Blackfeather Woods ode to sleep

@Kove bc why not :D Set a week or so after the BWP

The forest had changed, more eminsly than she had thought. While they had grown accustomed to the rotten spots of the blackfeather woods, there was literally nothing left to comapre it to. The bracken forest only held the illumantaion of death, all signs of life stripped away. She never knew how much she liked to see things alive than dead. For the first few days she spent huddled in the alcoves and crevices of the web, shivering not from the cold but of fear. Nothing compared to the hollow terror she felt. She had not truly recovered from Pietro's tragic death, and it seemesd only a sign from the Gods that they had not accepted her retribution. What more did she have to do to make up for her failures. Years of wrongdoings could not be fixed overnight, and she had not the energy to fight. There was nothing left on the other side to strive for.

When she finally emerged from the darkness, she did it without so much as a word. Her stomach had grown accustomed to the dull ache feeling of undernoirishment, and when she finally surveyed what was left, all hopes of consuming what she could seemed to falter. She staggered only a few steps before collapsing on the ground, the montonous haunt filling her eyes. The sky was still, gray, relecting the barren forest in an after sense of forboding. It was purgatory, pushing them to face their crimes like she knew would always come. Trapped in their own forest to pick away at ground in blank hope. "Kove?" She called, her voice raspy and soft after so long without making a sound.  For once in her three years of existence, she did not want to be alone. She never wanted to be alone to her own head again.

When the swarm has arrived, it'd been his first encounter with locusts. Never before had he seen them, and never could he have prepared himself for the damage they caused. It was awful, really, how they stripped the land bare. He could deal with tundras, with long journeys to and across the Alaskan plains, but those lands were meant to be barren. They were meant to hold little life, whereas the woods was meant to hold a plethora of it. When he'd first seen the aftermath of the bugs' assault, he'd been shocked, to say the least. The home he knew and cared so much about, the home he had brought his own son to, was no more. It had been changed, heavily altered, to the point where he could barely recognize it anymore. It was the place he was sure he'd live out the rest of his days in, and yet... it didn't quite feel like he belonged there at the moment.

Still, he patrolled, marking the borders and ensuring that everyone beyond the pack's claim knew that  they were still strong. That despite what had happened, the hell on earth that they'd been cast into, they remained, still, as a force to be reckoned with. Kove had just finished up a brief session of patrolling and had been heading back towards the tunnels, when the scent of his mate tickled his nostrils. As he grew nearer, he could see Nemesis, but it was only when she'd called to him that his pace seemed to increase tenfold. The distance between them was practically made nonexistent as he'd approached her, his head dipping down so that he could run his nose through the thick furs covering her nape. "What is it?" he'd questioned, rounding her then so that he could settle down at her side. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?" In his family's pack, there lived fishers, and such was a skill he'd been taught early on. It seemed as if ages had passed since he'd last gotten his paws wet, but the lessons were apart of him; his grandfather had ensured that nearly everyone had had the ability engraved into their minds. So, as it was, the Inuit would have no problem trying his luck at the lake so that he might feed his lover.

Edit; For some reason, I read the date as this having been more recent... @A@;; Would you mind if we bumped this to present day?

Yeah that's cool! To after Malice arrives then..?

She sighed at the feeling of his muzzle flowing through her fur, there was no other feeling like it. She fell into his affections, burying her face in the thick coat of his neck. "No, I just need you," She mummbled into him. At that moment, she didn't care for anything else really. She didn't want to. Everything had gone to shit, but Kove was still there. He always was. What did she do to deserve his patience? She nipped his ear, as she had done many times before in such an intimate position they were in. But they had never gone too far, and she didn't push it. She didn't consider such notions because of what Burke had said, and she didn't want to risk anything. But, that wasn't to say she didn't want to. Oh well, it surely wasn't the time for the things she had previously imagined.

"I'm perfectly fine," And she was, at that moment. She didn't even want to think of all the bad things that had been thrown at them. She didn't want to look at the forest that screamed startvation. Or that girl.. Ugh, it was not the though she wished to ahev on her mind while she was with her mate. Instead she savoured that moment they were in and ignored everything else.

Sure! o:

The male's affections had been returned, and his previous worries seemed to fall away. Everything was alright for now, and that was all that he'd needed to hear. When she'd buried her face into the fur surrounding his neck, he'd taken the opportunity to lay his head over her own, content with resting against her. She'd moved, though, nipping then at his ear, to which he'd responded by drawing his tongue across her cheek. He was glad just being there with her, and wished not to ever be pulled from her side—though, in the back of his mind, he knew he would eventually have to leave in order to try his luck at catching for them a meal of some sort. That thought was put on the back burner for the time being, however, for his focus was drawn to the present. There he was with his lover, and there he would stay for as long as he could get away with.

Together, they were fine, and that was what mattered most. Still, he was curious, so even though he'd let a gentle silence settle around them for awhile, he'd eventually become the one to break it. "How has your day been?" Kove asked, pulling back his head so that he could look at her. His curiosity was genuine, as was he always when with her, and so to her all of his attention would be given.

She had been content, before her thoughts reeled back how her day had been, and who had ruined it. She pulled away from his his hold, though not to abruptly to be confused for anger towards him. Her anger was towards the new hurdle that had stalked her life for too long and finally declared her home, theirs. She snorted a laugh, in mock of how excatly how amazing her day was. Nothing against Kove, she loved him. But she did not love Malice and the situation they were in. "Burke has brought his newest venture back to Blackfeather, the black haired bitch Malice. The same one who's subordinates gave me these scars," She indicated to her neck were that unruly male had clamped his jaws. She was still sour about that. It wasn't uncalled for but she did not like to see the absense of hairs along her fine coat as a reminder of her failures. 

"Oh and get this, she's PREGNANT," She knew Kove would not like this. They had been okay with the denial to have children for the time being, but Burke up and made a new litter of his own in the process. She did not place blame on Burke's shoulders but Malice just happened to come across him and BANG! In her mind, the whole thing was Malice's fault. Maybe it was that Malice seemed to have everything she had, and more without lifting a paw. Either way, she did not doubt Kove would share the same displeasure as her. She knew she could not command him to stay away from her, but she absolutly refused to have her family near the female. It was a territorial instinct that could not be denied, even if she wanted to.

The moment she'd pulled away, his eyes had been on her, ears forward and attention gained. He knew that he was not the cause of her anger, but even still, it was concerning to him. Someone had upset his love, and for that alone they would hear from him, if only to ensure that they were set straight and knew their behavior to be incorrect. Thus, when she spoke, he listened, but the cause was not one he'd been expecting to hear—that is, until her injuries had been mentioned. At that point, a low growl had managed to slip its way into the back of his throat, his own anger towards the situation being displayed. Often was he calm and levelheaded, but the fact that the former leader of the mutts that had attacked his lover was there within his home was enough to break him away from that sort of demeanor. "What was he thinking?" the Inuit stated, the question rhetorical and disbelief present in his tone. "Silaittugasâk." With the word came another growl, as well as disappointment. It seemed as if Burke's head was no longer placed properly upon his shoulders.

There came, then, another blow. Not only had the man granted someone so foolish as to let their subordinates touch Nemesis into the pack, but he'd impregnated her as well? That had pushed him to rise to his feet, his own actions perhaps a bit too abrupt, but he'd looked quickly to her with a silent apology for any disruption to her position that he might have caused. Yet that expression did not last long, for anger gripped his very being, and he could feel his lips curling back in utter disgust. "Sujuk?" he'd prompted, though his speech was directed primarily towards himself. Kove wasn't the least bit pleased with their leader's actions, and made no efforts to hide it, either. "What the hell is wrong with him?" he'd finally said, looking briefly to her, only to tear his gaze away a moment later as he began pacing back and forth. "He denied us children, but then he turns around and knocks up some annaligiak that let her wolves assault you? Has he lost it?" The man's movements ceased for a second or so, eyes staring ahead as another snarl crossed his maw before his pacing was resumed. "I'm not going to tolerate this. I'm not following his word, I'm not defending his... whatever she is. Whatever children come out of her will not be Blackfeather wolves, they'll never join the Brotherhood." The male's words were spoken with certainty, for he was sure none of the others would allow it. Burke might currently lead them, but he was not the one meant to hold the claim forever. Meldresi's eldest was entitled to the throne, and it was high time he claimed his crown.

Again, Kove had stopped, only this time his gaze found it's way to Nemesis' own. "Burke has betrayed not only us, but the Brotherhood and Meldresi herself for bringing his conquest to our home. I no longer think he is fit to command us." And with that, he fell silent, fiery gaze boring into her cold one.

She had not seen Kove so angry before. He had gone from mildly upset, to angry to enraged in a matter of minutes. Though she did not find him scary, if anything, it was sort of arousing. She was shocked yet intrigued to see another side of him, curious to see where his calm tones dropped and where another trait emerged. The corners of her lips tugged up as she watched, seconds passing by before his gaze settled on her own. Hot. It took her a few more seconds to gather her thoughts, her eyes widening as she realized she was simply staring at him. She cleared her throat that has somehow become dry, fumbling over her words. "Hm? Oh, erm.. yes," She was a mess. But it wasn't like they weren't mated, right? She wondered what he would think, her absent mind had bound to make her slip up. 

"Sorry. Yes, I know. It's not fair," She sighed, her arousement forgotten as she recounted his words. Children. So, that was his fuel for hate. It was certainly not fair indeed, though they had not really discussed the topic of children. She knew they were bound to have some, but the thought did make her nervous. Kove was after all, a family man and she would not deny him that, however Burke had no problem doing so. 

Yet, she had not expected for Kove to confess his distrust in Burke. Sure, she knew things were rocky between them, but Burke had not outwardly caused such a hate.. or did he? Perhaps it was occurrences in the past and in the present that accounted for Kove's lack of faith in the gray man. "I know. And you are not the only one," Her tone came assuring, for she did not think Damien would mind Nemesis telling Kove of their plans. After all, Kove had made it quite clear he was defiantly not for Burke.

"Damien will do something. We have not figured it all out yet, but this will not rest easy," And with that, she engulfed him in a hug, mainly to fill her own desires and to comfort his own. Her snout burrowed in his fur, inhaling his scent like it was the last thing in the world. Burke would get what was coming for him, and Malice too. She had not forgotten. She only feared that Kove might do something reckless, or she might for she had no confidence that she would not march right up to the female and gut her, herself. "We will get our justice," She mumbled into his neck, her intent still on that. With Damien as fiery as he was, nothing could stop the revolt now.

My last post.

Kove had rambled on, his calm demeanor long since forgotten as true emotions were allowed to make themselves known. He was furious, to say the very least, but it was not only over the fact that he'd been denied children. He viewed the bringing of an outsider into their fold as an act of treason, and the fact that Burke had done it only made the situation worst. For Malice was not just an outsider, as she'd been conquered by the hefty male. She'd been branded as his personal whore, a tool that he might use to satisfy his sexual desires. It was that sort of mindset that had made the Inuit view her being there as a crime against Meldresi. Though the Brotherhood's religion included sex, it was vastly different in the current situation. For even though the leading male had made such a physical connection, he'd betrayed the late queen by having done so.

Something had distracted his lover, but what it was, he'd remained unaware of. He'd heard it in the way that she'd responded, however, as had his suspicions been confirmed by her lingering gaze. Despite his mood, his aggression was not turned onto her, instead having been controlled so that he could address her with the same gentle tones that he usually used. No matter how disgusted he was by the actions of their supposed leader, he'd refused to turn that anger onto the ones that he loved. Thus, her moment away from the present was set aside, pushed back until forgotten so that he would not snap at her.

Nemesis had recovered from her moment of absence, and the words then spoken were ones that the man paid careful attention to. He was not alone with his lack of trust, it seemed, which hadn't come as much of a surprise at all. They would only have to put up with the false king for a short while longer, and then they would all be free—this he was certain of, for surely there existed no one that might actually support the menace. Those thoughts allowed for him to return the embrace of his lover, resting easy against her while his mind was alive with thoughts. In the following moment, he'd said but a single line, making it known that Blackfeather would return to as it should be no matter what.

"Burke will hand over the crown, or he will be knocked down without mercy."