Wolf RPG

a change had come over the wilds - one which had perplexed arcturus once he finally became cognizant of it. birds rushed to places that had previously been quiet; their industrious songs quickly chasing the vacancy away. he had noticed burrowings of underground denizens suddenly resurfacing -- and while it was still the height of winter, the teekons were very much alive.

sitting on the stony lip that curled around his birthden, arcturus peered down the stone-tousled slope. as of late he had lost much volition to do anything except study things around him with the listless sort of energy only a depressed teenager could muster. hanging his paws off of the high promontory, arcturus stared at a band of pronghorns below -- wondering just how spectacular the snow would look if he just happened to drop a stone just so, so that whatever oblivious pronghorn beneath exploded like a two hundred pound meatbag, ready for him to swoop in and eat.

eh, as appealing as whack-a-horn sounded, arcturus couldn't manage the energy to lift a pebble -- much less a boulder -- and so, he dedicated himself to watching their slow migration west.

It was a good thing that Arcturus decided against dropping any stones, because right around the corner was Charon. He'd studied the pronghorns for a while, trying to decipher whether there were any weak links, before ultimately deciding that he'd discuss with Amekaze whether gathering the pack to hunt one of them was a good idea. There didn't appear to be any that were weak right now, so he was hesitant if it would be a good idea to do so. Ame'd surely agree with him.

As he circled around the group and made his way up the slope, Charon noticed Arcturus sitting there, looking like a mopey teenager. This time of year could be a good or a bad one, but he had had bad moments with children most years: Julia in the first, Vela in the second (though the latter turned out just fine, thankfully, and had never been as bad as Julia, because she wasn't a total wuss), and now Revui was gone and Arcturus was all moped up. Wolves this age had a tendency for dramatics, as surely no one's life was worse than their own, but Charon knew better than to address this drama in any way. He always found it easiest to just ignore it.

Remembering their last proper conversation, Charon walked up to Arcturus with a suggestion already in mind. "Wanna come scout for Revui?" Charon was about to go and have a trip outside to scout anyway -- it seemed as good a time as any to ask Arcturus along, so he may feel a little less helpless and learn how to put his distress to good use rather than wallow in it.

arcturus was just sizing up a nearby boulder to really push it this time, when he heard the tread of his father approach. instinctively he straightened up, his gaze almost guilty as it beheld the sternly scarred features of his sire. his ears splayed to the side as charon mentioned revui, and while the boy looked away deferentially, he nodded silently in acceptance to the invitation.

he rose, shaking white particles of snow from his black pelt as he went. he was confident they would not find his brother, but he wished to humor his father, and was driven by an almost desperate ambition to please or impress moonspear's greatest monarch.

The response was lacklustre, but in the end it mattered that Arcturus agreed to go. Charon didn't much feel like spending time with his less-than-enthusiastic son right now, but he also felt that it was important to at least try and include Arcturus and improve his mood somewhat. "Alright, let's go," he said and started making his way towards the borders.

As he walked to the borders Charon did not speak, unless spoken to; Arcturus was clearly not in the best mood and since Charon couldn't really be arsed to cheer him up, he'd simply let him come search. Charon did not really think they'd find Revui, much like they hadn't found Yama, much like they hadn't found Floki and many that had vanished over time.. but he needed to try, so that he knew he'd done all in his power to find him. And it was good for Arcturus to experience that feeling.

alright, let's go. arcturus bobbed his head in response, but his sire had already turned away. falling into step behind charon, arcturus studied his stride -- the rolling of his gait, the leanness of his limbs that suggested hardened sinew underneath. and finally, arcturus found himself moving to the same rhythm as his father.

looking down into the snow, he found his paws landing in the deep indents left in his father's wake. he slowed, lifting a paw and placing it in the next track left by the monarch; his paw fit neatly into the print, and for a moment, arcturus thought of how someday, he might be looking for charon --

his throat bobbed, and quickly the boy ushered the thought away by looking around at the snowpack. there was little to be gleaned from the territory, and fewer places to hide -- determined to distract himself from the distressing thought he had just conjured, arcturus broke from charon's lead and meandered down the trail in hopeless search for revui.

For a while they just walked in silence. At times the crunching of Arcturus' paws behind him would fade away and then return. Charon did not mind the silence much as he made his way to the borders of the pack. There was always something tranquil in being with someone and not talking; perhaps it was Amekaze that had taught him that, he thought idly as he walked.

It took a while for Charon to realise that the crunching of Arcturus' paws had slowed and then went away, rather than returning to his side or behind him like each time before. He stopped, looking around him in the frozen lands, and then turned back. Charon followed the trail to where he last saw a double pair of foot prints. He was lucky the snow was fresh and he could see the tracks well. There were a few prints seemingly missing before the second pair of prints broke off to follow a different trail. Arcturus? called Charon as he followed the broken off trail, wondering if Arcturus might've caught onto a lead that he himself had missed.

the boy walked further from his father, though the distance put between the two of them was unintentional. a brief dash of hope had come to him, and then just as quickly expired, when he thought he caught the scent of wolf on the breeze.

it was not his brother, and so he turned back -- coming face to face with the concerned features of his sire. letting his tail fall and ears fold back across his dark skull, the boy muttered "i thought i smelled.. something."

but he had been mistaken -- and loathe to call to light his error, the boy started furiously nosing along in the snow.

Arcturus had gotten caught in a lead, it seemed, but one that proved to be fruitless ultimately. The boy returned to his side and Charon nodded, then continued to track, hoping to find, well, something. He wondered, thinking of something someone had said to him before: Do you think Revui could've gone out on his own? Charon liked to think his children would always tell him when they would wander off, so that he need not worry, but what if..? Arcturus and Revui were close, so if anyone would know then surely it would be his shadow of a brother. Without telling you? Charon sounded even more incredulous here, therefore maybe colouring in his son's opinion rather than actually asking him a question. It was just hard to imagine.

a dull silence followed charon’s outloud ponderings, and if charon happened then to glance upon the features of his son, he would likely see a strained and frustrated inarticulation hounding arcturus’ features. 

he drew a haggard sigh, his tail limp and voice tinged with guilt. i don’t know. his words had a dulled edge to them, as if arcturus was pained by speaking. we got into a fight and — his gaze fell to the ground in defeat, and the moonspearian youth said no more.

Charon wasn't looking at his son's face as he asked the question, looking ahead at the road they were taking and keeping his eyes on the surroundings. When he heard Arcturus say 'I don't know' Charon halted in his tracks. The father looked back at his son inquisitively, wondering what had transpired. They'd always been close, with Arcturus often hovering behind his brother.

The father lifted an eyebrow as Arcturus mentioned a fight, but then shut his mouth rather than elaborating. And? he asked pointedly, looking at his son. It's important to tell if you have any information on where Revui might've gone, Arcturus. Even what their fight was about might help there.

as charon halted in his tracks, arcturus' ears fell -- he half anticipated his father to whirl accusingly around to face him, and his posture seemed to shrink back in anticipation of this. it was an unfair reaction, to be sure -- his posture softened as he realized his father was simply staring at him in stern expectancy.

how could he explain to his father what had happened without exposing their squabble as childish? he did not wish to disappoint charon, but neither did he wish to show his father how stupid he and his brother were being. ears flat, arcturus obeyed and spoke, his gaze humbly on the ground. "i was looking for yami.. it was when she first disappeared. and, revui was tagging along and he bit me a few times while we were searching." he paused, noticing with loathing the shakiness that had risen to his voice.

"i lost my temper! i snapped at him and bit him back and since then it hasn't been the same. nothing has been the same. he didn't say anything to me. he just left."

Charon listened as Arcturus brought forth a story about how he'd been looking for Yami, and he had had a fight with Revui. The father had never known about this, only remembered them being close together. Even when they had cornered Flicker, the Blackfeather Woods wolf, the two had worked together well. But perhaps it was only out of necessity then and no longer because they were close friends like they had been. It was hard to brush the image of Revui and Arcturus playing together always when they were little from his mind.

But in the case of the disappeared Revui it brought them little. Charon couldn't imagine that this was the cause for Revui's disappearance. After all, Arcturus mentioned this happened when they were looking for Yami when she first disappeared. It must've been a while ago. Thanks for telling me, son, Charon said with approval in his voice, no apparent judgement in his voice. These things happen sometimes. I'm sure when we find him back you two can make up. Brothers fight sometimes, but you're still brothers. Charon gave Arcturus a reassuring but firm, rough nudge to the shoulder as a 'chin up' gesture. Charon himself had never really had such trouble with his brothers -- not with Levi and Flóki, at least... Jorunn was another case -- but then they had never been as dominant as he. They'd let him play the role of big brother easily enough. Maybe that's why he and Jorunn'd clashed so.

Let's keep looking, he then suggested and Charon continued his way.

arcturus nodded dumbly as charon spoke, shedding his own fatherly wisdom on the situation. maybe it was natural for brothers to fight, but arcturus as usual lacked charon's worldliness, and only felt a strange sense of despair to be estranged from his brother. this hadn't been a normal fight, he told himself -- and guiltily, once more he fretted that maybe that was the true reason revui had left.

at his father's nudge, arcturus perked up - not so much because he felt better, but because he wanted to make his father proud of him. his tail flagged for a moment and then he followed his father's instruction, making a bee-line for a summit they had yet to explore.