Sleepy Fox Hollow Away from all of reality

@Stag
backdated to 7/16, set directly after this thread

She was quiet and moved quickly, only stopping once she was sure they were finally alone. She didn't want to speak until they were free of prying ears and possible danger.

The second she was able, though, she stopped abruptly and barely waited for him to do the same before pushing her face into the fur of her brother's neck. She could no longer contain her complete relief that he had been the one to show up in the hollow. Stag, she whispered first. I was afraid that when I found Diaspora gone from the hollow that something had happened to you guys. She pulled back and looked him over. Is mom okay? Mahler? And did Ego ever come back? What about Mesa? She fired off the questions one after the other, eager to know that her family was okay. She still could hardly believe her brother was here. She knew she would need to explain the mess he had found her in but first she wanted to know that the family was okay.

Stag was in disbelief too, mostly that -- of all things -- he had managed to find his sister when he wasn't looking.

He was more than happy to leave that woman and her collection of strangers behind. Stag didn't meet many wolves outside of his home, but if she was indicative of how all wolves were... he wanted nothing to do with it.

He grunted softly at the unexpected contact -- for a moment he just stood there -- but then, he was hugging and holding her tighter than he had ever held anything, and didn't want to let go.

There was a pause as he tried to assemble all of his answers. He reluctantly pulled away and regarded Simmik with a somber gaze. "Mom was sick, but is doing better. You are the first sibling I have seen in months. We had to move, we're at Sawtooth Spire now." Stag looked at the ground and paused. "Wh-- where did you go?" And more importantly, why?

She wondered if her brothers had returned to the hollow, or to the lake in Ego's case and found the family gone like she had and not been as lucky as she was to find a member of the family or someone who knew what happened. Were they even alive now? And mom had been sick? Sick with what? She wanted to ask about her and about why they had to move, but Stag's question had her wincing and looking away. She knew she would have to answer the question if she ever saw her family again—that was probably one of the reasons she dragged her feet even coming here; she didn't want to see the look in her brothers' or mother's face when she explained where she had been and her reasons for leaving. There were many other things she wanted to tell him and ask about, but she knew she needed to get this part over with first. 

She drew in a deep breath and released it slowly, meeting Stag's gaze again. I'm part of a pack in the valley, she told him tilting her head in the direction of home. A forest near the coast called Neverwinter Forest. Her discomfort was clear but she continued. After dad...I don't know, things just felt so bad all the time; eventually, I just couldn't be here anymore. Her expression became hesitant as she watched her sibling's expression. I'm sorry; I know I should have told someone I was leaving. It was dumb. And hurtful probably. Definitely weak. But what could she do about it now other than try to make up for her mistakes.

Monarch motioned over the peaks. Stag followed the gesture with his gaze, wondering what Neverwinter was like and how she had managed to travel so far from home.

And here he was, afraid to go the next territory over..

He shuffled, looking at his feet quietly. He did a lot of that these days -- when things were too intense, or he couldn't quite find the right things to say. He worried the inside of his cheek, feeling the patchwork groove of new skin laid over old, chewed abrasions.

"Does it still feel bad all the time?" It was all he could think to reply -- but if Monarch had found happiness somewhere else, who was he to stand in her way?

She didn't immediately answer his question, her mouth twisting in thought as she drew in a long breath through her nose. Not lately, no—at least not for that reason, she answered with a shrug. But I still think about him a lot...and you guys. Even if she hadn't returned until just now. What about you? Do things feel bad for you? Simmik asked, her face wrinkling with concern. How had he dealt with things? Had he even dealt with things?

She could spend countless hours here, catching up with Stag, but the reunion was missing a couple wolves. So a little hesitantly, he asked: Do you think we could go see mom? And Mahler? She wished Ego and Mesa were there too, but, she was thankful to have found Stag at least. Hopefully, he wouldn't be against bringing her back to his pack and letting her meet the family that was there.

Stag didn't believe he was a liar, but for the sake of his family he would never tell the truth.

A similar twisted expression braided itself to his thin jaws; he looked away and the somber expression fled.

"I miss him too but there are other things now. I watch some of the puppies a lot. I try to patrol the borders, but I'm not as good as Mahler or Wylla.." He trailed off, realizing that his mother would be overjoyed to see Monarch. They had to go home.

Yet the hope that Monarch would come home and stay home died in his throat like choking ash, when he caught his sister's gaze and realized that tone meant visit and not stay. Stag nodded dumbly, but couldn't bring himself to speak for fear his voice would crack and betray an emotion too terribly forceful for words. He turned, looking back once (trying to keep his expression soft) before leading the way.

It sounded like he had made a life for himself, which she was relieved to hear. For a brief moment, her mind conjured up images of what her life would look like had she never left, but she pushed them all away; there was no sense in her getting lost in the what ifs and the guilt. She couldn't change anything now. Well, good, was all she could think to awkwardly say. 

He silently agreed to take her back to his home so she could see the family. She didn't know why, but she half expected him to say no, so she was relived that he had agreed so easily. 

She said nothing else, just followed along behind him, her heart racing in her chest from nerves.

Stag was lost in the what-ifs, and could-have-beens, unlike his sister. He was tormented by the idea that the sooner he brought Simmik 'home' the sooner they parted ways again. Last time it had felt like forever and he had not known whether she was alive or dead -- now he felt like any joy he could feel had been ripped from him as soon as he glimpsed it.

Trudging back home, Stag's steps were admitted slow. They traveled in silence, for his throat refused to work and he did not want her to hear any crack in his voice anyway. Eventually they came to the borders and Stag let loose a howl -- for both Takiyok and @Mahler.

He knew what he would see when they came. They would both come stiffly out of the range, eyes dour and demeanor cold -- but hope would light their eyes when they saw who was with him -- he only hoped that hope would not die forever when they realized Simmik was not here to stay.

praimfaya had been sent to look for thade, and in the days that followed, mahler had allowed himself the bare kindness of more sleep, snatches of napping taken here and there when he folded his legs beneath him after a long patrol. sprawled in the weald as he was, mahler did not immediately register stag's voice until the last note.
then and only then did the exhausted shadowpriest lift wearily to his paws, pacing through the proud feral trees of sagtannet until he spied the boy's lanky figure alongside what appeared to be takiyok. however, the call had been for both mahler and stag's mother; curiosity sharpened his senses and drove away the last muzziness as he emerged to approach the two.
indeed; the very vision of takiyok, but younger, hale. he blinked. "monarch?"

It was hard for her not to be worried when Stag's call came from the borders. Why didn't he just cross them and come find them? And his call was not only for her but for Mahler as well, so she couldn't help but come up with all the reasons he might be asking them to meet him at the borders, the most concerning being that something had happened to him or that there was something going on, and he needed help. 

She had been soaking in the lake as she often did to cool herself during the day, and so she quickly stood and shook the water from her coat. Her form was still thinner than what was normal for her, but nothing like it had been just a month ago. She felt almost back to normal too, which she was thankful for even if it did mean she would need to consider her next move soon. 

Mahler beat her there, and so she moved to stand at his side, recognizing the wolf beside Stag before she even reached everyone. Monarch, she said in disbelief as she finally came to stand with the group. I wasn't sure if I'd ever see you again, she admitted, moving forward to embrace her daughter for a few moments before stepping back. She couldn't even put into words how relieved she was to see her alive and well and so grown up. What happened to you? Where had she been all this time?

She didn't try breaking the silence as he led them back to his home; she was content to let it settle between them as her own mind filled with thoughts of what it would be like to see her mom and Mahler again. She wondered if they would be happy to see her like Stag was or if they would be mad that she disappeared. She was nervous despite wanting very much not to be, so she also said nothing about her brother's slow pace. 

She stopped next to Stag when it seemed they had finally reached the borders of his pack, and she looked off in the distance as he called out for mom and Mahler, her heart picking up speed in her chest as the moments passed in silence once the howl stopped echoing across the mountains. 

Mahler was the first to appear, looking mostly like she remembered expect for possibly some new scars. She couldn't be sure, though, since her memory as through a child's eyes. She dipped her head as he spoke. 

Before she could say anything, though, her mother appeared and stole her full attention. She reveled in the embrace, fighting back tears she didn't wish to shed right here in front of everyone. When Takiyok stepped back, she cleared her throat. Simmik, she corrected, glancing to her brother, then Mahler, and then back to her mother. I go by Simmik now—I have for a while. Then she drew in a deep breath and moved on to her mother's question. I live with a pack in the valley, she said first. We're in a forest northwest of here by the coast. We're called Neverwinter Forest. She looked back and forth between mom and Mahler as she spoke and then her expression turned sad and she looked away. Nothing happened to me; I just ran away because I was dumb and sad and didn't know how to deal with anything. She lifted her gaze. I'm sorry. I should have told someone I was leaving, but I was afraid you wouldn't let me and I didn't think about how much it might affect everyone. Her words fell away and she sighed again. She hoped they wouldn't be mad but would understand if they were. I'm happy and safe where I am, though...even managed to work my way up to Beta. And I've been training to be a warrior.  She smiled a little then, hoping that knowing all of that would ease any worry they had for her.

It was hard for Stag to be bringing his sister to his home, only to lose her again. The more he thought of it, the more it seemed bitterly unfair -- to the point where his jaw was set in a hard line as Mahler came, and then his mother.

Not even his mother's joy or Mahler's surprise could soften the glint in Stag's gaze as he waited for introductions to be over. Waited, for that moment Monarch-turned-Simmik would leave them, again. His heart felt flinty and full of shale. How many more losses would he be subjected to before life became easy? If it ever became easy?

He stomached the news of his sister's new name quietly, keeping his gaze on the ground as Mahler and Takiyok caught up with Simmik.

simmik, the girl corrected, and mahler saw stigmata's firm nature in her. takiyok was beside him now; mahler cast a searching glance her way, for the woman had long been recovering from her illness. he was not sure how she might take this sudden reappearance, but was calmed by her disposition.
simmik revealed details that pleased mahler. that she had found happiness, foremost, and that she had done well for herself. it was with pride for the daughter of his kill-brother that he stood now, glancing between she and stag with a placated light. she lived. she thrived. and though she had admitted to her childish choice, mahler saw the growth of a mind honed.
but stag seemed aloof, eyes downcast, and the eisen pondered him silently.

wrapping up since taki is on PPC <3

Stag stood to the side while Simmik reconnected with her mother and Mahler. He focused on loosening the tension in his jaw. Click, loosen, click, loosen. He focused on blades of grass, on the slow ascent of a lone ant -- anything but the emotions that threatened to show in his face.

When it came time for Simmik to leave, Stag would collect himself with a heavy heart and see her off to the borders.. Yet he only wished when that time came, it would not be the last he saw of his sister.