Hushed Willows Calm Before The Storm

For lack of a better phrase, or perhaps this one just fit perfectly, shit had gone down within the Keep. Nova Rose was gone, Tavi had secluded herself within her den with Tamborine, Harlyn was hurt, and there was a tension in the air that couldn't be missed by anyone who stayed inside the Keep. Things were quiet, but not in the good way: the family feeling that'd been present, strengthened by the little party, was gone, at least for Grace. The already skittish girl felt the stress in the air like a storm, the sprinkling mist before all hell broke loose. It was only a matter of time until the rain barreled down and separated the family, and that left a question in Grace's mind.
Who would she follow? If Tavi left, took her few followers, would the russet girl stay loyal to she and her son? Or would she stay closer to Harlyn and her family? Going off to find Nova for the second time after a pack separated was always an option too, but already Grace knew she was decided. 
Limping through the willows, the yearling headed for the herbal den she and @Trick shared. Speaking of, where was her friend? It'd been a while since they'd last spoke, since the party, and the young female found herself hoping they weren't separated. The raven male was the closest thing she had to a friend now, what with Teagan's dissapearance and Nova's leaving. Her brother, @Kirin was a welcomed part of her life now too, but what would the two males do if the pack separated? 

Marie, if you have the time, but any other Marauder is welcomed to jump in whenever too! :3 Felt we were far overdo for a Trick/Grace herb thread, plus if we spin this for a trade thread Grace'll only need one more.

Trick had felt the tension in the Crook as well, and as much as he liked chaos, no one had revealed yet what had truly gone on. He was left in the dark completely, and that only made the desire to leave for a journey bigger. He wanted to expand his knowledge, wanted to see what beautiful herbs this land had to offer- but could he just do it? Would he be accepted back if they knew he wasn't gone forever? Would Grace be okay with him and her adoptive mother? Perhaps she could come along, but he doubted she was willing to leave her home just because he was. Yes, they shared a sort of friendship and the passion for herbs, but he wouldn't call them the best buddies in the world. With Teagan gone though, she was the only one who still kept him bound to this place. He didn't even see Stark as a friend anymore after he was given the rank of Beta. 

He was pacing around in the big den of herbs that was not filled with the ashes of war like in the Crook, instead with the sweet aroma of new, fresh herbs. He had truly gathered much, if he did say so himself, but now that he had everything that was needed; what was there to do? There was no one sick or wounded, and that made him want to go out more. He wanted to heal again, be the secret keeper again. He wanted his own life back, not one behind a mask that he was going to drop sooner or later. This place was ruined for him, and it was all thanks to Tavi and the family that had joined. He wanted Warbone back.

wasn't sure if he was meant to be in this thread or not but I decided to go ahead and put him in it since he was tagged. :P

Even Kirin who was socially inept and only recently received into the fold could sense the discord amongst their ranks. It put him on edge, not a hard feat really, and he naturally avoided the other members. The scent of blood was present letting him know someone was hurt and Kirin hadn't seen Tavi since joining. 

Kirin seemed to have a talent at sniffing out Grace, particularly when she was upset. He found her moving through the willows. Kirin fell into step with her, saying nothing. If she had something that was bothering her, he would be a listening ear but he wouldn't press her to confess.

Being new he was blissfully unaware as to what was causing the tension or that it was between the two families of the Keep. If it were to disband Kirin couldn't quite say who he would follow. It would likely be in whatever direction his sister chose.

Haha Im not sure either but the more people the better right? :D Kirin is always welcome in any of her threads.

Her brother found her, and by the way Kirin just fell into step with her, silent as stars, Grace knew that he could sense her nervousness. Granted, it was probably STILL much lower than the months she lived with their father. Most of her life, really, but it'd gone down drastically, managably. The russet boy always had been good at being her silent support. 
She didn't say anything, just bumped her shoulder against his with a shy smile, and kept walking. Trick's scent was suddenly upon her, and she realized as she broke the treeline into their little meadow that the raven male was likely inside. With a motion of her tail for Kirin to follow, the yearling slipped down into the den with a swish of her tail as she layed eyes on her friend. 
             "Brought a friend, Trick. My brother, Kirin. Whatcha up to?"
The dark girl approached her friend, rubbing her head against his side as she passed  to the other side, shooting a golden look over her shoulder to her brother.

The sound of footsteps nearing was a sign for him to jump and growl, his head low to the ground to attack whoever dared to come close in such drastic times. It soon became a sin though, since the one he was growling at was the only sort-of friend he had left and a male he hardly recognized. He was sure he had seen the guy in the den somewhere, but with all this tension he didn't feel like meeting anyone new. He quietly accepted Grace brushing up against his silky fur, even though he hated the thought of his fur being imperfect. He sighed, his hackles that had raised in the moment of them entering settled down.

Nice to meet you, Kirin. He nodded to the male in a somewhat friendly tone. Then his emerald green eyes followed Grace, not knowing why she had brought her brother with her. Was he a healer too? I've just gathered some new herbs- made some new cobweb holders also. He said with a nod to the shelves that were full of plants.

Kirin followed, tense from the moment he lay eyes on the male who's hackles were currently raised. Kirin hunched slightly, as if to remove as many targets from himself as possible. His orange eyes watched the dark male as he slowly calmed, greeting the two siblings friendly if reluctantly. 

Kirin nodded, glancing around the cave of herbs and the like. Did Grace heal? Kirin found he didn't know, it wasn't as if the two had had an in depth talk about the time they were separated. It was obvious his sister was different now, happier than she had been at home but Kirin didn't know much about the new Grace.

Grace frowned at Trick's growl, lowering her ears and fixing dissapointed golden eyes on her friend. Was everyone on edge and ready to kill each other now? Warbone needed to come home, set all his wolves at ease. As good as a job as she thought Tavi was doing, not everyone felt the same. Irritation found its way into her voice, and Grace knew it was only because the two people here were the few people she could trust. 
                     "Trick, not you too. Everyone needs to relax with each other around here, I can FEEL the tension."
He relaxed as she rubbed against him, and it brought a smile to her face to at least know her opinion was trusted. He mentioned new herbs and cobweb holders, and the russet female rumbled in appreciation.  
                                     "I'm gonna dip up a garden soon, plant things right outside the den so its always handy and fresh."
Grace gave a soft smile to her brother in silent support, nodding and wagging her tail. He was okay here, he would soon learn. He'd more followed her than she'd brought him, but that was okay too. He had every right to be here with her if thats what he wanted. 
                                                   "This is where I spend a lot of my time, Kirin. I'm a healer now, and I like to think I'm pretty good at it."

Of course everyone was on edge and ready to kill. It was like a civil war, the precise reason Trick wanted to get out of here. They were being treated like low lives, nothing more than scum or a bother by their "superior". That's because there is tension, my dear. He answered with a slight roll of his eye. She was young, rather foolish when it came to these sort of situations. The only thing she was good at was somewhat amusing the man and, he supposed, healing and gathering plants. He had to give credit where credit was due, after all.

It's good you both have come here. You see, I've been meaning to tell you something, Grace. He said in his buttery voice made of pure honey and dreaminess. He paced around for a few moments to really drag it out a little for dramatic purposes. Run away with me. He finally said. He didn't state it as an offer, nor a question, it was more of a demand. We are wasting our talents here. We can help people, we can make this world just a tiny bit more bearable. Don't you feel underappreciated? He said as he slowly paced toward Grace.

*Nervously skips Kirin and hopes he comes back*

Sure, there had been a few thoughts where Grace had debated leaving, but her loyalty to Tavi, to Stark, to the willows overall, had been too strong. Unfortunately, Trick was above them all: she spent hours on end sitting here with him, silent or learning, and building some sort of odd friendship. So it was no surprise that as soon as he told her they should go, she accepted the idea without another thought. His reasons only convinced her further, and her only hesitation was in looking back to Kirin and tipping her head as if asking what he thought about it. Of course, she desperately hoped that her brother would come with. 
Turning her golden eyes back to Trick, she gave a single nod.
                  "You're right, Trick. We can do better out there, somewhere else."
Harlyn was a healer, right? She could take care of the pack. Much as she loved the Hushed Willows, Nova was gone, Warbone was gone, Kunik.... There were very few reasons to stay, was where it came to. So yes, yes she would.