Moonspear of life that keeps me alive
Ghost
he came and stole the wild
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#1
Joining 
 
The days that followed his attempted assassination had been but a blur to the former Alpha. Had anything significant occurred between the moment that he had fallen to Vaati's ambush and the present, he would have had no recollection. His consciousness had been shoddy at best, as he occasionally had woken-up to take whatever medicine that Lyra provided, but, even in these moments Rannoch barely grasped what was going on. 

On the sixth morning of his stay, Rannoch stirred slowly. Today, it seemed, was off to a better start than the others had been. But even with the small victory that was him overcoming his insensate state, the male still had a ways to go on the road to his recovery. 

The natural progression in his awakening brought him to his next step: attempting to move. This task, as simple as it may have been, seemed impossible to Rannoch; his attempt to lift his head told him this. He was met with an unpleasant sting to the tender flesh of his neck, and as quickly as he had risen, he fell again, realizing that something had gone horribly wrong. The jolt of pain also made him acutely aware of the fatigue that plagued him and the soreness that had settled in his bones. For now, it seemed, he would have to make due with laying his head on the floor and survey the den from an ant's perspective. 

Even in his fatigued state, Rannoch knew he wasn't at the Vale; the familiar pack scent that was almost entirely masked by the smell of herbs told him this. In addition to this observation, the absence of Liffey's scent was alarming. In his coming to consciousness, she had been his third thought after the initial wondering of his location and the realization that he was injured. Though thoroughly confused by every realization that had struck him in the short time since he had woken, Rannoch did his best to remain calm. But even in Rannoch's attempt to put on his bravest face, the apparent worry in his expression betrayed his best effort.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
starboy
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#2
When his daughters had shown up with a battered Rannoch, Charon hadn't even considered leaving him out in the cold. He had adored Eshe and now that she was dead he felt some sort of responsibility to care for her children. His daughters hadn't really needed to convince him when they had brought him here. Charon had let the boy rest for a few days, knowing that his daughters were taking good care of him.

Today he made his way towards the den where Rannoch was at, and greeted him with a chuff at the den's entrance before coming in. "Ah, you're awake," he assessed upon entrance.
Ghost
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#3
Rannoch was quick to turn his attention towards the chuff that came from outside the cave, and as he was unable to do much more, he watched in silence as Charon entered. Had he been in a better mental state, he would have probably been able to infer that the wolf who had entered was the leader of the mountain. But, given the fact that his mind crawled at a snail's pace, Rannoch observed the other wolf with uncertainty. 

"I am," Rannoch croaked to answer Charon's remark. As he spoke he discovered that the delicate flesh that lined his gullet felt raw. He frowned at this; he had never felt such a sensation before.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
starboy
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#4
It was evident from Rannoch's voice that he was going to need a bit longer to recover. Charon had already been filled in by his daughters and though they had pleaded him for Rannoch to be allowed to stay, once he had heard Rannoch's name Charon hadn't needed to hear any more. He remembered Cypress mentioning Rannoch before, and though it surprised him to see this specific of the two brothers here he wasn't unwelcome to the idea.

Somehow Charon didn't think to introduce himself, like a child who assumed everyone knew who they were because most that greeted them did. Instead he asked, "Where's Cypress?" As he wondered if the brothers had been together when he had gotten hurt. Though he had received a report from his daughters he also asked, "What happened?"
Ghost
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#5
Charon's questions were just what Rannoch needed to begin to recall what had happened. With two different subjects to recall, Rannoch took a moment to ease into his recollection slowly. To the first inquiry, he slowly offered, "Dunno." It had been weeks since he had seen the lantern-eyed yearling. Uneasily, as he became more aware of his memories, he realized that this had been his reason for departing from the Vale in the first place. 

"I was worried about Cypress-- he never leaves for as long as he had," the former Alpha began, worry evident as he divulged further into the archives of his mind. "So, I started to follow his trail, and that lead me towards Firefly Glen," coincidently, the very place that Charon and Rannoch had first crossed paths, "and I decided to slow for the night, as it had been the long day." But from there? That was where the yearling's memory became less coherent. "It... happened suddenly," he continued after a brief pause, "I was tracking to the South and then all of a sudden I heard someone call out." But this hadn't been any greeting; it had been a battle cry. "Before I knew it they had knocked me onto my back and went for my throat; I began bleeding badly from my throat," his expression became foreboding as he realized the gravity of what had happened. "And that's all I can remember."  As much as he wanted to remember more, and as much as he rattled his brain, Rannoch could not think of what happened after that point. There was a light of helplessness in his turquoise eyes as he looked to Charon and he hoped the Alpha would be able to educate him about what had happened once he had become unconscious.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
starboy
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#6
It worried Charon he didn't know where Cypress was; had the pair gotten hurt together and had they saved only one? But then Rannoch admitted that he had been following Cypress' trail when he'd got hurt. Charon couldn't help but wonder if the wolf that'd gotten Rannoch had gotten Cypress first and had laid a trap of sorts.

"Did you know the wolf? Did you recognise him? Do you think he got Cypress too?" If he did then it was likely too late to react now. Charon had been briefly filled in by his daughters so he knew that they'd rescued Rannoch but if Cypress'd been attacked by the same it was likely that he was already dead.
Ghost
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#7
In the short time that Rannoch had regained consciousness, he had not yet entertained the idea of his misfortune having any connection to his brother's sudden disappearance. But, as Charon offered the thought, Rannoch's eyes grew wide, and his answers to the Alpha's preliminary inquiries hung on the tip of his tongue. 

"I'm honestly not sure," the former Alpha marveled after he paused briefly to consider the theory. It made sense to him. Too much sense. From here, he jumped to conclusions quickly as the worst-case scenario for his brother's fate formulated in his head. "Did Hydra find anything in the Glen?" He asked as he felt the once-steady tempo of his heart accelerate.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
starboy
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#8
"No," Charon answered. Not that he knew. And if Hydra'd found anything, he'd know. "She's gone to inform the wolves of your old pack..." He lingered there for a moment, finishing the sentence as though it wasn't done, wondering if Rannoch would stay here, but feeling that he must. It was clearly unsafe out there for Rannoch and Charon wouldn't have Eshe's children out there getting hurt left and right. He might not know Rannoch as well as Cypress, but any of Eshe's children were to be safekept in his eyes.
Ghost
he came and stole the wild
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#9
In the scenario that Rannoch presently found himself in, it seemed as though no news was better than the alternative. He did not have the ideal answer, the hope of his brother being alive still thrived. In his condition, hoping for his brother's survival was all that he could do and, until his healing progress, it was all the former-Alpha would do. Even though Rannoch was known to act on how he felt, the logic in this situation outweighed his desires to look for Cypress right now on his own. It would do neither of them any good for Rannoch to wander out alone while still severely wounded. 

As Charon elaborated upon his thoughts, Rannoch listened to the leader and quickly, his ears lowered at the realization that he had left so many wolves he cared for behind. Though he wanted nothing more than to assure them all that everything was fine, Rannoch was well aware that it would be quite some time until he could even think about making the journey back to the Vale. "Thank you very much for having Hydra do that," Rannoch began quietly as his eyes fell briefly to the floor. "I really appreciate it," he added, returning his attention to Charon. 

There was a thought that hung heavily on the tip of Rannoch's tongue, and he hesitated for a moment before spitting it out. "Would it be so bad if I didn't go back?" he wondered aloud as he expressed his guilt through his expression. "If I left them to appoint another leader in my stead?" Quickly, he went on the elaborate on his thinking. "I don't think I would be better to travel that far before Winter and, honestly, I wouldn't feel right leaving before that happened. You all saved my life, and I owe it to y'all," he smiled, appreciating the touch of his mother's accent that seemed to reappear at the most random of times. "And, honestly, I want to do what's best for Moonspear."  Despite the fact he had only been awake for moments, it was obvious how much Charon's pack had done for him already and he wanted nothing more than to repay the favor.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
starboy
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#10
The pause in his words had not gone unnoticed, it seemed, since Rannoch hooked in on the subject of his old pack. He didn't seem to have noticed that Charon said 'old' pack, but it didn't matter much, since he seemed to feel the same, wanting to stay at Moonspear. Charon was glad for it, for despite Rannoch being an adult by age he still didn't feel quite safe keeping Eshe's child out in the open when he could be here, in a more protected environment.

"You should do what you think is best, there's no reason to feel guilty about that." Charon only really said that because Rannoch was on the same page, so he didn't need to convince him. If he'd said something else Charon definitely wouldn't have wanted him to do what he thought was best. "They'll probably be fine. Is there anyone you want here?" Then he'd know he should make space for their eventual arrival here. He probably should've asked before Hydra went to the Vale, but whatever, it was too late for that now. She could always do another trip.
Ghost
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#11
Rannoch was quickly put at ease by Charon's perspective of the situation. Finding himself momentarily without the words to thank the pale Alpha, Rannoch quickly nodded to agreed what had been said before the two wolves transitioned their conversation. 

"Liffey!" he blurted quickly, finding himself surprised the intensity he had mustered.  In reaction to what he had said, Rannoch dropped his posture slightly as he briefly attempted to regain his composure. "My friend, Liffey, please," he replied, his cheeks flushed from embarrasement. Though there were others, Rannoch wasn't sure if there were enough resources and he did not want to take advantage of Charon's generous offer.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
starboy
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#12
A new quickly came forward, after which he recomposed himself and asked for his friend Liffey to be brought. Charon nodded and said, "Sure. When we see her, we'll tell her." He wasn't too sure if they'd get back to the Vale after Hydra returned any time soon, but when there was space for another mission he would make sure to send someone.

"Now, you should rest up." Charon lingered a moment longer in case Rannoch had any other questions or things he needed to say. If he did not, then Charon'd turn around and leave for a quick patrol.