Hushed Willows There are thieves in the temple tonight

Forward-dated; happens concurrent to this thread

While she had been sequestered within the willow grove, kept far from the central den where Arkham kept his devoted followers, Tavi grew restless when he was not at her side. There were short bouts of calm wherein they would sit together - but there was always work to be done, duties to perform, and he would inevitably leave her to her own devices. She thought of herself in the vaguest sense as a prisoner; though by the way he seemed to care for her - for them - such skepticism was unfounded. Tavi did her best to remain hidden where he had left her, but there were things she had to tend to regardless -- constant urination being one of those awful additions to being pregnant. She was mindful in her wandering, careful to move only so far before leaving her mark, and then she went through the process of covering it with soil or debris from the ground, very cat-like in her manners. Tavi tried to visit only a few spots to do these things, and would always do them quickly so as to avoid being away from her designated safe-tree for any extended period of time. 

Once she returned to her tree, she wondered if Arkham would be visiting soon or if his day was filled with difficulties. She thought of what he might bring to her — but all of her thoughts ceased when she caught the tone upon the wind. It was a familiar sound that once may have brought her heart to her throat, eager to leap from her chest and soar alongside. Hearing @Reek call for her was different now. The sound of his voice was too close; her fur stood on-end until the searching summons ebbed to silence and she, having raised her head to listen, murmured a small sad noise as she recoiled from it. Tavi sought the crook of her chosen tree and hastily cleared a patch for herself to wallow in, and then bundled herself in to as tight a ball as she could among the hanging willow branches. They blocked some of the sound, but mostly they hid her away — which for the time being was exactly what the ex-Alpha required.

Nova, as she often spent her days, was out wandering the willows. She liked their calmness, their beauty, their grace. They made her think of herself, as vain as the thought was. But hold on, what was this? The scent of a female, and close! It wasn't a scent she knew, and so the aging female trotted towards it curiously. It was not her nature to not KNOW of things, preferring to keep herself in the loop of things. As she got closer, she realized Warbone's scent was clear. Not in the sense that he was here now, but that he had been close. It was mingled with the scent of the female, driving the ginger and cream elders curiosity further. Had her king taken a mate? Surely not, she wouldn't be hiding out here. And so she approached, cautiously, a tree in which she could see the young girl.
             "Hello?"
Her tone was clearly confused, wondering. Warbone was adamant that everyone went to The Crook when they were accepted, to meet the others and get acquainted. So what was she doing here, smelling of the alpha and nesting in an old tree? Her ghostly eyes were, naturally, motherly and inviting, and her posture was relaxed and calm.

The roots were expansive indeed, and they hinted at the age of this particular tree. While the others around it had exposed roots from the soil fanning out from one section, this tree seemed to be endless. The roots held on to the ledge and crept down to where Tavi was resting, halted by a ledge of stone, but they crept to either side of the embedded boulder as if to cradle it. Above the boughs wept, and the trailing willow branches were like a curtain straight out of a fairy-tale; each tendril held a plethora of new buds and old, some just emerging with a shock of green while others were already open, having done so at the first onset of spring. When summer hit and the world dried out, they would litter the territory in a snow of ethereal petals.

For now, the only thing the grand willow protected was the woman. She was so caught up with thoughts of Reek and the worry of being discovered that she pinched herself in to as tight a ball as she could - and then ignored the sick sensation in the pit of her belly when her coiling went too far. Eventually she had to release the tension in her body, so she unwound and breathed a gasp. As if on cue, a voice drifted through the willows to Tavi — and she was instantly on alert, lifting her shoulders and chest while bracing her front half against the ground.

Evidently she had been found. The stranger that approached was a golden-haired elder, and she seemed to be equal parts confused and concerned. Hopeful that this woman was not a threat, Tavi nonetheless began to bristle, and sought the shadows with her eyes — wondering if Arkham would be returning soon. Hello, she called in return, and though her voice was pale it was placid, unlike the evident upheaval taking over the rest of her. You're one of Arkham's subordinates. It was a statement made in order to confirm, though it held no question. The woman was close enough for Tavi to learn many things from her.

Nova paused, brow furrowing in thought. On closer inspection, the elder realized this must be the pregnant female Warbone had taken in. She lowered her head and kept her distance, trying to convey that she wasn't a threat. She saw her fur rise and tipped her head. Nova understood that she was pregnant and hormonal, but would she really attack an elder that only wanted to help? Hopefully not. She wasn't sure what Warbone would think of it either, but it didnt matter for it hadn't yet happened. She spoke of an Arkham, and it took a moment for her to realize she meant Warbone. When she did though, she nodded and smiled warmly.
      "I am. Nova Rose. And you are?"
She wondered why she was HERE, and alone, but that wasn't a question that needed asked right now. She was more worried about her health, both mental and physical. What could she do to help?

Tav- she started to say, falling back on the nickname she'd had from her childhood onward. But she was not that person anymore; the nickname fell from her lips before it could be fully spoken, and she corrected herself hastily — Octavia. Nice to uh, meet you. It was a bit awkward to be faced with a foreign wolf at this point. She may have been brought to the pack lands and secretly harbored, but Tavi did not consider herself one of them. Without anywhere else to go though, it was best she start changing the way she thought about things. It was no longer Tavi versus the world. She had god knows how many other lives to fight for now.

I guess this is a bit weird, right? She mumbled, seeing the concern wrought upon the elder's face. I mean I'm not at your pack den, or anything. What's it called? The Pit? The Burrow? Meh, such details weren't important, and she was rambling. He thought it'd be safer for everyone if I stayed away. He being Arkham of course — and it would be safer in the long run. Tavi did not want to cause a disturbance among these strangers, and she sure as hell did not want them near her when the time came to give birth.

Nova noticed the correction, but pretended not to. Why bother? She didn't seem happy that Nova was here, and the elder was tempted to just leave her at that. But she just looked so.... Defeated. It wasn't as if Nova could say so, though. To say such to a pregnant and obviously distressed female being harbored in half secrecy, all by herself? She likely already felt weird, vulnerable, and Nova couldnt help her by making it worse. And so she kept her smile and her spectral eyes were still equally as warm while speaking in her happy, velvety tone albeit a little quieter than usual. 
       "The Crook.... Why are you harboring here, might I ask? If you needed to find a new home, then why not join?"
She could smell the scents of another pack on the female, but the scent of Warbone and his territory was already heavy on her fur. She couldn't help but be curious, she was not only naturally helpful but also a storyteller. On top of that, she was a wolf who liked to KNOW things. Not for any purpose but the knowledge, more information stored among seven years of constant travel.

And of course, the question of why. Why was she here and not there? Why had Arkham even offered himself as her protector? Why not just find a dank little hole when the time came and poop out these babies, then be done with it? Tavi didn't know what to say. How could she stick around in secret if she blabbed about her problems to every stranger that discovered her. That led to another question though — had Arkham kept her secret from his own wolves? Wouldn't that put her in more danger?

I have joined you, she corrected the older wolf, letting a small smile linger upon her face. I'm just as much a member of your pack, and your family, as anyone else. But she was hidden away. That was a fact that nobody could avoid. To explain that, she added on: I think he just wants to keep me safe. I'm due soon, and... Maybe he doesn't trust anyone around here to look after me. She hadn't meant for it to sound so grim nor so insulting, because surely someone among the pack would be able to aid her when the birthing came. 

Tavi sighed and shrugged her shoulders, her pudgy body shifting softly. I have nowhere else to go.

Nova saw the girl smile, but couldn't tell if she was sincere or not. She was convinced, until she suggested that Warbone didnt think they were GOOD ENOUGH. Perhaps if she'd have looked into it, she'd have seen the innocence behind the grey females words. But the vain female took it personally, maybe for a slightly okay reason?
          "I hope not, since I told him I would help with anything pup related.... But I suppose its none of my business what my alpha decides. I'm only an epsilon. If you do need help, all it takes is to ask."
She still didn't understand how being AWAY from the pack was safer. All the wolves here were under his command and surely wouldnt harm one of their own regardless let alone PUPPIES. But it wasn't her problem. If Octavia needed her, she knew who to howl for or where to look. With one more sad, hurt look, Nova trotted off. She'd convinced herself that the female didnt at all want to talk and even worse didn't want to be with a pack she supposedly joined, and so would not stick around. Surely she would try again, eventually, but not now.

I'll archive! :)

Judging by the woman's reaction, Tavi had hit some sort of nerve. She opened her mouth to apologize and yet did not; the elder was already dismissing herself, turning and leaving without much else to say. The girl's mouth closed with a small click, and as she watched the stranger drift off towards wherever-the-heck she came from, Tavi rested her head on the ground and dozed, thinking about the conversation which had just happened as she drifted in to a half-sleep.