Ocean's Breath Plateau Heads Up Heads Down

Heph was still turning over in her head what she thought about meeting Void. But she trusted Rodyn, and Samani - she would have hardly joined in this endeavor if she did not and the more she thought about it the less she wished to believe in her own first worst thoughts. But the doubt still made her hesitate - what would she even say? She had needed to stretch her legs, to remind herself she had the freedom to walk away to stay the urge to run. So she lingered on the edge of the borders towards the forest, searching for nothing in particular but noting any good hiding places any good ambush points so she could avoid them in the future if she were traveling out of the territory.

And she had not been looking at all but it was the season for it and she came upon a rack of antlers, a moose had shed the late in the early spring instead of the winter and she could not help the rather childish delight at seeing them. Her tail wagged and she rushed forward, investigating them by pushing her face within their tines and nudging them first with her head and then with her paw and finally by trying to grip a portion by her teeth. But they were large enough that they would be difficult to drag back to the territory and she wanted to cache them. 

It bit at her pride but she needed help and she needed to talk so she lifted her own muzzle to the sky and let out a howl, a call for Rodyn. There was no urgency in her voice, the antlers would hardly walk away themselves and there was no one else around as far as she could tell. Her tail stayed in a low wag as she circled her find again and wondered if they would stay intact for some other purpose or if she was better served trying to find a way to break them into smaller pieces.

@Rodyn if you have the chance! Thought this might be a good thread for a chat.

Rodyn had known that Void ahd been inappropriate at times and disrespectful and he talked big. But he hadn't even fathomed that his friend would cross a line into forcing anyone to have relations with him. So he had no qualms in inviting him along.

He was marking borders as he always did. Making this claim into a home. If he wasn't at the borders you could find him digging dens, making caches and exploring all the secrets of the plateau. He would know this place as well as he knew Moonglow he was determined.

Rodyn heard his friends call and trotted towards it. His tail waving happily. Heph! He called out his voice light and happy. Unaware of the current issues between her and Void. Glad to see her and help where he could.

Goodness the beast that shed these. It would have taken at least four of us to take it down. He sniffed at them gently and then bumped his friends shoulder in greeting.

Heph heard Rodyn approach and replied with a simple "heya!" returning his greeting nudge more out of habit than any intent. Now that her friend was there she was not sure what exactly to say, his upbeat manner contrasted with her own indecision. Usually she would have enjoyed chatting with him about what it would have been like to hunt a creature that large or ask him if he was getting any sleep but none of that seemed appropriate. There was a tension in her shoulders that had not gone away fully since her meeting with the black wolf.

"I know, imagine my surprise" at first she tried to be joking but her tongue got the better of her and before she could think of any better way to approach the topic her ears had flicked back and she continued hotly "Speaking of surprises thanks for not warning me about Void, you told me he was disrespectful but I would think that's an understatement. He told me, and these are his words: he used to try and force women and girls to mate with him." There was a bite and reproach to her voice but she wanted an explanation not a fight, she was being brash and a loud and forthright she didn't feel there was a way to approach the topic with subtlety.

Heph is way less conflict-avoidant than me so I was *wrestling* with this dialogue

Her greeting wasn't as exuberant as she normally was and there was a sharpness to the way she greeted and shifted. He didn't know what had happened, but he was alarmed. Ears tilted forward he traced over her. But before he could ask after her she spoke and his blood ran cold.

Rodyn froze. Wh...what?

He tried to remember so much any of the conversations they had had. He had spoke to Rodyn of his harshness, but had he ever said such a thing. And Rodyn had never seen him around any females, ever.

Oh my gosh. Heph. He didn't try something did he? He nosed at her immediately alarmed.

We never talked about it. I knew he encroached in territory and he was brash and loud and mean. But I've honestly never seen him with a female. Oh gods. I hope it was just due to not understanding and being unsure to conduct himself. Not just.

He grew sick in his stomach. It rolled and frothed and bile threatened to fly up to his maw.

Rodyn's shock somehow calmed her, the fact that he did not know soothed a doubt that she had been carrying her and made it easier for her to relax and she let him prod her with his own nose and answered quickly if a bit wry. "Thankfully for both of us no. He only came on a little strong even by my standards." While the other wolf was larger than her if he had tried anything she would not have hesitated to fight tooth, nail, and everything else to defend herself or use her own four legs to carry her swiftly and surely across the land. She was still disturbed at the topic of conversation, but she once again felt comfortable in his company and no longer felt unsure of how to speak to him.

She felt a little bit unsure at Rodyn's description. While miscommunications were always possible her memory of Void's own choice of words rang clear in her ears and it was difficult for her to reconcile that with the possibility of anything else. But if Void had been truthful and honest, which she was inclined to believe, he and Rodyn had travelled a ways together and knew one another well. For his sake at least she did not want him to have to doubt his own friend. "I hope so too, if only because he is a friend of yours and a packmate to both of us. But, Rodyn, he laughed and joked about it, he says he has stopped and changed and perhaps that's true, but I'm not all that convinced he understands that it's wrong." For Heph at least there was an important distinction. She could find a way to make piece living alongside a wolf who had changed - whose bad deeds were in the past. But she would find it harder to tolerate a wolf who, in the present moment, could not distinguish the right from the wrong actions.

Rodyn sighed in relief as she said no nothing had happened. But he frowned then. Upset that she had to deal with such things and he was filled with righteous anger at his friend for a moment. He would need to speak with him sooner rather than later. Rodyn despite it all. If Void had tried such a thing with Heph he would have ousted him in a moment, if he didn't rip him apart. There was nothing for that kind of behavior in these pack lands. None.

We are friends yes. But we bonded over hunting and travel. Never women. As you remember I was not allowed to speak of Samani or my bride price. So I kept it close to my heart. It didn't come up. And the few times he and I met others, they were also males.

Rodyn nodded in thought. I will speak with him immediately if you are okay with that? Being that you brought this to my attention.

Heph nodded, she did not think she could find the right words to explain to Void where their whole interaction went wrong. There was so much anger but also a hint of fear and something else that she was not sure what she would have said, she was glad Rodyn was offering. "Yes." Relief was evident in her voice and she was genuine when she thanked him for offering and asking. "Thank you." The last bit of tension eased from her shoulders and she felt that perhaps she owed him some explanation, for her own intensity.

But it was difficult to put into words exactly what she thought and felt "I...." the main part of the subject passed she felt comfortable slotting back into something humorous though her voice remained a bit low, lacking its usual lightness. "I guess it got to me more than I thought so thank you." Her tail wagged slightly "As for good surprises this was supposed to be for you and Samani or any pups in the pack this season but I guess the secret's out now." There was good humor in it, this certainly was a better surprise to her than meeting Void had been and a tentative smile returned to her features.

Rodyn didn't know the whole story and he hoped that Void simply had been trying to point out his mistakes and what he was trying to improve, because if not. Well that didn't bear thinking right now.

Very well I will speak with him.

Ro shook his head and pressed a paw to his friend. No exppanation is necessary Heph. You were uncomfortable and that's all that matters. You need not apologize for your feelings nor explain them.

He chuckled as he looked over the antlers. It will be so cute to watch. I'll help you move it.

The reassuring pressure of his paw closed the matter for her, and she was glad she had not damaged her friendship with Rodyn as well as Void in the series of events. While she still felt uneasy about Void she trusted that Rodyn would be able to handle it. Heph grinned and took a moment to survey one of the antlers before finding a good place to grip on and hoisted it up trying to use the muscles in her shoulders rather than her neck. She was already feeling better after her conversation, more at ease. In time perhaps she would see Void again and see if she was ready to ask him for his version of events, but it was not something she was in a rush to do.

I'm good with wrapping up here if you are? <3 thank you for the thread as always!