Sacred Grove ... i say 'how high?'

Set right after <a href='http://relic-lore.net/index.php?showtopic=2173&hl=' target='_blank'>this</a>.

<blockquote>The further he stepped from the gathering, the softer Marsh's heart became. Corinna's tracks were seconds-fresh, and he sped to a lope, a low whine in his chest as he called for her. If his nature had not been so tied to loyalty, and his loyalty shared between Swift River's leaders (if incredibly unequally) Marsh would have been honoured to let Indru taste the injustice he had given Corinna. It did not take a genius to figure out what had happened.

Corinna had never strayed. Marsh did not think it bias to say that her word had far more weight than the male who was <i>lucky</i> to call her his mate.

Tainns were an ungrateful, flaky lot.

It did not take long to catch sight of her, and his pleading whine sounded out again as he lurched forwards, hoping that she would deign to stop for him.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Apr 28, 2012, 08:22 PM by Marsh.)

Gone Tomorrow

Corinna had taken note that she was being followed, but one quick sniff to the air told her that it was Marsh who was following her. He must have been lurking at the meeting, showing up to answer Borlla's call just as they all had. The fact that he had left, and come after her, meant the world to the pregnant leader. His quiet support was enough to help her justify her decision in her own mind. Had he taken Indru's side and welcomed Borlla into the pack with open arms, then she would have started to second guess her judgement.

So of course, as soon as she heard Marsh's whines, she halted in her step, far enough from the small gathering to feel more comfortable. Her body posture had relaxed some, no longer incredibly furious. Breathing in deeply, Cori took a moment to further relax, forcing herself to close her eyes. When she had opened them, it was to Marsh coming towards her. A slightly smile graced her features, and she approached the Second. Nudging his cheek, her tail wagged ever so slightly at her ankles, indicating her pleasure at his support. "Thank you, Marsh." She knew that he was not one for many words, but her tone would get the message across just fine.

Pulling back, she rolled her shoulders, trying to relieve some of the stress that had accumulated there. Glancing around, she began searching the ground for a broken twig or branch - she had taken to chewing on them when the stress got to be too much. Seeing none, Corinna looked back at Marsh. "Maybe Borlla has changed." The words rolled off her tongue slowly, but as before, her tone indicated that it was more of a sarcastic statement than anything.

<blockquote>To his delight, she did stop. He slowed respectfully, his head lowering and tail dropping to wag steadily between his hocks. Her posture said it all, and the stress she was trying to relieve made the angry boil in his stomach grow hotter. Damn Indru! But if she wanted to calm down rather than vent, he would do his best to aid that. His heart near burst when she approached him, the gentle nudge more valuable to him than he would ever be able to convey.

His tongue lapped out onto her chin, but where he normally pulled back instead he continued, desperate to comfort her and show his unerring support. Damn Indru. Her thanks washed over his ears, and he absorbed them without fault. Something about his obsessive nature had always made it marginally easier to understand his masters, and Corinna even appreciated his silence and difficulties and compensated for him.

Her sarcastic remark about Borlla made him draw back, and with a dismissive snort he conveyed all he thought on that subject. What good were small changes? So she could submit to her brother now, but what of the other myriad issues that the child brought with her wherever she went? And dragging a stranger along too... No, Marsh was very much on his leader's side.</blockquote>

Gone Tomorrow

She was more than a little surprised when Marsh's customary chin lick greeting did not stop after a few seconds. He was not one to be overly affectionate, so it took her a moment to process what made this particular situation special. Clearly, she had underestimated Marsh's support for her in this particular matter; even though she had been somewhat surprised of it to begin with. But she was not about to turn down a friend, not when she needed it. Whining in her throat, she dipped the crown of her skull against his cheek, breathing in his musky scent. So different from Indru, but no less familiar or comforting. This was what family was supposed to be.

Her comment regarding Borlla brought a snort from him, and she grinned, tail wagging faster behind her. At least she was not the only one who thought so. "We'll see, won't we." That was all they could do now. Her leaving the group had left the decision up to Indru, but she wasn't particularly waiting in suspense for what his decision would be. His loyalty to his family was mostly a virtue, but it was a new experience for her to have that fierce loyalty be used against her. It served as a hefty reminder - she was not truly a Tainn, nor would she ever be.

Slipping down to her stomach, Corinna's eyes flicked back again to the surrounding grass, trying to find a stick to gnaw on. Seeing none, she was up again in a minute, wandering away from Marsh with no real purpose. Sniffing about the base of a tree, she attempted to find some that had fallen. Seeing none, she vacated that tree and moved over to a bush nearby. Barely sprouting new leaves, she grabbed onto one of the branches. Bracing herself, she pulled backwards, trying to rip the branch from its unwilling owner.

<blockquote>A small part of him had been worried that she would not take his prolonged affection kindly - it was, perhaps, a little forward, though born from a good place - but instead she leant into him, drawing comfort from his presence. Silently he stood, gently nosing the fur in her neck, and despite the unhappy circumstances that had inspired the need to support her, her happy acceptance of it made him feel entirely validated.

In these moments, he was quite a different wolf to the Marsh everybody else knew.

Her sly rhetoric evaded him, but her tone did not. He huffed again, smirking briefly in agreement. If Borlla was to be a part of the pack once more, then Marsh vowed to ensure that the girl would not be permitted to lower her game. She wanted to be taken seriously? Then he would take her <i>perfectly</i> seriously, and she would simply not be allowed to complain.

Corinna moved to lay down, and Marsh stood nearby, happy to be a comfort merely with his presence. Besides, it appeared as though she were preoccupied; she glanced about as if looking for something, and he watched her closely, wondering what she sought. He blinked as she stood suddenly, and ambled away, still apparently fixated on the search. Bewildered but curious, he fell in line behind her, attentive to where her gaze was landing. When it fell upon the tree and stayed there, he paused, watching as she sniffed about its base, but ultimately dismissed it. Finally her jaws latched around the branch, and she tugged.

Instantly Marsh jumped forwards, closing his jaws around the branch and adding his weight. So what he didn't understand what it was for? Corinna wanted it. That was all that mattered.</blockquote>

Gone Tomorrow

Creme paws dug into the ground, trying to gain some leverage to help her in the task of ripping the branch from the bush. She could certainly chew on it while it was still attached, but she preferred mobility. Besides, with Marsh here, there was an opportunity for a game - something that the leader did not often find herself partaking in. But it would help her relax from the incident with Borlla, at least until she found out the result of it. But the result of the game was soon made clear. Marsh, upon seeing what it was she was trying to accomplish, joined her, his large bulk and more powerful jaws quickly overpowering the stubborn vegetation.

With a crack, the branch came free, the entire bush swaying towards them ominously as if to strike them for their thievery. But it lurched backwards soon enough, held in place by its roots. As the branch had broken off, Corinna had let go to avoid a neighboring branch's attack upon her eye. But the prize had been won, proudly displayed between Marsh's well used teeth. Tail wagging, Corinna woofed, and approached one of the ends of the stick hanging from his mouth. Taking the end of it in her mouth, she grinned at him. As she did so, she went into a bow, rump in the air - an invitation to play. Tugging on the stick, she sought to pull it from his grasp. Silly and cublike it might have been, but this is what Corinna needed right now to unwind.

<blockquote>Marsh flinched as the branch snapped, fearing the whiplash-effect which threatened to gouge an eye as payment for their theft. Corinna pulled away at the last moment, leaving Marsh to bear the potential wrath of the plant (something he was more than happy with) but the branch was claimed quietly. Left with it in his jaws, he stared at the mutilated bush for a moment before turning his head towards Corinna, the whole look rather comical.

For a moment, the mischievousness in her eyes threw him for a loop. What was - <i>oh</i>.

He had never played with Corinna before. For that matter... he wasn't sure he had ever seen her play at all. What with keeping Swift River afloat as her mate came and went - as well as other members, he was shamed to say - she had always appeared as some kind of reliable rock for the rest of the pack, stern, sensible, in control. He had indulged her children in their games whenever they wanted, but Corinna...

With a wolfish grin, Marsh dropped to his elbows. When she snapped at the branch, he waiting until her grip was secure before countering her pull, a stream of rumbling chuckles from his chest as he twisted his neck and head to fight her possession of the branch, though always careful not to struggle <i>too</i> hard; he didn't know how strong his leadess truly was, but didn't want to risk over-doing it on his end and ruin it. Though if she ended up needing to let off some steam in a more aggressive way, he was accepting of that.</blockquote>

Gone Tomorrow

She could almost see Marsh's confusion at first, as she looked at him with a mischievous glint in her eye. It was out of character for her, to be sure, but if anybody else asked, she could simply blame it on hormones. Taking hold of the stick, Corinna pulled backwards, though fairly confident that she would not be able to pull the stick from her Second's grasp unless he wished it. And while the effect would have been quite comical - Corinna falling backwards onto her rump and perhaps her back - she was quite thankful that he seemed to understand what it was she wanted.

Marsh's deep chuckles were mirrored by Corinna's own, though lighter in timbre. Like him, she twisted her head and neck, clinging to the stick like her life depended on it. Her own tugging would be successful for only a short moment before the russet brute would wrestle it away from her. Lifting her right forepaw, Corinna batted at the air by his head, grinning around the branch in her mouth.

But it was a useless battle, and she knew it. After several minutes of this game of tug of war, Corinna fell to her stomach, stick still in her mouth. She gave one last final tug, but it was a fruitless endeavor. Panting, she let go of the cherished prize, tail wagging amiably behind her. Letting her tongue roll out of her mouth, Cori let the stress fade from her shoulders and back. The game had served as a mental distraction from the Borlla situation. Indru had not come running after her, but she wasn't entirely sure what that meant. At some point though, she was going to have to resume her responsibilities and find out what had happened after she had left the borders. Casting a distracted eye in the direction that she and Marsh had come, she peered into the distance, half expecting to see Borlla come waltzing through the trees.

<blockquote>It was a good fight, but ultimately she gave in, falling to her belly in surrender. Marsh grunted as she tugged one last time, and then he was left with the prize.

The real victory, though, was watching the tension fall from her shoulders. It was a silly way to relax, but that didn't matter; she would be able to better wear the coming events with a level head. A returning Borlla, after all, was no calming notion.

Marsh followed her gaze, back the way they had come, and he wondered if her thoughts had returned to the matter at hand again. Stepping closer, he gently laid the stick in front of her, bequeathing his 'victory' to her, and then half-turned in the other direction, eyes tuned on her own. His ears perked, his eyes full of questioning, clearly waiting for the command. If she wanted him to find out what the conclusion had been, he would go. It would not take long to either scent Borlla across the border or not - though he truly expected Indru to have allowed the girl admittance, perhaps Borlla herself had grown up enough to realise that it wasn't a good idea. One could only hope.</blockquote>

Minor PP here, just let me know if you'd like me to change it

Gone Tomorrow

Green eyes were torn away from the distant horizon when the stick fell at her paws. Marsh had won the possession fair and square, but she was not going to say no to a source of relief. Tail wagging behind her, Corinna leaned forward and took the branch in her mouth, pulling it onto her forelegs. For a moment, she ignored her surroundings and bit into the tough bark a few times. When she let go, the branch now had clearly defined teeth marks, where once before had been a smooth plane of untouched bark. But the stick was soon forgotten again, as Marsh caught her attention once more. Looking up, she met his eyes for a brief moment, clearly grasping the unasked question. Nodding her head, she smiled at him briefly. "Please." It was a simple word, but her tone conveyed the hesitance in her voice. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know. Regardless of whether or not Borlla and her friend were now a part of their ranks, somebody was going to be unhappy.

Watching her Second leave, Corinna returned to her stick, absentmindedly chewing on its rough surface, green eyes looking into the distance, watching him go so he could see him return.