Wolf RPG

Silver Creek's joining protocol was an interesting one to be sure. It certainly could whittle down on those who weren't willing to put in time. Heston had lingered near the borders for quite a time, although that was a heavily biased statement as he was desperately impatient. He'd explore the borders and much of the surrounding terrain thoroughly though, so all that remained was exploring within. Within also happened to contain quite a few more faces than without, as not many wolves lingered near borders unless wanting to join like him. 

When Spring and Laika both had welcomed him into the land (separately, of course) he'd been overjoyed. He had served his time it seemed and now he would be permitted to call himself a pack member. He'd spent some time exploring on his day of acceptance, but he hadn't yet sought any pack out. He wanted to know the terrain a little, perhaps get himself a den sorted out first. He wondered how large the pack was, who he had met and who he hadn't.

On the borders, he'd met a few hopefuls, specifically during the hunt that Casmir had called together. He wondered if they were allowed within the pack now, would they be constant faces? Only time would tell. He thought of Amber then, wondering if he should try to locate her and surprise her before she found he'd been accepted. Word traveled fast though, so he wasn't sure how successful he'd be, so he dismissed the idea for now. Perhaps he'd just travel over the lands, see who he ran into first. Perhaps he'd meet some new faces this way.

the days without the girls were empty. Casmir knew that it would only be a short while before he could sire his own, but shied away from the thought. it was a horrible, empty reminder of Indra and Laurel, who the Mayfair believed he would never see again. the days of grief and anger had hardened the boy, so that his face wore an unwelcoming and cold expression by default now -- gone was the rambuctious boy. 

in its stead was a yearling close to full maturity, his height attained and musculature developed beneath his dark coat. a confidence born of anger guided his steps, and Cas wore an aura of ice, so that he was at once both unwelcoming and rigid upon first glance. 

but it was with a softening that he chuffed, approaching Heston and moving to the man's side. "hey," the Gamma muttered, not really wanting to talk but realizing he'd been dying for company anyway.

He didn't walk alone for long, as a chuff announced the arrival of another. He turned to see Casmir coming towards him and offered the male a happy grin. He noted the difference in the male, though, saw that where the brute had previously been full of energy he now seemed stiff. Heston's smile faltered slightly as the male reached his side and greeting him softly and flatly. Heston glanced at him, confused. Was all alright with him and his mate? Had something happened to her? He was still unaware that Laika and Casmir were mates, having never seen them together or heard it directly said.

"Hello yourself." Heston replied. "I've been accepted into Silver Creek officially now, so you're one less outnumbered by all the ladies." The joke was a small attempt, but a rather flat one. He fell silent for a moment, slightly uncomfortable with what he was about to ask but knowing it was needed anyway. Casmir was his pack mate, they were unified now. It was his duty to ensure his pack mates were well, or as well as they could be. Not to mention it was the friendly thing to do, and he'd like to consider Casmir a friend. "Everything alright? You seem..." He trailed off for a moment. "Unhappy, to put it lightly. I don't mean to pry, of course." 

Cas wasn't so deep into himself that he didn't notice Heston's changing expressions, and knew exactly what the other dude was feeling. while he didn't have it in him to really answer, the boy rolled his shoulders all the same and shot Heston an apologetic glance. "grats, dude," the Gamma murmured, trying to muster a genuine smile. 

"i ... i just haven't gotten over losing the girls," Cas sighed, matching his pace with that of the palefurred male. "i want to believe they're okay, but i'm pissed with myself for not being there to stp that piece of shit from taking them. and ... my family is falling apart," he added coldly. "it's just all ... fucked up."

"Thanks." Heston replied, his tone more serious now but no less sincere. He appreciated Casmir's effort, despite whatever was bothering him. After a moment the male confided in him and Heston's eyes widened and his brows went up. He knew nothing of what Casmir was talking about, who the girls were or who the piece of shit was that had taken them. 

Heston exhaled. "Woo. That...that is certainly something to be upset over, Casmir. My apologies for that and...well, for being clueless. What girls? Your daughters? Who took them?" He'd heard the story of Reek and Saena but what he hadn't heard of was the girls left behind. He'd met one of those girls on the border, though he didn't realize it yet. His mind was spinning, wondering how even on the borders he could have missed so much. "I never saw anyone on the borders when I was there. No pups either. Actually...actually that's not true. I did meet a sweet little one once, Laurel. I played with her a moment but she set back off into the territory. I made sure to watch her go, I wouldn't have let her run off into the wilderness."

Heston spoke, and Cas felt a brief flare of irritation that the other didn't know what he was talking about. but he checked himself quickly -- the dude had just been let into the pack. how could he know everything? and so the irksome sensation faded and he sighed, rolling his shoulders with a nod. "Indra and Laurel. Saena's kids. Saena founded this place, and then she just ... disappeared. her kids were left behind and me and my mate ended up adopting them. their bio dad is a real piece of shit. cheated on their mom when she was pregnant, so she kicked him and his hoe out of their pack."

"then he threatened to ally with another pack and come after her, so she brought us alllll the way over here. and he followed us anyway and took ... he took the fucking kids. after all this time," Cas gritted, unable to stifle his rage nor the sear of his eyes as he shot a glance at Heston.

The irritation and rage bubbling underneath Casmir's surface surprised Heston. He reminded himself that the male had thought of these children like his own daughters, wouldn't he be a frothing beast if someone had threatened to harm his children? He didn't have any yet, but the anger was still something he could visualize. Suddenly the story all began folding together. The little one he'd spoken to was Saena and Reek's daughter, that is why her mother had left and that's why she'd seemed ready to write her off. Casmir explained more and Heston felt a shiver go up his spine knowing that the male who had caused the entire pack to move in the first place had now taken the children of the mate he'd abandoned.

Heston's stomach rolled and he understood Casmir's rage better now. His own anger bubbled under the surface for such a brute. Heston shook his head, eyes wide, lip twitching in anger at the story. "Fuck, Casmir." He swore, looking to the male. "I am so sorry. That's...that's awful." Heston met the tear filled eyes of the male, the anger burning like flame underneath. 

He wanted so badly to ask Casmir more questions, how did he take them, why wouldn't they cry? But he knew the male likely wouldn't have answers and the questions could seem accusing. "Will the pack go take them back? The girls? We have to know where he lives, if he threatened us with allies before. Either way, if he tracked us, Silver Creek can track him." His determination burned within him. Rage and anger at having this pack torn by yet another brute who had no value for loyalty. No one had died this time, not yet, but children had been stolen.

Cas saw his anger reflected in Heston, and somehow this soothed him. feeling better already now that they shared the camaraderie of fury, he cupped his single ear forward and listened to the other male's ruminations. Heston spoke much, asking questions that pained Cas, but he pondered them all the same, and when his packmate had finished, the Gamma motioned that they should move along the edge of the territory in yet another of his endless patrols.

"Laurel wanted to go with him. she was ... very vocal about that. Indra follows her sister. so i'm sure it wasn't hard for Reek to nab 'em. and i have no idea where he lives. but ... Laika and i are leaving to go find them." he turned his gilded stare on Heston. "the Creek is really gonna need you while i'm gone."

Heston flowed with Casmir's steps easily, the male motioned they begin to patrol and he adjusted his body as needed. He frowned, looking down as Casmir spoke of Laurel. She'd been a rather spunky thing. It wasn't hard to imagine her striking out and trying to venture to the borders on her own again, or even going to seek Reek out. He nodded, shaking his head at the fact that they didn't know where he lived, but Casmir and Laika planned to go there. It struck it him then that Laika was his intended, Casmir had never said who he was mated to and without pups or seeing them together Heston had never been sure.

"If he could find Silver Creek, you can find him. I'm sure of it, Casmir." At Casmir's words of the Creek needing him, Heston straightened up. "The Creek has me, whatever is needed." He met his friend's gaze, determination showing strong there. "When will you leave?" 

He didn't dare ask him what would happen if the girl's didn't want to return. If Laurel had wanted to go, he worried that perhaps she would want to stay. He knew nothing of their childhood here, nothing of their raising. To an adult it was clear to see that Reek was bad...but to a child? Father was a strong word, and if they'd gotten it in their head that somehow blood was stronger than the bonds they'd made with Casmir...it was possible they'd break hearts without knowing it. He desperately hoped the children would feel homesick and come happily with Laika and Casmir.

Cas hadn't even considered the feelings of the girls. he envisioned himself and Laika busting into wherever Reek had holed up, kicking his ass, and taking the kids. the males moved in a silent flow of movement, and for their tandem steps Casmir found himself oddly grateful. Indra. Laurel. were they eating? was he even fucking feeding them, that piece of shit? it was all well and good to kidnap your kids from a loving home; it was another to be a parent, or even pretend at it.

Cas nodded. "i hope so, dude," he growled lowly. he was going to kill Reek, he decided in that moment, and carry his fucking head back to the Creek. "and i'm not sure. soon. as soon as we can." he wasn't about to take off until Spring could spare them. but Heston's confidence bolstered his own; he found himself warming more to the man.

"whatever it takes, i'm gonna bring them back."

Heston traveled beside Casmir, matching him pace for pace. He didn't doubt Casmir and Laika's ability to find the girls, for like a woman scorned, hell hath no fury like an angry parent. They fell silent for a moment, Casmir sinking into his own thoughts. Heston only nodded as he spoke about leaving as soon as they were able. He was sure Spring would have no problem with the rescue mission, surely she was just as eager to have the children back.

"I'd hate to be the one standing between you and them, Casmir." He said, serious. "If you told me you'd dig through a mountain to get to them on the other side, I'd believe it and believe you could do it. Reek doesn't know what he's done, what he's started." He could see the murder in Casmir's eyes. 

"Just be safe, when you do go. The both of you." 

Cas nodded, softening a bit and smirking. "do i look that badass, Heston?" the Gamma joked, a yawn suddenly splitting his jaws. the days of exhaustion and anger were beginning to wear on the boy, but he wasn't about to stop now. not when the girls needed him, and the Creek. and Spring, and Laika. but Cas wanted to get away from the narrative of angst that had followed him thus far, and so he quickened his pace.

"enough about me, dude," he drawled, muzzle lowering to the ground. despite his desires, he couldn't escape the searching that had settled upon him in the past month. Heston would just have to deal. "tell me about yourself."

Heston returned the smirk. "No. Not really." He returned the joke, swerving to bump the male's shoulder lightly, chuckling. "Seriously, you're more the type to take others by surprise. You look all sweet and kind and then you'll rip someone's throat out. It works though, Reek won't know what hit him." He noted his friend yawned and reasoned it must be hard to sleep with all the worry. 

He easily adjusted his pace to match the male, raising his brows as Casmir spoke next. "About me?" He shrugged his shoulders. "What do you want to know? I was born up north, outside the Wilds. My parents were always good to me, the pack was the same. Have a sister, and two brothers. At least...when I left. My parents might have had more by now. It was a good life...but I wanted something more. I was a barely more than a yearling and restless and decided I'd find a new pack." 

He settled into silence then, wondering if he should reveal his past to Casmir. He decided against it though, not because he didn't like Casmir, but because it felt wrong to burden him right now. He hoped the male would connect the dots and assume he'd simply come here after that. After a moment, he smirked again. "I enjoy long walks in the moonlight, dancing among fireflies...Though I don't think your mate would approve."

Casmir knew Heston to be an intelligent man, and it occurred to the boy that he had no reason to pretend in front of his companion. they were not close, but perhaps that would come later. his ears cupped the words of the pale wolf, and he gave a grunt and a nod from time to time. he knew the restlessness -- it had led him from Donnelaith to the Maplewood. that -- and death. as usual, his mind shied away from it; he did not consider it, and nor did he allow himself another moment to grieve her.

a true chuckle broke from him at Heston's joke, and his eyes danced with the humour of it. for a moment, he was himself again, a silly and warm boy, and he arched a brow. "i am sure I can persuade her," Cas drawled in response, pretending to give Heston the once-over before he laughed again. "have you fought before?"

It pleased Heston to be able to make Casmir laugh, even with as simply as a jest as he had. "I've heard of a male having more than one female, but a female and a male? What an interesting dynamic that would be." He smirked and waggled his eyebrows at his friend, before laughing again. The next question quieted Heston some, made him more serious.

"I have. I'm decent. Not the best, not the worst. Fought far more scuffles and play-battles than anything real though. Fighting is not...not something I enjoy. I will do it if I must, if it needs doing but...I'm not a wolf who looks or hungers for it." Aiming to draw him away from the subject he grinned again. "I am clearly more of a lover."

"Have you fought?" He asked, both to continue the conversation and partially thinking about his potential mauling of Reek.

Cas chuckled again. his father had been the airy, feminine sort, but it had never occurred to the boy that Lasher'd had male lovers. what a shock that would have been. Heston's answer turned his mind away from the subject and he nodded. he wasn't really about that fighting life either. sparring was fun and all, but Cas decided if he was gonna fight, it was going to be for a purpose...like rescuing Indra and Laurel. "i'm the same way," he grunted. "i've never really fought anyone," he admitted.

"except the bitch who took my ear," he added with a growling laugh. "she was completely crazy. i was lucky to get away with my life." he gave an involuntary shudder to think of it, to remember the terror he had felt, the agony of the ripping flesh, the warmth of the blood pouring along his face.

Heston nodded, shrugged his shoulders. "I've well and truly fought...but I don't think I'm any better for it. Obviously I'm missing some skin too." He turned his muzzle so that Casmir could clearly see his scar, but he was sure the male had already noted it. His brow raised as Casmir spoke of a crazy woman. He grunted. "Mine were all too sane, sadly. Makes it worse, I think." He wanted to ask about the female, but that would mean he'd need to trade his own tale tit for tat. Of course, he could tell of the fight without telling the full story. It wasn't that he didn't like or trust Casmir...it was simply that he was afraid of opening up to the male so soon. 

He wasn't ready to share his tale, and already he felt like he and Casmir were growing into friends. It frightened him, though he'd never admit it. He didn't want to lose like he had before. "What'd you do to piss her off then?" He asked jokingly.

Cas grinned. "O was an idiot kid, and she came out of nowhere ... invited me to hunt with her. next thing I know, she was trying to kill me. luckily she got my ear and I got away." he paused to roll his shoulder, grunting as his neck cracked audibly and chuckling at the sound. "I'm all old and shit now, I guess," Cas muttered wryly, casting a glance over Heston. "what kinds of fights were you in?" 

had he any sense, he would have taken the hesitance in Heston's words to heart, and not pressed, but Cas was still selfishly turned inward, maintaining control even as he planned the destruction of Reek.

Heston snorted as Casmir explained the situation that had lead to the loss of his ear. "Just like that?" He laughed. "Maybe she meant you as the prey, not as a hunter. You have meat enough on your bones to feed a single wolf, I think." He jokingly eyed the brute. He hissed through his teeth as Casmir called himself old. "Hell, how old are you, Casmir? 'Cause if you're old I must be ancient." Heston knew at least that Casmir was younger than he, though you'd never guess it from the male's demeanor.

The next question brought them back to fights and Heston, once more, lost his grin for a moment. "Just one." He said, trying to keep his voice jovial. "Just some stupid pack shit with the last group I tried to join." He tried to remain aloof, tried to be unaffected. Yet, a creeping tone of anger had crept in among the words, winding like ivy. "It wasn't a good time. I don't talk about it much." He thought it best to clearly say, lest Casmir ask more unknowingly.

Cas grinned. Heston was a hoot. "four hundred and twenty five," he quipped. "i look pretty great, eh. i bet you're younger than i am. stop lyin'," he chortled. despite the cavalier way their convo was going, the boy didn't miss the way his companion's features shifted, nor the ire that crept into his tone. "got it, dude," he murmured with a smile, leaving well enough alone.

"y'know what else i am, besides someone's lunch? my dad and little sisters practice magick up near the sea. well, not my dad. not now. but my sisters do. i never bought into it, yanno? but it really suits them. my sis born with my bro and i doesn't, but she's a healer. we're pretty eccentric i guess."

He snorted at Casmir's answer, rolling his eyes. "You'll have to share your secret with me then. You find some special dung to roll in?" He grinned, but as the talk swung again to his past he nodded in appreciation to Casmir letting it go. He raised a brow to silently question Casmir and he smiled in disbelief as the male spoke of his family.

"Magic? Really?" He'd heard of wolves who believed they could cast spells. Some healing wolves considered themselves magic, he knew. He didn't buy into it either."I've never met a wolf who could do magic, or said they could. It's interesting." He wondered if he'd ever meet Casmir's sister, he assumed the entire pack believed in magic and wondered what that would be like as well. Another smirk spread across his face and he adapted his face into an expression of awe, as if suddenly understanding. "So that's why you're so old and magically delicious, your a fucking wizard Casmir!" 

Casmir laughed aloud, guffawing. "you're fucking mental, dude," he chortled. "i am a fuckin' wizard, Heston! never piss me off or i'll turn you into a ... toad. or something."  how unoriginal. "anyway. yeah. my sisters are real into it. i never understood it really. my one sister, Dee, she wants to be leader of the pack our dad founded on the coast. Donnelaith is its name."

saying its title aloud evoked a surprising and deep sense of melancholy in the boy, but he fought it off. "you wanna go hunting or something? something ... manly and tough, broski?" he teased, bumping Heston's shoulder with his own.

Heston grinned, then turned to face the male with a mock face of shock. "I'm mental? You're the one talking about living forever." He shook his head and laughed at Casmir's threat. "Is that the best you can do? A toad?" He hadn't ever traveled to Donnelaith, nor had he heard of it. The coast was not what he considered to be home. "Perhaps one day you can introduce me to your bewitching sisters. Maybe we'll pair up and you and I can be related." He waggled his brows at Casmir.

"Only if it's suitably manly and tough for two guys like us." He said, adopting a gruff macho voice. He began to walk with an exaggerated swagger, returning Casmir's bump. "Doubt there are any bears around here willing to take us on, guess we can settle for something smaller." He mimed severe disappointment, but he was only jesting.

he laughed. "fuck. we could take on a bear, dude. have a little faith," Cas chuffed. he grinned at Heston before lowering his muzzle again. "tell me about your favorite hunt," he muttered, half distracted as he sorted through the prey-scents scattered on the ground. "i would actually love to see a bear. can you imagine how long that would feed the pack? like .. three days," he exclaimed sarcastically. 

"regarding my sisters ... i can't see either of them settling down. maybe i'll have to just marry you myself, Hestbro," Cas joked, smirking in his new friend's direction.

Heston snorted, casting Casmir a look from the corner of his eye. "You think I don't know it? I mean it might be hard to find one. Or one stupid enough to fight us, manly speciemens as we are." His ear flicked as Casmir questioned him about his favorite hunt. He thought seriously, mulling the idea over in his head slowly. "I've hunted bear before, not my favorite hunt, but my old pack did. It wouldn't fight us though." The bitterness was clear in his voice. "Saw our numbers and took off, we ran it right out of the packlands. Our leader said not to fuck with it past that, so we didn't. It didn't come back. I've never taste bear before, was looking forward to it. Plus, helluva story to tell, you know?"

Heston smirked, nodded. "Four even." Casmir comment sent him chuckling, though he too was attempting to sort through the scent of prey. He was content to let Casmir take the lead here too, leading might prove a better distraction from the loss of the girls than simple talk. "Won't Laika be pleased with that? We'll just tell her it's a purely physical relationship. She'll have nothing to worry about then, Brosmir."