Larksong Grotto Let's Rise

Backdated to June 14th <3

Charley hadn't seen his goddess in a good while, not since before both the hunt and his meeting with Reek. He'd retracted himself from the general population, save for Zaavier. The slimmer man was the only one who shared a portion of his pains, and had been able to gain the Pryor's trust, and he'd even let the other male take a look at his wounds. But now, he craved to see her, and there was always a posibility that she was mad at him for his absence. 
Stopping beside the lake to drink his fill, Charley sat by himself for a couple of minutes to clear his mind and gather new thoughts. Emory had been haunting his thoughts lately, and suppose that was what drove him to reach out to the only other female he was close to. 
After a while, as the sun began to close down, he finally called for @Aspen. The ragged male tried smoothing down his unruly fur, but it only whisked back into its shag-carpet resemblance. He rolled his bold sky blue eyes, giving up and setting to watching for Aspen's silvery coat.

Aspen's ears twitched as she scrambled out of the lake as the howl of her mate rang out over the horizon. It had been a little bit since the two had spoken and it appears they had a lot to talk about. Aspen wondered if Charley had heard about this new faith Reek and the other had brought in. What did he think? 

Aspen hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since her conversation with the alpha. She didn't really know what to think at this point. 

Aspen made her way through the territory to meet Charley where he had called to her. She dipped her head in greeting before noticing a healing gash on his muzzle. Immediately a look of concern washed over her face as she got a closer look at it. Well....it could be worse I guess. She thought as she licked him quickly over his cheek. "Hey handsome," she mused offering him a smile, concern still showing slightly in her eyes.

Aspen came to him quickly, for that he was glad for. Charley stood and, with a wag of his tail, stepped forward to nuzzle her shoulder and exchange licks to the face. He didn't bother mentioning the hunt, not yet: he still felt guilty from losing the hunt for her. Instead, he got right to the 
          "Hello there Angel. Have you heard about this new thing Reek is following, some sun god that expects loyalty after spending a lifetime hurting you? Raas is the reason my mother was a cheating whore, why my father is dead, why my sister abandoned me. Why my life has been scraping by. Why every problem in our life happens, according to Reek: he hurts us and breaks us down so that we follow him."
With each word came more anger, but Charley averted his eyes to his paws so Aspen wouldn't think it was at her. He couldn't do this, couldn't live here. Not under the pressure of Reek and the Seer, no. Aspen was his mate now, but was she willing go go another step further?
Despite what happened with Vixen, would she still come with him and start a pack?
                         "Aspen, what do you think about starting a pack? Me and you at the head of it, ruling how we want and letting nobody get in our way! We could rule, have all the breeding rights to ourselves, first pick of any prey."

So, kidding, this thread is now dated to June 17th.

Aspen was greeted with a nuzzle to her shoulder and a return lick to the face her tail was wagging but she could sense something was bugging the male. She sat down near him and listed intently as he spoke. "Hello there Angel." he began and Aspen couldn't help but smile as a warm feeling radiated through her. She loved that name. Angel. She looked at him and kept her ears towards him as he continued. "Have you heard about this new thing Reek is following, some sun god that expects loyalty after spending a lifetime hurting you? Raas is the reason my mother was a cheating whore, why my father is dead, why my sister abandoned me. Why my life has been scraping by. Why every problem in our life happens, according to Reek: he hurts us and breaks us down so that we follow him." She could hear the anger now set in his tone. 

"Yes I have," she said pausing for a moment thinking of how to phrase things. "I don't actually see how that makes much of any sense. How does breaking us down the way this supposed god has make us want to follow it more. It ruined our lives and its giving us the ultimatem that "Oh i've destroyed your life so far but if you follow me I can make it better". It doesnt make sense, it to me seems like some kind of messed up joke, yet Reek has his heart set on it," she sat staring at her mate.

She was trying to remain calm so as not to trigger Charley further but she wasn't sure that was working. "I don't believe that there is anyone trying to help us, if there was my life surely wouldnt have been as hellish and neither would yours, our lives have been pure hell and any religion I've heard of wouldn't let that happen," she stated bluntly. No amount of suffering is deserved by any wolf and yet many still suffer. She thought to herself quietly. 

Aspen didn't really know what to do at this point in time. She had a sinking feeling this religion was not optional so unless she and Charley left...they wouldn't be happy here. As if to read her thoughts Charley brought up the idea of starting their own pack. Aspen's smile returned to her maw "I would love that Charley, then we could rule the way we think that a pack deserves to be ruled. Not live like this, following Raas or whatever they call it," she kept eyes locked on his as she spoke. 

Sounds good to me :D

As usual, Aspen was easy to sit and listen. She didn't seem to hold anything against him, and not just agreed with Charley in thinking Reek was crazy for following this woman. His mate was also ready and willing to start a pack with him, and the Pryor's heart soared. His own land, his own mate, pups, all his own to decide how went what way. His anger did indeed rise, as did the scruffy man to pace circles around Aspen. 
           "We can't stay here, but perhaps anyone not willing to stay here and deal with Reek's shit will be willing to join our cause. No harm in asking, right?"
Charley stopped mid-step to glance her way, but gave her little room to resond before talking further. 
                                "Live like royalty, we will. You deserve the best, and you deserve to rule as a Queen beside me my love. Divide our ranks between an inner circle and and outer one, those who are family and those who have yet to prove themselves, who are friends and newcomers."
Now, his anger fading, the brute began to excite himself. His dreams, his farfetched dreams, they were really going to come true. With Aspen at his side, surely they would be able to do it together?

Aspen watched as Charley began to pace. Seemed her attempt at calming him didn't work. She followed him with her eyes. Listening as he spoke about taking any of the other wolves here that didnt agree with us. "I wouldn't have anything against those that wish, following us Charley. Some of the people here I have come to know well." she spoke in the short time he gave her to speak before he continued. 

"Live like royalty, we will. You deserve the best, and you deserve to rule as a Queen beside me my love. Divide our ranks between an inner circle and and outer one, those who are family and those who have yet to prove themselves, who are friends and newcomers."

Live like royalty. The words rolled over and over in her head. It was perfect. "That sounds...perfect," she let the words roll off her tongue softly. Aspen never dreamed that she would one day be capable of running her own pack and yet here she was her mate by her side, the idea no longer seemed impossible. Turns out her future was not set in stone. Things could and had changed for the better.

Charley had no qualms with anyone who stayed, for he couldn't truly fault any who stayed loyal to Reek. He wished them the best of luck, and would leave with only Aspen by his side if thats what it would be. He stopped in his pacing to focus again on her, eyes bright with excitement and tail wagging. 
            "We can leave alone if they are loyal to the grotto, I don't care. But we will live the way we should have been raised in. We will give our children a kingdom to grow up in, give them the life we never had."
He pressed his face into hers, licking her face and unable to deny the pup like excitement that filled the brute from ears to tail. 
                           "I'll begin recruiting tomorrow. We stay as long as Reek allows us to be nonbeliever's."

Aspen smiled warmly as Charley explains that the two of them will live the life they should have been raised with and her tail wagged slightly at the mention of puppies. She would love to have pups for sure, and with him. He had her heart now, he was her life, her love, her everything. Aspen knew she was due a heat soon anyways, she was surprised she hadn't had one in the spring but that meant there was more than likely gunna be a summer heat.  She returned the affectionate licks to her muzzle.

Aspen was about as excited as Charley was at this point about starting their own pack. Something that was well and truly theirs. Something they could control unlike their pasts. Yet one question rested on her mind. "Where will we go?" she asked appearing to be deep in thought. 

Aspen couldn't help but frown slightly at the thought that Charley was going to venture off for a little bit on his own, but she didn't let it show. She instead nuzzled into his shoulder taking in his scent. "Alright, that sounds like a good idea. Perhaps I will stay behind and talk to the rest of the LSG wolves, see what they think... Stay safe my love.... " she said the last part quieter than the rest but it meant just as much if not more.

Charley smiled even after being faced with a question of where to go, shrugging and deciding that detail would come later. He was more worried about the fact that Aspen was now nuzzling into his chest, and the brute sat back and pulled her close with a paw to quell her worries and draw in her scent. 
           "Don't worry, my queen, I'll always come back to you. Stay safe here, too, and see what the pack thinks. I'll send recruits to Redtail Rise, if you'd like to meet them too. I'll go out tomorrow and we'll meet up in the den after sundown."
Nibbling softly behind her ear to preen the soft silver fur, Charley fell into silence and set to grooming his wife. They'd get a good nights sleep tonight, perhaps, but after these next few days it could be a while before they get to sleep in a place to call their own again. Might as well enjoy the peace as they can.

Aspen smiled as Charley pulled her close and spoke about how he would always return to her and told her as well to stay safe. He also explained that he would head out in the morning and then meet back here at the den after sundown. At least he wasn't planning to take days on his journey, and she had something to focus on while he was gone. That was talking to the other wolves. Finding out if any of them were leaving the grotto. 

She would go to Zaavier first then perhaps see if she could find Lilac or some of the others, preferably without being noticed by either alpha. That's the last thing they would need right now.

"I'll be right here waiting," she said softly as he began to groom her. She returned him a few licks on his shoulder and flank before turning to him and she yawned. "You want to head in for the night Charley, you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow it would be good to get a good nights sleep behind you," she stated licking him over the muzzle affectionately before standing and stretching her front legs tail swaying happily behind her. 

One more post from the both of them? then we can archive?

It was easy to stay there and groom one another for a long moment, and Charley wished it could last forever. When Aspen pulled away, his eyes snapped open and flicked to her in worry. Her words, however, brought a smile to his face and the brute stood, nodding along and agreeing with his wife happy wife, happy life!.
             "That sounds good Angel, lead the way."
Her yawn was contagious, and his own inky maw split in a wide yawn. as he followed her to and into the den. It was small, cramped, for such a brute to wedge himself into around Aspen. They fit, somehow, if only just. After a bit of squirming and grunts, Charley curled himself behind and around the pale woman, head resting on her shoulder, breathing in the scent of her. 
                               "Don't worry about anything my goddess. Ill find us our subjects, and we'll find our kingdom together. Soon, we willl live the lives weve always deserved: not living with the very thing that broke us down all our lives."

Sorry for the slight PP, figured it was cute and would totally be okay :3 Lemme know if you want me to change.