Following his encounter on the hillside the beast moved on, heading for the trees once again. He found some vague indications of other life among the trees, and began to scour the shadows for something to eat. This quickly became tedious, but Betelgeuse knew he needed to be patient if he was to survive; so he hunkered down for an hour or so, waiting, watching — and it all paid off.
There was a gap in the trees near his resting place, and through it traipsed a wiry doe. It's head was lowered among the shrubbery of the forest where it tended to the brambles, sneaking nibbles of the young trees sprouting there. As it drifted closer, he shifted his weight and tucked his limbs close, trying to poise himself for the imminent chase — then there was a sound, not from him by near him. The doe's head shot up in surprise, and her eyes inadvertently landed upon his half-hidden features in the dark.
That was enough. The doe bolted away from him then, and he reacted in kind — thrusting himself from his place among the roots of neighboring trees and stampeding peccary-style after her. The chase was swift, because he was not. As his body came careening out of the forest to the north of it, he was left panting and the doe vaulted off, leaping away from the cover of the trees and out across the lakefront.
Gypsy has only now reached Teekon, and was still stuck on where the hell her brother had disappeared to. She wasn't even sure exactly how they got separated, but that didn't matter. She just hoped she'd been traveling in the right direction, and not inching farther and farther away from Betelgeuse. Hunting hadn't been a difficult thing for the fae, having a body easily built for it, just as her older brother did. Her twin, though, had a rather difficulty time.
While walking in what she hoped was the right way, she was too focused on any smells near her, and while doing so happened to step against a branch, ruining her siblings kill. A scuffle of noises happened soon after, forcing her to come to a stop. Her ears lowered, now cautious of whatever caused such a ruckus.
Lowering herself closer to the ground, the amber wolf drifted closer to the origin of the disturbance. Soon, the sound of panting became clear, and she lifted higher in order to see whoever emanated it. Off in the distance she made out the figure of none other than Betelgeuse. "Brother!", no longer in need to be wary she returned to a neutral position before trekking over to his side.
Before him was the lake, and had he been in a more stable mood he may have seen the value of it. The absence of his target was frustrating enough, and yet as the beast turned to resume his prowling among the trees, he heard a familiar voice. It was one he thought he had escaped from — and upon hearing it his platinum gaze rolled, landing with a squint on the female figure emerging from the forest. It was not that Betelgeuse did not love his sister — he loved each of his siblings — but he did so from a distance. It was all done his own way, and having her near only embittered him.
Myvish,
his voice pealed, resonating like distant thunder; the greeting was terse but not wholly unfriendly, for as he spoke he moved to intercept her, and clipped at the fur of her shoulder with his incisors. wux ehtaha dout idol ekess ve.
He should not have sounded so withered by this, yet he could not hold back the irritation of the failed hunt coupled with being paired, once more, with his sister.
It mattered not that Betelgeuse had convinced her to follow him on their little adventure — this was a fact he chose to ignore for now, ever the petulant child.
His voice and actions were conflicting agaisnt one another, while he pecked at her shoulder, yet held an irritated tone at her presence. Though confused, and somewhat hurt, her expression was stoic as she returned the gesture by nipping at his fur in welcome. "Wux dronilnr ve ekess ehtah hesi older isthasy," speaking in her second language was becoming rather normal the farther she drew from home, and with her twin to leave her on her own she would speak less and less over time, "shar hak wux jaseve ve ios lex." She moved back to look at her sibling.
Never would she think he grew tired or annoyed of her, as she loved her brother, enough to travel with him to find Warbone however far away he lingers, and she believed him to feel the same. Of course, being siblings, the two would grow irritated with one another occasionally, but on such a trip, sticking together seemed a better option than not—in her mind that is.
Her build made it easy to hunt, and Betelgeuse's looks were rather intimidating agaisnt any lone wolves, the team worked well in her opinion.
Her voice is soothing to a point, although it is the language that he covets and not the meaning he is interested in. Few can speak their tongue, so to hear it is comforting and inspiring regardless of how wounded his sister may feel. He grunts softly, licking his lips before responding, and then drawls, wux jahen winhal shafaer dout kurjh.
Betelgeuse trusts in his sister the way he trusts in all their kin; she is a warrior just as much as he is, perhaps with differing methods and means, but still a warrior.
The beast allows her to come close. He is less lenient with his family, and his sister is perhaps the only woman he regards with any respect; as she has shown him great love and care, Betelgeuse is less inclined to snap at her touch or raise his voice to her. It took a moment or two for his thoughts to shift from the failed chase of the doe to his sister, but even then it was a muddy affair. maulk mrith ve - usv ihk ve - myvish, wux vucot svanoa si shilta ti.
His voice is a rumble of quiet uncertainty, and he looks away from her, ashamed after admitting defeat.
She hesitated, unsure if she should should accept. It was true, Gypsy was capable of handling herself even in unknown land, but she still preferred company—at least when they brought her there in the first place. All her siblings were could care for themselves, but it doesn't mean they have to. "Winhal," the amber wolf began, "shar ergriff sjek wux inglata ti ekess jaseve sia symba halkvri reaching hesi isthasy." Her voice was somewhat stern, noticing he had been ashamed of his difficult times hunting, this was her outlet to get what she wanted. All he had to do was stay with her until Warbone was located, and then he was off to do whatever he liked, instead of stay by her side.
She had the upperhand in the situation, it was either an easy kill made by her, or for him to struggle the next few days to catch a deer. Her tail swished side to side in a leisurely manner, waiting for his response. he deal couldn't be too hard to agree too, she couldn't be that bad.
He breathed slowly, rhythmically, but conceded. We will find him,
the beast confirms, his words still accented by their mother tongue though he lapses to the strange otherness used by the foreigners here. Whether she hunts now or later it matters not, only that the creature be fed before his temper becomes too great to handle. With his sister at his side once more Betelgeuse knows things will be easier — he trusts in her implicitly, believes that she will not let him down in any manner, so great is the bond of their blood — but it is the fact he must lean on her to survive that irks him so.
Come, Lightbone.
They would roam together now, and in time they would find their brother. He wasn't sure if he would stick around beyond that moment though. There were many thoughts that populated Betelgeuse's primitive mind and none was more prominent than his desire to meet his brother in combat. Whether that was for training or for something more permanent would be figured out later. With a rumble Betelgeuse burrowed his snout in to his sister's scruff, breathed her in, and with a messy nip he bestowed a rare kiss; then, he withdrew and began to march.