The Heartwood The secret

I am finally starting this thread!! @Rain Should this be like a secret friendship since we are from different packs?

Mara looked around feverishly before stepping over the border of her pack territory and into the unclaimed wilds. Her paws rushed hurriedly across the leaf strewn ground, wet droplets from the trees pushing their way deep into her fur. The wind from her sprint pushed the shaggy fur from her face and shot adrenalin to her paws. She had planned to meet Rain in the heartwood today. It would be fun to see her friend. She had been in her pack for a couple weeks now but she still hadn't made any friends in it.

The trees changed from pine to bright orange and yellow maple as she came closer to the center of the heartwood. She paused to catch her breath and glanced around at thick trunks of the maples. She decided this would be a good place to wait for Rain. She just hoped she would be able to find her.

The friendship doesn't have to be secret. Rain is making lots of friends outside her pack to keep good relations with other packs :)

Thick maple trees fill the heartwood that Rain trots through like a wary shadow. She was heading to meet Mara, a lone wolf she had met weeks ago. She had caught Mara's howl the night before saying to find her in the Heartwood. It had taken her most of the day even at a constant lope to make it to these woods.

Catching the scent of a wolf in the air, Rain slows to a walk. Through the trees she can barely glimpse a reddish brown coat that blends with ease into the bright fall colors scattered through the wood. "Mara!" She calls out as she recognizes the small wolf, breaking into a run. Barely slowing, she tackles the small female in excitement.

Okay :D

Mara turned her head just in time to see a grey blur barrel into her. She was surprised for a couple seconds before she recognized the grey she wolf.

"Rain!! Its so good to see you!" She yelped in pure joy. She jumped to her feet and started bouncing around in little circles. "I haven't seen you in FOREVER!"

"What have you been up to these past weeks?" Rain questions, nipping playfully at Mara's ears. "Have you joined a pack yet?" Her tail is going a mile a minute behind her almost out of her control. She hopes that Mara has found a good place to call home and that her friend has been happy.

Mara's own tail matched Rain's excited pinnwheels as she started blubbering a mile a minute.

"Yeah! I joined the pack of Orosboros Spine. I haven't made a lot of friends but I have the most exciting news ever!" She exclaimed before pausing for effect. "I met a brother I never even knew I had! Can you believe that!?" She stopped, out of breath.

"Orosboros Spine," Rain repeats. "Mordecai is in your pack. I met him a couple weeks back." She thinks of the proper and handsome wolf. "I will have to stop by for a visit. He was very friendly."

Taking in Mara's excitement at a brother, Rain says, "That is exciting! What is he like? What's his name? And where has he been all this time?" Thoughts of her own lost sister, Ryuu, pass through her mind and she wonders where her sibling could be.

"Yes, you definitely will have to visit! And yes, Mordecai is my Alpha." Mara explained. Since Rain had already met him, Mara was sure he wouldn't mind if she came to visit.

"My brothers name is Ashton, he is a healer. If he hadn't remembered me from when I was a tiny pup then I wouldn't even know I had any siblings outside of my old pack." Mara said, wonder crossing her mind as she thought of how many other siblings she might have.

"But how about you? What have you been up to? Meet any other loners?" Mara teased a little, bumping she shoulder into Rain's.

She blinks questioning, "Mordecai is an Alpha? I didn't realize that." Her mind drifts back to their meeting, nothing had indicated that he was alpha.

"It's a good thing your brother remembered," she tells Mara, smiling. "I'm so glad things have been well for you." Switching to the next topic Rain answers, "I have met a wolf from each and every pack. Being an Outrider is tiring work, but hopefully I can help my alpha keep up with the news from other packs and keep relations well between us and them." Pride fills her chest and she stands a little straighter. "I'm glad for my new position though. I have made many good friends." Nipping at Mara she tells her, "But don't worry, you'll always be my first friend here."

Mara grinned.

"That sounds amazing! I cant believe you met a wolf from every pack! How many packs are there total? I only know about yours, mine, and my brothers." She asked.

Mara twitched her ears and playfully bumped Rain's shoulder."You will always be my first friend here too! I'll have to come visit you in the mountains sometime! Your home is beautiful." Mara exclaimed, remembering the huge snow capped peaks that rose up above the lake where they met. It was so similar to her old home.

:x just to clerify, I'm still trying to finish Rain's whole venture story to every pack, so this will all be true eventually. Sorry!

"There are several packs,"She replies. "Ten total, one of which is new." Her eyes narrow at the thought of the pack. "Ankyra Sound. A female dominant pack that I will suggest you avoid at all costs." Even the name of the pack leaves a bad taste on her tongue.

She perks up at Mara's suggestion for a visit to the Sunspire. "It is very beautiful," Rain agrees warmly. "I'm assuming it will be even more so when the snow comes." A smile broadens on her lips, excitement coursing through her.

Okay :D

Mara cocks her head to the side at the mention of a new pack. Did she hear that right? Completely female dominated?

"A new pack? What's so wrong with a female leader?" Mara wondered out loud, the questions squirming around her head blocking out Rain's mention of snow. What could be so wrong with female domination? She supposed if they treated males badly, then it was bad, but she didn't really think that was realistic at all.

Rain shakes her head explaining, "When I first came across them, I spoke with one of the males. Out of now where a wolf stepped between us, starring his packmate down. Then the alpha showed up and tackled the male I was talking with to the ground. It was two against one: unfair and brutal." She snarls at the memory.

Nuzzling Mara with friendly affection Rain says, "I don't want my good friend being harmed, so if ever you want to visit them to get to know them yourself, please take someone with you. I will come with you too if you'd like."

Mara was stunned into silence. A wolf being ambushed by his own packmates? That was just messed up. Even though Mara didn't know him, being who she was, she felt a sudden urge to go help the poor guy. No one should be treated like that. Being her dumb self that didn't think before she did, she decided it would be her mission to go and help the males of Ankyra Sound.

"We have to go help him!" Mara exclaimed loudly, bouncing to her paws, a wild look of determination in her storm grey eyes.

"I know you wanted to visit Mordecai, but this is serious! What if they're torturing him, holding him there against his will?" She gasped as horrible scenarios filled her idea-clouded mind. "What if there are more like him trying to escape and all they need is someone to help them?!" Her voice was raised and she was poised to run to the rescue as soon as Rain responded.

Rain laughs softly, admiring her friend's enthusiasm. "He escaped," she informs Mara. "Though barely. We both ended up being tossed over a cliff and into the raging river far below." She flicks an ear at the memory of tumbling over the edge, and shivers. "That was not a pleasant experience."

Something Mara said sent her mind spinning. What if there were others that wanted to leave, but were too caught up or too afraid to leave? It's not like they can go there demanding the release of the males. If Rain ever crossed another like Nishu, then she wouldn't hesitate to help them, but she certainly does not want to give that pack even more of a reason to dislike her own.

Urmagerd I luuuuuuuuuv ur new avatar!!! Its perfection <3

Mara let out a sigh of relief that he escaped but then gasped when she heard how. That would've been soooooooo scary! Would she have been able to do that? She didn't think so. What her friend had done was so brave!

"Wow, Rain! That's amazing! What ever happened to him?" she answered, hoping that maybe he had become part of Rain's pack. Where ever he was, she hoped he was safe. This was one of Mara's problems, she seemed to have blind trust and gave everyone the benefit of the doubt and assumed that everyone was perfectly nice, when really they could be an assassin behind their mask.

Thanks! I'm so glad you like it. I searched google for hours looking for the perfect picture

"He, uh, made a contract with me," she tells Mara, leaving out the part that she had to escape him to meet with Mara alone. "I wanted him to join the Sunspire, but it goes against his ways so he bound himself to me." Rain sighs, dropping her shoulders and saying, "It will only last until my sister is found, and then he will be free to leave." She isn't looking forward to him leaving, but wants to find her sister all the same.

"Anyway," she says, "shall we go see Mordecai?" Smiling at her friend, Rain adds, "I'll be happy to see him again. Also, I want to meet your brother."

Mara smiled at the mention of her brother. She would love for Rain to meet him. That might actually be a better idea since Mordecai would probably be busy with some alpha job or something. But then again, Ashton did live pretty far away.

"Mordecai might be sorta busy, but we can check. And Ashton lives a good walk away from here, but he might be close, looking for supplies or somethin." Mara explained before tilting her head, considering their options.

"Who do ya want to see more?" she asked, unable to decide for herself.

Rain can tell that her friend may wish to visit her brother more, and she herself is eager to meet Mara's brother. "Let's go see your brother. We can visit Mordecai later." She smiles, feeling a bit excited. She hopes for Mara's sake that she likes Ashton, it won't do to dislike the family of her first friend. "If he lives farther away, then that means he isn't in your pack? That must be hard." Rain inclines her head indicating Mara to lead the way.

Im gonna fade on this post, then we can start another, with Ashton maybe :D

Mara smiled at the thought of seeing her brother again. "I think you'll like him." She just hoped they didn't run into his alpha. Mara did not like her at all. Ashton was pretty laid back, so she figured that Rain wouldn't have too much trouble getting along with him.

Flicking her russet ears she turned and started walking out of the woods. Maybe they could meet him somewhere between their territories.