Hush Meadow I couldn't love you more...

@Titan only please!

Ashanti had gone on a trip; she wanted to get herbs for the pack stores, so Bane had been staying with Nina for a few days while she did so. She only hoped that Bane wouldn’t be rude, and that he wouldn’t press about his father. Ashanti personally hadn’t known where that outburst at the meeting had come from, and she didn’t want to know for the sake of whoever mentioned the ‘f word’ {father} around him or the ‘d word’ {dad} around him. She thought she had months before he would talk about that, or ask her, and now that he was curious, there was no telling how much he would find out. Part of her trip was to be alone, so she could think about what exactly she could and could not tell Bane about his father.

She figured that this time would come, so she had known already that she could not tell her son about how he was a child of a man who was evil. She refused to tell Bane that the only reason he was in Secret Woodlands, was because Ashanti herself had been raped and impregnated. The son looked exactly like his father. But she did not see him as his father’s son, she saw him as also a look alike of a man she used to love. Bane Athesila was who her child was named after, and she didn’t regret the name. I wanna hide the truth, I wanna shelter you. She had loved the man, they were going to become mates, but something had happened, her aunt took over the pack.

Bane wasn’t his real name, his real name was forgotten to her since he didn’t like that name. He preferred the name Bane, and she loved him all the same. They had been young, little more than yearlings, but her parents approved, and so had his parents. She only wished to go back to the days, when she confided in him. She had no idea if he was still alive. But if he was, she hoped only for him to be returned to her, and so they could live in the same pack. Who knows, perhaps even he could be the adoptive father of her child. That was all just a dream though. Most of her dreams, never seemed to come true, and when they did… they always dissipated.

Titan had promised to himself that he would help mother and the others with their work, and today he was doing just that. The boy had taken a few trips away from the den recently to try and figure out his way back on his own. Slowly but surely he was beginning to remember one path away from the den into Whisper Caverns territory. As long as he remembered that one path he could get back to the den by himself. It made the young Thorben feel giddy that he could remember this one path despite not knowing 90% of the rest of his mothers territory. I can do this! The border shouldn't be much farther today. He remembered the last outing where the black pup had stopped at the edge of the forest near the meadow. Today he was going to try to go all the way out.

Making sure he was acutely looking around at his surroundings Titan tried to find landmarks that would help him on the way back. It was easier to do that in the forest,but in a meadow where there was only grass? The boy was finding it much harder to find unique stuff that would help lead him home.

At least when I turn around I know the forest is where home is. That is a good landmark itself. Titan paused to look around at the forest and his trail to make sure he was going exactly straight.

The young pup was beginning to think of heading back and calling it a day when a strange smell came over him through the breeze. It was wolf that much he could tell.But its not one of mom and Da's wolves. This doesn't smell like us. letting a little growl slip past his small muzzle Titan began rushing towards the scent (however stupid that may be) of the stranger wolf. He wanted to help guard his parents borders.

Almost a minute after setting off towards the strange womans scent Titan crossed a thickly smelling border which made the pup pause. He looked down smelling the different wolf scents that made up his packs border. Mom, Dad, and the others... He noted the smells of the pack mates he did not yet know the names of. Then the little black pup lifted his back leg, stumbled over, righted himself quickly, and added his own pee to the mix. The young wolf lifted his head feeling proud of himself.I'm doing what the adults do!

Once he was finished Titan looked out to where a white shape was moving only a short distance away. The boy didn't growl now. The white wolf wasn't in trouble because she hadn't crossed the border. At least that was the way Titan saw it. However he was curious as to why she was so close. The dark wolf pup strutted over the border trying to look his best and confidently padded towards the white wolf.

"Who are you! Why are you so close to my home!" He called out to her unsure if the woman had seen him approaching.

WHISPER Caverns

(This post was last modified: Sep 04, 2013, 08:04 AM by Ice.)

Learn from these streets, it can be bleak,
Accept no defeat, surrender retreat...

Ashanti had been a little bit from the border, yet she heard a high pitched questioning voice to turn and see a little pup who smelled of Whisper Caverns. She tilted her head in confusion. She knew, that Whisper Caverns, had pups {Sloane and Nari's} but she pondered why this pup was here so alone and vulnerable. "Do Sloane and Narime know where you are little man?" She asked, protective almost {though it came with her instincts} and she was sincere. She realized that she forgot a name. "I'm Ashanti, though you can call me Asha if you want little one. I'm a friend of your parents. Though your a bit far to be questioning me who isn't too close to your borders." She said, an almost academic tone.

She had been striving to make things more understandable, just for the sake of all the pups and their education, though she was out here because of injuries and the lack of herbs in the stores. She knew Azariah would be given the title healer, and probably already had it, however she saw it more as she was the experienced healer {other than Nina who was also the alpha} and she was only a teacher to spend time with her son. It just occurred to Ashanti that the entire pack had roles. Hollow was a Guardian, who was brave and strong. The pups were pups, Koda and Nina alphas. Then there was Eva and Iopah who were huntresses. She herself was a teacher, and Azariah a healer. It felt almost right.

[Merpherp, sorry this took FOREVER]

(This post was last modified: Aug 22, 2013, 09:32 PM by Ashanti.)

That's okay mine took equally as long

Titan rose up on his tippypaws trying to look more impressive. He listened to the white fae's voice trying to discern whether she was an enemy or just a somebody.

"I'm helping mom and Dad with work!" He answered her first question, albeit without actually answering her question properly. This stranger didn't need to know whether his parents knew if he was out here or not. Though honestly he wouldn't want his parents finding him out here. He knew that he might get into trouble for it, like how Malia had. But I'm bigger than her. I can help out mom and dad too..

Tilting his head to the side a bit copying her previous pose. The young lad looked down for a minute and absorbed the sound of her name through his ears and tried replicating it. "Ush-on-tee...Ash-on-tee That's a weird name Asha." He spoke better on the second attempt of the womans name. Though it was strange to say so instead he used her nickname then looked suspiciously back up to her.

"You know mom and dad? What's their names then? What's our family called!" He barked out the commands still unsure of whether to trust this white Asha wolf standing in front of him.

"Momma always said asking questions was a good thing. I'm allowed to ask questions about you!" He answered her mono-toned voice with an annoyed yip of his own. All he wanted to know was why she was here. Why did asking a wolf questions have to be so hard?

WHISPER Caverns

(This post was last modified: Sep 04, 2013, 08:03 AM by Ice.)

Learn from these streets, it can be bleak,
Accept no defeat, surrender retreat...

Ashanti gave a small smile as he tried to pronounce her name to the best of his ability. He did a fair well job with it too, most wolves she knew couldn't quite get it. He stuck to calling her Asha and she was fine with that. Then he started asking her a lot of questions about his parents to make sure that she truly knew them, she smiled and answered. "Well there little man, your mothers name is Narimé Lagina Thorben, she is mate to Sloane Thorben. I only know your ma a little, but your dad use to be alpha of my pack next to his friend Nina Reiner." She said calmly, not quite sure what he meant by what their family was called. She assumed it was the last name, though she wasn't sure about his first name.

"Yes, asking questions is always a good thing, especially if your not sure about something." She said with a smile still on her muzzle. "Little man, your helping your parents a lot, but do they know your helping them?" She asked the man softly. She just wanted to make sure that he was there with the permission of Narimé or Sloane. After all she knew pups liked to wander off, she noticed Bane did a lot too. It was just the nature of most young pups. She wondered if Sloane and Narimé really was letting their son help out with border patrols, or maybe he was allowed to as long as he had an adult with him, no matter the case, she doubted he was out here with permission.

Let's Titan throw a tantrum.. ><

The white she wolf gave him a smile which he promptly gave her a lopsided half smile back. Then he listened as Ashanti rattled off each of her parents names. The white woman even went as far as to explain her relations to Sloane and Narimé. He listened closely beginning to believe the white wolf had good intentions. At least she wasn't going to eat him, or shoo him away while he tried to do his job.

When Asha spoke of Titan's father leading in a pack next to some Nina wolf the dark boy wrinkled his nose. "Since when did dad ever lead with someone other than mom?" His eyes were still distrusting but Titan was now really just curious about this information that father had not told the Thorben brood about.

He nodded to the blue eyed she wolf glad that she approved of his questions. Then he listened twitching his ebony crown in the womans direction while she asked whether his parents knew that he was helping them. With an uneasy shrug of his shoulders the dark lad gave her a silent gesture of "no" then looked back up to Asha again.

"No they don't know I'm helping..." Was the simple answer he gave. "B-but they never let me help with anything! Momma's too scared of letting us help with anything outside the den!" Titan whined loudly wishing that his parents would see that he wasn't a little kid anymore (even though he was) and that he could help them.

"So you're going to make me go back to the border now aren't you?" Titan's head drooped sad that he would have to get yelled at by mother when he got back home. It's not like he was lost or getting into trouble. I'm not hurt either... Why do we have to stay by the den all the time.. His thoughts were mixed with anger and despair. He didn't want to get yelled at for doing the right thing.

WHISPER Caverns

(This post was last modified: Sep 04, 2013, 08:03 AM by Ice.)

Learn from these streets, it can be bleak,
Accept no defeat, surrender retreat...

Ashanti began to wonder if she had perhaps worded it the wrong way when she had said what she said. For the little pup began to ask about his father leading without his ma. She sighed a bit, figuring they had not been told of anything other than Whisper Caverns.

"You see little one, I was in this pack, when I first came here, named Copper Rock Creek. There was a leader named Ruiko and a leader named Aeylen. But one day, after their pups were born, and almost a year ago, they left to leave. That left us with little members, and we had to disband. But my current alpha, and a friend of your father, named Nina, she wanted to raise a new pack and keep our little close family together. So Sloane stepped up to lead until Nina's mate, and my current Alpha, Koda, could get there. He was in another pack at the time." She reported back to the little pup the story that she held so dear.

With her soft blue eyes gazing at the pup, she sat down, figuring he would have more questions and so she might be there a while. She knew the story like the back of her hand, it was something she would almost never forget. She had let go of it one time... then bad things happened to her. The memories of her and Copper Rock Creek were forever, and that was something that she would mean. Her memories, everyone's memories, they were all forever.

The dark boy realized that the woman had completely ignored his whining. Pursing his lip with a stubborn look upon his ebony face Titan was thankful for now that Asha wasn't taking him home yet. Keeping his sad face on Titan listened as the woman spoke once more. She answered his curiosity with a well spoken explanation and story. So she was in another pack with dad? Titan's stubborn face slowly disappeared into an intent one as he watched Ashanti tell her short story.

"Cah-per Rock Creek? There was a pack named that?" he wondered if there were any more a part from Whisper Caverns. Then he listened on as the former Copper Rock Creek wolf talked about her leaders Ruiko and Aeylen. "Why did they leave their family the pack?" Titan was raised to think as his pack mates also as family. He didn't know that there was a difference between subordinates of a pack and real family. An unknown emotion gripped the dark child as he thought of his own parents leaving for some reason. The emotion gripped his body and raged under his chest. "My mom and dad would never leave!"Titan barked back then silenced himself listening to the rest of the story.

Ashanti then told Titan of how his father and Nina stepped up to create a new pack. "So daddy has more than just us as family?" He asked quietly gazing up at Ashanti with wonder filled eyes. "I want to meet Nina and the rest of fathers friends." the young Thorben spoke partly to himself and partly to the white woman. One day, when I'm big enough. I wanna meet them. Just to say hi. Titan smiled to himself wishing he could leave now but knowing that this Nina wolf must live very far away since they never saw her in the meadow.

"Are there lots of families other than ours?" Titan asked innocently wondering how many other wolves were out there in the world.

WHISPER Caverns

(This post was last modified: Sep 05, 2013, 06:48 PM by Titan.)

Learn from these streets, it can be bleak,
Accept no defeat, surrender retreat...

[Sorry this post completely sucks and is over a month late!]

Ashanti had intentionally ignored the pup's whining, for there was no reason to indulge him in it. His parents might thank him later, but they might not at the same time. She never knew with those two. "Cah-per Rock Creek? There was a pack named that?" He asked her, and she smiled and nodded, answering with a smile sentence. "Yes, before your parents had met, your father lived in Copper Rock Creek." She smiled again as he talked on. "Why did they leave their family the pack? My mom and dad would never leave!" Ashanti frowned, she had never known why they had disappeared out of the Lore and our of her life. "That I do not know little one, I'm not sure. I know your parents could never bear to leave you." She said, holding her frown as she did defend Nari and Sloane to their child's statement [which was also defending them...]

"I want to meet Nina and the rest of fathers friends. Are there lots of families other than ours?" Ashanti couldn't help but smile when she heard that, she too wanted the rest of the pack to meet him and his siblings. He seemed like a cute lamb {awesome person} and she to be honest, didn't want to leave. "I'm sure when your a bit older, if you ask your da, than he would take you up to visit us. You could even meet my son, Bane. He's pretty cute, and likes to play. I think you two would get along great." She said, bitterness in her eyes. Why was everything so complicated?

Is equally to blame on lateness @Ashanti

"Is it really so far away that mom has to take me there?" He asked the question quickly allowing his misted gray black shoulders to hunch plainly conveying a disappointed emotion. Then the child flexed his paws cutting the earth with his young sharp nails. Titan was becoming impatient again.

Maybe if I go ask mom she'll take us soon! He thought quietly the sudden urge to return home fluttering within the young Thorbens energy filled legs. It didn't occur to the young wolf yet that if he told his mother about Ashanti and her pack; that Narimé would know that her son had crossed the borders without permission. It was quite likely that the dark lad would find this out the hard way.

Turning around slowly Titan took a long look at his surroundings. In his excitement the child was forgetting the basics he'd been learning while roaming around on his own. How to scent his own trail in order to back track his way to Whisper Caverns pack again was one of those things the dark pup was forgetting. All at once the excitement drained out of the ebony Thorbens face, a goofy look replaced it.

"Ummm...Do you know which way home is again?" Titan turned his gaze back to Ashanti with a small wag in his tail hoping that she would point him in the right direction. If she knows mum and dad so well then she should know where our home is. The thought turned his smirk into a full out grin while the pup stood waiting for the woman to either lead him back or show him which direction he should be walking in.

WHISPER Caverns

Learn from these streets, it can be bleak,
Accept no defeat, surrender retreat...