Blacktail Deer Plateau they grieved it on its way

GREZIG’S LEAVING BDP. This is her goodbye thread. I am tagging every member, but this thread is NOT mandatory. There will THREE-DAY rounds and NO POSTING ORDER to make this easier and faster. I have loved my time with everyone here and this departure is PURELY FOR IN CHARACTER REASONS. Genevieve, I love Liri’s character! It is only Grezig who doesn’t like her! I’ve enjoyed the good times and the drama! I love all y’all! @Liri @Kavik @Ruenna @Elixir @Issun @Minori @Siqsa @Krarius @Uruuk @Siege @Illidan @Corvus

Today was the day. Grezig was one part excited and one part nauseous. She’d always assumed, once she had met Liri and Kavik, that she would stay by their sides forever. But apparently, it was not to be. Things had changed drastically. And now she had to leave, for the good of this pack, and for her own mental and emotional health. She wanted the Plateau to succeed no matter what. She was not the type to wish ill will on those who had done nothing to her. She couldn’t even build up any wrath against Liri today. She was feeling tired and numb, but determined.

She found a clearing in the trees, somewhere not too far from the Door, and sat down. Then, she threw her head back and howled. She called everyone because everyone deserved to know.

Kavik had just crossed back over the borders from the grasslands below the plateau when Grezig's call reached his ears. He paused for moment, wondering what important news she had for the whole pack to be summoned. Moving again, he headed towards The Door where her call had originated. 

When he arrived in the clearing, he noticed he was the first to arrive. There was still a certain amount of awkwardness between them, mostly because they hadn't really done much to resolve anything. Trying his best to ignore it, he walked to sit in front of her, dipping his head in greeting and saying, Grezig.

Corvus was occupying himself with patrolling the borders when Grezig's call came. Oddly, it sounded like she was at the Door. What could she need everyone for there? With a curious mind, the raven made his way there at a trot. When he arrived, he saw only her and Kavik. It was uncommon for him to be close enough to answer a call so quickly. Not finding it necessary to speak, Corvus remained silent, merely giving the pair a nod in greeting. He gazed at Grezig with an unreadable expression. Her behavior at the border when he returned was peculiar and concerning, and the two hadn't run into each other since. Did this have something to do with that? He waited for the others to arrive so his curiosity could be satiated.

She had just managed to catch a fat rabbit when Grezig's call went up. She had a niggling suspicion on what it was and therefore took her sweet time getting there. She didn't want to say goodbye to another friend, she didn't want the pain. Yet it was her who had said she supported Grezig doing what she needed to do and so she did arrive, a little bit after Corvus.

She took her place standing silently a little ways away from Kavik and Corvus with the rabbit in her jaws. She set it down and nodded in greeting to Kavik and Grezig then offered a smile to Corvus. "Hello Grezig. What's going on?" she asked softly though there was a slightly somber tone to the question.

Elixir had been outside the territory though not too far off as the call echoed and met her. The wolfdog stopped in her tracks, knowing that going any farther would cause her to be late to the summons. She mumbled a bit of frustration, it would be the first time she had seen all of the pack since the last class they had had. It wasn’t her favorite time anymore, seeing others together and happy. The wolfdog reluctantly turned to pad toward The Door where the howl had come from. Head dropped and ears dropped as she passed the border yet again.

The ebony woman came upon the group that consisted of Grezig, Kavik, CORVUS???, and Minori. She had to take that double take when she saw Corvus, had she really been that absent lately that she failed to realize one of their founding members was back? Apparently so. A soft smile was flashed to the man who had found his way back home. Elixir rightfully took a seat away from the others not feeling worthy enough to have a seat with them. A worried look came upon her as she looked at Grezig, a part of her wanted to speak up about trying to work things out but her head told her to shut her mouth.

Rue was not one to willingly miss out on a gathering of the pack, especially since she had been feeling so out of the loop lately. This would also be the first pack activity she would attend as Beta, and she supposed it would do well for the others to start seeing her in her official capacity. Rue moved toward Grezig's call with steady purpose, trying to calm her nerves by controlling her movements. Had others taken Rue's promotion as a personal blow, as Elixir had? Rue thought it was possible she was about to find out. 

Others had arrived before Rue. She drew up to the group just in time to see Minori flash a smile at Corvus. Well. It seemed those two had made up since that little clash at the border. Thank the stars they were able to work it out themselves; Rue would not have envied Elixir trying to counsel them through... whatever it was that was between them. Speaking of Elixir, the wolfdog seemed to be holding herself apart from the group. Perhaps she was still feeling down? Rue nudged her friend as she passed, offering her a warm smile and a nodded invitation to come a little closer and take the seat beside her. On by one, Rue made eye contact with the others who had gathered, wordlessly greeting them with small nods and tail-wags.

She was fairly certain that she knew why Grezig was calling them together but that didn't mean she looked forward to it. Elixir's advice had lingered and as she loped to the Door, Liri wondered if there had been a chance of reparations. If she'd sought Grezig out, spoken with her like the Counselor had suggested, was there a lost possibility that they could have fixed this? 

It seemed to her that there was too many things between them that had been broken. Maybe this was for the best. 

If it was, if this could help all three of them heal, then why did she feel so shitty?

She lingered on the edges of those gathered, dark eyes seeking Grezig's. She could find no emotion to display within them, just weary acceptance. Her gaze searched over the members surrounding the Beta, wondering if any would choose to follow her.

Elixir seemed to be feeling better, and it hadn't escaped her notice that Corvus had returned - she'd just been distracted with various issues and responsibilities. She nodded to him, flashing a brief smile of welcome. It was good to see him home. 

So long as he was part of this pack he was obligated respond to summons, but he found he minded less when they came from Grezig.  Though she seemed she had, ah, some things to work through, he found that her company came easily and she did not push past his limits as women liked to do.

When he arrived upon the scene he was late, but the somber tone told him much.  Though he was not a mind reader he had an inkling as to why they'd all been called.

He would not make a spectacle of himself despite all of his distaste, but if this were to be Grezig's departure, he would make it known that they weren't losing just one valuable body by leaving alongside.

Round two starts now. Remember: NO POSTING ORDER. Anyone who hasn't joined yet is still welcome!

Kavik appeared first and Grezig gave him an awkward nod. This would be shitty enough as it was; she didn’t need to make this worse by blatantly ignoring Kavik’s presence. Corvus appeared next and Grezig honestly wasn’t sure what to say to him, if anything. She hadn’t seen him in a while and he’d only been recently accepted back into the Plateau. And now she was leaving. Minori appeared after Corvus and asked her gently what was going on. “I’ll wait til more wolves show up before I say anything,” Grezig replied, though she gave Minori a significant look. Elixir came next and said nothing. Grezig hadn’t seen much of her lately and so, like with Corvus, she wasn’t sure what to say to the wolfdog. Ruenna was next. Then came Liri. Ahh, Liri. Grezig gave the female alpha her own awkward head nod, as she’d done to Kavik. Lastly was Siege, her newest companion, and she gave him a brief smile, something she’d not given to the others. She used his presence as an anchor as she began to speak.

“Some of you may guess why I called you here. I will make this brief and to the point. Liri and I have had some disagreements recently that we have not been able to work out. I will leave it to her to explain what they were. I worry rumors will be spread about why I left, so I pray that Liri is honest if anyone goes to her about me. Kavik can also tell you parts of it, if he wishes.” Here, she paused, and looked between the two alphas. “I am not blameless. I would say I mostly brought this all on myself. The truth is, I’m not sure I’m fit here in the Plateau anymore. There cannot be large disagreements between pack leaders if the pack itself is to survive and flourish. And since I started it, I’ll finish it. I am leaving. I do not know where I am going yet, but… well, that’s all I wanted to say. I will leave directly after this meeting. All those I wished to speak to before I left have already been spoken to.” Here, she finally realized that the boy was missing, and her heart hurt for a moment, but there was nothing for it.

“I have enjoyed my time here and I am sorry it has to end this way. But I think it’s for the best.” Grezig nodded to herself, looking down at her paws. “If anyone wishes to speak, do so now, but I will not be convinced to stay.” She gazed out at all of them, waiting.

He did not wait before he decided to step forward and align himself with Grezig, turning to face the congregation of wolves.  He had not been here long and he expected no shock and awe, but his impressive stare bore into Liri as he stood.  He would not speak against Grezig despite feeling that it was the pale alphess' careless regard that caused this, and he felt no need to enter into a long diatribe about his departure.  Him standing here next to the Beta would tell them enough.

She knew what was coming as soon as Grezig gave her that look and her face took on a sad expression and she lowered her chin a bit, a very small nod. She remained until Grezig spoke, nothing that she didn't know except she felt a stab of annoyance. She expected rumors to be spread and suggested the chance Liri would even dare to lie about what happened? Her tail flicked and before anyone could say anything Minori opened her mouth "Everyone here cares about you and why you would expect rumors to go around, I don't know but I do know Liri wouldn't ever lie about you and dirty your name." she spoke in a tone that was somewhat frosty, leading on to her annoyance. Her gaze softened slightly after that and she offered a small smile "I do hope you find whatever makes you happy. I'll miss you" that being said she fell silent and began to deliberate on whether to leave or stay. To see Grezig walk away would hurt but to leave would be cowardice.

Meaty post, but the first 2 paragraphs are just Corvus being a good polite boy, lol.

Minori was next to appear on the scene, and she arrived with a plump rabbit in her jaws. When she smiled at him, he returned it warmly — not with a cheeky grin, but a soft, genuine smile. She asked Grezig what the meeting was for, and Grezig said she was waiting for more members to gather. Elixir was next, and she did a double-take upon noticing him. He grinned at the sight, and she smiled back. Oddly, she took a seat away from everyone else and cast a worried glance towards Grezig. Was Elixir involved in what Grezig was going to talk about? It was frustrating trying to catch up on the happenings of the pack, but he would have his answer soon enough.

Next came Ruenna, who tried to invite the wolfdog closer. Then came Liri, who nodded and smiled at him in a silent welcome. He respectfully dipped his head, glad to finally see the alphess again. Last to arrive was the white man he never did catch the name of. The man said nothing and paid no mind to him, so Corvus merely eyed him curiously.

It was then Grezig finally spoke. The raven listened intently to her explanation and was surprised at what he heard. Liri and Grezig had seemed so close. It concerned him that Grezig was unwilling to even go into detail about what exactly caused this rift between them. Not only that, but she suggested confronting the alphas for the full story. Whatever happened, it had to have been serious; he knew Grezig was very passionate about the pack since the beginning, having recruited many of the founding members herself — including him. She didn't earn the rank of beta for nothing. Corvus felt it was important to know what these disagreements entailed, so he made note to ask about it later.

The pale man moved to stand beside Grezig, still not uttering a word. Corvus was sure he'd never even heard his voice. Was he leaving with her? Why? Was he involved in some way? He loathed having all these pressing questions that would not immediately be answered. Corvus figured Grezig would've answered his questions, but her speech only elicited more that ate at his mind.

Minori insisted that Liri wouldn't tarnish Grezig's name, and Corvus wanted to believe that. However, he also acknowledged that it was all-too common for emotions to get in the way, twisting the truth of a story — intentionally or otherwise. Perhaps he'd ask multiple members for their take on the situation.

He figured now was as good a time to speak as ever, so he did. I regret not spending more time with you, Grezig. While I don't fully understand what I've missed, I respect your decision to leave. You were a fine beta. I hope we meet again someday. If we do, I want a rematch... good warrior. Corvus grinned then, but it was bittersweet in flavor.

She nodded along to what Grezig was saying, calm until the Beta implied that she might smear her name. A brow lifted at this last dig, and suddenly, she didn't feel quite so downtrodden. 

"There will be no rumors," the leader waited until the group had fallen silent again, to make sure she had their full attention. She stepped forward to stand beside Kavik, desperately needing his steady presence to get what she was about to say off her chest. 

"I will explain to all of you what happened, right now. Grezig will be able to leave with the assurance that her image is untarnished." Dark eyes lifted to the former Beta, as emotionless as they had been when she begged for a spar. They would find out anyways, from the way Grezig was talking about it. Fuck it. Why not just tell them? 

"Grezig had asked Kavik to father her children in the spring. They met to speak with me about this and I, of course, did not agree. Grezig backed out at the last second because she realized that she wanted Kavik not only for procreation but also, she cared for him."

"Still, it caused tension between us and when Grezig said she wanted to leave to search for Illidan's family, I agreed."

She glanced to Grezig again, studying the woman who had once been her most trusted aside from Kavik.  

I wanted to forgive but you came home with hate in your heart.

"I do not know what happened beyond our borders but undeniably a rift formed between Grezig and I upon her return. She asked me to spar with her and I refused." She dipped her head slightly, as if to say and now we're here. 

She had told them the truth, as calmly as she could with no malice or blame or even anger. She could muster none of these emotions.

"If any of you would choose to go with Grezig, do so freely. I will not hold you back or force you to choose sides. Go with our blessing, and I wish you all the best of luck," her gaze searched over the familiar faces to land on Grezig and Siege for she was including them in her message. 

EDIT: Fixed this post to tone down the Siege-staring description, I didn't mean to make it sound like Siege was making an overt threat the first time (sorry!!). Traumatized lil Rue is just being over-vigilant; it is typical for her threat-reaction to be exaggerated during tense moments. I also changed some of the wording around Rue's judgy thoughts at the end, since I initially forgot to include Kavik in her judge-fest. 

Ruenna smiled and wagged her tail at Liri as she joined the group. The mysterious ivory man arrived as well, and Rue would offer him a welcoming nod if he looking her her direction. It seemed now that the leaders were here, Grezig was ready to address them. 

The tension between the leaders had been palpable to Rue, but even so she was quite suprised to hear Grezig talk about leaving. What could possibly warrant such an extreme solution? Rue's ears flattened in distaste as Grezig implied that Liri might be anything other than honest with the pack. Minori jumped to Liri's defense, and Rue agreed with a small, almost imperceptible nod of approval. 

The ivory male stood to join Grezig's departure, which caused Rue to raise a brow. Even though Rue and Grezig never quite clicked, it occured to the Rue that there were likely others in the pack who had been close to Grezig-- closer to her than the other leaders, even. Would others follow the example of the ivory man?

Grezig's new follower was glaring at Liri with enough intensity that it made Rue shift uncomfortably. Rue knew that she was naturally edgier than most, and she cut her eyes at Kavik, Corvus, and Minori to see how they were reacting. The pack's warriors were trained to respond to threat, and Rue knew their reactions would help her gauge her own threat response. 

Liri would waste no time in delivering the explanation. That was probably for the best; Rue imagined that there wasn't a single wolf in the pack that wouldn't have followed up with Liri after a speech like Grezig's. The story was even more wild than Rue could have imagined. Rue was young and idealistic and knew little of how love worked, and so she was agahst at the idea that any woman would pursue procreation with a married man--the mate of her leader, no less. It also baffled Rue that Kavik would have entertained such an idea even intially. Clearly Rue understood very little of the kind of relationship the other three leaders shared. 

As Liri concluded, Rue simply sat in stunned silence, trying to wrap her mind around the turn of events.

Grezig's words didn't quite register fully in his brain at first, but as the truth sank in, it was like a kick to the gut. He knew things had been strained lately, but he had really thought they could work things out; it was a naive thought, but they had been through so much; surely they could figure this out. But it seemed that to Grezig, there was too much between the three of them for her to be an effective beta, and he had to respect her for that. He would not force her to stay or try to beg her to work tings out--if she felt she needed to go her own way, he would swallow his feelings and wish her the best. 

But then, once the initial shock had worn off, more of her words registered in the alpha's mind--particularly the part where she maybe implied that his mate wouldn't give a truthful account of the events that had led to all of this. His brows lifted in surprise, and a strange feeling bubbled in his chest. Why would she say that? Of the three of them, Liri was the least to blame for all of this; in fact, she held no blame at all. If Grezig wanted to be angry with someone it should be him for allowing any of this to happen in the first place. He gave her an incredulous look, unsure how to respond. His gaze caught the flash of movement from their newest member as he went to stand next to Grezig, making his intent to follow her quite clear. That was fine; he would not keep anyone from leaving with their former beta if that's what they wished to do. 

Minori began to speak before he could respond any further, and her words quelled his anger a little. He was already fond of the warrior, but to see her stand up for Liri in front of everyone proved her level of loyalty. He gave her a nod of gratitude before his attention was drawn to Corvus as he politely spoke his piece. 

The alpha hardly had time to process the mercenary's words before his mate was speaking, her words making it clear she was not happy with the implication that she might spread rumors. He felt her move to his side, and he pressed against her, giving her the strength she felt she needed and also making it clear where his loyalties were in all of this. He loved Grezig, and he wished more than anything that she would stay and figure this shit out, but Liri was his mate and a victim in all of this, and he had her back no matter what. He was surprised that she would want to discuss their issues in such a public way, but he knew the members would be seeking them out with questions anyway, so they might as well get it all out in the open. As she spoke, he wondered what the pack thought of the situation--of him for being so stupid and careless with his mate's love and trust. He wanted to look away and avoid the gaze of the other wolves gathered there, but he kept his eyes forward; he deserved whatever shame was coming. He took full responsibility for all of this horrible mess.

When Liri mentioned the spar, there was no look of surprise on the alpha's inky face. She had told him of the interaction. He felt for Grezig and the turmoil she must be going through, but he also respected his mate's decision; she owed them nothing for this. She was not the one who had brought trouble into their relationship--that was all on Kavik and Grezig. It might be a biased stance on his part, but he didn't really care. Had Liri been in the wrong somehow, he would have certainly felt differently, but that was not the case. And even after all the tension and the way this meeting had gone, Liri still found it in her heart to wish Grezig and any followers well on their journey, again proving herself too good for him.

No one else spoke, so finally, he felt it was his turn to speak. He still remained pressed against his mate as he turned to look at his former beta. As Liri has just said, she would never spread rumors or false information about what has gone on between the three of us. Kavik's expression turned dark and pained. I am hurt that you would imply as much. He turned to look at the rest of the group. What Liri has told you is the truth. I-- he paused, looking down and swallowing the lump in his throat. I was an idiot, and I take full responsibility for this mess. I completely accept any ill-feelings you may have towards me in light of this information and understand if you wish to leave. If you wish to stay, I will truthfully answer any questions. Kavik looked back to Grezig then, his expression only sad. You are still my friend, and I wish you only the best on your journey. I hope we can one day move past this but if not, then I guess this is goodbye. You have been a good leader to this pack, Grezig, and I'm certain you will flourish in any endeavor you take on. He fell silent then, dipping his head towards his friend before turning back to the group.

ROUND THREE STARTS NOW. @Siege has asked to reply first, but after that, there is NO POSTING ORDER. Sorry for the delay on this.

Siege remained silent at Grezig’s words. Minori sounded judgmental for thinking that Grezig might worry about rumors. Grezig’s body heated in embarrassment at the words, but she said nothing. To her, it was a legitimate concern considering how personal it all was, but she supposed she could have been nicer on the delivery. She nodded when Minori offered her happiness. 

Corvus spoke next, wishing her well and joking about a rematch to their spar, which now seemed… ages ago. She nodded to the warrior she’d recruited all those months earlier, a glimmer of respect in her eyes. 

Liri spoke next, and Grezig, despite herself, flinched at the alpha’s voice. ’There will be no rumors.’

So Liri was going to explain it to them all, then? Very well. Better to get it out now, probably. She listened with a carefully impassive face as the alpha explained what had happened. Liri was concise and honest and Grezig appreciated her for it, despite all that had happened between them. She looked around at everyone, who had a myriad of reactions on their faces, and was about to speak, but Kavik beat her to it. 

He was hurt that she would think rumors would be spread about her. This was the second time in this short meeting that that had been said to her. Well. Tough shit. Kavik’s opinion of her no longer mattered. This was a lie, of course, but it was better to lie to herself now than to be hurt by this whole situation all over again, in front of everyone. Of course, he blamed himself for it all. Because of course he did. He always did. Grezig sighed, but remained silent, waiting for him to finish speaking. 

Finally, when no one had anything else to say, Grezig spoke. “Well.” She looked around at everyone. “Now you know the truth. We all made mistakes here. I suppose I cannot help who I chose to fall in love with, but my actions regarding that were… stupid and detrimental to the pack. So I have decided to leave to give the Plateau a chance to heal from this strange rift between the leaders. I will not ask any of you to go with me, nor do I expect it. Liri and Kavik are good, strong alphas who deserve your loyalty. But if any of you choose to come with me, I would be honored.” She bowed her head just a bit, and then sat up straight and waited. If no one had anything else to say, she would leave.

It was odd to hear Grezig say the words out loud--that she had fallen in love with him. Before then, it had just been an unspoken awkwardness between the three of them, at least on his end. He briefly looked away from his friend, leaning into his mate a little more while he gathered his thoughts again. 

Even after everything, she still encouraged the pack to stay here, stating that he and Liri were strong alphas. Sadness swelled in his chest at the words. She was loyal and strong and he didn't think they'd ever have another beta that could fill her shoes. He looked to Grezig again and dipped his head in thanks for her words. If anyone else has anything to add, please speak now. he said, turning to the rest of the pack. If not, then, he looked back to his friend, Good luck, Grezig. Thank you for everything you have done for the pack. He fell silent after that, waiting for the rest to speak their piece.

It seemed that once the secret had been let out, no one had anything else to say. This was fine with Grezig, who only wanted to leave at this point. She was sad that Illidan had not shown up, but she’d already told him that she was leaving, so at least he knew. Without another word, she got up and turned away, eyes flicking to Siege for a moment to signal that she was leaving. Leaving this part of her life behind. Leaving her family for what? 

[Exit.]

I will close this in three days. December 9