Wolf RPG

After Dhole had told him about her and Flóki's mateship, Charon was intent on finding his brother and having some one on one time. He tipped his nose back to call for @Floki to join him. Besides the news of Dhole and the congratulations that were in order, Charon had other news that he wished to share with his brother on the topic of their new neighbours up in Neverwinter Forest — the Frostfurs. Charon didn't think that Flóki'd carry any animosity towards them, but he needed to know, anyway, regardless of what he thought of it.

When Charon called for Floki, he was on the far side of the mountain, having been scoping out the view. Therefore, it would take him a bit longer to reach his destination. He didn't want Charon to worry or think that he was blowing him off, so Floki sent up a quick reply via howl, letting his brother know that he was on his way.

He navigated the terrain with ease, finding that much of the snow was beginning to melt along the lower slopes and leave mush in its wake. The air did feel a few degrees warmer, so he anticipated that spring was just around the corner. As he trotted towards Charon, Floki found himself wondering if the bears would be waking from their slumber soon.

His worries slipped away as he approached the Alpha, tail swinging freely behind him. "Hey! What's up?" he asked, bumping his snout against Charon's shoulder as he so often did in greeting.

Charon waited patiently along Moonspear's lower slopes for his brother to show up, while he looked around lazily. Spring was on its way, and though there was still plenty of snow along Moonspear, big parts of the lower slopes were already starting to melt. Charon got up to greet Flóki as he arrived and returned the nosebump.

"I heard a congratulations is in order," said Charon. He hadn't realised that the two of them hadn't seen each other in far too long until Dhole'd told him about the news. "Y'know, with you and Dhole." He probably understood already, but anyway... "We were planning to do a double date sort of thing some day soon." Dhole was supposed to be the one telling Flóki, but he was here now, anyway, and Charon in part also felt excited to tell his brother about him and Ame (even though Flóki hadn't told him about him and Dhole).

As Charon's second-in-command and brother, Floki knew there was an equal chance that he could be sharing pack news or something more personal. He would welcome either, but his face broke into a broad grin that stretched his cheeks when it turned out to be the latter. "Thanks," he replied, glad to have what appeared to be Charon's approval.

"I wanted to tell you but hadn't had a chance to yet," he added. He didn't want Charon to think he had tried to keep his relationship with Wildfire a secret. Truthfully, the last couple of times they had interacted had been serious -- Tevinter's banishment and Nishu's death both came to mind. It had been some time since the siblings had really had any quality downtime.

The idea of a double date piqued Floki's interest for more than one reason. His brows raised to express his curiosity. "With you and Ame?" he asked. Charon had previously expressed his thoughts on coupling with Ame, and it had at first sounded more like a business arrangement -- but Floki had detected a bit of softness from his brother when the she-wolf was around. He rather liked the idea of Charon and Ame as a pair.

Lately Flóki and he hadn't had time to just sit down and talk; maybe because of the influx of shit that had rained down on them. Charon itched to know what Flóki thought of him for killing Nishu, but he didn't want to talk about it anymore. It had happened and it had needed to happen. He had taken the task upon him because he was Alpha of Moonspear and he hadn't wanted to burden Ame with it. Today he wanted to talk of lighter subjects, and so he nodded when Flóki asked if it was with him and Ame.

"Yup," he said with a toothy grin. "Nothing official yet, or anything, but, y'know." It was headed that way and not even Nishu's death could stop what was blooming between them.

"I also went to meet this Eshe of Neverwinter Forest myself," said Charon. He'd valued Flóki's information greatly, but it just wasn't the same as meeting someone himself. "She knew my dad. Well, sort of." The words came out awkwardly, because they were awkward; Flóki was his brother and yet they didn't share the same parents biologically. "She's mates with Scimitar Frostfur. He's the Alpha Male there." Charon knew that Flóki'd know who he was talking about. Scimitar Frostfur — the man who had taken Jorunn from them, hadn't even tried looking for Stavanger Bay to return him.

Charon didn't provide too much detail on his blossoming relationship with Amekaze, but the broad smile on his face said it all. Floki shared in his happiness with a wave of his tail. It had taken a while to make things "official" with Wildfire, so he was all for taking it slow.

But Charon quickly changed the subject, bringing up Neverwinter Forest. At first, Floki's mind segued to his interaction with Eshe -- he owed her something of a double date, as well. She had seemed very interested in meeting Wildfire and had even proposed that the four of them -- Floki and Wildfire, and Eshe and her mate -- share a meal together. A look of surprise eclipsed Floki's face as Charon shared the news that Eshe had known his biological father. It was easy for Floki to forget that Charon had another set of parents aside from Thistle Cloud and Ragnar.

It was the next piece of information, though, that bothered him. Eshe hadn't even given her husband's name in the course of Floki's conversation with her -- but it turned out that he was part of the family that had adopted Tevinter. Unsure of how to digest what he had just been told, Floki replied quite flatly: "Oh." He almost felt a little betrayed by Eshe, although she couldn't have known his brother's connection with Scimitar.

Flóki's 'oh' pretty much mirrored how Charon himself felt. He wasn't so sure what to think about it all. He'd held off on telling Eshe, because of his uncertainty in feelings. He'd wanted to hate her, but she was just so darn likeable. She'd said herself that she had thought of him like family already and she had been so warm.

So he didn't know whether to hate or love her, or just love her and hate her family. Stupid Frostfurs. "I know. I don't know what to think about it either. I didn't tell her about Jorunn. She was so nice though. Kind of sucks someone nice like her would end up with someone like that Frostfur." Charon's confusion was clear in his words. He just didn't know what to think.

Floki gnawed on his lower lip. Charon seemed to be just as unsettled, which only further unbalanced Floki. While the Alpha agreed that Eshe had been a very hospitable wolf, he no longer wished to return to Neverwinter Forest for a visit. In fact, he would be sure to give it a wide berth from now on -- especially because it could have been where Tevinter relocated.

The thought gave him pause. His twin had departed in such a huff, after very nearly coming to blows with Charon, but Floki hadn't detected any particular scents on him. He didn't smell like any pack at all. But since then, he could have reunited with the Frostfurs. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you think Tevinter is living there?" he asked. Surely if Charon had found any sign of him there, he would have mentioned it -- but that didn't mean that Tevinter wasn't hidden away within the confines of the trees.

"What?" Charon asked at Flóki's question, completely dumbfounded. He hadn't even considered that possibility, although it should've been on the forefront of his mind. Charon blinked and thought for a moment before he decided: "Maybe. I didn't smell him there, but you never know. Maybe I'll ask Eshe if I meet her next." Even though Charon would unlikely drop by for a visit of his own anytime soon, he would certainly ask her about it — and he'd try to be subtle so that she wouldn't know the reasons to his questions, of course — if she decided to visit Moonspear like she said she might.

Floki hummed thoughtfully. It truly didn't matter if Tevinter had reunited with the Frostfurs or not, but the thought still irked him. Tevinter had made it clear that he had no desire to be a part of the family that had established itself at Moonspear, which was enough of a blow in itself; but to think that he had abandoned them just to turn right back around and call the Neverwinter wolves kin? That stung.

Of course, he had no proof that Tevinter was living with Eshe and Scimitar, but Floki's thoughts ran wild. His expression darkened, then he suddenly looked to Charon. "Hey, I have a question," he asked abruptly. It was something he had been toying with since he and Wildfire had officially become mates. "You go by Ostrega, right? Not Lodbrok?" he continued, piecing together his query thoughtfully.

"Do you think...could I take your last name? I just don't feel like a Lodbrok," he admitted, gnawing on his lower lip. Tevinter proudly flaunted his heritage, but Floki had felt disconnected from it for so long. This felt natural, somehow. He would always be Thistle Cloud's son, but Ragnar meant next to nothing to him.

It was clear that it mattered a lot to Flóki, this. In a way this reminded Charon of Levi; while Charon had no twin brother of his own, he remembered the incredible impact that Kevlyn's absence had had on Levi's life. Perhaps that was part of the reason that Charon despised Jorunn so, blaming him for what he had done to Flóki, even if it was not willingly. An irrational thought, perhaps, but the drive to protect those close to him was strong within Charon.

The silence in which Flóki processed his thoughts and feelings on the matter was broken by another question altogether. Charon had always gone by Ostrega because of two reasons; the first the unspoken bond he and Levi had shared, an honour to his deceased mother, who'd died for them, of sorts. The second that it had never occurred to him to use the name of his adoptive parents.

The question therefore came as a surprise to Charon, and it was clear on his face that he hadn't been prepared for it. But the answer was surprisingly nearby for how unprepared he was: "Yes, of course! I mean, I haven't ever put super much stock in the name, but it's what reminds me of the sacrifices my birth parents made, so... Yes, of course." Adding Flóki to the "Ostrega" family only made its meaning stronger, if anything.

The boy's face softened into a grin at his brother's response. He felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The Lodbrok name had brought him nothing but pain and sorrow since his birth. It tied him to his father's death, his brother's abandonment, and whatever sinister actions had led to the destruction of Ragnar's grave. He was no viking, but he was Charon's second-in-command and sibling, and he stepped into his new title proudly.

"Awesome," he replied breathlessly. He couldn't wait to share the news with Wildfire. Little did he know the impending turn of events that would keep her from him for an entire week. Testing the name out on his tongue, he said, "Floki Ostrega. It sounds good!" To an extent, a name was just a name -- and he did not know any of the ancestry of the Ostrega family. He could have simply kept his own surname, or dropped it entirely. But he liked having what felt like a tangible connection to Charon.

With a broad smile Charon welcomed his brother to his family, sort of -- it was kind of funny, considering that Charon was the one that was adopted into Flóki's family. "It does," responded Charon with a grin.

"So, you want to try a rematch on that spar, or take a patrol or something? " he asked, leaving it up to Flóki which they'd choose.

"I'm not ready for a rematch yet," Floki teased with a wave of his tail. "I'm still practicing." He wanted to sharpen his skills before challenging his brother again -- and he planned to beat him, whenever the time came.

So instead, he opted for a patrol. It was always more enjoyable with a companion. "Let's go check out the borders," he offered, then fell into step with Charon and headed in that direction.