It'd been long. Procrastination, learning the path to somewhere they'd never been. A long shot, a farcry, and he put all of his trust into Malakai. He trusted him. In every way, he showed that. Somehow, they were alive.
Be it Gods will or their own, he somehow did not believe they would. He'd never tell Malakai this. Not once.
Tired, hungry. The basic exhaustions of a wolf, one pathetic and frankly sorrowful. He did not intend to come to moontide as scrap in need of help.
Even if it were truth. For himself---- and for his boy.
"This. This, I believe we are close." He heaved. They would find out. It smelled of wolf. Very strongly. "If we are turned away, are you prepared to go back? Or to continue forth?" Going back to the island in its current state was hardly an option. But he presented it even so.
For a time they had stayed in the bay. It was a lovely place. One which held a forest, waterfalls and the cove itself. There was food but still hunting with just the two of them (and Malakai not much good) had never seemed to be enough. All these fat and energy stores went to hunting only to repeat and repeat and repeat... Malakai did not much care for the life of a loner, he realized. Surely he had been coddled far too much as a child, who had never a want for anything until his parents were gone.
Malakai sighed, shrugging his slimmed shoulders as they moved. Honestly, I haven't really thought that far ahead...
He admitted, his bi-colored gaze fixed on the charred woods around them. Quite frankly, if they were turned away, Kai didn't know if he had it in him to continue. He was dying on the island, but at least there he had been happy...
He had risen this morning with a song in his heart and a prayerbof thanksgiving. How good a day to be alive! Even though he hadn't found any of his family quite yet, Simeon couldn't help but feel nearer now, now that Raindrop had led him to a branch of the Moon packs, where he knew his aunt had lived -- and where he hoped she was still living, somewhere in the sprawl of their network. He wasn't really sure how that all worked just yet, but hey, he'd figure that out soon enough, right?
He didn't want to encroach on the hospitality of a pack he wasn't planning to stick around in for long, so he stuck to the territories around the area and hunted smaller game. He planned to leave his best kill with Moontide, if he caught more than what would satiate the gnaws of hunger, to feed their elders or mothers or pups.
So far, he'd caught nothing, but hey, the day was young! And so was he. Admittedly, it'd always been easier to hunt in rivers than forests, so today as with every day, he looked for a fishing spot, humming his whole way there.
After all, why be quiet when hunting fish?
Permission given to skip around Nakano, following the plans we discussed.
We should keep moving.
Not being accepted into the pack was certainly not something he anticipated. After all, he and Nakano were
men of God. To turn them away - in God's name - Malakai snorted. To do such a thing was unthinkable! Surely an act which would not be one easily forgive them and damn them to hell, then.
It only made Malakai think on it more and his thoughts drifted to Sweetharbor island. To his father's body turning to dust and bone under the lavender fields. To his twin, yet to be found and the mother and sister which had chose to abandon them with their filthy devil-spawn in tow... or that was
left of them. Good riddance.
And then, as they continued west, he heard a humming. A voice all too familiar to him.
Simeon?
He didn't want to sound too excited, but his voice betrayed him. Fortunately, it would be only Nakano who would hear it and by now, Nakano was all too aware of the still uncertain boy under the armor of steel Kai carried himself with.
Malakai trotted into the direction of the humming, stopping short when he saw his brother prancing happily towards the riverbed. Last Kai had seen him, Simeon was nearly killing himself with atonement in the Lion's Den, just as their father had.
So...
He mused as he drew nearer.
Does God bless you with my face again, or curse you?
Kai couldn't help the smirk - was he actually being...
playful?
@Malakai sorry for taking so long and holding both our boys up!!!
As his humming lapsed into a quiet hymn, attached to memories washed out by the sea, he spotted a quiet place along the riverbed. Patted down by generations of fishers (or maybe just by the deer or snow melt), and perfect to skip between the low branches and wild grass to reach the river's edge.
But he did not make it.
Ears perked and stood tall. He turned with the vigor of an ocean gale, seafoam eyes wide and dumbstruck smile even bigger.
Kai!
How - when - where! Did it matter? He had covered all the ground that remained between them in the time it took him to firm even three words of thought and with outstretched arms he sought to tackle his brother - his
smirking brother! - in a rough embrace.
I have a feeling the only curse is that you have to see mine again, too!
he laughed, having forgot his fishing and his quiet songs.
Praise God! I can't believe I found you - I thought I'd lost you. Turns out, I'm dirt poor at navigating between the Isle and mom,
but hey,
hold up,
and he finally pull back now, a confused smile still plastered on his face,
why aren't you on the isle?
Relief washed over him in ways it hadn't in many moons. How the name of the brother he'd had so little time with touched over Malakai's mouth, and the way in which he perked up-- what else was he supposed to do? Nakano? To help raise this boy. When there was nothing, there was him, there was Malakai, and when his heavy had fell, there came.. Simeon.
Simeon. Nothing could compare to how much Malakai must've missed him. Though Nakano would not say it, it was much a reason he brought him out. To live, yes, oh, that had been top priority, but to also see there was more than just them and the people that left. They did not need them, but there was only so much sanity in isolation.
Even if not his mother, he had here who he needed. He'd only partially listen to them, stating off just far enough, so they could have one another. They did not need.. him. The man's voice turned to a trail. "The isle has been......." Malakai could probably fill in the blanks.
That's quite alright! But I am excited to hopefully get them settled in Moontide!
Happiness. Complete and utter happiness was his brother to see him. He called Kai's name, he trampled the distance between them and lifts up to wrap his forelegs completely around Kai. The smaller brother "OOF"s, backpeddling as he tries not to fall over yet ends up falling back onto his rump, back legs splayed out to his sides.
Heh- Hey Simeon.
He greets with a small half-chuckle. Malakai felt a tightness in his chest. He had more or less been a complete shit to his siblings, savor Judah. The other two more or less not matching up to his twin. Honestly, Kai didn't remember doing anything
too horrible to Simeon (most of his fights went to his sister) but Kai still certainly hadn't expected his brother to be this happy to see him.
Hmmm...
He murmurs only at the mentioning of his mother. By now, with the little time and effort she had placed on visiting her son- having left him to die on that island (like father)- she was now just as good as dead to Malakai too.
And then Kai's ears swept back and Nakano began to speak up about the Isle and the boy's bi-colored eyes turned back to the pale grey agouti wolf. It was he which had insured Malakai had survived his first winter. Not Caracal. Not
@Heda. Not even
@Towhee had come to check... Family was unreliable. Inconsistent. Frail. Fickle. It was God who provides. He provided one of his apostles.
Now, turning back to his brother,
After you did not return, it was us two and one woman. Then she too had gone...
His jaw tightened, his lips pulling back in a tight frown.
We left so that we might live.
Then, turning away and jutting his muzzle towards a break in the forest beyond The Sentinels.
I was told of a coastal pack west. We seek to find it and settle until we may revive ourselves and return home.