Wolf RPG

ooc: @ Peregrine

It was a late evening a day or two after Osprey's return to the Blacktail deer plateu. She had done some research, in finding out, which wolves from the pack had remained and how many new ones were there (quite a lot in fact) and realized that in the following days there would be a great deal to catch up with. Starting with her brother's new set of lovers and his children - her interest in them and need to get to know them better was - so to say - aflame with curiosity.

Surprisingly her old den had not been occupied and she was happy to return there, after she had done some refurbishing. It did feel a bit too big for her and a little lonely after she had crawled inside and lied down, but these feelings were easy to get rid off, now that she had spent months on her own - having hardly anyone for company. Osprey sighed, put her head down between her extended forepaws and closed her eyes.

Peregrine couldn't bring himself to leave Atticus out in the open, nor did he think Blue Willow would approve of that. At some point, they would have to figure out a more permanent arrangement. For now, the Alpha male ushered him into the old whelping den. At least he would be safe here, protected from the elements. He needn't fear that Atticus would wander away, either; the former Beta male currently didn't do much but sit and stare at the wall. It was heartbreaking but it was one less thing for Peregrine to worry about, at least.

Leaving his handicapped brother to go search for food—he would have to force feed him or something—Peregrine took a shortcut past Osprey's den, certain that she would be there. And she was. "Osprey," Peregrine said as he approached the site, "we have a lot of catching up to do. And I'm afraid I have to start with some bad news." He seated himself just outside, wondering if she'd found Crete like she'd hoped to do, only to come back here and lose a different brother.

Osprey was tired, therefore, once she closed her eyes, dreams were quick to appear in a form of colorful images and distant sounds. She was not entirely asleep though - half-aware of her surroundings, the gray she-wolf heard someone coming and her eyelids parted just enough to have a glimpse of who it was. The familiar smell, however, was the one that told more than the visual cues. Perry... she thought, lifting her head, blinking lazily and yawning.

Part of her considered telling him that they could meet another time, because now her usual chatty-self was not up for long conversations, but the tone of his voice told that there was an important matter, that couldn't wait until tomorrow. Osprey raised to a sitting position and raised her eyebrows curiously: "What's wrong?"

Osprey sat beside him and Peregrine slanted his muzzle toward her, rubbing his nose gently against his sister's gray shoulder. "I'm glad you're back," he murmured lowly before answering her question by saying, "It's Atticus. He took a fall and hit his head. He's alive but... not well. He's more or less catatonic. It's like whatever made him Atticus... isn't there anymore."

After delivering the news, he steadied himself with a deep breath, then lifted his gaze where it had fallen to his toes and brought it to Osprey's face. He felt sad and guilty about what had happened to Atticus. He'd seen it happen and hadn't been able to prevent it or help his brother recover. He was taking care of him now, yet it was like looking after a newborn, senseless puppy... without any of the joy that comes with new life.

"Did you find Crete?" he asked after a beat, hoping Osprey came bearing better news.

"That is horrible," Osprey said her eyes wide and looking troubled, after hearing, what bad news Peregrine had brought with him. She had caught glimpse of Atticus, when she had joined the meeting, but hadn't had a chance to have a proper heart-to-heart talk with him. Part of her felt guilty for not doing that, because clearly her brother was not doing well and from what it looked like - wouldn't for quite a long time.

"Is there something to be done?" she asked, thinking of Blue Willow and her stash of magical plants and herbs. The current alpha female could do wonders - she had helped Osprey to recover from the bad illness after all - and surely within her care Atticus would return back to normal. There was no doubt about that. However - as soothing this thought may be, she still had this nagging feeling that didn't give her rest and made her agitated, therefore she missed Perry's inquiry about Crete and jumped right to the more pressing matter.

"Should we go and see, how he is doing?"

"We can go visit him," Peregrine replied, standing slowly. "He's staying in Blue Willow's den. They were courting, when it happened..." He swallowed. "We're doing everything we can, Oss, but I'm not sure there's any coming back from this. He hit his head and Willow thinks he may have brain damage. She doesn't seem hopeful for a recovery," he explained in a solemn voice.

"This way," he added softly after a beat. As they walked in silence toward the medic's den, he wondered again about Crete. Osprey seemed much more concerned about Atticus at the moment, understandably so, so Peregrine didn't repeat his question. He wound find out about Crete's whereabouts—and everything else Osprey had been up to in her time away—in due time.

ooc: Thank you for pointing out, but Osprey can always be mistaken. The sort of "I saw, what I wanted to see".

"He will be alright," Osprey reassured Peregrine and bumped her nose lightly against his soft cheek. They were March Owl's kids after all - they didn't give up and fought the fate with bared teeth and claws ready to strike. She knew, of course, that there were things in life that no amount of willpower and determination could be changed, but she didn't let herself think about the worst now. It wouldn't help in any way - neither her ill brother, nor any of the family members.

"How is she taking that?" she inquired about Blue Willow, who probably was her only unrelated friend here.

Peregrine stifled a sigh, not wanting to drag down Osprey's optimism with his own pessimistic perspective. "He will stay alive and be well cared for, no matter how it turns out," he said to her as they began to walk in the direction of the medic's den. "Willow? She's dedicated herself to looking after him full time. I make a point to stop by several times a day but she's constantly by his side. She honors him like a husband, even though they never made official vows."

It wasn't long before they arrived at Blue Willow's den. It appeared the dark Healer was making one of her brief forays beyond her homestead, as Atticus was alone. He did nothing to acknowledge his brother and sister as they arrived. He simply stared emptily into space, something which never failed to make Peregrine sad and uneasy. He glanced sideways at Osprey to see what she made of it.

"He eats when you put food in his mouth and walks when you get him to stand. He's physically functional, just not... there, mentally speaking," Peregrine explained softly.

Osprey listened carefully to everything Peregrine told her and didn't say another word, until they arrived to the place, where Atticus was staying. At first it was hard to believe her brother's words, but after her attempts to communicate with their brother had failed, she withdrew from him and looked both confused and sad. It was something she saw for the first time in her life - terrible, but strangely fascinating too. Osprey had often wondered about the body, soul and the connection between the two and whether one could live without the other. And here was a proof...

She didn't share her musings with Perry, since it was neither the right time, nor place to do that. While regarding Atticus with a thoughtful gaze, her mind tried to figure out, how long would it take, before his situation would go for better or worse. Of course, they would take the best care of him now - days, weeks, even months, if necessary, but not forever. Life would go on and what was going to happen with him, if he didn't recover? Lost in her own thoughts, she sat down and remained silent.

Osprey remained silent and contemplative. For a time, Peregrine didn't deign to interrupt her thoughts. She needed this time to come to terms with their brother's fate and he wouldn't take that from her. Only at length did he even move, clearing his throat as if to unconsciously remind her that he was there. Atticus might be gone in spirit and Crete was gone in the flesh, yet Peregrine was still right here.

"Crete," he murmured after a while, gently calling his sister's attention, "did you find him?"

Peregrine pulled her back to the reality by asking about her journey. Osprey snapped out of her thoughts, got to her feet and after taking one last glance at Atticus, beckoned her brother to follow her outside. It seemed odd somehow to discuss it in the presence of unresponsive third party. "Let's leave him alone," she told him quietly.

After getting outside, she yawned and stretched thoroughly. When she looked up in the night-sky, where the first stars started to appear, she caught sight of the only constellation she knew - The Great Bear. Reading stars had been a great talent of her father and it was a pity that she had managed to learn so little, while he had still been around. At that time it had seemed a lot more interesting to come up with constellations of her own. Atticus - on the other hand - had been a lot better at it, always patient to explain and point out, where to look, over and over again. Now he was gone and she was reminded of the loss sharply.

"No. In the end it didn't seem that important anymore," she replied truthfully.

ooc: I have a question regarding Perry's knowledge about Crete's whereabouts. I remember reading a thread with him and someone, who told that Crete was back in Flightless Falcons. Is this information still valid?

Peregrine wordlessly followed his sister, casting Atticus a last fond glance before they stepped back out into the fading August light. When Osprey began to yawn and stretch, he did the same without even thinking about it. It felt good to flex his toes in the dirt, stretch the bones in his back and limber his muscles. While his sister spent some time simultaneously gazing at the stars, Peregrine's focus remained relatively earthbound.

Her words surprised him and bothered him a little, if only because the timing of her trip had been so bad and the only reason he'd come to terms with it was because he'd told himself she was looking after their brother. Yet apparently that hadn't come to pass. Peregrine felt a lump in his throat and didn't speak for a few moments, until he was able to swallow it back down.

"Then..." he began, trying to keep any accusation out of his voice, "Where did you go? And why were you gone as long as you were?"

Osprey didn't notice the slight change in her brother's voice, nor did she thought that this piece of information would insult him in any way. She still felt a little guilty for leaving him at the worst moment, but at the same time she had needed a time for herself, away from everyone and this knowledge had reached her later on.

"I started by looking for him, stopped by some packs on my way, but then I got lost," she said, casting a side-glance to Peregrine and shrugged. If life was a story then this was the most classical plot twist of them all. "I was on my own - not a living soul around, no one to talk to and all the time in the world for myself."

"I wanted to find a way back to myself," Osprey didn't delve in the details. "When I had done that, I was ready to look for my way home. It found me again and led me back here."

It was nearly impossible for Peregrine to feel irritated with Osprey, much less angry. Whatever ire or insult he may have felt, it faded away with her explanation. There was simply no way he could hold it against her. At least she was here now. At least she'd come back. She'd kept her promise to him and that was all that mattered.

"I'm glad you're back," he answered, reaching out to nuzzle her softly. "I know you know about some of the highlights you missed but if you have any questions—about what happened with Hawkeye, what happened to Osprey Jr. or anything else—just let me know. I'll be happy to fill you in, Silver Bullet."

"I am too," Osprey replied, feeling relieved that any bitterness and sadness that had been between them, when they had bid their goodbyes, wasn't there anymore. She leaned against her brother, enjoying his warmth and familiar smell. It was good to be back to him and his family she yet had to get to know. Right at this moment, she didn't want to be anywhere else in the world.

"Tell me everything," she looked up at him expectantly. He knew that there was nothing more she loved than a good story. There were several for him to tell and she wanted to know them all.

Osprey didn't pose any specific questions, instead asking Peregrine to tell her everything. "That's a tall order," he mumbled with a smile, lapsing into silence as he thought back to that day when she'd walked away from him and Atticus. A lot had happened since then. Where to start?

"Hawkeye and I broke up shortly after you left," he began. "At first, it was just because we fell out of love—rather, I fell out of love with her—but then I found out she cheated on me with that bonehead back there," he said, wincing slightly at his own epithet. "I wasn't on speaking terms with either one of them for a while but I've since forgiven them both. Before his accident, I was on good terms with Atti. He was my Beta and getting closer to Willow every day. As for Hawkeye, we continued raising the kids but we've barely spoken since. I'm indifferent toward her these days, really.

I broke my foot taking a fall off the plateau and Blue Willow stepped up beside me to help lead as Alpha female. Life was uneventful for a stretch. That's when I fell in love with Lasher... and I'd actually known Fox a long time but I began falling for her as well during this time. Of course, she was Alpha of another pack, so we didn't pursue anything.

Then Osprey Jr. went missing one day and everything went a little crazy for a few weeks. Blue Willow brought home remains. We all thought they were hers. We buried her and grieved. I don't like to think about those days. But somewhere in there, Fox showed up on my doorstep, obviously hurt inside and out. I took her in and helped her. When she went back to confront the pack she'd abandoned, she fought her Beta for the crown and lost. Many here think Fox just abandoned her pack to be with me but they're too swift to judge before they know the full story. Bazi rightfully won the crown and I took the opportunity to offer Fox a fresh start.

And the moment we came home to the plateau was when I discovered Junior was alive after all. And tthat's where we are now. Fox is my mate, Lasher is my lover and my daughter's back home. I'm... content. It's sort of like I was a two-dimensional version of myself not long ago, so fundamentally wolf. But I've discovered new facets to myself lately and there's so much more. I guess I just get better with age, like a fine wine," he quipped, glancing at Osprey.

"Of course, Atti's accident is a sad blight on the portrait of an otherwise happy life. Just the other day, Blue Willow gave her crown to Fox so that she could dedicate more time to looking after him. I do hope he comes out if it one day, I just try not to let myself hope too much. I hoped when Junior went missing and when she turned up dead—or so we thought at the time—it crushed me. I can't go through that again."

It was a bit of surprise to find out that Peregrine was the one to break up with his former mate, because Osprey had sort of expected Hawkeye to be the one to dump him. She liked the girl and all, but the whole deal had seemed too rushed for her - at least if she had been in either's place, she would have preferred for things to develop slowly. Then again - she had never been seriously in love with anyone, therefore she could not discuss the matter anyone.

Osprey tried to listen carefully, but lost herself somewhere among the lines, therefore she resolved to simply nod and draw the conclusion that all in all her brother was doing quite well. "Well, your life has been turbulent," she admitted at the end of his long monologue. "Compared to yours - my life is as calm as a lake on a sunny afternoon."

Peregrine's lips twitched into a rueful smile at Osprey's brief but astute observation. "I'm glad one of us kids has a relatively uneventful life," he replied, thinking of his brothers and himself. "I truly hope it stays that way too, though now that you're back at the plateau, you're bound to be in for some drama. Life in the Teekon Wilds is so much more crazy than it ever was in the Seahawk Valley."

The evening had now stretched into full dusk and Peregrine still needed to make sure Atticus was fed. "Hey, I need to get some food in Atti's stomach somehow, then head to bed. We'll catch up some more later?" His eyes found his sister's matching gaze and he gave Osprey a lingering nudge. "See you around, Oss," were his parting words before heading back toward where they'd left their insensate older brother.

Their meeting had ended far too soon for Osprey's liking and, while watching Peregrine disappear in the woods, she had this odd sense of unfairness. It was childish, of course, to want to have her brother all to herself - yet she felt a little jealous to all of the people she had to share his affections with. It was hard to admit it, but they had drifted apart - not the inseparable siblings, sworn to be with each other always and forever. With her current mind she knew that the promise was impossible to keep, because life happened and it had taken them in different ways at some point.

With a sigh she let all of those feelings go and returned to her den.