Lost Creek Hollow yeh you've had enough

maybe @Mona ? AW

terance finished his patrol today with a fox clutched in his jaws. it had dared to cross the western border, and so terance put it right into its place. 

a cache.

he deposited the body into the nearest one before taking a few moments to stretch. torso lowered and forelimbs stretched out before him, before he switched to stretch out his hind legs. oof, his shoulder was stiff today, though he tried not to pay any mind to it. he'd still managed to do his job of patrolling-- and then some. all was well today, ah, at least as well as it could be. what, with the news of hyacinth? terance blamed himself, though he tried not to. this was not his fault in any manner-- though he wondered if he should be implementing some sort of buddy system for leaving the territory, in case someone else did something stupid...

he wondering what treason would think of that. 

with a final sniff at the cache, terance headed off towards the center of the territory, still probably smelling like fox. gross, go put on some cologne or something.

it was the reek of fox that drew mona. though the girl thought fondly of the homba she had hunted with piper, the common vulpine was a threat to cubs and cache alike. scarlet hackles bristling, mona padded quickly through the underbrush toward the scent of it, lithe body tensed to attack should she spot the tell-tale hue of the would-be thief.
but it was not a fox who bore the scent; it was terance, his large, scarred frame moving deliberately through the wood. mona's head lifted sharply; she regarded him with no small amount of timidity, but it was interest that brought her to his side. it seemed he had slain one of the pests, and her plume waved affably at her heels. "there was a glade of them near bearclaw; i saw foxes too often for my liking."
her tone was casual; mona hoped terance could not hear the horrid thud of her heart beneath her crimson coat.

he could not hear her heart, only her voice, and the gentle crunch of leaves underfoot. the stark man turned to look at the fire-red she-wolf that joined him, regarding her with a gentle smile and a flick of his ears as he listened to her. "the forest," he commented, remembering the territory near the base of sunspire. he knew it, and neither was he a fan of the place. he gave one, solemn nod to this. "i guess they'll still stray this far, but i'm sure having easthollow as a barrier is nice," he added with a sweeping wave of his tail.

this was mona. terance remembered her name quite easily-- indra seemed fond of her and, of course, terance valued her opinion above the other wolves of bearclaw. former, wolves of bearclaw. 

"are you settling in well, mona?" he asked her, his smile pressing back to his features, green eyes searching her scarlet face.

she parted her lips to answer, some casual tip of the tongue, but the sound of her name held in terance's rolling baritone flushed the wolfess beneath her scarlet pelt and caused her ears to tip back in consternation. "yes!" she exclaimed, a bit too loudly; grimacing, mona fixed her eyes upon the ground and cleared her throat before looking back to the appraising jade gaze of her leader.
"i'm settling very well, thank you, terance. i am a scout by trade, so if you or treason need any messages carried or lands scoped out, i'm your ... um. girl," she finished, waving her tail behind her haunches and glancing beyond the two of them while her spirit curled up and died from sheer embarassment.

terance decided here and now that he quite liked the spunk that mona had-- she seemed eager and exciting, a completely different wolf than treason, with whom he spent a lot of time with lately. not that it mattered, or that he minded, treason was a good edge to his typically passive attitude. mona was a nice, positive breathe of fresh air. 

to her enthusiasm, terance only smiled, letting the awkward ending fall past his mind. he wouldn't hold it to her. ah... but wait.

"actually," terance said with a flick of his dark ears forwards, "there's a trip i need to make north-- the news of my promotion and rannoch's injury needs to be passed on." to who? terance wondered if it was worth it to explain to this woman who he had to go see... but, he supposed it'd come out in time. "to my... ex-wife," he chuffed, ears falling back a bit as an uneasy expression fell upon his features. this was entirely not his fault, he was certain, but he wondered if the words held any sort of resignation with mona-- if she'd think differently of him for it. "i had children with her, she took them with her when she left the pack. but i try to keep them up to date on the pack..." he explained a little further. 

he tried to move past the information that he so desperately wished he could have withheld-- ah, maybe he could've... but it was too late now. "if you'd like to come with me, i would appreciate the company."

whatever terance was going to say, mona had not expected this, of all things. she was quite silent for a long moment, taking in all the darkfurred leader had said: a trip, an ex-wife, children! goodness! comments of such natures as 'you've led an interesting life' leapt to the firebrand's tongue, but of course she bit them back. they were far too forward, unbecoming of her rearing. 
then there was the matter of terance's invite: could she decline? and on what grounds? she was not a leader; he was hers, after all. indra and laurel had each other, and merrick had them. they would be all right without her, as they had been before she came to bearclaw. scarlet ears swept forward; she was curious, far too curious, and why were they leaving in winter? 
but mona's decision had been made. "of course," she chirped, wanting to smooth some ill-ease from the man's handsome features. "i've been wanting a trip."

ah, so many things that terance should have kept in mind! but he had been so overwhelmed lately with... well, everything, that details such as winter were not so present in his mind. but, terance was not a scout by trade, so this was not his area of expertise anyhow. he trusted the scouts within his pack to help guide him. 

she didn't seem so bothered by his past-- perhaps the messiness of a divorce was not regarded as a red flag to mona. terance hoped so, it was something that weighed down on his conscious often... maybe it was just him being too critical of himself. his shoulder visibly relaxed at her comment, and his lips turned up into a gentle smile as she accepted gracefully-- and with the same enthusiasm before. 

"good," terance chuffed in a soft manner, his tail beginning to wave once again, "i'm not sure when the best time to leave would be... but i think everything within the borders has settled, so i'm not so worried about that." as in, bearclaw seemed quite settled in... and rannoch seemed to be healing fine. etc. etc... his dark head tilted gently as he viewed mona curiously, wondering what she might say.

mona was suddenly flush with excitement at the prospect of traveling again; her wanderlust had gone unchecked as of late, and the yearning in her heart was soon to be satisfied. "i will be ready when you call for me, terance," the girl murmured resolutely. 
it was odd; she had not truly met him until this day, and now they were to go off on a visit together. whatever strange magick was at work, mona would not question it. "we're settling in very well," the mayfair confirmed. "thank you again, for having us."

"thank you," returned the stark gaurdian, his features loosening into a smile. and then she thanked him, once again, something that terance chuckled kindly at. "of course, i was happy to do it," he reassured her, his tail waving again. and then, terance realized he had little business to attend with her otherwise, and wondered if he should just take his leave. remembering treason's advice, however, he opted to stay among the redheads company.

"can i ask you to tell me about yourself, mona?" he asked her, green eyes settled upon her features, "i should probably get to know all of you better now that we're pack mates."

terance's gaze rested on mona; she quailed briefly, then swallowed and gave a sway of her scarlet plume. "well, i was born here, in the teekon wilds. though a far ways away. a place called silver creek." she began to move in the direction she had been heading, hoping the swarthy male would follow.
"my last name is mayfair. there used to be a pack on the coast called donnelaith.  a man named lasher mayfair led it." a wistful look flitted briefly across the girl's countenance, gone as soon as it had come. "he was my father, but i never knew him. i guess i was born after he died. i had come here hoping to learn more about him, but since i've been back, i haven't learned very much of anything."

and so the pair began off again in the direction that mona was going. he was in no rush, he didn't mind. terance was listening very intently. he had a good memory-- as long as he was listening-- and was very keen on remembering these details about his packmates, it made him a better friend and leader. but, suddenly, terance was being transported back in time... a trigger being the single word... mayfair.  "taltos," he said, almost impulsively, his green gaze falling upon her with clear surprise and intrigue. "i was born in donnelaith, my father-- dante-- was lasher's right hand for a long time... and the other way around, i think." 

wow. terance was in awe at how quickly the conversation had turned into something so... oh, he didn't even have the words for it-- terance was so bad with words! a genuine smile replaced the look of shock across his face-- a real, warm, toothy smile, like the ones the old terance used to throw around so easily. they didn't come so easily now, but a look at such a simpler past-- and such a welcomed coincidence-- really brought joy to the hollow's leader. it showed, too. "my family left when i was young but... i heard lots of stories of lasher and donnelaith-- and of your mother, blue willow," he said, ears flicking, "i could try to help you." 

of course, terance was unaware that blue willow was not mona's mother-- but that was who terance had grown up knowing to be taltos' wife. so that's what he said.

taltos.
as terance's features lit with a delight that illuminated the handsome cast of his face, mona's own seemed to pale, her eyes widening in a shock that caused her to trip forward. catching herself with a low exclamation, the girl whirled back to him, unable to walk while she looked at terance with a new regard.
born at donnelaith. his father had know her own. terance ... terance had seen the forest before it fell to ash and to ruin. tears inexplicable sprang to the corners of mona's eyes; she sniffed them back impatiently and offered a wavering smile, one that faded when he made mention of a woman that was decidedly not the woman who had bore her and cortland.
"rowan ... rowan mayfair was my mother. i think she was kicked out of donnelaith. i was born to her and casmir, along with my brother, cortland. we were raised to believe casmir was our father, but —" the scarlet bird rolled her shoulders with a sigh. "he is my older brother."
she searched terance's eyes with her own, perhaps for a moment longer than was proper, before she remembered herself and averted her gaze with more respect. "i ... i want to hear everything," came a shy voice mona scarcely recognized as her own. "what was donnelaith like?"

"i apologize," said the man, feeling guilty for having brought up, perhaps, a sensitive subject. but, of course, how was he to know the ins and outs of their relationships exactly? terance knew a blue willow, and terance knew a taltos... he knew the name mayfair by heart. and... well, terance had been too young to remember the interaction he'd had with rowan, but the name struck a strange bit of reminiscence with the hollow's alpha. "i believe your mother was still a part of the pack when i left," he added gently, "but a woman named aria january was leading, her beta was... your brother, constantine mayfair." he didn't remember that, necessarily. perhaps aria, but osprey and dante had spoke of the entire mayfair clan highly, and he knew the litter of eilidh, constantine, and cashier. "casmir's littermate," he added. 

the aspect of incest went over terance's head, as he chose to see the best in others. that lasher had procreated with rowan was not an issue with him, he merely assumed that the latter had taken the mayfair name. casmir's relation was a bit confusing to terance, but he didn't dwell on it-- it was probably a sensitive topic, and she so kindly did not dwell on the relationship between that and his ex-wife. 

he gave her a smile, too wrapped up in the conversation to even think of respect right now. that she searched his face came did not register with him as disrespect, especially as she spoke again-- voice almost too quiet to hear. "i was young when i left but... it was massive," he shared first, knowing that the sentinels were donnelaith's most precious design, "the sequoia trees were giant... and so beautiful. it's the most vivid memory i have of the territory-- all the redwood and the greenery. my mother always talked about a magick it possessed. i don't know if she believed it, but she said the mayfairs brought it with them." he paused there, wondering what mona might say about a magick.

she shook her head fiercely. "no. i want ... i need to know these things." hoping to dispel any need for apology, mona drank in each of his words, dazzled by the image of the towering sequoia trees, how massive they were. how they must have stood over donnelaith, guarding it from harm until their task was over; the mayfair had become fantastical now, as was her way.
but magick! she could not help the shiver that rushed through her small body, nor the way her murkwater eyes glowed with a sudden glimmer of deep jade. "yes. my mother said the same. she said lasher was a spirit, and that he came from witches. and that he made witches." she supposed that would make her the same, though mona had never explored the possibility that she had the same eldritch thrum in her veins.
"i never knew aria, but i met constantine, once. he seemed ... elegant. and i met my older sister, eilidh. she was much nicer. she is their sister, you see." the nature of the relationship between rowan and casmir had never been something mona had questioned, though now she mused upon it: rowan had left donnelaith, perhaps carrying lasher's children. casmir ... well, casmir had raised them, but more than that, he was rowan's mate now, and had been for some time.
it was no matter — her gaze shone with a quiet delight. "to think, you were right here all along." there was some awe in her voice; was it misplaced? mona, in this moment, could not find it within herself to care, not truly.

terance nodded, still feeling a bit guilty. "i grew up knowing lasher and blue willow to be mates," he said, a little gentler this time, "i don't think i ever heard stories of rowan-- i just remember her name." his ears pricked at the name eilidh, which he knew vaguely-- just to be the sister. along with deirdre and... ah, he couldn't remember the dark ones name. he remembered deirdre though-- she had such a way with her words that always made little terance happy. if he'd grown up in donnelaith, he might've fallen for her quicker than he'd fallen for even lyra. 

he smiled a bit at mona's own story. "my mother told me that," he replied... or something similar to the sort. "the last litter i knew blue willow to have was two girls. i think i was told that they possessed thee most magick." truthfully, terance didn't understand the magic... but he was a romantic, so he himself always believed in it.

to mona's final comment-- terance didn't know what to think. here all along. well, he hadn't actually been here very long... and, from him what else could she want? he didn't have much information. together they made one full story of donnelaith-- at least, a more complete one, but terance doubted that he could be the answer to her questions. to anyone's questions, for that matter. "i'm sorry it took so long to find me," he chimed back anyway, a wistful smile pressed to his dark features.

she nodded, facing forward once more. "deirdre and emaleth." the witches of donnelaith. the true witches, if the tales had been true. she could not know that the man upon the beach had been one of deirdre's own, or that emaleth herself had once returned to the teekons, a dark and haunting shadow. she knew only what she had been told, and now what terance shared with her now.
a blush came to her cheek — mona glanced to him. "it was no matter, the waiting." worth all of it, truly, when she had come to finally meet someone who had known her father. or at least of him, details mona wished she had known firsthand. "rowan was a cousin mayfair to the main family. a french mayfair." her slender shoulders rolled; that was all she knew of the gentle, grey-eyed woman's ties to the witchclan.
"so," she began, gently turning the flow of their conversation. "how far is this pack from us?"

terance nodded as mona explained, unsure exactly of how to respond now. he had no more answers for her -- knew no more stories. and terance was not a man well versed in the art of words. so he just nodded and stayed quiet. when she changed the subject, terance found himself relieved.

"a few days travel north of here," he told her with a small smile, "but i've never been -- honestly, so i'm not sure how it'll turn out." hopefully not too poorly, terance had a knack for being a terrible traveller. it was that damn shoulder...

she too was happy to shift their discourse, for whatever reason. the thought of donnelaith and all she had missed in the denial of her mother's right to birth there — altogether too much for the girl to think upon now. "i'm sure you'll be wonderful,"' she murmured softly, hoping to encourage him.
she had noticed his gait, but found it rude to comment on such a thing. instead, mona shook off the heaviness of their last conversation. "would you like to have lunch with me?" she offered, perhaps a bit more boldly than she needed, but the girl enjoyed his company, and did not wish to be alone now.