Blackfeather Woods You shall not pass

Trade-Specialty; Guardian. Anyone who wants to warden/guard with Burke :3

Burke had a lot of tasks at hand and one of those was to make sure that the borders were in tip top shape. Burke was going to do a lot of scent marking. Often the male didn't even use his own scent to mark. If they had a trespasser they would often use its body as a warning sign to others. It probably explained also why they had so many ravens and crows. The large male howled as he was close to the borders, a request to join him for anyone who is interested. He knew @Nemesis might respond or maybe even a few of the newer members like @Oli or @Mikasi. It had been rather quiet around the forest, probably because of Meldresi's death. But even Burke had to face the fact that he had to go back to work. 

Burke waited at the border, the light more apparent here than in the heart. Burke spend much of his time there, so as he waited me made sure to make his eyes adjust. The father also was thinking of introducing Pietro to this, if he was interested. Maybe he was still too young. He couldn't talk full sentences yet. Perhaps later then.

Wanted to quickly snag this~
Old habits die hard, aha. I think Kove will always be a Warden at heart, even if Guardian isn't one of the specialties he strives for (uncertain of what I'm doing atm) this time around.

Every now and again, a time would come in which the pallid wolf practically lived on the borders. He couldn’t help it, especially with Meldresi’s body decomposing within the territory. There was no telling what type of creatures the scent might draw out of hiding, so no chances would be taken. Plus, there was also the other members to consider—the younger ones, especially. Though his relationship with Burke was currently strained, at best, he could not help but feel the need to ensure the safety of the brute’s offspring. Perhaps it was an instinct bestowed upon him by his own ascent into fatherhood, or maybe it was because they were the late Queen’s children, too. Either way, something urged him to make sure the lands were safe enough for them, that they wouldn’t need to worry over being attacked within their own home. Besides, it also gave him a reason to watch out for his own son, that way he could “coincidentally” meetup with him (again) and “begrudgingly” give directions to yet another location. The thought of that made him chuckle, though it was silenced as a howl filled the air.

Kove recognized the voice right away, it being one he could never forget. He contemplated whether or not he should answer it, or if his answer would even be desired, before deciding on taking a gamble. The Inuit did not respond with his own song, his position being close enough already for him to simply seek out the other male. His whereabouts shortened his trek considerably, as he was soon able to see the tank-like man. He approached with a nod of his head, greeting his fellow Brother in spite of what wedges might still be driven between them. “Getting back into the swing of things?” the Northerner inquired, wondering what had driven the other to call forth the aid of a fellow pack member. He suspected it was out of courtesy, but didn’t insist upon letting his personal thoughts be known.

Yes, good! They totally needed a thread!

Burke wasn't expecting for Kove to repsond to his call but his quickness in replying was rather welcomed. Burke disliked to sit still and do nothing with Kove's incoming arrival Burke didn't have to wait long. He greeted Kove with the same nod. He had been mad at the ghost but that seemed all irrelevant with the death of his mate. There was still this emptiness, wanting to call for Meldresi or even walking in to his den and greeting her to then realize she wasn't there. It saddened him but he didn't really show that to others. He squinted his eyes slightly at Kove's words. "I have never been out of swing,' he returned. 

Burke had in fact worked harder, just so he wouldn't stop thinking of her. He had to do a lot these days, juggling his alpha duties and daddy duties at the same time. It was quite what he needed mentally but he wasn't sure if his body liked it so much. Last time he was in his workaholic state the huge male had a bloat attack, gasses piling up in his stomach. Now Meldresi wasn't here to save him. The grey tank also had to hunt and feed his children. Still, it was better than laying around. "Want to go on a patrol with me?," he questioned. Burke couldn't deny that he had been impressed at the words the priest spoke over his mate. Not that only those words made things right but it did help to smooth things over that happened in the past.

The ghost caught sight of the squint sent his way, momentarily believing he should have worded his sentence differently, before inwardly shrugging it off. Even the words that followed seemed to point out his mistake, yet he did not alter his wording. There was no other way to describe what he’d meant to ask, not without outright asking about the tank’s feelings—something he felt himself unable to do with the current state of their relationship. Deciding that remaining quiet was potentially his best, and safest, bet, he did just that. The only display offered to show he’d heard the charcoal wolf’s words was a slight nod of his head. That was all he would give, the idea of digging himself into an even deeper pit entirely undesirable. Unlike his son, the elder Inuit understood that he needed to tread lightly until bridges were mended between himself and his fellow Brother.

A query was posed, catching the pallid male’s attention. “Of course,” he responded, needing not to be asked twice. He enjoyed patrolling the borders, for it was both relaxing and capable of giving him a sense of purpose. As they moved along, he couldn’t help but ask about something that had earned his curiosity. “How are you enjoying fatherhood?” Small talk was helpful in passing the time, but that was not his only reasoning for asking. He was genuinely interested in hearing how the brute was faring with the raising of his children, especially now since he was a single father. Even though he had the entire pack to back him up and assist him, the entire pack was not a parent of either of the twins. Being a lone father himself, that was something Kove understood.

Burke trotted off with Kove, getting the usually path he took over the borders and rubbed himself against a tree or would scent mark it in a different way. There hadn't been that many trespassers so Burke didn't have enough blood or bodies to mark the borders with. Kove had reacted indeed at best since Burke let his comment slide for now. The dark male glanced sideways at his question. "I guess it is enjoyable. It is sometimes difficult to combine being that alpha and being a father," he admitted to the ghost. 

The large tank trotted to the next tree. "I'm also worried how the lack of a mother will affect them," he pointed out, to the grey male. He wasn't sure if Kove had that feeling with Xan, probably not otherwise he wouldn't left the woman in question. Burke was not going to pry, in fact he wasn't even that interested in knowing. At least Kove's son had backed off, but soon he was going to be an adult and then he would have to deal with Burke more, even listen to him. Burke was skeptical if that was ever going to happen. Still Xan wouldn't be treated like anyone else and disobeying wouldn't be taken lightly. He was certain that Kove knew that.

Oli had caught a good sized rabbit before he heard Burke's howl. He quickly dropped the rabbit one of the caches. He quickly trotted to see Burke and another wolf he couldn't quite make out yet. As he grew closer he dipped his  head. His face was emotionless as voices from the two grew louder. He gave a quick little smile. "Hey, mind if I join you?"

It would seem Kove isn’t being overly friendly, aha~

There was a myriad of words that could have been used in place of what his query was answered with, yet the Inuit did not bring any of them up. Perhaps they were solely his own feelings towards the life of a father, and would not be shared. He did not bother with testing out which thought was the truth, feeling he shouldn’t expect anything more from the grey man. “I believe being a father is the greatest task of all when it comes to responsibility, protection, and much more—even greater than a leading title.” His fiery gaze slid to the side as he glanced at the other, unable to refrain from gauging his reaction. He did not mean any offence, and surely held not the intention of disregarding the role of a leader entirely, he simply felt there was more to fatherhood than anything else. Parenthood in general, whether they were a mother, a father, or just a guardian of some sort, was a gift and a curse. The best of both titles, really, though there were times he wondered if others shared his opinion on it all. There was always that one, slim chance that he was the oddball out, the one whose mind overworked things in order to fit the ideals he’d been brought up with.

Kove moved close to a tree then, pushing himself up onto his hind legs as his forelimbs stretched out towards the trunk. He rested his paws at the highest point he could reach and then began to lower himself back down, dragging his toes along the bark as he did so in order to leave his scent behind. Once he’d completed the task and settled all four feet pack on the ground, he continued along, careful to keep himself alert. He heard the other’s concerns, which he happened to share—not only for the twins, but for his own son, as well. He also wondered how not having a father near at all times would influence his daughters, though that conversation was, possibly, for another time. “The loss of any parent is sure to affect a child,” he commented. “They’ll grow up wondering why they don’t have a mother, possibly even resent her for not staying with them.” He could see that hatred within Xan already, but he hoped that the twins would never feel the same way towards their own mother. Meldresi had been a wonderful woman in life, and her memory would carry on for generations to come. “Having another female around to watch out for them while they grow could help, but no one can truly replace a mother.” The ghost could speak from experience when it came to that. His own parents had died, and though his grandparents had been there to watch out for him and his siblings, no one could actually replace them. There would always be a piece missing from his life, just as there would Xan’s and the twin’s.

A foreign scent infiltrated his nostrils soon after, followed by footfalls he did not recognize. Amongst it all was the familiar fragrance that all Blackfeather wolves carried, however, thus he kept himself from taking any action against the dark male. He had never met Oli before, and was rightfully skeptical of him at first sight. Kove’s mouth stayed shut as a question was directed towards them, his copper gaze roaming over the stranger’s body as he awaited to hear what Burke would say. Of course, he expected him to be welcomed, for more eyes were always better when patrolling, but he did not show his displeasure towards the idea of that happening. Every aspect of his being remained devoid of emotion, features lacking even the smallest of expressions. The new face might be a member of the pack, but that did not mean the pallid man would trust him right from the jump.

Burke moved with Kove over the border, occasionally making one of the trees that had less scent on them. He would refresh their older scent with a new one. It would be clear that this part of the land was occupied. Kove spoke about being a father being the greatest thing. Instantly he was reminded of the fight they had about Sebastian. He loved Kendra and Pietro, maybe because he had loved Meldresi so much. He saw little things of her in them. Sebastian had only been annoying, Burke hadn't even bothered with raising Sebastian at the time, simply because he was too busy and now he came back to haunt him. Although, now he thought of it... Sebastian had been rather quiet. Too quiet. Instantly he thought about Akela that was missing after a mission. That linked thought was something he heavily disliked. 

"You haven't been a leader as long as I have. I see myself as the father of the pack, so in that perspective you are right. What you say about parenthood that is how the pack is for me," he explained giving the ghost some insight in how he envisioned things. It was often forgotten how much Burke did for the pack, it was all normal that most things were running smoothly. He had been the back up net for a long time, he didn't mind that at all, but Burke was in Black Feather almost a year now, and ever since he joined he never looked back. He did like being in charge, though as he joined he wanted to learn from Meldresi's leadership and now he had become the leader himself. Something that was quite unexpected. "I will make very sure that they would never forget or resent their mother. That won't happen." Burke did ask Nemesis to help out baby sitting. Yet, as he already said to her, and what Kove was mentioning now. She would never be their mother.

Then Oli joined into their personal conversation. Even though Burke was lightly taken a back he had to reason with the fact that he howled for help. Seeing that the male had shown his face meant that he was attentive and wanted to help out. Burke nodded in greeting. "Yes, you may," he spoke. "Thank you for responding. This is Kove." Both males sported a red paw print on one of their shoulders. Burke had the feeling that soon more members would have such a red paw mark, the only sign that there was in fact a brotherhood some wolves assumed there was.

The skin underneath Oli's coat rippled as the white stranger wolf shot a gaze at him. He hadn't met him yet, so he vowed his head. He muscles were tense, though he felt the white man didn't have anything against him. "I'm Oli." He directed to the pale wolf. He dipped his head in greeting to Burke after. He smiled lightly to the two wolves. His freshly cleaned, longer winter coat blew in the wind as he waited for the strangers introduction.

Kove could accept the other’s perspective on the matter, but that didn’t necessarily mean he agreed. Though he had not been a leader for as long as the charcoal man, he had been a father longer. Technically, Burke did have other children, ones he’d sired long before his entry into Teekon, but the Inuit felt they did not count. The brute hadn’t assisted in the raising of them, or so was the impression he’d received upon meeting Sebastian and then speaking with his fellow Brother about it. It was not the blood connection that made someone a parent, after all, but the role they played in the lives of their children. He could see how the role of a leader could be similar, but it was not identical. A father was a father, and a leader a leader. They shared some common characteristics, but that which made them different kept him from being able to group the alpha role into something of a fatherly one. They were the guardians of the pack, yes, but they were not there to coddle every single member of the pack. They were not there to love every member of the pack.

“Let us agree to disagree,” the pallid man suggested, not interested in pursuing the topic any further. Having been placed on thin ice from the very beginning, he didn’t take too kindly to the idea of engaging in a potential argument. In some aspects, he was quite the opposite of his clone, such as the fact that he wasn’t so argumentative. Though the male had his own opinions and thoughts on everything, he was calm and level-headed, able to see from the perspective of someone else when necessary. The skill was something that was all his own, and something that had served him well no matter where he was—including within Blackfeather. It was a trait he often wished could’ve been passed onto his boy, but parents never had a say in what their children inherited from them. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if Xan’s life would be better had he taken on that specific trait. Perhaps it would have kept him from letting hatred seep so deep into his heart, and at such a young age, no less. He looked to Burke, then, hearing the assurance that was made. “I’m sure they won’t as long as they have you and the rest of us around to tell them all about her,” he commented, turning his gaze forward once more as he approached and marked another tree. “They may even end up idolizing her. They’ll grow up being proud of her, just as long as they never lose their ways.” With Blackfeather always with them, he doubted they’d ever lose sight of who they were and where they’d come from, but it was still a thought to consider.

The Inuit’s attention was drawn to the new face once more, watching with a careful eye as the other male bowed his head. He silently accepted the gesture, but did not return it. He felt it to be unnecessary, in all honesty, and refused to lower his head in response to someone ranked beneath himself. There then came a given name—Oli—but no surname was announced. He paid that detail little mind, however, especially considering his own had not been given. The thing that really grabbed hold of his focus was that the male then stood there, the expression on his face revealing that he was waiting for something. It took only a second for Kove to piece together what it was that had him remaining there in place, which caused a question to arise in his thoughts; Is this kid deaf? “I sure hope you’ve experienced some sort of hearing loss within your years of life, or else I’m left to believe you’re a fool,” the man stated, all the while his expression remained neutral, unreadable. “Burke, your king, just shared my name with you, so I wonder why you look as if you’re waiting for me to repeat it. Do you often ignore the words of your alpha?” At that, he cocked an indiscernible eyebrow, awaiting to hear what type of answer the male might cook up. Though he’d always seen Meldresi as his leader, and things were rough between himself and the tank-like man, he respected the late queen’s decision to appoint Burke the alpha of the woods—and, in turn, respected Burke as a leader.

Burke nodded shortly in reply to Kove, seeing that they both thought differently about it. The other matter about Meldresi was something that he didn't worry about. The whole back had been feeling the effect of his mate's death. It only showed how important she really had been to Black Feather Woods. It was just her presence in general. However what did amuse Burke was that Kove lashed out at Oli. Burke would never show that on the outside but inside of his mind he was quite amused. Kove was right too. Burke marked another tree in the process. They were marking the borders not having some chit chat. Oil should have gone to work instead of just standing there. Burke wasn't going to join in only if Oli wouldn't start marking or helping out after this Burke would let him know that such behavior wasn't appreciated. Oil might have been an adult of three years but Burke often found him much younger in his behavior.

Now the amusement had vanished came the respect that Kove just showed to him. They were slowly getting over their feud it seemed. At least on Burke's side it was getting less, probably because he hadn't been bothered by Xan and since Kove just displayed behavior that did show he respected him. Kove had worked hard lately and even before Oli came along they had an actual conversation. Meldresi would be proud. His pale eyes fell to Oli curious how he would react to Kove's harsh words. Burke wasn't going to stop him. Kove had every right, he was higher in rank and a member of the Brotherhood. Yet, Burke didn't want to stand around too long. They were patrolling and standing around wasn't something that was very beneficial for their task. Burke trotted further marking the next tree, but still within ear shot of what would happen. Or ready to give Oli a nip in the but he wasn't going to help out.

Oli squinted his eyes. Whatever they had been talking about must have left the pale man angry. He didn't want to be rude, which it took all of his power not to be. "Alrighty then. Don't act like you've never missed something in a conversation." He said and turned back and trotted near Burke. "Why is this such a big thing? I didn't ignore him." Oli said over his shoulder, this was still directed at Kove "Now lets get our work done. I'm sorry for misunderstanding." Oli added. This is what they were here for, and Oli wasn't going to give Kove another loop hole to snap at Oli. He moved along, sniffing along the border. He lifted his head up for a moment scouting the surroundings. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary, so he continued along, waiting for a snappy response from Kove. "How is everything going Burke?" He needed some awkwardness breaker, and hopefully this thing could be put behind them, and they could get along.

Between the way the younger acted and the way he spoke, distinguishing what irritated Kove the most was virtually impossible. When he had arrived in Teekon and joined Blackfeather, the wolves of the woods would have never missed anything, especially if it was said or done directly to them. They had been attentive creatures and respectful members of the pack, but it seemed such valued traits were no longer present in every member. The old blood had been cast away or departed for unknown reasons, leaving space for new blood to arrive and make themselves at home. Normally, such a change would not have bothered the Inuit. He did not mind seeing new faces or having to familiarize himself with new members, for that was just something that happened. Packs were always acquiring—or losing—followers, it was just how things worked. The actions and words of Oli, however, had him wondering what type of future laid in store for the pack he loved so dearly.

For the first time in what seemed like ages, a flicker of emotion could be caught within the gaze of the pallid guardian. Anger. As soon as it was there, however, it was gone. Not even a trace remained, making anyone who'd seen it questioned if it'd been there at all. "If you think I'm the type to miss something told to me directly, especially by someone higher in rank than myself, then you are severely mistaken," the ghost stated, voice smooth yet cold, capable of freezing Hell itself. To make matters worst, it seemed as if the dark figure did not even fully grasp the error of his ways. That struck a nerve with the ghostly lupine, though he refrained from showing any bit of his annoyance. "It is a big deal, whether you realize it or not, because you did ignore him. It might not have been intentional, but what does that say about how much you respect him if you can miss what he says so easily?" He quirked an undefined eyebrow at that, but did not wait for the other to respond. Instead, his gaze slid over to Burke, almost as if to silently ask him for permission to put the lower-ranked male back in his place. Soon after, however, he averted his gaze and gave an unnoticeable shake of his head, dismissing the idea. It was neither the time nor the place to act out against the younger wolf, and he doubted whether or not the other was worth his time of day.

Deciding against wasting a moment longer on Oli, the phantom moved forward and continued on with why he had answered the call in the first place. He was there to patrol, not show some little shit his worth. His attention was on the borders, as well as the leader. As he neared another tree, he repeated his previous actions and raked his claws down the length of its trunk, leaving his mark and scent behind. He did the same for several more trees, before stopping and looking over to Burke. "Are we heading around to every border, or just this one for now?" he asked, curious of what the plan was. Whether they trailed along one or all did not matter to him, for he would keep pace either way.

It seemed the dispute was getting worse. Burke was leaving it to Kove for now, but Oli didn't seem to understand what he did wrong. Maybe he hadn't even ignored him and Kove was just over reacting. Burke only wanted help with patrolling the borders not to have to members battling. Oil came to him but the alpha glanced at Oli. Kove had to say another few things to Oli, and the alpha didn't really see Oli do anything except scout. "Oli, if you are not here to help and just to loaf around I think it is better if you leave," Burke let out. "We are marking and patrolling the borders. Please do any marking if you are here to help," he added.

Burke missed Kove's glance to put Oli into the place. The male was busy smelling a tree in that moment to see if it needed to be marked or not. It might be him but he realized he had more difficulty with smelling lately, maybe he was coming down with a cold. He looked up at Kove's question. "Only this one for now," he spoke, they probably had to find something else for Oli to do, at least something that wouldn't involve Kove. Burke had no problem patrolling the swamps with the ghost like man but he had the feeling that if this would continue any longer Kove would snap even more. He gave Kove a nod, showing his appreciation for defending him. He would have a talk later with Kove to let his frustration out.

Hey guys. I'm having some serious issues right now, and I can't care for Oli right now. I'm pretty sick, and I'm having issues with Meds, and sometimes when wolves are mean to Oli, I translate it to my mind, thinking people are saying it to me. I'm not in a good place right now, so I'm gonna have to let Oli go. I'm gonna have him sadly die of some kind of sickness. I'm starting the symptoms right now, and I will make another thread tagging a few of you. If it doesn't matter to you, then forget it, you don't have to post on the thread. I'm just not in a good place right now.

Oli had a bad temper. It was one of his bad traits. It took all of his strength to not snap at his leader. The thought quickly raced out of his mind without a trace. He respected his leader. Oli was very sketchy also. He wasn't always a fan of changes. Oli was looking out for danger. Oli wasn't sitting around. He is always alert, where ever his was. Hunting was in his blood, he wasn't used to walking around like this in the open. Even is his wasn't on a hunting trip, he was always on the lookout for some fresh blood on his tongue. He was stopped quickly by a splitting headache. So bad, he became dizzy. He stopped quickly, and tried to focus. His head had been bugging him before, but not this bad. It made his teeth want to fall out. The pain quickly grew stronger, making him vomit. The pain grew worse and worse as he struggled to stay on his feet.

Get well soon, Lauren~!
Fade soon, guys?

In all honesty, the pallid man was relieved when he noticed his silent request had gone unseen. He recognized that to do so would be taking matters too far, and resented the fact that he'd allowed for himself to be bothered so much by the male. As of late, he'd been feeling a bit off, something he chalked up to being nothing more than the common cold. Though none of his symptoms resembled such, he could think of nothing else to explain it. Still, he knew that was no excuse, and though he would never apologize for his actions, he did feel an ounce of remorse for acting immaturely—just an ounce, however, nothing more.

With his question answered, Kove simply nodded, as he did when he caught sight of one from the leader. Though he had been skeptical of the charcoal male being the sole leader of the pack at first, he had gotten over such feelings. They were Brothers until the end, after all; besides, Meldresi had put enough faith in him to appoint the tank leader. If the late queen could trust him with her kingdom, then he could trust him as his new leader and treat him with the necessary respect. It was as simple as that. With that trust came the need to protect, to defend, just as he'd felt towards the priestess. To allow someone to dishonour their leader, even if it was something as small as missing a word in a sentence, was an act the ghost would not sit by and allow to happen without consequence.

Out of nowhere, there came the undeniable sound of someone vomiting. Kove stopped just as he'd reached the next tree he would mark and looked back over his shoulder, fiery gaze landing directly onto the onyx male. He then slid his eyes to the side in order to look at Burke, curious of what he had to say on the matter. Personally, the Inuit assumed it was nothing more than the nerves getting to him. He did not suspect for even a moment that the other might be ill, for he did not care enough about him to truly inspect his expressions and body language. Uncertain of what would arise from the event, he stood in place and awaited the word of the larger man.

Burke watched Oli was leaving. It seemed that the male didn't want to work today, that was noticed by the leader. Burke liked his members to work hard but he would only comment on that when it gotten too far. He heard the noise of the vomiting too. He looked at Kove for his reaction and then decided just like Kove that it was nothing serious. Wolves happened to throw up once a while. 

The large male continued to mark the border with Kove. He wanted to get this task done, this was their most busy border. No one arrived in the swamps, they always arrived on this side. Burke didn't want anyone to miss that there was a border here. He would want loners to stay out. "Lets continue,"he spoke to Kove with a nod. They worked at a good pace, Burke noticed before, something he could appreciate from the ghost so now the work would only be done quicker without two members having a verbal fight. 


-fade end!-