Morningside Cuesta ...a stone, a leaf, an unfound door

@Grezig

The wolves that had taken him in were not unkind. Illidan could not have said that they were cruel in any way or that they mistreated him. Quite the opposite, in fact; the pallid woman seemed to dote on him more than any of the other wolves that they had collected. The boy did not seem to care either way. He spent a great deal of his time stretched out against the sun, waiting for the day that he would catch the scent of his brother on the wind, or see the sandy figure trekking across the grass. Though he waited, Ephraim never seemed to appear. The glimmer of his yellow gaze still searched.
 
He had made a comfortable place against soft foliage on that day. His front paws were stretched before him with his shoulders tense and ready. Occasionally, the boy would swivel a single rusty ear at the sound of something in the distance. Illidan thought about returning the way he had travelled, but he could not recall which direction he had trekked from. Surely, his mother and father were worried sick about him too. Breathing a heavy sigh, the boy lowered his head to his paws and attempted to pass the fear that bubbled in his belly.

Grezig was not sure what caused her to come and sit beside the pup. She was not used to traveling with one so young, and could not help but wonder if he would last the trip. He didn’t look unhealthy or anything like that. It was more that he was just… so young. He had to be carried across rivers, carried when grew tired. Liri and Kavik carried him a lot. He needed to strengthen his legs if he wanted to make it out here. She studied him openly for a few moments, and then turned away without saying anything, staring out across the expanse. She had not spoken to him at all since joining this little band and did not know where they had found him. Admittedly, she was a little curious, but wasn’t sure if he could speak well enough yet to explain what had happened, nor if he would even want to talk about it.

Unsure of what to do with herself, and feeling awkwardly as if she were a babysitter, she just continued sitting and saying nothing. Maybe he would start the conversation. Or maybe they would just sit quietly together.

It did not take long before the boy’s quiet solitude was interrupted by the presence of another. It was the female they had happened upon while traveling. He recognized her scent against the air and he frowned softly, turning his head away from her for a moment to collect himself.
 
Illidan was not good at verbal commands or queues, but he did his best to make sure that others knew exactly what he meant when he said something. It was a trait that he had inherited from his father, no doubt; the silent type, when words meant something dramatically important. As though he wished to signify this meaning, the boy turned his head back around to face the woman and he frowned deeply, swinging his ears wide around his skull so that they could collect any word that might have been spoken to him.
 
“What want?”

So he could talk, albeit not very well. She grunted at his question and looked down at him. Not one for beating around the bush, she asked, “I want to know where your parents are.” Had this one run away from home? Been separated by some natural disaster? Had a fight broken out? Had they died? Why was a three-month-old pup wandering the wilds alone to be found by Liri? Wolves did not grow out of the ground like trees. This boy had had a family once, parents once, and now he was here, with Grezig and the rest, slowing them down. She was not angry at him for being slower than them. He was smaller and had shorter legs. But they had to make allowances for him and it caused her to wonder why he was here in the first place.

Everyone was so damn interested in where his parents were. If he knew where they were, wouldn’t he have been with them? Of course, Illidan lacked the required skill to respond with such snark. Instead the boy returned the stare of the woman with a cold expression and he shrugged his shoulder. The boy drew his tongue across his paw as though he wasn’t too interested in what this woman wanted to know or not know, but he realized that he was still searching for his brother and it wasn’t wise to piss off the natives.
 
“Dunno.”
 
He couldn’t offer much more than that because it was the truth. The last he had seen of them, they were hunkered down in some trees while the winds blew storms overhead. He had seen a smaller canine creature that his father had called a fox, but that was all that he could have told any of them. Even still, he was not capable of making it sound fluid.

Referencing this thread: http://wolf-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=27868 I don’t think it’s too far-fetched for her to ask him this because this happened recently. Even if she were wrong ICly, she’d still ask, because she’d find it extremely odd to have come across two pups of the same age who were both mysteriously missing parents.

It was the answer, 'Dunno,' that caused what happened next. It was with a sudden flash of a memory that Grezig realized… something. No. It couldn’t be, could it? That would be one hell of coincidence. But, looking at the pup before her now, she had a vague memory come back to her, growing sharper in her mind as she attempted to remember more of it. The two pups did not share much in common in terms of coloration, but they had to be around the same age, and… Yes, there was something sharper about this silver pup than there would be in a full-blooded wolf… But that had been farther away… in a meadow to the south-west, at least a four or five days’ journey.

Not knowing exactly what to ask, and knowing that it was a bit of a long shot, Grezig finally said, “Do you… have any siblings? A… a sandy-colored brother?” She studied Illidan’s face as she asked her question, searching for any signs of disbelief, recognition, sorrow… anything.

The woman seemed to come to life with the simple response that he had provided. The boy watched her curiously as she seemed to venture through a slew of checks in her mind. Nothing about it made sense to him, but very little of his past few days had made much sense to him. 

It was not until the woman asked him if he had a sandy brother. Illidan could not hide the realization from his features. His hawkish yellow eyes grew in size and he lifted himself up to face her properly. There was a calculation that happened within him. He knew that he would find Ephraim. How had his parents missed it? 

”Ephraim,” he said with confidence and waited for her to tell him more. Where was his brother? 

Grezig pursed her lips at Illidan’s reaction. His eyes widened and he sat up and stared at her. She waited to see if he would speak and he did not disappoint her, saying only one word: Ephraim. 

“Ephraim,” she repeated, wonderingly. She assumed that was the name of the brother, because that word had no other meaning outside of this context. She thought back. “I met him a little over a week ago… maybe longer, but not by much.” She turned her head, trying to orient herself. “He was in a meadow to the south-west of here. I asked him where his — where your — parents were. He said he didn’t know, and when I questioned him further, he left. I did not follow.” She paused, wracking her brain for anymore information. “I know nothing more.”

She turned back to face the boy again, studying his face. She would not question him again until she gave him a chance to let this information sink in. She thought to herself that Liri and Kavik needed to know about it and told herself she would tell them in the morning.

The cogs were turning inside of Illidan’s head. He didn’t understand how this strange wolf had come across his brother, or how he had happened upon her himself. A spiritual wolf might have stated it was fate, but he was young, and his spirit knew nothing but the hardship it had endured. He listened intently as the female told him about her encounter with his brother. The boy’s eyes were glued to her features, as though he could decipher where she had found him and where he might have travelled after having left her.
 
A soft sigh passed through his lips as she explained she didn’t know where he might have gone. The boy felt disheartened at this. He wanted to know where Ephraim was so that they could return home together and make their mom and dad happy. Illidan only knew their frantic fear at discovering their sandy pup had disappeared. He wondered if they even cared that he was gone. He wondered if they would even search for him. The thoughts were enough to cause the boy to turn his head downward and frown deeply.
 
“I gotta find him,” he told the female in a weak tone. His yellow gaze turned from her and glanced out at the terrain, almost as though he would see his littermate on the horizon of the cuesta. There was nothing there but the wind pulling the foliage and he felt his heart sink again.

Grezig’s own mind was turning a million miles an hour, though her face remained as serious and somber as ever. She wasn’t sure what to do about this situation. She had to think. She turned her face away from the boy, her brows drawing together in a single betrayal of her inner turmoil. Here is what she knew: Illidan was too young to search for his brother on his own. He should stay with with Liri and Kavik. Liri and Kavik were busy trying to set up a pack. Elixir knew nothing of Illidan’s situation so there was no reason for her to get involved (plus Grezig did not trust the half-breed’s ability to track very well). So, it came down to her. If her alphas allowed it (for Grezig already thought of them as alphas), she would attempt to search for the boy’s brother. But… was the brother all that was left? The boy had not been forthcoming with information about his parents. Grezig needed to know more before making a final decision.

“Illidan,” she said, “I will look for your brother if you want me to. But before I can, you need to tell me about your parents, or any other siblings. The more I know, the easier it will be to look for Ephraim. Will you tell me how you became separated from your family?” She looked at his face, her expression open and as pleading as she could make it. He was young and she was unsure if he understood how important this was, so hiding things from him would only make him less likely to tell her anything. “Please,” she added, as an afterthought, although her tone was genuine.

It might seem odd that a wolf like Grezig would care enough to go searching for the brother of a wolf she barely knew. It came down to common sense in her head. Illidan was clearly upset about the loss of his family, or at least, his brother. She was not aware that it was more of a jealousy thing than that he actually cared about him. But, regardless of that, depressed pups were no laughing matter. They could grow up to be reckless, aggressive, suicidal, or any number of other negative traits. A depressed wolf could bring down the mood of the entire group. And Grezig still did not like that she did not know exactly where Illidan’s parents were or if they were currently on the warpath trying to find their son(s). It would be better for all involved if this terrible situation was resolved as quickly as possible. That was Grezig’s motive behind helping Illidan. That was what drove her to continue looking at the boy now, hoping he would give in and tell her more about himself and what had happened to him.

Grezig seemed to become very stern in the next few moments that passed. Illidan watched her with a careful stare, his expression serious and intense in spite of his youth. Most of the other wolves had been interested in how he’d gotten lost too. Kavik and Liri had tried asking him a small slew of questions in order to determine what they could do to help. The boy had grown relatively tired of being asked so many things. He cursed himself silently for not having paid closer attention; the wandering had been fine, but he had not made a way to return and had lost his way quite easily.
 
Furrowing his brow at the female, Illidan frowned. “Er’body’s got lotta questions,” he grumbled to the female. By default, the young boy was not a talkative creature. He didn’t ask very many things, and he liked to keep to himself. Illidan was a thoughtful creature, and his parents had not been the type to bolster speaking in their children. Kierkegaard had been little more than a savage mute. Caiaphas was a looming hawk – loving, but dangerous. It was all he had ever known and all he expected from the world. It was peculiar to find such caring and kindness in strangers.
 
“Ephraim got lost. Ma got scared… dad went lookin’ for Ephraim. Wanted to help dad find Ephraim so’s I went go find Ephraim,” he told her with a scowl. He didn’t know where he came from or where he was supposed to return to. He didn’t know where his family was or if he was ever going to see them again.

Grezig did not respond when Illidan complained about everyone having questions. There is a reason for that, boy, she thought to herself, but said nothing. Finally, the boy spoke. He said little and Grezig was disappointed with the lack of information, though she should not have been surprised. Illidan was young and did not want to speak of his past, which was obvious. She supposed she could not have asked for much more out of him. Nodding, she gazed out at the horizon. So the boy’s father had gone out looking for Ephraim and Illidan had followed, in an attempt to help. It was good of him to try to help his parents, but foolish. That was how he had gotten lost. She felt sorry for him, but if that was all the information he had…

“I am sorry,” she said, not looking at him. “With this information, there is almost no way for me to find your family. I suppose I could go to the packs near here and ask around, but unless I get lucky… there’s not much I can do.” She let out a breath. She had hoped it would be easier than this, but… almost nothing in life was easy.

Wanna have a more up to date one? Sorry this has taken so long... work has been draining me. <3

For a moment – a fleeting second – the boy's hopes had been lifted and he had thought that there was a chance to find Ephraim and return home with his brother. The mere idea of it was enough to send his heart soaring. It was his first lesson in getting his hopes up. Just as he had offered the information to her, she had returned him with words of disappointment. Illidan frowned as the sting of that emotion beat against him. It felt as though a dagger had been lodged carefully between his ribs. Perhaps it was because he had thought that this wolf would be helpful to him, and perhaps it was because the boy realized that he had done it all to himself. There was a chance that he would never see his family again, and it was all because he had wandered away.

“Okay,” the boy remarked in a quiet tone. He regarded the woman for a moment before he forced himself to look away. There was nothing quite like the feeling that enveloped him in that moment. He had wanted so badly to know that he was capable, and he had discovered the answer. Though he did not understand what his youth did to hinder his abilities, he was old enough to know that he was not good enough for this. Not knowing what else to say to the woman, Illidan turned away and let his gaze linger on something that would not cause his heart to ache.

Sure!

Illidan’s single-word response broke Grezig’s heart a little bit. She turned her head and looked at him for a moment, brown eyes studying the back of his head because he had turned away from her. She sighed quietly, through her nose. On the next intake of breath, she said again, “I’m sorry.” And, feeling useless and a little depressed, she stood and walked away, wondering if there was anything she could do for him in the future. Or would he forever be in the dark about what had happened to his family? And even if she tried to help, would it actually lead to a success? Or would she fail and break his heart all over again? She shook her head as she left and put the thoughts out of her mind for now.