Hushed Willows dead of night

set directly after this thread, which has been bumped from the original post date to jan 3rd! attendance is optional but strongly encouraged <3 @Reverie Mae @Reina @Blackbird @Hypnos @Tuft @Kyrell @Blossom @Wayfarer

hearthwood had blood on their hands.
the intruder was now taken care of. in the aftermath, he had taken his warriors to the hearth of reverie for immediate necessary treatment; for the most part, none held grave injuries, and he was endlessly thankful for this.
afternoon churned to evening, and a fresh misting of snow soon came to bury the red ribbons left strewn near the lake. he made himself presentable with a quick roll, the crimson stain across his chest now muted to pink, and he made his way to the ledge that sat central to the sunburst.
with his head tilted skyward, he sends up a note to all able to join him. he tries to hide the rage and fear in the strong set of his shoulders.

Quick post just to get her in

Reverie wasn't far behind. She trailed her husband and settled beside him, grooming some of the places where his fur was still stained by blood while they waited for the others. Later she would have to re-apply what he'd shed with his roll in the snow. For now, they had business to attend.

It was over, just as quickly as it happened.

His late arrival to the scene spared him from injury. He quickly deferred any attention towards him to the others involved. Now he sat in the glade beneath the ledge at the summons of Boone.

Of course. It wasn't truly over, was it? The intruder was no more; fresh snow now covering his remains. But there were still damages to address.

---

Tuft, startled by the sound of the howl, quickly sprints over to where Boone looms over the body of the wolf, black and white fur whipping in the wind.

Panting, Tuft surveyed the area, black fluffy ears perked up in attention. "Well this is not how I imagined meeting the pack for the first time." Tuft muttered to himself as he saw the blood on Boone and blood splatters in the snow.

Trying to remain calm and collected, Tuft asked a couple of questions to group, cocking his head to the side in a questioning look. "Is everyone okay? What happened?" 

---

The adrenaline had raced its course through her veins, now sputtering out and she. could. feel.

Reina didn't want to feel. 

If she could, she would use something--anything--to numb herself. The memory of what just transpired wanted nothing more than to swallow her. Growling, she shook her head, trying to rid her mind of the negativity. Her body shook, visible to anyone who watched her approach. 

The once fiery wolf felt like a ghost made of ash, so close to being swept away in the wind. The only thing that grounded her were sunshine orbs belonging to her first friend, Reverie. She didn't even acknowledge the others, only taking note that there was a new body among them. She remained silent as she reached the leaders of her pack, only throwing a small whine to Reverie once at her side, a plea for her presence.

She looked to Boone, then out to those already joined, not trusting her words to recount what happened. The words could not form; she wouldn't speak of it, now. Reina was too fragile, too close to breaking. All that was needed was the solidarity of her pack, to feel Hearthwood beneath her.

Safe.

She was safe here.

apologies for the wait on this! this will be my last post in this thread but y'all are free to continue! still open to others <3

bodies filtered in; concern thrummed within his hollow. reverie came to his side, never far from him, and he pauses to kiss the space between her ears atop her head.
there's been a new first for us, boone began, swallowing the lump in his throat. hearthwood has had its first aggressive intruder. it's been handled very swiftly. but we're gonna need to be cautious from here on out. see, a pause, thick with hesitation; his chest throbbed. reverie and i might be expectin' soon. and we can't have no bastards runnin' around on our turf thinkin' they can pick on us.
so here's what's gonna happen. we get any visitors, you bring 'em straight to one of us. for the next few days, i'm gonna be sendin' out extra patrols along our more exposed flanks. we don't know if that fella had any buddies that might come lookin' for him.
i wanna add that hearthwood will not, and will never be a place where our women should feel threatened by our men. under my roof, you are safe, and you are equal. look out for one another. i saw some truly incredible teamwork earlier today, and i wanna continue to see that energy. we're a strong, healthy bunch. i'm proud of y'all. each and every one of ya.
he turns now toward his wife; ever grateful for her presence, and now eyeing her with an invitation to add her own thoughts.

Last for me too!

Boone might have wanted her to add her own voice to his, but Reverie was too wholly focused on him. He was hurt; that was all she could see. And it was frustrating, truly, to see him injured and frightened for the sake of another. Did he not understand that he was more important than any of them?

She fussed over him in silence, but after a few moments of feeling his expectant look upon her, turned to the others to add: Just be careful, please. Don't put my husband in danger again. Reverie was fond of the wolves of Hearthwood. She was. She'd found a steadfast friend in Kyrell, and a loving one in Reina; she appreciated Wayfarer's company and Mae's gifts. Still: she would trade a thousand of them for her husband's safety. Maybe she deserved the hatred that she knew they would hold for her if they ever knew. Maybe Akavir was right about her. She just didn't care.

Reverie had nothing more to add. She only wanted to get Boone back to their den so that she could continue treating his wound.