Redsand Canyon and wouldn't it be nice if i could sleep in my own bed

he didn't want to be here, he really didn't.

but he wondered, as the snow crusted the mountains, if it was maybe time to see if his mother might come to paleo. a place he had come to love and cherish for the way they lived, the lands they tended to. he knew that paleo would like her too.

only her scent was lacking here among the markers of mereo.

he couldn't find it. anywhere.

not his father's scent.

not his mother's scent.

not his brother's scent.

he could not explain the sudden panic that overcame him in a feverish way — and despite every instinct, he called for @Germanicus.

Whoever called did so for Germanicus, but the voice sounded familiar and Tierra was curious. It turned out to be the kid that she'd been sent to find in Paleo... Siku? Totally nailed remembering that!

He's probably coming. What, did you decide that Mereo was actually cool now? She was aware his mom had left, but her brain hadn't connected the reason for his coming here as being to visit her because... well, she wasn't here! And parents not being around was something Tierra had needed to learn to reckon with at a pretty young age.

So she laughed a little at her own joke, then waited to find out why he'd shown back up on their borders after he hadn't bothered to when she'd gone looking for him. Pretty rude, actually.

siki had returned, wearing the scent of paleo. he had not left the hollow when germanicus had visited but the eagle faulted the boy nothing.

he stood now. tierra greeted. 

"there have been some changes, siku."

panic bled into anger and hurt.

"What, did you decide that Mereo was actually cool now?"

she was right there in front of him, but for a moment it was like was looking through her. anger, sadness, hurt, stressed. he wanted to tell her to shut up, he wanted to tell her to find his mom.

he wanted to do anything.

yet he was only slack jawed, rooted to the spot.

"there have been some changes, siku."

was he here? siku wished he had never come back. that he had stayed in paleo a little longer, blissfully unaware.

sh-she's... he tried to ignore the quiver of his lip. feeling like a true child once more.

It turned out she had gotten them and the packs mixed up... Paleo, Epoch, what's the difference? But she wouldn't realize it until later.

Germanicus came up and Tierra stepped aside to let him handle it, not that she wasn't capable. He was having, like, a full on melt-down though it looked like, and Tierra wasn't anywhere near wanting to try and handle that. What was the big deal? He left first. Pretty lame to do all that and then freak out about your parents not being there when you, like, came back or whatever.

If she was a better wolf, she might have had a little sympathy. Instead she fought the urge to roll her eyes, but did manage to keep her mouth shut. Siku didn't really seem to be talking to her.

"she went to look for your father." germanicus was careful not to suggest that the departure of the boys had prompted this.

"if there is more news, i will send it to mahler and wylla," the imperator said with genuine feeling for the child.

he had done this before. he had stood before germanicus and thought he would be strong, that he would have bold words to say. grand things to do.

now he felt defeated. deflated. an arrow into his heart with the departure of his mother.

i'm sorry. blurted suddenly, like a started goat. caught off guard by his own voice and words.

i-i know that she was...important. here.

mother to mereo as much as mother to him it seemed.

Seriously, what did he expect?! Tierra bit her lip. She wanted so bad to ask. He and his brother left, obviously Aquene wasn't going to stick around for them?! Why was this such a surprise when he bounced first?

Ugh. She was so not interested in this. I'm going to go patrol. Germanicus could totally handle this. All she was doing was standing there bored, and it was honestly probably better if she made herself scarce. She'd probably hurt his feelings if she told him he was acting like a complete baby about it.

Tierra out! last post <3 feel free to skip by me after here

"thank you, signifer." when tierra had departed, germanicus looked back at siku.

"there is no reason to apologize." he straightened. "you might go and visit your brother while you are in this part of the sunspire."

it was a suggestion not a command.

he grappled with guilt and shame. anger and hatred.

his brother was mentioned and siku all at once wished to see a face that had never failed him.

he's not still here either, is he?

he knew the answer and for some reason it hurt him as much as it pleased him. perhaps his brother might like paleo too.

"no. he lives in epoch now."

germanicus could not imagine why the boys had not gone together.

"from what i am told, he is content there."

fading! <3

oh. so they had split and for a moment he wondered if nanuq had had the same idea.

go find somewhere nice first, then bring in family. that had been siku's goal but now he wondered if nanuq might even want to come to paleo if he had epoch.

okay. thank you.

perhaps if they had found this sort of...mild acceptance, siku would still be in mereo. alas. if nothing more was needed, he was prepared to head off.