Whisper Marsh mosaic broken hearts

Wetness seeped between her clawed toes as the pregnant lady made her way through the marshlands. Before the sun began to rise, Athena had slipped away from Dziban's side, giving him an affectionate lick upon his brow, before she sought some time for herself. She needed time to think, to think about the future that was ahead of her. Would the children growing inside prosper or disappear from her like her last litter? How she wished she had her children by her side. Their laughter and smiles ached her heart as she remembered when times were well. She remembered the play fights with Steel and Ash. Ash. Her heart ached once again, but this time mixed with anger and heart ache.

He had left her. It wasn't her fault that she had fallen within the caverns while searching for Aphrodite. She was only doing her duty as a mother, protecting her children. Athena had left Elliot within his protection as a father figure to watch him while she searched for her, notheir stolen daughter. But instead of protecting their son and their pack, he left. Abandoned her like all the others. As she looks back, she wonders if @Dziban will be just like the others. She loved the silver man, but she had also loved every man that had abandoned her as well. She began to wonder if it was her. If it was her love that chased these men away from her. Maybe it wasn't just the men she loved that ran away from her. Her children have disappeared as well. It had to be her. As Athena self-destructed within the Whisper Marsh, she became unaware of her surroundings. She was too absorbed in the fight within her to notice anything as of yet.

(This post was last modified: Apr 06, 2014, 02:12 AM by Athena.)

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

He felt like he was losing his mind slowly. Everyone he loved had left him, even Namara, who had sworn to never leave him. She had given him her word and then left with the blizzard that had plagued them. Since he had joined Whisper Caverns he had been cursed to the inside of the boundaries, assuring his position within the pack as alpha and making sure everyone knew who he was. Now, he could finally re-familiarize himself with the territories surrounding his prized land. He had made a detour to a land just bordering Hugh Meadows, which seemed to be a much more murky place than the one that he was currently in. When he went deeper into the lands, he couldn't help the disgusted scrunch of his nose that he made. "Why does it have to be so fucking wet down here...the mountains were much drier....yes....drier." The strong man angrily muttered to himself as he moved through the marsh, his mossy green eyes watching the area around him for anything suspicious. What he hadn't expected was to see a flash of white out of the corner of his eye. Turning quickly towards the source, he spotted her, a woman he thought that he would never see again.

Hate and love pulsed through him in the same moment...there was no mistaking who was in front of him, the scars on her face, which defined her as a warrior, plain as day to him. Impulsively, he stalked forward, but as he grew closer, he noticed her scent and reeled back. She was out on her own and with child? Cursing himself angrily beneath his breath, he let a low growl resonate deep within his chest, his mossy green eyes glaring at the woman in front of him. She had seemingly not noticed him, and so, being the ghost that he had always been, the man made his way towards tall stalks of grass and moved behind them, obscuring him from her view so that he could have the advantage. Taking a deep breath to control his breathing, he let his voice boom throughout the area, "How could you have done this to me? You took away our children from me. I was the last one left and you left me. You were the last of my family that I was hanging dear to! What do you have to say for yourself?" He let his voice end in a hiss, his face contorting in anger. If he couldn't physically show her how hurt he had been, he would make her feel pain with his words.

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As water coated her legs and underbelly, the clouds began to look above here, threatening to burst at any moment. The clouds did not show themselves when she awoke that morning or else she would have stayed home. They seemed to almost appear out of nowhere. Her fiery eyes looked up towards the darkened sky as a rain drop fell down upon her brow. It will rain soon, there was no way to avoid it today. She should have stayed home. As another rain drop fell upon her face, she turned back towards the den that Dziban and her shared. However, a booming voice shattered around her like the looming thunderstorm above her. She instantly knew who the voice belonged to, but as her fiery eyes whipped around to see where he was, she couldn't find him anywhere.

Her hackles bristled along with the anger that began to rise within her. How could he accuse her of abandoning him? HE was the one that had abandoned her! "What can I say for myself?!?" She screamed back, her teeth bared in absolute anger. "YOU left me, Ash! Do you realize what I went through when you decided to abandon me?!?" Her anger was out of control. She couldn't control the words that she had suppressed from him, from anyone for so long. "Our daughter, our dear Aphrodite was stolen by @Naira and taken by another from Whisper Caverns. I followed her scent, I couldn't loose another child again. I was almost to the Caverns before I fell through the ceiling of the abandoned caves. I almost died down there, Ash. I should have died down there because even though Aphrodite was save with the Caverns wolves, she was taken once again when I was strong enough to travel back to you."

Her voice had softened as she told him what had happened. Her body shivered when she remembered the weeks she spent down in the dark. "Where were you when I needed you Ash? I loved you. But you were gone when I came back," Her anger began to build once again as she remembered returning to her kingdom, her fallen kingdom with her son abandoned as well, but taken as well from her. Rain began to pour down from the heavens as thunder roared through the sky, igniting the dangerous fire within her heart. "MY SON WAS TAKEN FROM ME! Her body trembled with anger and grief. "My baby boy was taken from me, Ash. My baby boy," her voice was a whisper as her body began to crumble towards the ground. Sobs began to take through her body as all her suppressed emotion exploded from her shattered heart, the rain pelting her dirty coat. The sky was crying as well.

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

So lemme know if I need to change this.

He couldn't help the smirk that made it's way onto his face when he saw her reaction. The phantom had not reared its ugly head in quite some time, but now it was on full display and completely enjoying itself. That was, until it began to rain. He glowered up at the sky as he listened to Athena's frantic screams, for once the warrior in her seemed to be crumpling, and for the time being Ash would cherish this pain that she was feeling. After all, she did deserve it. Her accusations did not go unnoticed by Ash, and his body tensed up. How could she think that he had abandoned her, he had done no such thing. When he heard the tale that she was telling him of his little princess, his couldn't help the anger that reared up. He had told a majority of them that he had been alpha of Poison Path...they would have known that Aphrodite was his, and they had said nothing to him. Clenching his jaw tightly he let out an angry snarl at the woman that was in front of his eyes.

She had always seemed so wise when she had led by his side, and now all she seemed to do was break down. The Hervok felt his heart go out to her and he silently cursed himself, letting his voice once again boom above the thundering clouds overhead, "I don't appreciate you lying to me, Athena. The boy, our boy...his scent was intertwined with yours when I went to look for all of you. You left me NOTHING. I was by myself and it took Namara getting my head out of the lake to get it through my skull that everyone was gone. You, Aphrodite, Elliot, Steel, and Kyadi. ALL GONE!" He knew he had grown taller through his ramble, and breath coming in rapid pants as he watched the former Queen in front of him crumple into the ground. Muttering to himself, he glanced around the area, looking for anyone else who would have been willing to help her, because surely he wasn't the only one in the area.

Growling lowly to himself, the man approached the sobbing body, not needing to hide his noise due to the rumbling that was covering it up. Sighing, he looked towards an area of higher ground and knew he would have to start heading slightly back towards Hugh Meadows where he was drier. The woman would surely become ill if she stayed out here and that certainly wouldn't be good for the little lives growing inside of her. Crossing the final distance to get to her, he nudged her up wordlessly, forcing her to get onto her feet before calmly leading her back towards his home, his large body easily blocking her from the rain that was coming down, for the most part. He couldn't believe he was actually doing this, but then, Ash had never been harsh to those he had always been a servant to.

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@Ash

His words stabbed at her, his anger and hurt evident with his words. He wasn't the only one hurt contrary to her beliefs. But, his hurt was mistaken. She didn't leave him on purpose; she could never do that to him. As she laid upon the ground with the rain pouring down on her, she knew she needed to get to shelter and she also needed to calm down. Ash couldn't see her like this even though it wasn't the first time he had. What happened to the strong, fierce warrior that had taken grief without difficulty. Now, she was replaced with a weak, sobbing idiot. Shaking her head angrily as Ash tried to help her up, "Don't touch me," she hissed, but only halfheartedly. She tried to recoil away from him, but his burly body refused to let her go. The fight within her ha died.

A deep, tired sigh escaped her maw as they walked towards shelter or to wherever he was taking her. As they walked, she whispered quietly, "I followed his scent like I did Aphrodite's. He was taken in by the Magnolia Glen wolves. I stayed there for a little while, but he didn't trust me anymore. He didn't want to associate with me anymore. I thought I could give him some space by going to visit Aphrodite at Whisper Caverns." Her voice was soft, almost defeated sounding as she spoke quietly to Ash as they walked through the rain. "Aphrodite's scent lead away from the caverns, however. I followed it until I suffered a fall in the Ridge. I hit my head pretty hard and lost all memory of our family and my life here at Relic Lore." Her fiery eyes flickered over towards his green orbs, studying his expression.

He tried so hard to cover his emotions, but she remembered his small cues. "I would have tried to find you if I even remembered who you were. I didn't even remember our children," she said quietly, her burning gaze boldly connecting with his. "I just recently got my memory back," she finished, her gaze flickering back to follow the path that he seemed to be following. She wasn't sure what he thought. He probably thought she was a liar, a cheat, or a coward, but she felt a weight lift off her heart as the truth finally came out between them.

(This post was last modified: Apr 15, 2014, 01:12 AM by Athena.)

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

Extremely short, but since he isn't interacting I just wanted to get it out there.

He watched the events unfolding before him. This man had once stood in his place, caring for the white queen as Dziban did now. She was upset, it was apparent in her anger laced voice, and so he hesitated. Opting to stay in the shadows. He knew they had to work it out, and his presence would help nothing. Even as the male approached her, his paws stayed firmly in their spot. Somehow he knew that she would come to no harm. Maybe it was because once you loved someone, you could never truly stop.

Did Athena still have feelings for this man? Only time would tell, but Dziban had already decided against making his presence anymore known that it already was. She had to let it out, get rid of her pent up anger and heartache, for only after it was gone could she feel free.

Even though he had become a changed man, he still did what he did best: he listened. As his former Queen spoke to him, he listened without hesitation, leading her back towards drier grounds so that she would be safer. The male had no knowledge of another wolf looking into their happenings, so Ash didn't think to look around him. None the less, he kept his observant eyes in front of him, as she spoke, the only indication that he would have been upset was the small crease between his eyebrows, which also displayed his worry for the woman. It sounded like she had been under much stress under the past year, without him beside her. He had promised and sworn himself to her and might as well have betrayed her with what she was saying...but she misunderstood, and so had he. They moved quietly, meeting each other's eyes occasionally when she was speaking, and once again, it was as if the Hervok had grown his wings and was engulfing her with as much safety as he could manage, which was why he was surprised when he finally did make his offer.

Softly, he spoke to her, "All of the this...it sounds like a misunderstanding...on both of our parts, and I do apologize deeply for all that has happened." He pauses then, his large body moving towards higher grounds, while supporting Athena. She was with children and from the sights and smells of her, it wouldn't seem as if she had a home, and so Ash did the best thing that he could. "I lead...Whisper Caverns right now...and....we're going through a rough time...I need wolves that I know and trust, and if you need a home, then it is open for you...and...your...mmm..your...significant other." He finished his statement awkwardly, looking ahead as he moved her towards higher grounds. If she caught a cold, it could develop to something worse and that was something he didn't want. Calmly, he awaited for her answer, hoping that he could provide for her again, just as he once had so long ago.

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As they walked quietly together, her voice filling the silence. He said nothing, only listened and met her gaze every once in a while. He hid his feelings well beneath his mask, but she could see his anger slowly fade from his eyes. Ash finally understood that she didn't mean the harm she caused him. For some reason, she still held her breath as he glanced over at her as he began to speak. This time, his voice was soft, gentle - so unlike him on the outside. He didn't speak like that to just anyone. Usually, his voice was stern and guarded. However, at this moment, he was the gentle guardian that she remembered. Nodding in agreement, "I apologize as well, Ash. I am so sorry for the hurt that I caused you. I wish I could take it all back," she attempted, her fiery eyes glancing up to meet his. She was too lost in their conversation to notice that Dziban was hidden in the shadows, watching their every move.

As he continued and offered her a home, she became uneasy. The thought of traveling down into those caverns scared her and not much scared Athena. Her body became tense and she stopped then, her wide, startled eyes stared up at his. "I...I wouldn't....can't go down in those caves again. The thought..." She pause then, her eyes falling to the ground. "The thought of getting lost again.." Her eyes rose off the ground after a moment, lifting to meet the green sea of his gaze. "It scares me, Ash," she whispered, her eyes pleading for his comfort. Athena, Dziban, her children, and Aeolus desperately needed a home, but could she live in a place where she lost her daughter and almost died. However, she truly wanted to help Ash, so she was going to face her fears and help the man that devoted so much of his life to her. The least she could do was help him in his time of need. "But, I will help you and accept your offer," she stated with a soft smile forming on her ebony lips. "The roles are now switched, my love. You are the regal King and I, the begging loner," she joked, her shoulder bumping against his playfully.

dziban & athena thanne

Time brought your heart to me...

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

They moved together, like a stream, just as they always had, and when she stopped, so did he. Never had the alpha wanted to bring hurt onto the woman in front of him, but just as luck always wished to laugh in his face, it had proved to him that he would never be able to be truly happy, at least not when it came to being loved. The Hervok waited for her words, surprised when claims of fear were what greeted him. He supposed he shouldn't have been shocked by her revelation, but even though he was, he did not hesitate to move in to give her what comfort he could offer her. His muzzle nuzzled his head protectively into the pocket of his shoulder, his head fitting just as perfectly as it had before. He sighed softly, knowing he definitely couldn't force her to do anything, but when she spoke again, his felt his heart twist violently in his chest. My love.... Closing his eyes tightly and breathing deeply before he responded, he gently touched the top of her head with his muzzle, marking her as one of him, not at all giving the rough treatment he would give to those he did not know.

His green eyes peered down at her, his words coming softly, hoping to sooth what had been ruffled. "We will find a different den for you then, and just as usual, I will protect you. I suggest you gather your....mate when you have the chance so that I can mark him and we can be on our way." He nodded to her briefly allowing her to do whatever she must, should it have been call for her dearest or go and find him, but before she could do anything, he spoke quietly, almost unsure if she would hear him or not, "You will never be a begging loner to me, my Regal Queen." He sighed then, his mossy green eyes searching out the stars that he hoped would be rising overhead. Was his former loves up there now? Treena and Namara...or had they truly left him to live the miserable life he had lived in the past and left him to struggle with that he tried to regain. As he watched the white dirtied form of Athena, he prayed once again that he would not be cursed for his kindness.

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I'm just going to fade this out for the sake of getting this archived(: If I need to change anything, let me know! @Dziban @Ash

As she spoke of her fears of the deep, endless caverns, Ash did something unexpected to her. Instead of laughing at the silly fear of the caves, he embraced her just like he used to in the past, when they were on good terms with each other. As he embraced her, the breath she didn't know she was holding, released and she felt a weight lift off her. He did not laugh in the face of her weakness, instead he accepted it, just how he accepted her, like he always did. "You still have a place in my heart, Ash. No matter what. I will always love you," she whispered against his dark hairs of his neck before he pulled away. As his muzzle moved to the top her crown, her fiery eyes closed gently and she breathed in his scent. Oh how much she missed her Ash. As his scent filled her nose, she noticed no scent of Namara. Frowning slightly, she would have thought she would still be with him. However, this moment wasn't the time to ask such questions. There would be another day for catching up. Gently licking underneath his chin before he pulled away, she rubbed her muzzle against his affectionally in return. Their hearts were beginning to bend with each other's strength once again.

She smiled when he told her that he would find another den for her to sleep in instead of the caves. Her heart soared as he spoke of protecting her once again. Knowing that her children will have wonderful guardians, she felt better that they would be raised safely with Dziban and Ash besides them, unlike last time where they only had Ash as a protector alongside herself. He then suggested for her to gather Dziban, so he could mark him as a Whisper Caverns pack member like herself. Sensing his hesitation, she nudged his cheek in comfort as he whispered sweet words against her ear. Smiling then, she called out to her mate, not knowing that he was already nearby. Today marked a new beginning for Athena and Ash as well as Dziban. She will be able to raise her family in peace while reconnecting with her best friend. With Dziban and herself marked as friends of Ash, they made their way back towards the lands of the caverns to begin a new chapter.

-fade out-

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||