Spectral Woods The thorn under your bed

@Triell @Spieden @Pyrrhus 
This is a read-only, meaning Skadi will not be reappearing in this thread, OTB is welcome to appear and react however

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It wasn't hard to do. Actually, it was easy, thanks to the fact that Nayeli had given the directions herself. 'Go west and travel over the red hills'. With the recent snow, that hue had been blanketed; Skadi personally dug down to reveal the blood underneath. The woman had given her own family away, at least she could give succinct directions. That morning, in the deathly cold, a smile twisted ordinary features into something ugly. She'd ascended the red hills, hampered by a limb given by the Storm-wright herself and soothed by a single thought.

Soon the debt would be repaid, and with interest.

The following days had been put to good use. She'd skirted their forest, close enough for the stench to remain on the edge of her awareness. Her path formed a wide arc, encircling the target. From those red hills to the Mountain of Dire she learned many things. That this was a relatively unoccupied land. They had no close neighbors to give an alarm or aid. Oak Tree Bend had no allies, least none within a distance to matter. That was all good, perfect even. There was no point in spying around further, she abandoned the mountain lookout and headed directly towards the border. She wanted to spend the next few days with the image of them quaking in their dirt holes.

Delicately, almost reverently, she grasped an oak sapling in her jaws. It was as helpless as they were. Skadi tugged sharply at it, skinning all the bark off, then turned to another. She marked them. Only a stone's throw she squatted and claimed the pathetic things as her own. A light noise had her stopping and lifting her head with a maniacal smile. It was only a bird, puzzled by the wolf's hysteria, but Skadi was sprinting away already. They would find it and @Nayeli would understand the message. She still belonged to them.

(This post was last modified: May 12, 2015, 04:15 PM by Skadi.)

@Triell @Spieden Jump in when you can :)
Edit: @Jessie

Days, weeks had gone by. Still the large, black man felt the grief of his brother simmering underneath his now ever present anger. Usually he could keep his temper under control, though it always wasn't too far from the surface of his emotions. At least the grief seemed to be fading a little. It no longer felt like a blow to the legs whenever he thought of Ruiko. Hotei was also struggling with wanting to talk to Triell, but he hated the idea of his younger brother seeing him at his weakest. The stoic man felt more comfortable as a basic recluse than opening his maw to share his jumbled feelings.

Though the grief had lessened considerably, it was still a deadly mixture combined with his anger. It seemed anything could piss him off more than usual and he wasn't afraid of being vocal about it. His strong form plowed through the snow as he trekked across the borders, where it seemed it was the only place he could find some semblance of peace nowadays. As he scented the borders and placed his own mark upon them, Hotei couldn't help but catch a faint whiff of Nayeli's on it. She was back, but he made no time to go and seek her out. They were never close, but she had made friends with his mate. The thought alone almost made a growl pass through his clenched teeth. She had hurt his mate by abandoning them, and not only his mate, but his brother and her children. He was holding alot of anger towards the woman that had hurt the few he held close to his gaurded heart.

Continuing amongst the borders, a growl slipped past his maw and his muscular figure tensed as he caught a scent that was definitely not part of Oak Tree Bend. Come to think of it, Hotei had scented this scent before for a couple days now. At first he was only wary and kept himself more alert to see if there would be any more new surprises, but now he was just pissed. As he moved closer to the baby trees the scent was coming most strong off, Hotei forced himself to unclench his teeth. He pulled his muzzle away and lifted his head to call for his brother and Jessie. This problem needed to be fixed and soon. This loner was pissing him off and he hated wasting his anger on some insignificant wolf that enjoyed playing stupid games. The woman had been there very recently and maybe Jessie, who had probably the best nose in the pack could still go off and track her scent.

 

(This post was last modified: Feb 22, 2015, 06:46 PM by Hotei.)

Since their reunion, Jessie had been playing it on the safe side, acknowledging Hotei whenever they were in passing but making no point in searching him out for herself. For the time being, the only desire she had was to stick to herself and perhaps see what Nayeli was up to, something that would happen soon. She was also one for pack duty and she knew she would never pass up an opportunity to do something for her family. So when her love called for her and Triell, her heart stopped, a small frown on her lips. Was something wrong? It didn't take her long to determine that something definitely was, because if it was just pleasantries Jessie knew that Hotei's brother certainly wouldn't be invited to share their space.

Jessie was quick to move in the direction that her burnt love had called from, her paws moving over the familiar terrain with ease. Her body, made for speed, didn't waste time, and she appeared in front of her mate quickly, her posture and air all business. With a single thought in mind, she called for @Drestig if he wanted to observe, purely as a learning experience, but she didn't waste time in waiting for him. Instead, the Tainn surveyed the area, briefly touching her muzzle to Hotei's cheek in greeting before continuing on in her work. The scent that Jessie picked up was one that had been familiar to her...though she didn't remember from where. She brushed if off and spoke to the burnt man quietly, "We'll track her and see what we find, and then if its something major we can call for Triell."

Having no desire to be close to Hotei while she was working, Jessie was quick to pinpoint the scent and follow it, her nose and eyes focused on what she was looking for. Her mind unfocused from the surroundings around her, and perhaps it was wise that she had Hotei following her, just in case she was attacked. A Guardian by her side was never a bad thing. However, this adventure reminded her too much of the situation that Ice, Fenru, and her had been in awhile back, when they were still with Swift River. The thought almost made her stop, but she pushed on. It didn't take her long before she came to a stop, her jaw dropping when her brain finally caught up with her nose. She swallowed than, a soft 'oh' escaping her jaws as she glanced back at Hotei, her emerald eyes cold and narrowed now. "Now we definitely need @Triell here." Without second thought, the scout tilted her head back and let out a loose call for him, letting him know that the matter now was quite urgent. They didn't need to find the girl, whoever it was....they had left this behind for them and the gray woman had no inkling as to what it could mean.

  @Hotei @Jessie

Feeding the wolf, even if I know better

A tired mind, and an aching shoulder the dark wolf leaned against a pale, gray stump. He couldn't keep going like this. Sleep, it sounded so sweet. The idea seemed pathetic, if he was betraying everything and everyone he worked so hard to protect. The throb from the old wound kept persisting, and he would be useless exhausted. The Tainn did not rise, but more comfortably shifted his weight. He had not found anything disturbing, and everyone else was well aware of a potential threat.

Before he knew it his eyes had fallen, and he dozed off into slumber. It was his brother's voice that called to him.  Dazed, he stood in his dream, feeling he ought to answer back. Another part of his mind told him it was not here he needed to respond. A snort, a rough flick of his crown, he pulled himself up. Now where had Hotei's voice came from? Ears wide, he strained against the lull of the forest. With only an inkling he began to move forward, cursing himself for his nap. They should start shifts, and make out perimeters. Come up with a plan, though he could not figure what would actually succeed.

The man lumbered onward, becoming uncertain if Hotei had howled at all. About to make a call of his own, Jessie's voice loudly jarred his senses. Breaking into a run, with knowledge of where he needed to be, he speed through the Bend, coming upon the pair. Triell did not need to get close to where they were, he could smell the pungent aroma of the message from where he stood. Long hackles raised, and a rumble broke in his chest. It was clearly a sign they had come and gone without notice. That they believed they would take Nayeli back. Curses wanted to rip from his lips, he only turned to his pack mates. "We need to send a message of our own."

are you with me through it all?

I am assuming this is set before the pack meeting. I will edit if its not :)

It didn't take long for Jessie to arrive, answering to his call. She went straight to buisness, and for once, Hotei didn't complain. This was serious. Someone had marked their lands. Had sent a message of some sort, but what? Was there a new pack wanting war? Was this only the beginning? His thoughts clashed in his mind, wondering question after question. Within him, his anger was bright at the woman's actions. How dare she just waltz in, like this was her home and she held free reign. It almost made his hackles rise. He should've paid more attention beforehand. The frustrated Tainn followed after his mate, not letting her escape his focused yellow gaze. If this woman was still around, he wouldn't let her take advantage of Jessie's distracted state. She wasn't focused on her surroundings, but was 100% focused on the task at hand. Suddenly she stopped, and he stopped next to her gray form. He caught the strong scent once again and the burnt wolf tensed, his jaw clenched as he waited for his brother to arrive.

Nowadays, he felt his anger brimming over almost constantly and he hated that he was losing the fragile grip he held on his temper. Triell arrived and as he saw his brother give into the anger, Hotei eagerly gave into his. He growled and his yellow gaze narrowed as he silently agreed with his brothers words, nodding his dark head. Something had to be done. But this had been a message. Did his brother know what this was about? He opened his maw and questioned in his deep timbre. "Triell, whats going on?" It was clear what Hotei was asking. He couldn't protect the pack if he didnt know what the hell was going on. What was Triell not telling them? As for sending a message of their own...

"The scent is still strong and fresh," he added. Jessie had the best nose in the pack. She could track the scent and inform them if this was something to truly worry over, and if this woman had any "friends". His jaw clenched again. He hated the thought of Jessie in any sort of danger, but he knew his gray vixen could take care of herself.

 

The Tainn wanted patiently for her leader, emerald eyes observing the area around here. Things had been quite chaotic as of late, and with Jessie's discovery of Spieden's leadership, the Scout had been less than pleased. However, she respected Triell and was trying to find the best in the situation. Thus far, the woman had not been doing a good job at it. Calmly she waited, keeping her gaze away from her mate and more on the situation in front of them. She would be sure to make no further actions until their alpha showed and told them what to do. If he gave her an order, the Tainn would have no qualms with following it out.

It did not take long for the man in question to arrive. It was obvious by his appearance that he was not pleased with their current situation. Without saying anything, the Scout watched her alpha carefully, waiting for the words that she wanted to hear. While her mate asked the the logistical questions, as soon as the words left Triell's maw, a wicked glint appeared in Jessie's emerald orbs. Her mouth parted and the words tumbled out of her mouth quickly, "What do you have in mind, Triell?" Anything he asked, she would be sure to do. It was her duty to him that mattered, and if he wanted something done than she would be sure to make it happen.