Larksong Grotto News incoming.

Desna did not leave immediately after bringing some meals to Saena. The girl didn't want to raise suspicion. Now she had left under the motto of scouting once more. And technically she was not lying because she was delivering a message to someone, just an unofficial message. The girl made her haste as moved over the plains. She had checked if anyone had been following her, and she believed that wasn't the case. Her average sized body matched well with the dark rocks and bushes.

She knew the way because Reek told her, and after walking in the wrong direction at first the girl now noticed that she was coming closer to a border. The girl sniffed one of the scent marks, when she was certain it was Reek's she let out a howl for @Reek and also for @Tavi. Yet the girl wouldn't be surprised if anyone else of the pack would respond to her howl, after all this happened at Silvertip Mountain too. The girl sat down at a respectable distance from the border.

A howl rang out from nearby to where Aspen stood, she had been out scouting the borders. She found it a good way to get to know the territory a bit more and what land it covered. The most prominent feature this territory offered she felt was the blue lake. It was of great resource to the pack wolves, not to mention beautiful. Despite the call for the Alpha's Aspen made her way over to greet this wolf at the border to make sure they were of no threat to the members of this pack. 

As she approached she spotted a dark black she-wolf sat an okay distance from the border. But close enough that she wanted something, and considering she had called for their alpha's it proved Aspens point further. The gray wolf approached carefully, she stood tall but she dare not confuse this wolf, or disrespect her Alpha's by doing much more than that. "Who are you?" Aspen spoke sternly her gaze unsure but solid. "And why are you here?" Aspen waited patiently for the young wolf to speak and also for the appearance of Reek or his mate who Aspen had yet to formally meet.

Hello :3 Hope you don't mind me throwing Aspen in here.

Not at all! :3

Desna perked up her ears when a wolf she did not know came to meet her. She pushed herself to her feet but her stance was in no way dominant, more or less neutral. She was very close to Reek so it was hard to wait by his borders and wait till his presence. "Hi, there," she greeted on a kind tone. "I mean no harm. I am a good friend of Reek. Somewhat of his step daughter. Or maybe a close niece? Anyways. I came to bring some information for him," she explained to the other. Not blaming her for being suspicious and strict, it was her duty after all. Desna would have been the same towards a stranger.

She did not want to tell this pack mate the news yet, she wanted to tell it to Reek first. The girl had the feeling that Reek would be quite happy and saddened at the same time with the news. The young adult sat down again to let the other know that she was not going anywhere or going to fight her. Her hazel eyes looked kindly at her. "Are you new to Reek's pack?," she asked curiously.

Aspen watched as the black wolf stood and began to speak. She explained that she was  close with Reek although the way she explained the relation left Aspen rather confused. That was a matter for another time. This wolf was still a stranger to her so she remained cautious. "Alright, well either Alpha should be here soon although I do believe one is out on business. Reek is still around." Aspen stated based on the fact she had yet to see this wolf she had been mistaken for. Presumably Reek;s mate. She had no real friendly tone in her voice. It was just her voice. This wolf was not a member of their pack and Aspen had no interest in making friends outside of Larksong. That's not to say it couldn't happen but not with this wolf. 

This wolf was young still, she had a lot of youth look still in her but she was getting close to a year old Aspen thought. If not already there. Youth being youth, the wolf had questions. Although Aspen seemed to be in a relatively good mood so she decided rather than ignore her. She would dignify that question with an answer, needed or not. "I am," she stated. 

Aha figure we might as well have a couple posts while waiting for Reek to show up XD :P Hope you don't mind Reek.

I don't mind at all :P

Having come back from the coast and leaving behind a fruitless attempt to find his co-alpha, Reek returned to the grotto with low spirits and broken pride. He found himself settled deep in the coldest chamber of his claimed cave, retreating to the comfort of the subterranean gloomy atmosphere, all the while, the warm April sun shone bright on the outside. The rain had finally abated, however, a storm still waged inside of Reek's stomach— so much that it nearly made him sick.

He would return to his search in due time. For now, however, he waited for Tavi to return on her own volition -- not that he figured she even would.

Resting in silence with his head placed upon his outstretched forepaws, Reek's quiet moment of reflection was broken with the sound of a familiar howl. Recognizing it as belonging to Desna, Reek rose from the spot immediately and began to make his way in her direction. A nervous tension gripped his chest. Of course, whatever news she brought would pertain to Saena and the pups she carried— Reek's pups. He expected his ex-mate to howl for him herself (as she had said when she stripped Reek of his rank), but he also figured in the tiring circumstances of birth, she had sent a runner instead.

As Reek switly made his way to the howls source, a single thought crossed his mind: his pups had been born. Of couse, this was only an assumption, but when Reek approached the youth and his newest subordinate, he couldn't help but blather, "Des! Are they— have they been born?" The thought of Tavi being missing among the wilds slipped his mind under the weight of his assumption. "Are they healthy?"

Desna was pleased when Reek came because this new recruit had been rather stiff towards her. "Reek!," she let out and greeted him excitedly. Yet, greeting her was not the first thing on his mind. Her ears flopped back and she lowered herself a bit. She couldn't help but feel a bit used. She knew she agreed to this, and maybe it was just her teenager feelings that were messing with her... But she felt it. It was probably her teenager self. She let out one nod. "Yes. I do not know. They sound healthy. Saena doesn't allow me close, none of the pack except for a white male i don't know that seems new and another new one...," she spoke. "Sorry. I thought I would have more ... status. But apparently I don't," she commented.

Desna ignored the new one currently. This was technically non of her business and seeing that she hadn't been welcoming either while she had been friendly Desna was not very inclined to show her some friendliness again. There were also a few other things that she wanted to talk Reek about, but that she wouldn't say with this other girl with them. That was a very private matter for the young female.

Seems Aspen is no longer needed in here. Unless im wrong and Reek still wants her to stick around. I wont fade out with this post perhaps Reek could dismiss her to talk with Des further or ill leave on my own next post.

Aspen heard Reek approach and immediately turned to him to greet him with a gentle nudge and she made sure her tail and ears were in the appropriate place. The youth seemed to do the same. Aspen assumed these wolves used to be members of the same pack and although she had not read the complete pack history of how Larksong came to be it seemed like there was some tension between the Alpha's here and the Alpha of this young black wolf's pack. 

She listened as Reek asked a question of the young wolf that seemed to indicate pups. Hold on surely if Reek is here and there is a second Alpha they must be mates, how does Reek have a litter elsewhere. Seems there was a lot Aspen didn't know, and likely never would. The black fae excitedly explained that the pups were healthy at least they sounded, and that she hadn't exactly been allowed near them by their mother Saena. 

The whole situation was quite puzzling to Aspen but if there's one thing she had learned growing up. It's never a good idea to pry.

Reek's heart nearly skipped a beat to hear that his young were all healthy, but one particular detail that Desna had divulged jumped out to him, causing his stomach to lurch. "A white wolf?" Reek asked, confused. At the moment, it didn't quite click with Reek as to who this stranger was, but he found it curious that Saena would trust a new recruit so close to their pups. It made Reek uneasy.

He could tell there was more Desna wished to say, but with company so close, she held her tongue. Reek turned to Aspen and asked, "Aspen.  Uh, care to tend the cache for a while? I'd like to speak to Desna alone for a while."

Reek turned his gaze back to the youth. "Walk with me," he spoke, turning away from his newest recruit to lead Desna away.

Desna looked at Reek who looked... not how she expected him to look. He looked confused. The young female looked at Reek and then to the new wolf that was told to leave. The girl turned more to Reek when he asked her to walk with him. She was curious about what he wanted to talk to her about. She didn't feel at home at Phoenix anymore with Tavi and Reek gone. She felt rather lonely.

There was also another matter she wanted to talk with Reek about, he was her sole advisor after all, and she had something she wanted to discuss, she realized that those were actually two matters. The young female had a bit of a crush on Mason, but she was not sure if she should act on it. All the males in her life left her.

Posting with permission to skip Aspen. Sorry for the wait Mar!

As they walked, leaving the subordinate behind on the threshold of the border, Reek shoved his own confusion and elation toward the news Desna brought away, tucking it deep inside his own emotional lock-box. Looking to the side as they strolled through the rocky territory, Reek could see a troubled expression wrought across Desna's face. Surely something was on her mind that she hadn't mentioned with Aspen around. She was the closest thing Reek had to a daughter, even more-so than his own biological children, of which he was doomed never to know, so seeing her in such a way brought a frown to his features.

"What's wrong Des?" he asked, concerned. "Something's troubling you, I can tell." He knew her well, and consequentially, he could read her like an open book. Whatever was weighing on her heart, and Reek wanted to know what it was so he could do whatever he could to fix it.

Not to worry!!

Densa walked with Reek. It seemed he instantly felt something was wrong. How he knew that was something that Desna did not know, however she knew that she was quite expressive with her facial features. She let out a soft sigh. "I went to see my father, and he was.... Well, I expected him to be sad about my mother's death, he wasn't not at all. My brother was and wanted to reconnect with me but ... I don't want that. He had mean comments too, probably unintentional because he grew up in that dark pack. Still... It made me realize that I had a new family, Phoenix. And when I returned that family was also ripped apart," she spoke, looking sour and upset.

"It is clear to me now. Families aren't there for each other," she spoke bitterly and then looked at Reek. "And now... While every wolf I care about forgets about me and how I am feeling I am starting to like a boy but I don't want to. Because everyone leaves me and if he does too then I don't want to live in this world either," she spoke. Her teenage dramatics making it a bit worse, she did not really plan on killing herself. But there was some truth in her words, with wolves leaving her.

Edit: *Cough* @Reek *cough* :P

I'm so so sooooooo sorry about how long I've let this thread sit! I've been so busy lately and I've had to juggle a bunch of high priority/joining threads that just came out of nowhere.

He had not asked about Desna's trip to see her father the last time he had seen her -- Reek had been too caught up in his own situation and the well-being of his pups to even think to ask. Now, he realized it must have not gone as smoothly as Desna had hoped. Reek's head drooped low and his expression knitted into a sorrowful frown. He should have told her not to go, he thought. In hindsight, Reek thought he could have shielded her from the heartbreak of facing her own broken family. When it finally dawned on him that she had returned to the maplewood to see that the Redtail family had imploded in on itself, it must have accentuated the pain that weighed on her.

Reek stopped in his tracks as a wave of guilt washed over him. "Des—" he muttered, gaze falling on the youth in earnest. "Relationships are hard Desna, and even the best of us make mistakes." The ones Reek happened to make, however, were ones that one could not bounce back from. "That doesn't mean that families aren't always there for each other. If Saena called for me, I'd run to the maplewood in a heartbeat and I'd do whatever she asked of me. I'll always be there for my pups… and I'll always be there for you— even if it has to be at a distance." He paused and bit his lip. "You'll always be family to me Des -- I will never, ever, ever forget you." He loved her like a father loves a daughter. Though she was not of his own blood, Reek felt she might as well have been.

The mention of some strange boy must have also weighed heavy on her young mind. With so many failing relationships around her, it was Desna's natural right to be scared. "Can you tell me about the boy? he asked.

Totally okay, Ryan <3. I've been busy too so the wait has not been long for me! I thought now I have some time this weekend we could make some new progress haha.

Desna stopped walking too when Reek did. He started to explain things, but it was so hard to believe because she went to her father and he would not do that for his children, for her. He probably would for Xan. Light tears sprung in her eyes and she sat down. He might be there for her at a distance but what if she didn't want that to be? She missed him too, and with all these feeling running through her body she wasn't sure if she wanted to dislike Reek or just stay around here and not go back to Phoenix. She could probably never hate Reek though. "It doesn't feel that way though," she admitted quietly. "I feel like a spy in my own pack because you made a mistake and when I would visit you it would not be for me but for your young." She didn't want to be in the background.

Desna shrugged a bit and looked away. "I am not ever sure what it is, but he has been really nice to me. He is called Mason, and he lives at Silvertip now. He is the Beta too, I didn't know at first. I met him because he and his uncle Steady came to the PHX borders to see my mother, but she was dying at the time." She slowly battered her eyes up. "But I shouldn't like him. Nothing good will come out of it," she muttered and let her ears fall.

Reek shook his head. His intention was never for Desna to feel like some sort of tool -- like her only purpose was to be used. She was so much more than that to Reek, but he could understand why she felt such a way. Of course, Reek did want her there for his children in his place, but he wanted it to be her choice to aide Reek in this way.

He sighed. "I know I asked so much of you last time we saw each other. I'm just— I'm just scared—" It was too much to make her promise, he knew that now after having some time to think about the situation. His gaze cast downward and his shoulders rolled forward in a sad slump. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to -- Des, you mean too much to me. No matter what happens or what you do, you're still my little girl" To ruin the relationship between them, Reek felt, would only make matters worse. He couldn't, nor wouldn't, bear it.

When she spoke about the boy, Reek's expression brightened. He nodded along, and when she meantioned that he was the beta of a pack, Reek couldn't help but quirk a brow. Certainly, she had set her sights high -- but beta or not, in Reek's eyes it would take a special wolf to be good enough for Desna. "It's perfectly natural to like him Des. If he's a nice boy, I see no harm in at least trying," he offered. However, Reek had surely played a role in marring Desna's mental image of relationships. Love was a difficult thing: both the best and worst, but a life without it was empty.

Mensa looked at the male and listened to his words, they sounded so convincing but she was slowly becoming a bit more skeptical of his words. Maybe later they would sink in, but now she tried to keep herself a bit at a distance, emotionally. She did feel her heart beat quickly when he called her his little girl. Because all she wanted was a family. "I... I will keep that in mind," she spoke to him and then stepped at least a bit closer. Because she did see Reek as her adoptive dad for a long time.

Desna shrugged lightly. "I don't want to get my heart broken or hurt. I've been hurt enough already. I am not sure what I want to do with the whole liking him thing. I don't feel ready yet," she admitted. Her hazel eyes looked up at the male. She did like that she could talk to him. Desna let out a soft sigh. "I first need to get better myself," she decided out loud. "Are you doing okay?"