Golden Glade Is anybody out there? Is anybody listening?

Aspen trailed back over the borders, she was tired, and mentally drained. She had spent the night god knows where and even that hadn't helped because she wasn't alone. None other than the bitch herself showed up. As if things couldnt have gotten any worse. Aspen was just done with the world right now. All she wanted to do was go back to her den. Find Alder, and just curl up next to him. No need for words. She just, needed comfort. 

She padded through the trees, the sun barely crawling over the horizon.  She eventually reached the entrance of the tunnels she didn't even hesitate before walking in and working her way through them aimlessly heading towards their den. Though, when she reached it, Alder was no where to be found. Aspen put her nose to the air and found his scent not to be fresh. Where was he.....had he ran like she had... Aspen let out a whine before letting out a howl calling for him. Wherever he may be, she hoped he could hear her. 

She padded back out of the tunnels letting out another loose howl but not as loud as the first. She couldnt help the tears from rolling down her cheek again. She just collapsed in front of tunnel entrance and cried. Not a care as to if anyone was watching. 

She wanted nothing more than to erase the past few days of her life. First finding out about heartha, then running into her worst enemy, and now returning to find Alder gone. Didn't help the clouds were threatening to pour down with rain any second now.

Set 24th of August. @Shalon

Shalon who had been relaxing in the cool water of the stream no to far from the entrance of the tunnel had heard the howl for Alder from her Queen Aspen. However had not thought twice about it, why wouldn't she want to see her husband. Shrugging she went back to her relaxation. The sun had just started to show itself over the landscape and Shalon was in the process of her mourning routine. After this she would head for the border and then head out to do some hunting. Shalon peaked through her closed eyelids as Aspen called once again, however the sound was weaker than what Shalon was used to. Tilting her head in concern and question she rose from the water and did the best she could to rid herself of the wet water clinging to her pelt.

She wasn't completely successful although she padded softly through the trees, toward the entrance of the tunnels. Early fallen leaves stuck to her damp paws. She came upon a sad sight, one that filled her with sadness and concern. She gasped slightly, "Aspen?" Shalon approached quickly, her wet fur forgotten, "Aspen? Why are you crying? What happened?" She looked around slowly, she couldn't find the scent of Alder aside from the faint scent of his being long gone. "Where is Alder?" Surely if the male knew his wife was crying her would be here. She had called for him.

Aspen's ears twitched at the sound of paw steps but she did not move from where she lay. She managed to glance and catch a glimpse of shalon but the queen still refused to move. Shalon posed a flurry of questions to which Aspen barely managed to answer. "Everything happened Shalon, everything." she stated bluntly her voice catching in her throat.

Aspen let another tear roll when Shalon spoke of Alder. "I-I....I don't know....he's gone..." Aspen muttered weakly. She hated for the fae to see her like this but she couldn't muster the energy or will power to just put on a brave face and act like everything was okay. It wasn't.

Shalon was confused. She was clearly out of the loop. "Everything Aspen?" Shalon shook her head, walking around the female, she would lay down beside the female. Curling around her slightly. Offering any comfort she could. "What happened?" She spoke softly. "I can't help, if I don't know what happened." She continued quietly, not sure where to start or how to help. Something was obviously wrong with this situation.

Shalon looked down at the woman beside her with a gentle silver gaze. She couldn't believe that the universe would hurt such a kind soul. First her parents, and her brothers. And now this? Whatever this was? Shalon shook her head slowly, and with a sigh she would rest her head on the ground. Waiting for her Queen to speak.

Aspen let out a long sigh as the fae questioned the word everything. Aspen just nodded. Though as she felt the fae curl herself next to her and explain that she couldn't help if she didn't know what was wrong Aspen decided best tell the girl than sit here sulking though she knew not what good talking about it would do. "Yes, everything. You see....yesterday, I went to go tell Alder that I am pregnant, with his puppies, but before I told him, he told me that he had mated with Heartha during her heat only a week after mine, and I kinda freaked out, he does know that I'm having his puppies I managed to get that out, but then i bolted," Aspen said pausing only to sigh and collect her breathe, still fighitng back tears.

"I ended up across the plateau and in another forest somewhere north of here. I thought that I would be safe there, to sit with my thoughts and just i dont know, deal. Turns out, I was wrong. You know that girl that showed up here twice, trying to find out about our pack or intruding over the borders, well, she showed up and was her usual self," Aspen muttered her distaste evident in her tone.

"Then after speaking/arguing with her, I come back here, to find Alder gone..." she trailed off the last few words because the dams were threatening to overflow once again. She needed to get a handle on herself. She was so weak right now and she didn't want anyone to see her like this. Yet here she was, laying out in front of the tunnels with Shalon curled up beside her. "Tell me.....what did I do to deserve all this," Aspen sighed letting out a faint whine.

Shalon listened with a passive face, waiting to hear the whole story before making her reply. Puppies! That was exciting. Although two mothers to the same father was not. Shalon couldn't help but let out a small growl after mentioning the pale female. Slowly she let out a small sigh. Consuming all the information and thinking of a logically way to speak.

"First let me congradulate you on your puppies." Shalon smiled warmly and reached toward the female offering her a nose of happiness. "They are the future of our pack, you should be happy about that." She spoke honestly, even though her luck was on a downturn at the moment Aspen should at least be glad for her pups. "Perhaps you should focuse on your pups, before thinking of Heartha's?" Shalon wasn't sure what Aspen woudl do with Heartha. Heartha should have known better, as should have Alder. Although Shalon wouldn't speak of that now, "Alder made a mistake, one that is not easily forgiven. Give him time. Infact. Aspen I think you need sometime as well." Shalon shrugged softly, this was an unusually predicament.

"Speaking of the pale woman. Are you alright? Did she hurt you?" Shalon looked closely at Aspen's form looking for any injuries. If there were any, Shalon would head over to her pack and rip her a new one. Damn the consequences!

"As I said before you both need time to think. Atleast that's my opinion. Perhaps it's a good thing her isn't here?" Shalon tried to offer some form of condolences. "You don't deserve this Aspen, you are good at heart. One day you will see that, and one day the universe will show you." Shalon knew that Aspen had been through her fare share of heartship. Shalon could not honestly explain why, only hoped that it would turn around one day.

Shalon first congratulated the Queen on her coming litter. Aspen offered a weak smile. "Thank you Shalon, I am happy that I have them, I couldn't not be. I love Alder, I just...I worry about him.." she stated her face returning to it's rather emotionless gaze. "I am focusing on myself and Heartha is focusing on her, I do not hold any anger towards her, I am just dissapointed in Alder, and in her," she spoke. She understood the effect that hormones can have on a wolf which explained hy she held no anger, but at the same time it didn't make it hurt any less. "Perhaps you are right, this time away might be what we both need. I need to come to terms with what happened and maybe find away so that it hurts a bit less. I just wish he would have stayed to talk about this, work through it together..isntead of running away, in my eyes it made things worse...hurt more," she spoke softly but managing to pull herself to sit.

"The pale woman did not injure me, in fact, for once she left me alone. Just told me to find someplace else to sulk in the future," Aspen said with a shrug. She was thankful the wolf had decided not to provoke a fight with the Queen especially while pregnant. It could have ended very badly for the both of them.

Shalon spoke explaining the queen didn't deserve this that she was good at heart and one day the universe would show her.Aspen offered a meek nod. Perhaps she did deserve this? Perhaps she was not meant to be happy for long periods of time. Someone, something out there still wanted her to be miserable. 

Finally finished the thread with Aero...though it was only 4 posts. XD Anyhow yay :D

Shalon nodded slowly, glad that the pale devil had for once left them all alone. "I am glad you are unhurt." She was of a firm mind that Aspen sould not be out of the territory alone. What if something had happened? What if she had been hurt? No one would have know until it was probably to late. "Can I ask you a favour Aspen?" She didn't hesitate, only took a moment to glance at the pale Queen, "Don't leave the pack territory without someone." Shalon was dead serious, and perhaps had never been so bold as to tell her leader what to do. "It would destroy the pack if something happened to you or your pups. You may love them the most, but please keep in mind that we all love them too." Her gaze was piercing, following the Queen's body language, she wasn't above asking the others to spy on the Queen if she refused. 


"I probably should have stayed, however we both have the minds of women, not that of men." Shalon smiled slightly, "He probably thought it was best to leave you time to think." Shalon was still furious with the male, she understood the nature of a male while a female was in heat, she had some close calls herself during her first heat. But still! He had hurt his wife, he had hurt his reputation and he had hurt Heartha. It was something that the new pack would now need to over come, another hurdle for those who knew and those incoming. How would his bastard children be greeted? They were royalty and yet they were not the children of their Queen? They had caused quite a pickle. "Perhaps you should speak with Heartha? Unless you already have?" Shalon wasn't sure if she could forgive Heartha if she were in Aspens paws.

Aspen listened carefully to Shalon's next words. She asked for the Queen not to leave the territory alone explaining she wasn't the only one that cared about the future pups now growing in her belly. Aspen nodded slowly. Agreeing but at the same time kinda stubbornly because she thought she could take care of herself just fine. But that was a side of the queen that would probably never subside and someday may get her into trouble. 

"He should have, but I can't change whats been done now...I just have to wait for him to get back I guess," she said letting out a soft sigh. "I have to give him  some credit because in his mind, that was the right thing to do. Just because we don't agree with it. His heart told him it was the right thing to do," she added.

Shalon brought up speaking with Heartha. Aspen nodded. "That I should, I will find her when I can figure out what I want to say and get a handle on my emotions. I don't think now would be a good time. I would speak words I may end up regretting," she admitted watching the grey and tan female in front of her. Her gaze more soft than sad now. She had relaxed a bit being able to vent and all that jazz.

Shalon nodded slowly, "Anger is never something you should bring to a conversation." She agreed that getting a handle on her emotions was probably a good thing to do before saying something hurtful. Just as she finished speaking she felt the lightest of water droplets richocet off her snout. She lifted her head to the sky watching as the rain started to fall. "It appears that clouds have come to wash away your sadness, my Queen." Shalon nudged the woman softly. Perhaps it was time to head inside, away from the rain. The seasons were starting to change, and the rain was only one slice of evidence. The colder tempertures were another, even though it was only late August, the night's were becoming colder. It was evenings like this were Shalon actually slept in her den within the tunnels. It wasn't as homely as her boulder, but it was a lot dryer.

Aspen smiled slightly as Shalon commented on the clouds that had recently drifted over and began to dampen their fur. "Seems that is the case, perhaps we should venture into the tunnels and dry off. Though I must admit I am also getting quite tired. I might need to rest soon," the queen said her gaze soft as she glanced from Shalon to the tunnel entrance just behind her and she rose to her paws.

Aspen turned tail and began to walk towards the tunnel entrance no doubt Shalon would follow but she still glanced behind her just in case.

Shalon nodded softly with a small smile on her face, "Indeed a young mother must have her rest, and be in proper health." Shalon's smile grew into a grin. As she stood and headed into the tunnel system that was only a few feet away. She had still yet to claim a den for herself, she much prefered her boulder however she supposed for official purposes she should atleast find a place within the tunnels. Perhaps near to her beloved King and Queen. She was proud that Aspen trusted her enough to speak with her about the troubles that plagued her mind. Shalon would always be proud of the friendship she harboured with the young royal. She had a feeling that Aspen and Alder would figure everything out, even if Shalon thought that Alder was being a little dumby.