Lost Creek Hollow sorry

Rannoch and Liffey had parted ways promptly after they had revealed to the children that they were all moving. Now, only the conversation with @Terance stood between him and the relocation. Rannoch trudged through Lost Creek Hollow one last time with a heavy heart, his paws feeling much heavier than usual. 

Rannoch paused in the shade of a gnarled oak tree, well aware that his time was running out; his procrastination needed to end. He abruptly threw back his head summoned Terance for one last time, his voice low and full of grief, as he sunk onto his hindquarters.

The wait began, and Rannoch did his best to savor the last few moments of peace.

wherever terance was was unimportant. at the call, he came for his friend -- expecting a full report on the trip and then a good ole fashioned catching up session. terance had a lot to tell rannoch, too... what, about ibis and okeanos and all that. and he wanted to update him on the pups, of course, and how spook reminded him a little bit of wrean as a puppy... and that treason had gone about renaming the puppies already. it mostly confused terance, who kept calling pike ash... and pike didn't seem to realize entirely there was a shift in name. though, to be fair, pike also responded to OUCH really well. 

anyway. he trotted up with a waving tail and a bright expression -- an expression that wavered as he noted the thick cloud that hung over rannoch. he paused, a little ways off, head tilted. what's up? he asked, taking a few slower steps forward. had something happened? Terance wondered if it was about wraen and maia.

Rannoch smelled Terance before he heard him, and he turned to follow his friend's approach. Anxiety exuded Rannoch's expression—his ears were slicked back, a faint smile lined his lips, and his tail wagged unevenly in the grass. "Hi, Terance," he managed, swallowing hard in an attempt to rid himself of the lump that had formed in his throat.

"Liffey's sister, Wildfire, died," he replied, knowing there was no need to pussyfoot around the subject. "Her family—both the Firebirds and Redhawks— aren't handling it well..." Rannoch's heart raced, and somehow, he managed to meet Terance's eyes; this was the hardest thing that Rannoch had ever been faced with, and that was considering that he had almost died on multiple occasions. 

"Liffey wants to move back and be with her family, so we will be moving in with them to help out..." Rannoch shakily pushed himself onto his paws. "We're leaving now, and I had to let you know, Terance." 

"I'm sorry." he added, inhaling deeply as he braced himself for the worst; he knew that Terance wouldn't be happy.

terance blinked. his expression, previously filled with confusion and concern, melted away to reveal a look that terance had never given anyone before. there was hurt present, for sure, but his brow knitted down and a wrinkle appeared along the bridge of his nose appeared as he suppressed a snarl... terance fought himself not to yell. 

rannoch... he began slowly, his shoulders rolling. terance might’ve raised a hand to massage his temple had he been human — but he was a wolf, and so he had to resort to a slow close of his eyes, and a heavy breath to steady himself. do you know what i have given up in my life for you? he asked his friend, raising his gaze now to look at him, the conversation i had with ibis yesterday ended with her screaming, and crying, and blaming me for abandoning them and replacing them with a new family. 

there was another steadied breath. do you know why she thinks that, rannoch?

Rannoch felt Terance's stifled passion, and he shifted his weight uneasily as he attempted to handle the weight of his friend's gaze. "I do," he acknowledged quietly to Terance's first inquiry; guilt gnawed viciously in the pit of his stomach, and he glanced away as his friend elaborated. Rannoch knew the intent of Terance's question, and he turned to face him again. 

"Why?" Rannoch asked uneasily, not entirely catching onto the context clues that Terance had provided. He wanted nothing more than to flee, but he couldn't; he knew that he at least owed it to Terance to wait and hear him out.

rannoch answered, asking, but terance’s question was rhetorical in that he would answer it himself anyway. BECAUSE OF YOU, boomed terance, the muscles in his shoulders tensing. there was a brief moment of silence, and then terance spoke again, his voice returned to its normal octave, but it didn’t lose the anger that fueled it. i ruined a relationship with one of my closest friends following you from moonspear. i gave up my wife and my two kids because i couldn’t let you and your family starve to death on the mountains, he told rannoch, the fur along his shoulders still bristling, i ran this pack while you were injured, and returned your position back to you the moment you were healed. i’ve done nothing but be at your feet when you call for me. 

he stared for a moment, letting his words sink in — realizing for the first time in his life that he had actually spoken his truth the from the very beginning — and not a single stammer had fallen from his lips. 

if you leave my territory, you will not be welcomed back under any circumstance, he finished, raising his nose, do you understand me, rannoch? there was no trying to stop him, no, this was an ultimatum. its me or her. terance knew in this moment, that hydra had been right all along. he’d known for months that liffey truly had been a horrifying excuse for a wolf, entitled and self centered. he’d known all this time — but he’d somehow never expected the tables to turn back on him. he already knew the answer, terance would be forgotten upon impact. ironic, almost entertaining. but terance didn’t smile.

Last reply from me, unless Terance does anything else! 

Rannoch instantaneously felt his respect for Terance diminish as he was screamed at, and although he wanted nothing more to raise his voice in reply, he fell silent for quite some time and contemplated the blame that had been forced onto him. Rannoch grew cold and distant under the pressure of all of the blame, feeling as though Terance was spewing lies to make himself feel better. He stiffened under his fried's stare, fuming as he collected his thoughts; he didn't appreciate the lies that Terance was spewing. 

"There is a lot that I will take the blame for," he began, drawing his breath in a sharp inhale. "But I will not shoulder the blame for your decisions in regards to Hydra and Seabreeze. I did not force your paw in those decisions, and you know that, Terance. I would never have faulted you for choosing your family over me and you know that." The decision between Terance and his family was simple—Liffey and their children had always held precedence above everything else. "You are the only one to blame for your ruined relationships." He could have been cruel, but he kept any further commentary to himself. 

Rannoch shook his head; he couldn't believe that years of friendship had ended like this, and it left a bad taste in his mouth. "My family will always come first," he added, his voice growing colder by the syllable. "They always have, and always will." Rannoch glared at Terance a moment longer before he turned away and began to stalk away. 

"Goodbye, Terance."

each word rannoch returned to terance felt half hearted. terance could see how visibly not sorry he was. rannoch wouldn’t take the blame because terance had never outright blamed him until now. it had always been because of rannoch, always, but terance never held it against him. that’s what friends did for each other. but the favor was never returned. 

terance was merely silent, because he did not want to return anymore sentiments to the traitor. instead of answering whatever he was saying, terance called out as he stalked away, if you’re not gone within the hour you’ll be removed. he watched for a second more, and then he split to tell @Treason what had just transpired.