Ludicael still seemed rather quiet as Novella and Frith had arrived back at the lands. The lack of sleep finally hitting her she had chosen to head back to her den and sleep at last, and Frith had followed her. It had been a little awkward of an idea really, though had seemed better than letting him wander the lands and possibly get into trouble or disturbing her parents as they slept. Oddly though, however strange it may have been to be sharing a den with someone she barely knew she oddly had no difficulties drifting off to sleep this time.
Outside the sun had risen now and morning was upon the lands though Novella still hadn't woken up. She was apparently catching up on that lost sleep rather nicely now and in all of her thoughts and all of the adventures of the night had completely forgotten that she was supposed to be joining her mother for another lesson, or rather should currently be in the middle of said lesson.
The boy had easily followed Novella back to Ludicael, had he lived in a more social environment during his life he might have found sharing her den to have been inappropriate. Really though, he wouldn't have had it any other way, he would think about sleeping outside but it was too high of a chance that he would be stumbled upon. Novella had reassured him that they would talk to her parents as soon as they woke up, and with ease he would fall asleep by her side.
She had been asleep much quicker than he, fire and ice eyes had watched her a bit while he tried to fall asleep. Eventually as the early morning sun rose he would find his way into a slumber. A few hours later he would still be deep in slumber, completely at ease within Novella's den. In a pack. As dreams of such events would fill him a sudden rude awakening would cause him to instantly be fully awake.
"Speech"
if i haven't replied to you in a while, remind me [here]
It really wasn't like Novella to be late, and she had certainly never missed a lesson before. Such events would cause instant alarm in the mother's head. What with recent losses and quick vacations her mindset would not be positive in the least. Panic would flutter in her chest as she finally decided to go and check for her daughter. Only morbid thoughts would find their way into her mind, she couldn't imagine her daughter finding herself deprived of sleep to the point of missing their lesson. Her thoughts were on kidnapping or worse.
As she approached the den however her familiar scent would be recognized as fresh, but there was someone else too. Someone obviously not from Ludicael. Had they really dragged her off last night? Worry would overcome her as she peeked into the den, anger rising up within her as chocolatey gaze took in the scene, what was this? "Novella?!" She would almost screech as she backed away from the den, "Come out this instant and explain yourself!"
It was probably the best Novella had slept for a while now, she hadn't shared a den since she had been a child, having her own den had been exciting for a while after that though she had forgotten how comforting it could be to have company close by as you slept, especially in times like these. Things had been looking up slightly last night, a new friend and a new addition to the pack though it seemed the girl had been terribly mistaken, they were going to get worse first.
She would awake with a start as she heard her name suddenly shouted. It would take her a second to realise quite what was going on, she recalled Frith of course though certainly hadn't seen the error in her ways especially not when she was half asleep. She would however register her mother's angry screams and begin to put two and two together. She would glance now to Frith who also sat awake at her side and felt awful for having gotten him into such a mess. "That's my mum... she's not normally like this. Sorry." She explained, hoping that he wouldn't want to leave and of course hoping that Novel wouldn't make him.
She would rise then and step out of her den to confront her mother. She didn't think she had ever seen or heard her mother so mad and she would approach rather sheepishly, head held low and ears pulled back as she avoided making eye contact with her. This hadn't been her plan at all, to get Frith and herself in trouble, to make her mother mad. Now, where did she begin explaining to try and fix all of this mess?
"This is Frith." She began, an introduction was probably best. "He wants to join, but you and dad were asleep and we were tired too. We were going to come see you first thing this morning but I guess we overslept... sorry..." She would find herself apologising once more as she finally lifted her gaze from the ground to her mother, hoping that it would be enough to calm her. Of course there was probably still more explaining to do, though Novella's innocent mind hadn't yet realised fully why it had been so horrifying for Novel to find a strange man in her daughter's den.
He hadn't expected to sleep so long really, he hadn't really expected to be awaken so suddenly either. The harsh sound of Novel would startled him awake, fire and ice gaze searching around the den. She had been awaked as quickly as he, and her gaze would again find his own "That's my mum... she's not normally like this. Sorry." He would find a small smile forming on his lips as he would watch her stand. Following her lead, he would cautiously slink from the den behind her. His body would mirror her own posture, trying not to look into the eyes of her furious mother.
Novella would introduce him first, and he would not slightly in greeting. "He wants to join, but you and dad were asleep and we were tired too. We were going to come see you first thing this morning but I guess we overslept... sorry..." He wasn't sure what to do really, he'd never been in such a position before. He hoped though, that if he kept his tail down and his eyes averted she might spare him some kind of punishment. He couldn't comprehend where her mind was, or even what she was so adamantly upset about. They'd been considerate to think of her own feelings last night.. right?
"Speech"
if i haven't replied to you in a while, remind me [here]
She would watch with a firey eye as her daughter emerged, completely unscathed. At least she could heave a sigh of relief, that didn't help how much she had worried though. Obviously Novella saw her wrong doing, but still she would do her best to explain. Novel's tail would flick behind her like an annoyed cat as she awaited the words, "He wants to join, but you and dad were asleep and we were tired too. We were going to come see you first thing this morning but I guess we overslept... sorry..." Frith was his name, she hadn't recognized the scent that clung to him. Eyes would bore into Novella's gaze, did she even realize how worried she had been when she'd missed her lesson. "What were you thinking?" Really she was losing her edge after the apology, but there was too much steam. Some of it would have to escape. "You had me worried sick, missing your lesson.. and have a rogue sleep in your den? Did you think i wouldn't find out, that I wouldn't be upset?" there was more desperation in her voice than anger now, she would sigh, losing the huff that had puffed her up. "Just, please. Don't worry me like that again."
Novella truly would feel awful for scaring her mother but mostly for getting Frith into trouble. His first experience within a pack she honestly wouldn't blame him for leaving now though instead he seemed rather understanding and remained there as they awaited their fate. Honestly she suddenly found herself admiring him for it, of course it was the right thing to do though, face a punishment though all the same given his secluded life she guessed he had never been in this sort of dilemma, not when she hadn't herself.
Novel wouldn't be entirely satisfied with simply calming at the explanation and apology however. Further shouting would sound through the air and Novella would find herself wishing she could shrink small enough to disappear. She had forgotten about her lessons, how on earth had she managed to do such a thing? She loved her lessons with her mother, hopefully Novel would realise that she honestly hadn't meant to and still wished to continue with them if she was allowed.
The anger would subside as the telling off continued, and now Novella could certainly see that she had worried her mother, it only made her feel worse. She would look back up to her as she finished, tone quieter now and Novella would give a small nod of her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry, or miss my lessons." She apologised once more, a part of her wanted to dive forwards and nuzzle her mother, though she stood in place. It seemed she had finished but she certainly didn't wish to anger her again. This reaction however would only make her feel glad in some ways that she hadn't left Frith on his own, it probably would have been far worse had she not been there to calm her mother though equally perhaps it wouldn't have angered Novel as much to begin with.
He would keep his head down as he listened to Novel's words, she sounded so upset, he hadn't meant to cause this kind of trouble. His ears would stay glued to his skull as he tried to watch Novel, though his fire and ice gaze would switch between the two. As he waited for the tension to subside he would notice the uncanny similarities between the two, there was no way they were not mother and daughter. Really he could empathize with the older she wolf, obviously she had just been worried over her daughter not being where she needed to be.
Novella seemed so sorry though, and he could tell that she would have never wanted to cause such alarm consciously. He didn't want to ignite anymore rage so he would keep quiet, they would get back to his joining when it was appropriate, he hoped. He really was becoming rather afraid of getting kicked out before he'd even joined.
"Speech"
if i haven't replied to you in a while, remind me [here]
Novel had another lesson arranged with Novella for that morning leaving Dutiron alone. He had intended to go about various duties before catching up with his mate once she had finished teaching though as he heard her voice and the tone the ageing male would swiftly race to her aid. The scene he was confronted with by the time he got there was a calmer Novel though a Novella that had clearly been in trouble and a rogue male.
Even from someone simply walking in the sight certainly set Dutiron a little on edge, not certain what was going on, why Novella had been in trouble and why this stranger was here. He didn't dare think about why they were all stood outside of his daughter's den either, the suspicions were there but he couldn't believe it was true. Instead he would move to his mate's side, mismatched eyes carefully eyeing the younger pair before them and voice calmer than even he expected it to be. "What's happening here/"
Novella was rather miserable looking as she took her verbal beating, again apologizing for her actions. She would continue to watch her, unsure if she wanted to comfort her child after her scolding. She had put herself and the pack in potential danger, bringing in a complete stranger into the pack. Her eyes would again stray to him, as he tried to make himself look smaller and seem even more insignificant. Her brows would furrow slightly, but before she could tear into his she felt a presence by her side. "What's happening here?" She would let her features swing to her mate.
She wondered how much he could guess already. "Novella was late for her lesson today." she would start, looking back toward their daughter. "I cam to find her and found her sharing her den with this rogue, Frith." She would spare him her previous worries, ultimately she would want to leave their fate up to Dutiron.
Novella didn't think this could really get much worse if she was honest, her mother had already shouted at her but of course the girl would be horribly mistaken. Her father would suddenly arrive as well and whilst her mother had calmed, his observant gaze and question would bring about a fear that all of this was about to start again. It would only make her want to shrink once more even if Dutiron still seemed calm for now.
Her mother would speak now explaining the situation in a way that would make Novella wince in anticipation of another verbal beating. Surely her mother could have left that detail out in favour of the fact that Frith wanted to join. She would glance to him now momentarily, he stood there in a submissive manner as well and it would only bring another surge of guilt through her.
"He wants to join the pack dad." Novella would explain looking back towards her father now. "We didn't want to wake you though..." She tried repeating the explanation she'd already given her mother though after all of the shouting and distress she couldn't even bring herself to finish, the argument sounding even more feeble this time than it had before, even if it was the truth.
The explanation given was the one he had feared might be the case, had desperately hoped wasn't true. He had certainly thought Novella to be sensible and yet what on earth was she playing at now, inviting a rogue not only into the pack lands but her den as well? He could certainly understand Novel's worries and reasoning for shouting at the girl, though he would remain silent for a moment as he watched the two wolves before him, mind pondering over what could be done about this situation now.
Novella would speak up, pointing out that Frith wished to join. He dared not question the details too much on how the dark man had arrived in Ludicael or how he had ended up in Novella's den though his gaze would fix upon his daughter for a moment. "So you thought it wise to invite him into our home yourself?" His voice was still calm though it was obvious that he too was disappointed in Novella. She unfortunately didn't not make it easy for him to be mad at her but surely she realised the dangers, what on earth had she been thinking, or rather why hadn't she?
Gaze would now move to look towards Frith, leaving his daughter to think on her mistake. "Is she speaking the truth then, Frith, do you wish to join our pack?" He would pause for a moment before continuing with a similar question to prompt some thought into the boy's head this time. "Did you not think it best to wait and speak with the leaders first?"
Another wolf would appear before them, his closeness to Novel could only cause him suspicion that the two were mates. He seemed much calmer than Novel had at least, but after sneaking another quick glance at Novella he could only wait and see what would be next for him. Novel's description of events would make him feel dirty, like their perfect evening had been some shameful act. He couldn't quite let himself believe that, though as Novella interjected it almost sounded like she was beginning to feel the same.
Dutiron's assessment of his friend would further cause his ears to droop, if only he'd had the idea to stay on the border last night? Novella could have come and grabbed him once her lesson had been over and this whole angry mess could have been avoided. He couldn't have thought of that though, he was practically clueless about pack etiquette. As her father would turn to him he would almost wish for Novel's loud words, his calm demeanor and disappointed words would pierce him. "Yes, I would like to join," he would start, but his words were quiet, just as they always were. "I wasn't sure what to think.. sir. I've never had experience with a pack before." He didn't want to put all of the blame on his companion, she had led him here with the assumption that everything would be fine in the morning. He'd always known not to cross pack borders, but he thought maybe being with Novella would have made things alright.
"Speech"
if i haven't replied to you in a while, remind me [here]
She would let herself back up from the situation, Dutiron's calm energy would wash over her as she watched him, Novella, and Frith interact. Maybe she had over reacted slightly, but really she felt grounded in her anger. Why hadn't Novella thought of the dangers? Surely this boy had not been in her life for any longer than a night, and to already so easily share her den? It just didn't seem like her daughter to do something like that. Chocolatey gaze would watch as Novella added her part, and Dutiron would start. He was calmer than she had been, but one beating was surely enough.
Frith looked rather defeated when he finally spoke, his words were so quiet. He seemed timid enough, but after being yelled at by the queen she wouldn't expect much less. Lyrics would overcome her as he spoke he'd never had experience with a pack? He was easily Novella's age, where had be been all of his life? She would refrain from shaking her head as she leaned into Dutiron's side. What was she going to do with them?
Whilst her mother's shouting had been horrible, Novella would find that although far calmer and quieter, her father's disappointed, disapproving tone would feel far worse. She would feel guilty for causing this emotion in her parents, for getting poor Frith into trouble and yet the girl wouldn't feel completely remorseful for it. She had met Frith, spent a wonderful night with him and she truly hoped that they could be friends if they ever got past this awful mess she'd dragged him into.
To make matters even worse now, Dutiron would also confront Frith directly and Novella would quickly try draw the attention away from him once more. She would take the blame for this, it had been her idea after all and her parents now angry with them. She honestly had no response the comment directed at her though and before anything could be blurted out, she would look to Frith as he would speak up and to Novella's surprise and relief he would still wish to join the pack. Gods she hoped her parents allowed him to after all of this.
She would look to her parents once more, a hopeful expression on her face almost pleading for them to say yes, let him stay. Had the moment been lighter-hearted she likely would have even jested they could go and find him a den of his own though she would only dare to speak the more serious statements out loud right now. "Please can he join?"
Novella would keep silent at his comment though Frith would find some confidence to speak up and confirm that Novella's words had been true, that he wished to join Ludicael. To be entirely honest he was somewhat reluctant to allow it given how his presence had somehow negatively influenced his daughter though of course a part of him also feared what might happen if they attempted to forbid Frith from joining or setting foot near Ludicael lands.
But he had never been in a pack before? It was surprising, interesting though of course not entirely unheard of. It did mean that perhaps some of Frith's behaviour could be forgiven though would only make Novella's actions all the more alarming and further conflict the man. Frith deserved a chance to fit in with a pack, experience the life though he was certainly feeling rather worried about making any sort of decision.
Mismatched eyes would glance to his mate again now, awaiting her view on the matter. It was going to be rather tough to choose what to do, he could hardly ban two pack members from being near each other after all though a part of him was certainly leaning towards the idea. The way that Novella pleaded for the stranger's case wouldn't make it any easier for him either, on one hand he was tempted to give in but on the other more determined to keep Frith away from his daughter.
Novel wouldn't miss Novella's pleading look, or how her attention lingered on the boy Frith. The alphess couldn't help but wonder what her daughter had been thinking, and what about this boy would possibly make her bring him here. She did trust her daughter's judgement, but this situation had her confused. She would sigh, noting as Dutiron looked back to her. He would offer no more words, no summary of his thoughts after hearing Frith's words. Maybe that was better in the long run anyway.
She would look back to Novella again, gaze piercing as the decision would become cluttered in her mind. Chocolatey gaze would switch back to Frith, she would take in all of his appearance now, her eyes no longer clouded by anger. He seemed to be Novella's age, thin, and if she didn't know any better rather sad. "Frith, you may stay and learn with us." She wouldn't pause long, but some sort of punishment was obviously due, "However, neither of you will escape punishment." Though, what that punishment would be she wasn't sure yet, hopefully Dutiron would have an idea.
She had been out stretching her bad leg, checking out herbs now that spring had rolled in and catching up with her friend Atlas. It felt good to talk with the barn owl again. They just simply understood each other as if they shared part of the same soul. Happily he sat upon her shoulder as she walked through her home. It seemed this place would be her home no matter what. She shook her head till voice catch her attention. Down wind of them she listened to everything in the shadows. A frown creased her lips, ears going back and even Atlas had his feather ruffled up. With a snorted she padded out from her place to stand between Novella, Frith and her parents."Father, Mother..do you really think punishment is necessary? They are kids, but Novella is no fool. She wouldn't place herself in harms way. She did what she thought was right and even was kind enough to let you two sleep. How is that wrong? There is more than enough family here to help her if something bad happened." She paused to look back at the two younger wolves before looking back at her parents.
"Think about when you were younger, the small mistakes you made. Novella is simply living and learning. But at least she is safe and we have a new prospect for the pack. With so many pups we could use more older wolves to help provide and guard this pack. They should not be punished. They are safe and sound, what more could a mother ask for?" She looked directly at her mother. Atlas sat the, his head twisted back to look at Novella and Frith and winked. Hopefully Symphony's words would make her parents rethink.
Frith would be allowed to stay then. Dutiron still wasn't entirely sure he liked the idea if he was completely honest but perhaps having the young man here would be better anyway, a chance to keep an eye on him and even work out maybe just what Novella was thinking. As for punishment however, his main idea truthfully was to find a way to keep them separate but he doubted it would truly work unless he had Novella under watch twenty-four-seven. They'd need an equal punishment though, he certainly didn't have the heart to demote his daughter so it meant that Frith would need to enter as a Chapter so what else could be done to help them learn from their error?
Before any other ideas could spring to mind, another member of the family would arrive. Perhaps lectures from each Destruction in Ludicael would do the trick at this rate, for Novella would shrink a little more as Symphony's figure would suddenly appear. She was here to lecture Dutiron and Novel however, not her younger sister and Dutiron would remain shocked once more by how much his daughter had changed in their time apart. Her confidence had grown astounding amounts though on two occasions now he wasn't entirely sure he'd liked her timing for demonstrating that fact.
"Family that were asleep Symphony. No one knew that she had brought a rogue into the lands and to her den of all places." He would keep calm once more though now apparently he had yet another daughter to help see the mistake that Novella had made here. "Frith will be allowed to join regardless and I do hope that they've both learnt from this mistake without punishment. But, safe or not, Novella has brought another into the lands without permission. I hate to say it Symphony but any other wolf I'm sure you wouldn't be so fiercely defending for committing such an act and they would be punished immediately. I'm glad to see you are still looking out for your siblings but we cannot play favourites, it's not fair to the rest of the pack." It pained him too, and Novella wasn't making it easy to remain mad at her the last thing he needed was Symphony causing guilt as well.
Before Dutiron could add his opinion Symphony would find her way into the conversation. Dutiron would defend their decision expertly, telling Symphony exactly why they would need to be punished. It wasn't a matter of if nothing happened, she was eternally thankful that nothing had. However, the danger was easily still there. Chocolatey gaze would sit upon her older daughter's features for a moment as she thought. "Your father is right, Symphony. We have to be fair." Though she knew it would pain her as much as Novella to endure the punishment. "Novella, your punishment will be a forbiddance to leave the territory for the next moon. Frith, you will solely hunt for those incapable for the same amount of time." They seemed very much apt. Her eyes would look to her mate for approval though.