Wolf RPG - [j] after the night when i wake up

@Pump @Ragnar

Her separation from Sköll had been devastating, but perhaps the gods had other plans for her. Hati shifted in her sleep before she woke, lying still for a moment before pushing herself up. Again, she had seen the raven. Was she getting closer now? Her eyes searched tiredly around until she saw a familiar rock formation and headed toward it, taking a small path that lead down the hill and closer to the mountains that stretched beyond.

In her dreams, the raven had perched on the rock then flown off, dipping close to the ground where she now lay her paws carefully. If this was truly the way, she needed to think of a proper sacrifice to show her thanks. She had always trusted and loved her gods, but that Odinn would help her find her way was truly exhilarating.

She stopped as she became aware of a scent boundary, closely taking note of one that smelled familiar or at least more welcoming than she had expected (as opposed to the unsettling scent of a stranger). Was this truly the home of Ragnar? Her ears twisted back and she sniffed at it again. Her etiquette wasn't the best, so instead of calling for someone the girl simple stood there. Slightly dumbfounded, she looked around the border but only faintly recognized any of it. The raven of her dreams had flown into the sky here, instead of perching in the distance waiting for her to wake up. Did that mean she had reached her destination?

Hati shifted and looked around again. She suddenly felt as if she was imposing too much on territory she did not know and took several steps back despite the absent of anyone else. Her amber eyes were wide, apologetic; Sköll had been a great adviser and caretaker to her, but without him she felt vulnerable. She wasn't even a yearling yet. Slowly, she let out a soft howl that was almost too quiet to travel any great distance. She didn't want to be waiting around for a patrol, but at the same time didn't was to disturb the residents if this wasn't the home of her brother.

Ragnar was where he could generally be found most of the time: on the borders. As Head Warden he took his patrolling seriously and with the realized absence of Gavril — which the Viking found strange he had rather began to think of Gavriil as a fixture in Horizon Ridge (had even grown to trust the male) — had been picking up the extra slack that the male’s absence left in it’s wake, leaving less for Pump and Verrine to pick up because Ragnar felt like it was his job to pick up the extra word as Head Warden. Unsure, the Viking was left torn between what to think about Gavriil’s continued absence. If he saw it as a betrayal or an accident. Ragnar knew for a fact that neither Pump or himself had given Gavriil any sort of mission to explain his absence (surely Pump would have informed Ragnar if she had) and he was left feeling more and more …disappointment. He was disappointed in Pump and her unwillingness to address the issue with the Isle wolves and now he had to add the disappointment in Gavriil to the growing list as well. Clearly, Ragnar needed to stop trusting these posh summer wolves.

His ears had slowly began their descent until they were flush with the strong curve of his skull, knowing that there was nothing he could do to fix the situations other then challenge Pump or finally break off from her. He didn’t want to challenge her because for him a challenge was to the death and he really wasn’t interested in the Ridge territory anyway; but it wasn’t just Gavriil. Diluculo was gone (though he wasn’t complaining there) and Kennedy hadn’t been scented anywhere within the territory for some time. Now was not the best time for their numbers to be gradually dwindling down to nothing and it bothered the Viking. It was easy to pin the blame onto Pump without a second thought because he was frustrated with her, because while he was a leader too, she was the one who called all of the shots. He was done with trusting these wolves. All trust got him was disappointment and eventually: betrayal.

The soft call, barely loud enough to travel very far, pulled him viciously from his thoughts and his brow furrowed as he lengthened his pace to arrive to where the call had originated from on the borders. For a split second, with a lurch of his heart to his throat, he thought he was looking at his mother. Except the girl before him was obviously that: a girl. Far too young to be Kenna. He approached her cautiously; black, leathery nostrils flaring as he inhaled her scent. Faintly, he could smell the Cove and Sköll, and Fenrir, but it was obvious she had been traveling alone for some time. Instantly, Ragnar had to bite back the chiding that threatened to spill from betwixt his lips not knowing the situation that saw Hati — his (half) sister — to the borders of the Ridge.

“Hati,” Ragnar greeted her, his soft, heavily accented voice holding his curiosity.

my tags didn't work awkward ;__;

Hati carefully continued to survey her surroundings, half-hoping to see the raven perched somewhere as a sign of confirmation or something. But that she had been led here in the first place was comforting enough. Her ears rotated like small radar discs, listening carefully for whatever she may be able to hear. There was the soft sound of footfalls and she perked up, snapping her vision to the ghost that came toward her now. Hati's eyes flashed with relief as the silver, bulky man did indeed turn out to be the one wolf she had been explicitly searching for. Her eyes caught his for a moment before she shook her head quickly and lowered her own, careful not to hold his ocean gaze for long.

“Ragnar,” she breathed, unable to hide the exhaustion in her voice. Though she had never doubted the existence of her gods, there were certainly many questions and mysteries surrounding them. She was at a loss of what to say and where to begin. Her eyes flicked up for a moment to view him and she smiled thankfully. “I was with Sköll, but,” she swallowed and looked down, ears flattening on her head, “I got lost. I broke away from him to explore and I couldn't find him again.” She looked away, training her eyes on nothing in particular toward the horizon. A guilty expression painted her now. “I feel so bad,” she mumbled, ever thankful for the patience and warmth that he provided.

When Hati did finally put aside her self-loathing, she turned back to Ragnar with a more confident look. “I started to dream briefly during the night. Blurry images of a raven—Odinn, I thought—that seemed to be beckoning me,” she explained. To others, it would probably seem ridiculous, but to them, their entire culture was built around such beliefs. “It would perch on distant objects, like rocks or trees, until finally,” she paused and looked up, “it flew into the sky... here.” Her head tilted and she looked at Ragnar seriously. Her mind and body were both still young and she was very susceptible to many things, especially those surrounding her culture.

“Do you really think Odinn... would have truly helped me find you?” Hati asked timidly, having no other explanation for herself. Sköll had mentioned the way they had planned to go, and though it could have easily been her subconscious leading her with an image she'd know, Hati of course felt otherwise. She looked around again, swallowing. What other gods could make appearances or help those in need, then? Was Ragnar truly so important to them? Hati didn't enjoy what Váli had done with the Cove, according to stories of how it used to be when Ragnar was at the head. She admired the stories of her half-brother and as she thought of them, she let her amber eyes trace the bulk that built him. “I left to find you,” she said finally, “I left to join you.”

Sometimes they don't. I usually have to edit them with spaces before they work for me. :o

The girl’s eyes met his and his heart gave a painful palpitation as it slammed into him just how much she looked like Kenna. It made sense, given that Hati was her daughter and his half sister after all, yet, it still effectively worked to wind him nevertheless. All of Kenna’s sons to Eitri ended up looking more like Eitri then they did Kenna and though Ragnar had begrudgingly accepted Sigurd as his mother’s new mate (he could never see him as father for that was asking far, far too much) he was happy that Kenna was happy and that she had finally gotten her wish: a daughter that looked rather like a spitting image of her. Who was Ragnar to begrudge her, her happiness, after all? He had worked hard to prove that he was the good son all along (though idly he wondered if she still fussed and fawned sickeningly over Váli as she had). The girl sounded exhausted and as he approached his pace slowed. While he would have normally displayed his dominance, physically showing his importance and rank within this pack in the presence of the child he could not. He was still a family man at heart, no matter what rank he held. “You are tired, child?” It was an observation more than it had been anything else. His eyes checked her over, relief washing through him like a cool wave as he noted that aside from being exhausted she did not appear to be, otherwise, hurt.

Hati was young, yes, but old enough that Kenna allowed her to leave the Cove. Not, apparently, as Hati told it, without a companion. One that Ragnar thought was rather fitting: Sköll son of Ragnar’s closest friend: Floki. The boy was significantly older than Hati and her twin, Fenrir, and if Ragnar remembered correctly should have been entering his age of sexual maturity soon. There were many questions that seethed in Ragnar’s mind, each one important. Where was her twin, Fenrir? Had he stayed behind in the Cove with Kenna and Sigurd? How was their mother? Was she well? Did Sigurd still make her happy? What was the condition on Váli? Nerian had spoken that he had became violent, especially towards Nerian who belonged to Ragnar. Was his little brother deteriorating as Björn had before Ragnar had killed his eldest brother (for a woman, admittedly, and revenge for their father) and inherited the helm. “I am sure he will understand when you tell him,” The son of Floki was not as strange as his father but the Tiny Viking was still strange by many concepts to Ragnar, nevertheless. His response hedged that Sköll was nearby — as it was he was nearby with the Isle wolves, though Ragnar couldn’t fathom how he got caught up with them. Regardless, Ragnar planned on rescuing the boy from Majesty’s clutches and bringing him where he, too belonged: in Horizon Ridge with his …something of a family.

Ragnar was silent when Hati explained that she dreamt of a raven, no doubt in Ragnar’s mind that it was Odinn and if not the Allfather than either Huginn or Muinnin both of whom were well known symbols of Odinn. Hati’s question was timid, almost as if she was humbled by the fact that the Allfather himself had specifically sought to help her. “I know Odinn helped you find me, Hati,” The conviction and reverence in which Ragnar spoke left no room for consideration that he doubted his own words; because he didn’t. To Ragnar, it was as obvious as the sun rising in the day and the moon rising in the night. She was not the first that had left the Cove to find Ragnar and for some reason the Viking doubted she would be the last. Dagrun was first, then Nerian, and now Hati and Sköll (though Ragnar assumed he got a little confused). “I am only the Second in Command, the Beta, in this pack,” for now, he added absently. “But I have enough power to accept you into our ranks, Hati. Come; I have many questions.” He smiled at her then, offering his sister a rare, albeit genuine smile as he gestured with his muzzle for her to step within the borders and officially become apart of Horizon Ridge.