Thicket of Secrets come see about me

For @Nina, backdated to the day after this thread.
Minka wouldn't have come without a guard so I'm leaving it vague as to who is with her but could @Bane or @Gent please post next? Or both :)

Minka's mind had been troubled since her meeting with Inali, never had she thought things would spiral so quickly. Still, she knew what the right thing to do was and despite her heavy heart that accompanied her once friend's betrayal she had to do what was best. So she had spent the morning seeking out prey until at last she had been able to slay a fat pheasant. Then she had acquired the aid of her guard before setting out past the territory borders, her expression serious. It took less than a day to travel from the Downs to the Woodlands, something she knew now had almost become a fatal mistake. As they approached the borders the alpha slowed, heart quickening in her chest as her senses became more alert. For all she knew they could be ambushed for showing their maws in the thicket, especially since Inali had told them that they sought war.

Which is why she stopped much farther than she normally would have from the borders, lifting her tail to signal a halt the second she caught a mere whiff of the scent. Placing the fowl before her paws she locked eyes with the other in the area, a silent warning to stay silent but also ready. Lifting her muzzle to the sky Minka called for Nina, the woman she had never met but heard so much about. The call was brief though the message was clear; this wasn't an aggressive act, but it was an urgent one. If they couldn't at least return to the tense relationship they had before without outright violence than Inali's betrayal had been for nothing.

ooc: short post so this can get rolling between the ladies

Gent stayed close to his alpha's side, naturally assuming near-predatory posture. He knew better than to show any aggression in his form, but he was also highly on guard. After all, they were walking right into the enemy's paws. Having gotten the heads up from Inali, for all they knew the Woodlands wolves were preparing for retaliation, and Nina could have issued the same command Minka had; to attack on sight. In Gent's mind the only thing that mattered was making sure Minka survived the trip unscathed, even if it came to sacrificing the brittle peace she was striving to forge between their packs.

Part of him wondered if the thicket matriarch would recall him from that starving winter, if she could remember his face from the failed hunt that resulted in Hollow Heart Keep, Secret Woodlands and Cut Rock River all clashing at once. Would she know him as the man who befriended her daughter and hunted with her (Gent wouldn't know otherwise) mate Hollow? Hopefully if she did, it could only aid them in their attempts. Gent halted beside Minka, ears swiveling sideward to catch her howl before snapping forward again, blue eyes shifting about. If they were to be attacked, he would be sure to sense the violence coming.

(This post was last modified: May 04, 2015, 03:51 PM by Gent.)

@Mirren @Yuka

Ever since Inali had come to her, she had not heard back from her. However, Nina had made the proper preparations. As far as she knew, war was still looming ahead for Secret Woodlands and they would need back ups. She had traveled to Willow Ridge to get reinforces from @Elettra, who had readily helped her ally. She had then traveled to Whisper Caverns, where Narimé had allowed @Yuka and @Ash to return with her. Nina felt safer with her brother, knwoing that he would not allow any one to lay a paw on her if it was the last thing that he did. Ash had informed Nina of Minka and his shaky past. And so, if anyone should call, they had made the agreement that @Mirren, Yuka, and Nina would make their way towards the troops, and if there was to be no peace, then Ash would lead the second wave of reinforcements, save Kite and Danica. The alpha would not allow either of them to get involved with this, the reason Elettra and Nari were also not present. So when the call came, Nina was not overly surprised. There was a slight shift within the territory, mental preparation for what was possibly to come. Mirren, Yuka, and Nina met at the front of the territory before they headed towards where Minka had summoned them. With both of the men flanking her on each side, her body poised high, she felt highly confident in herself. Her pelt brushed against Mirren's, in need of the silent support he was excellent at offering to her. It wasn't long before, who she assumed was Minka(based on Ash's descriptions) came into view. She was flanked by another man, one she did not recognize but would be sure to keep an eye on. Her tail flicked against Yuka and Mirren's sides, another warning that they would need to be extra aware. Briefly, the queen looked back, hoping to see a flash of Ash's mossy green orbs. She should have known better, he was king of the shadows and no where to be seen. She stopped a good ways away from the other queen, her single emerald eye cold and calculating, "What is it that you are looking for here?" She remained still by her Guardians' sides, not willing to break eye contact with the larger woman.

Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

(This post was last modified: May 05, 2015, 10:05 PM by Nina.)

It seems when you're around, my life is complete.

How funny it was, the way things worked out. One day, the Black Thorn wolves were leaving dirty messages on their borders and the next they came calling. He didn't show much on the outside and as it sometimes was, his face was expressionless and cold, though his displeasure with this ludicrous meeting was obvious. Showing up here was a bold move, there was no denying, but he didn't hold even a sliver of respect for the Down's Leader's courage. In the contrary, he couldn't figure out whether she wasn't right in the head or whether she wanted confrontation or a truce or what. What he did know was that Secret Woodlands had been through the ringer and the last thing the pack needed was a war based on the actions of wolves that had since departed from the Thicket ─ based on the actions of traitors. But he also wasn't going to allow his own to be disrespected, bullied, defamed or the like. As benign as their visitor and her guard appeared as they waited past the Woodlands' borders, Mirren was prepared to give them the fight they'd perhaps been looking for and so much more. The swarthy Tainn moved with grace, his hip and shoulder brushing against Nina's here and there. He easily sized the strangers up as the trio approached, his golden gaze sweeping over their figures intently. They may have been outside their own borders and his body language was uncharacteristically neutral, but still he wore his dominance for all to see ─ in the way his strides ate up the earth, in the ambitious and dauntless gleam in his eyes, in the skeptical way that the look on his face said 'What the fuck do you want?' Halting at Nina's side and remaining quiet as she spoke, he was so very curious to know what exactly their self-proclaimed enemies had to say.

As soon as Ash had made the call for him, Yuka had met his mentor, his teal amber eyes staring in confusion at the alpha. The Hervok was quick to explain the situation to the Thorben and while the yearling was sure that he did not know the whole story, he agreed to accompany his alpha, knowing that it was his duty to do as he said. Either way, Yuka had never truly enjoyed Minka’s presence, ever since their incident with the fish, the young boy had disliked her, and it had only increased tenfold when she had betrayed the pack and taken Inali with her. In all actuality, if it did come to a fight the Thorben wouldn’t mind sinking his teeth into Minka and throw in her face the ultimate murder that he had committed. Even if he did have to admit it in front of all present.

For the time being, Secret Woodlands was completely ready for war. Nina had, strategically, gotten as many allies as she could muster, increasing the numbers higher to, hopefully, what Blood Thorn Downs would even be able to match. After days of waiting, the call finally came. Nina had made the plans, making it extremely clear that Yuka and Mirren, the other alpha, would be the only ones accompanying her. Ash would remain behind with the rest of the troops, ready to pounce if needed. And so the young man had met the matriarch at the borders, his head bowing in respect as they made their way forward.

His hips moved with an uncharacteristic swagger, for the first time in a while, allowing his monstrous face to be on full display. He flanked Nina, never allowing her to go a step ahead of him, their pace unwavering. As usual, he would remain silent while, it seemed, Nina did the talking. It was not anything new to Yuka…Ash was usually the one that remained silent while his mother did most of the talking. His posture, however, remained neutral, while his eyes shot deadly daggers at Minka, but keeping his eyes trained specially on the environment around them, ready to give the cue if anything suspicious occurred.

Thank you TABs

Just a note to Allie that BTD never actually left markers or scent on the borders that was just part of the April fools BWP and never actually occurred. Also I think this makes most sense with no posting order :)

While she was still tense from walking straight into the lion's den Minka still felt some peace at having Gent at her side. He had done nothing but prove his loyalty from the moment that he had appeared at her borders and he continued to do so. Still she couldn't dwell on his presence too much as there were larger matters at hand, this would require both of their concentration to be on the Woodlands as much as it was on each other. It was quick the response and immediately at the sight of the wolf the alpha could only assume at Nina the woman dropped her gaze respectfully. Even with her lowered gaze the expectant mother could take note that she brought two guards with her, one that she recognized all too well. Along with Yuka there was a faint whiff of Ash, which made Minka want to tense every muscle in her being, it took all her might to refrain from doing so.

Still at Nina's words Minka steadied herself with one single breath before nudging the offering forward slightly with her muzzle. Raising her gaze a smidge until it landed on the blonde chest rather than her paws the woman did her best to explain. "I come bearing deep apologies. I know that you have been visited by Inali and informed of what has transpired over the last few weeks and for that I have come myself with further explanations." Minka paused for a single moment, awaiting some kind of signal of whether she should stop then and that meeting would be fruitless. When none came she continued, "One of our members was out searching for our missing cubs when he ran into a wolf who has been named Iopah as well as another member whose name is not known. He returned to the territory maimed to a point where we believed he was on the brink of death, on his coat he carried the scent of the Woodlands. It was because of this that we believed the orders came from you and that you had issued an attack upon us, one which led me to make the declaration of war." She paused once more, this story had grown long and complicated.

Shifting her weight as one of her pups kicked her swiftly in the side Minka suppressed the cringe, now was not the time to appear weak. "I have since been informed through both Inali and messengers who obtained information from your daughter @Danica that Iopah and this other were traitors of your pack and the orders did not come from you. It is because of this that I now stand before you with sincerest apologies of my hasty words and hope of calling a truce. I can swear it that no harm shall fall on any of your members from my own subordinates less they want to face exile from the pack." Finally she stopped her monologue, waiting for the queen of the Woodlands to respond. If she did not accept her words it could mean bloodshed for them all.

click!

ooc: gents just gonna be in his own little world haha The thicket wolves reacted swiftly to Minka’s knocking upon their door, clearly having expected the arrival. Gent saw even more clearly now how righteous his alpha’s outrage had been at Inali’s little impulsive and unauthorized reconnaissance mission; she hadn’t just sought intel, but given it. Such an action had opened Black Thorn Downs to attack, and now as the man sensed wolves moving all around them, he knew that with a simple click of Nina’s teeth, he and Minka would be victims of an ambush. While the scents all carried a similar thread, they clearly weren’t even all from the same pack; rather than damp moss and wild ginger, they smelled of wet stone and damp earth.  Gent’s vision blurred and faded some as he took attention away from what his eyes were seeing and instead focused on his hearing and sense of smell to pinpoint each location. It did not concern him the diplomacies of Minka and Nina’s discussion. His only occupation was to ensure that if things turned hostile, he could swiftly get Minka out of harm’s way. They clearly would not be able to fight, and hesitating to do so would only end in their demise. Several flexible plans formulated within his mind of escape routes that could be taken should the worst occur. The only problem within his head, was the question of what would he do if it came down to having to use himself to distract the attackers while Minka and her unborn children escaped? His focus returned once more to what was occurring directly before him. While he still monitored Nina's satellite guards, he also watched every twitch of her muscles, waiting for any sign of aggression, or for her to give any of her warriors some sort of cue.

Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

(This post was last modified: May 22, 2015, 02:53 AM by Gent.)

Feel free to skip Yuka this round. @Mirren

Nina remained comfortably between her two guards, her single eye focused on the woman, trusting that her companions were keeping an eye on the male that accompanied Minka, as well as the rest of their surroundings. As Nina observed the other woman, it became quickly apparent that Minka was caring children. Lips pursed, she continued to stand there, her gaze pinned on the other woman’s uterus. The thought of another pregnant woman, once again, reminded her of Koda and Iopah’s betrayal, causing another hot wave of pain and anger to course through her veins. However, Minka seemed to be much more diplomatically smart than Ash made her out to be as she offered somewhat of a peace offering. Calmly, Nina waved her tail above her back, signaling Yuka to retrieve the gift and inspect it in his own way. He did so quickly, not speaking a word. In response, Nina dipped her head slightly in thanks, before her chin raised again to hear whatever the other alpha had to say. With her words of apology, Nina listened, her explanation quite lengthy and in line with what Inali had informed her of. While the Hervok had certainly rounded up who she could for stability, the only point of it was for intimidation. War was something that Nina wanted to avoid at all times but if provoked, she would certainly fight back. Ash had quickly informed her that she had gotten this reaction and dangerous side from their father, Marcus, a horrible man who never deserved love, even if he fought tooth and claw for it. Especially now that it was apparent that Minka was with child. It went against their morals to attack anyone who was with child or was expecting. It was just wrong and against pack law. With this knowledge, Nina glanced briefly at @Mirren , knowing he would want to know this information for himself, if he had not already figured it out. Minka’s words of a truce resonated deeply within Nina, and the golden brown woman felt her back muscles relax slightly at the notion. A war avoided was something to be celebrated, if time allowed it, and she would bring it up to Mirren when she had a chance to. The reminder of Koda and Iopah did not bode well with Nina, so she was quick to degrade them, "Yes…those wolves are no longer with us," she began, clarifying what Minka already knew, "and we accept your offer of truce ad sincerely accept your apology.  The wolves that did this were Iopah, Nova, and Camio. Feel free to do with them as you like." Her tail waved above her back and she calmly raised her chin, a reminder of her son coming into her mind. Clearing her throat, she spoke, her voice firm now, "However, if you come into contact with Iopah’s pack, should that be your intentions, I ask that you spare my son, Silentium’s life. He is still a child and had nothing to do with the attack on your wolf." If Minka agreed then this meeting could be over with, but if she refused, Nina would have yet another problem to deal with.

Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

(This post was last modified: Jun 26, 2015, 07:03 PM by Nina.)

It seems when you're around, my life is complete.

Things unfolded in a manner that could have been expected. The callers did well to pay their respects through submission, and the Woodlands wolves reciprocated with civility, if nothing else. Mirren was watchful as Minka made her offering and Yuka received it, his eyes roving over the curve of her belly. The Tainn had no interest in harming a woman with child, and briefly he thought of Kite and her similar condition; as a scout, she was often in unfamiliar territory as well, and it was always Mirren's hope that no harm come to her, either. The fact that Minka was pregnant didn't soften his evolving, hardened opinion of the woman, but it did entice him to be more open to what she did have to say. Talk of what had transpired to cause this rift between the two packs ensued, and each leadess added her own piece to the puzzle. As unfortunate as the circumstances were, it pleased Mirren to know that what had fueled the fire between Minka and Secret Woodlands was actually Iopah's responsibility, and that it would be her traitorous shoulders to bear the responsibility. He didn't like that they had behaved badly on Secret Woodland's watch, but the facts were that they were no longer a part of the pack, that they were long gone, and that there was no justification for war now between Secret Woodlands and Black Thorn Downs. Nina was quick to firmly state her wishes concerning Silentium, a request he believed was reasonable ─ the thought of what would happen to Nina should she lose another son was sickening. With Nina's and Minka's terms clearly laid out, Mirren didn't have any objections, only a term or two of his own to add. His masked face was expressionless as he glanced to Nina, a curt nod conveying his acceptance of the peace offering made between the two packs. His golden eyes fell plainly on Minka's face. "I assure you that actions such as those perpetrated against your subordinate are not tolerated here in Secret Woodlands. I will personally see to it that our pack knows the truth about what happened to your packmate, and ensure that it is understood that peace has been made here." His eyes glance to the tawny queen's dark-furred guard and back. "Also, should you choose to act against Iopah and the others responsible for this travesty, I'll be available to you."

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity