting badly on himself, and he hardly needed more opportunities for that. Walking in quietly anxious silence to the borders, the woman waiting for them there was utterly unrecognisable and confident in her stance. While her expression suggested friendliness, Duckweed was entirely leery of strangers bearing kind faces and hiding malevolent thoughts, and settled for comforting himself in the fact that they outnumbered their visitor two to one. And pretending that he counted for a whole wolf.

Aideen did what she did best and spoke warmly, introducing themselves without a hitch, and the runt was all too happy to remain her quiet shadow while the stranger responded. She was a leader herself, and Duck could believe it, from the way she presented herself. But her reason for being here was as yet held back for it seemed that she knew something of the Woodlands history... and the pale wolf winced a little at the mention of the fallen matriarch's name, the reminder of that loss leading all too easily to the other which still haunted him daily.

Messy post, I'm sorry.

Aideen Athesila Duckweed remained silent at her side, as she'd expected he would, and she let him. There was only so much she could demand of the boy and he was doing it tenfold, she'd lead the word and let him listen in; Maybe he'll learn for another time. This was neither time nor space to pressure him into speaking as a leader, if he'd rather be silent, she'd let him. The queen's attention turned from her companion to their visitor, a friendly smile on her lips as she waited for the grey woman's response. She carried a pack scent that was unfamiliar to the Woodland queen, which in itself sparked her curiosity, and so did her words when they came. Aideen's eyes widened, ears twitching at the pack name, while her brows furrowed at the question; "Oh, you knew Nina?" She asked with a light sigh, the weight of the loss once more heavy on her shoulders. Nina's rapport would always count well for the Woodlands and the new leader was happy to make her own connections with the matriarch's acquaintances; But hearing the name would always hurt. And one thing she longed never to hear again, was that particular question. Every time she had to explain, she hoped it would be the last, reliving her own grief as she saw it on the faces of those who heard the news for the first time. Now she steeled herself, pushing down her sorrow in favor of the more professional, solemn expression she'd gotten so practiced at. "I'm sorry to tell you, but Nina passed away last fall," she said, voice muted, meeting Jessie's eyes briefly before turning them down in respect. The message never got easier to deliver, and as silence stretched Aideen leaned slightly towards the pale boy by her side, aiming to both give and seek comfort as their shoulders brushed. Her attention turned inwards as she allowed time for their visitor to take in the detrimental news, heart heavy in her chest. Quietly she wondered if she was doing her mentor justice; All these wolves coming to the Thickets in search on Nina but finding only her apprentice; What do they think? Did they walk away disappointed? Was their impression of the Woodlands changed for the worse? I miss you so much Nina..! Breathing deeply, Aideen fought to drag herself out of the harmful thoughts, pushing forwards with her own questions to further the conversation; "I haven't heard of Wild Rye Fields before, may I ask how you know our pack?" She made a conscious decision not to mention Nina again, keeping herself firmly in the now. Jessie Tainn had come for more than news, as she'd said, and the Woodlander would very much like to hear what. Word count: 460 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

 

PLOT WITH ME!

Scouting dem 3/3 @Aideen

The woman in front of her was a polar opposite of herself, she decided immediately. A range of emotions flashed across her face as soon as words came out of her mouth but Jessie made no comment on it. This news must not be good. However, she was surprised that her question was retaliated with the Woodland Queen's own question. Jessie remained curt, "In a way. Nina and I had many mutual friends, and I indirectly knew her from her former alpha." Ruiko had meant so much to her former mate and the Tainns. When he had gone missing no one knew what to think, he was so old. Nina had seen him die though and had given Oak Tree Bend the closer they needed. Looking back into the other woman's eyes she continued, "Let's just say that, in my profession, I have a lot to be thankful for in regards to Nina and I wanted to pay it forward." The Hervok woman had also been a friend of Triell's, a brother to her, though she did not know how established their friendship was. It had at least caused him to consider and eventually accept an alliance from Secret Woodlands, though she no longer knew if that still stood. So much had happened since then. Light gray ears pricked forward at the other woman's voice, a frown the only sign that she was displeased. Having faced so much loss in her lifetime, she could understand what the wolves of the thickets were going through, but she could not find it within herself to mourn the dead woman. They were not close by any means and she had no right to do so, but as she looked upon the faces of Aideen and Duckweed, she could recognize herself in them. This was a pack that was mourning their matriarch. One that, as Jessie understood, had been around for years, even before Secret Woodlands was established. Her words were soft, "I am very sorry for your loss." There was nothing she could have done or could do but it was a polite sentiment none the less. Silence passed between the lead pair and Jessie. It would be rude to interrupt their mourning but the Tainn found herself becoming impatient. The female lead, Aideen, she reminded herself, saved her from having to break the silence by speaking. From then on, it was back to professionalism, what Jessie used to. The salt-and-pepper colored woman could feel the tension leaving her body as they ventured into more comfortable grounds. Aideen was kind and it made her easier to talk to. Jessie found an easy smile twitching at the corners of her lips. The woman reminded her a bit of Narime, an old friend from forever ago. The woman had to remain focused though and answered the alpha's question, tone remaining professional, "Yes. My mate, Drestig Avalon, and I, we use to be scouts for Oak Tree Bend and I sent Drestig here to check in with you guys since, at the time, there was an alliance between Oak Tree Bend and Secret Woodlands. So I guess, the short answer is, we know you through our association with Oak Tree Bend." She was a diplomat through and through and would not make any assumptions based off of the last time they had come. It was almost two years ago that they had come to the other side of the mountain. Hotei was still alive and things were still simpler.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

(This post was last modified: Apr 12, 2017, 10:26 PM by Jessie.)

Sorry for the wait love <3 Since Duck is currently inactive, we can just continue between the two of us, assuming he's a silent spectator, as was the plan anyway.

Aideen Athesila "Ah, I see," The vixen queen breathed at the explanation, in a way grateful that it was not a direct friend of the deceased matriarch that stood before her. She bowed her head lightly, in sign of understanding and recognition, and felt a little easier delivering the news, knowing and seeing that it didn't have as deep an impact. Instead she needed only to deal with her own sorrow, and that of Duckweed by her side, pressing into his warmth in silent support. A low: "Thank you," was offered, along with a sad smile at the condolences, followed by a stretched silence as Aideen collected herself. Then the conversation went on, and the Woodlander immersed herself in the facts, regaining her professional air. "Oh, Oak Tree Bend," she repeated, recognizing the name; "We haven't had much contact with them recently, I'm afraid." Which was largely their own fault, she knew, and something she would like to fix one day; If only we had a practiced scout..! But regardless, she considered the Bend wolves friends, and by extension, supposedly, these former members. "But you and your mate have struck out on your own? Spilt off to form a pack for yourselves?" This seemed the logical conclusion, from what Jessie had said so far, and would also explain why the pack name was unfamiliar. Furrowing her brows lightly and pursing her lips, the russet lady tilted her head in thought, quiet for a moment before she mused aloud: "The Lowlands, that is… North, yes?" The very concept send a light shiver down her spine, the memory of getting lost in that blizzard still vividly clear in her mind; She had not ventured north of Blackberry Fields since then. But that of course had no bearing on the wolves who chose to settle there, and Aideen pushed her personal feelings aside to instead ask: "How long have you been there, if I may ask? And what brings you this far from home?" There was a friendly smile on her face, a lazy wag to her tail. The questions came out of curiosity and friendly interest, and she hoped as much was clear. Word count: 359 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

 

PLOT WITH ME!

It was sad to hear that the Woodlands matriarch had passed but Aideen seemed capable in the aspect of greeting and she was so very kind. Jessie found that it reminded her a bit of Nayeli and the thought loosened harsh exterior for the extent of the meeting. Despite leaving Oak Tree Bend after delivering Sahalie, the former alpha of Oak Tree Bend had been kind and a good friend to Jessie. While the Tainn certainly did not understand why she was gone, the traits that the woman possessed were ones the gray lady readily accepted in a friend. She would not share this with Aideen but would keep in mind such qualities and make an effort to visit Secret Woodlands more should the exchange go smoothly. She nodded her head to affirm what the tawny alpha had already assumed. She finally responded, "Indeed. A little bit north of your neighbors, White Fir Notch." And also right next to our new bitchy neighbors. Her tail waved neutrally behind her, watching Aideen carefully. Small, gray ears flicked forward when the woman spoke again. Yes, the reason as to why I'm here. The Woodlands alpha's friendly smile made it so easy to talk to her but Jessie new she had to be careful. The nicest soul could end up becoming our worst enemy. While the Tainn did not want that, she knew that she was taking a big risk with this trip. Morganna was an Archer by blood and Jessie remembered the power that name held over some wolves within the lore. Even more so with them now being on the western side of the mountains. Never the less, in their current situation Jessie had to take a leap of faith and hope that Aideen had a good heart and keen instincts. Clearly her throat, she spoke calmly, "We have been around since last spring but finally settled down a few moons ago. The reason that I'm here is because we've been having a few problems with our neighbors, Whitestone Monadnock," she wanted to clarify so that there was no confusion before continuing," They have been less than kind to us and I felt that it was necessary to reach out to those nearby as a warning of sorts." And to see where my allies lie... It was now that Jessie pushed her personal feelings aside and inspected the other woman carefully, ready to read her body language to indicate that she knew the other pack or anything that might have been to use to her. Jessie certainly did not want to be lied to either. Without uttering any word, she waited for a reply.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

(This post was last modified: May 23, 2017, 02:34 AM by Jessie.)