Dragoncrest Cliffs trick or treat, smell my feet

For a total homebody and mama's boy, Caracal was enjoying the hell out of this road trip. I would like to tell you it was because of all the time spent with his dear ole dad, sister and best friend. But I don't know who's here and, anyway, he was swept up in all the wonders of the autumn wilderness even more than his present company. There were so many sights, smells and sounds! There were even cool things to touch (like all the crunchy leaves) and taste (he would never recover from the word "gourd"... or the flavor).

By the time they reached Sapphique, the young boy was rethinking his entire life plan. He didn't want to be a boring old caregiver. He wanted to be a scout, a ranger! There was no way he could go home after this and simply stay there, not when there was so much world out there to explore.

Humming with adventurous energy, Caracal milled nearby when Reyes paused to howl for the pack's matriarchs. He should've been eager to meet his grandmothers but there was a curious smell in the air, one he'd never yet experienced. It was kind of gross but he couldn't stop sniffing at it, like his own toots. It kind of reminded him of a fart, actually, with a little added salt.

@Reyes @Sphyra @Killdeer

The journey from the southlands had taken a little longer than necessary due to the kids being inquisitive little shits, but all in all, things went well. 

He had @Teya alongside him, and sometimes the kids were more attentive to her way of speaking or her quick looks than they were of their father's; mostly the youth kept among themselves - trying to "one up" each other when it came to discoveries.

When the group reached the edge of Sapphique, Reyes chuffed and tried to gather the attention of Sphyra, Killdeer, and Caracal; he noticed that the golden boy was a little distracted by something on the wind and smirked, figuring it was the claim's edge that piqued his interest.

Reyes called to them all, We're here. Let's make sure they can hear us, aye? Then lifted his chin to call for @Erzulie and @Rosalyn. He had told them months ago about his children and here they were - mostly - but instead of Towhee alongside him, it was Teya. He hoped they weren't too surprised.

Okay, Sobo, he thought when a summoning howl sounded over Sapphique, petrifying him in place. Ya can do dis. He chanted that several times in his head, but ungluing his paws from the ground was a whole other matter, and not on account of the mud. It took a great deal of convincing himself that nothing bad was going to happen before he was able to force his legs to move. When they did, it was wooden and awkward.

That was how he arrived before the group of travelers, stiff as a rod. One could almost mistake him for an over-zealous border guard on high alert, if not for the way his knees knocked together or the anxious tension on his brow. He gulped hard, throat bobbing visibly from the force. There were so many of them! Why were there so many of them?

He scanned the small crowd, eyes landing longest on the ruddy youth, although Caracal stood nearly as tall as the pair of adults. His sharp angles gave away his younger age. He looked then to crimson Reyes, knowing next to nothing of this wayward sibling, then finally to Teya. He sucked in a deep breath and fidgeted. How were his mothers and Mireille so confident meeting other wolves? This was terrifying!

But he remembered Haunt and how he had never found the confidence to speak with her and knew he must overcome his timidity. So he drew another breath and said, Dis be Sapphique what do ya want? all together in a nervously brusque tumble.

their journey had taken unfamiliar terrain. she had gone a fair distance in her search for jasmine, but the route that reyes set swiftly became land that teya had never seen. she was happy to defer to the redfur.
the first time she caught a glimpse of the ocean, the raven caught her breath and stopped to stare. she was brought along by reyes, and smiled gratefully, eagerly at him.
eventually they traveled alongside and she could look at the deep, huge water all she wanted.
when sapphique rose ahead, trepidation too lifted itself in teya. she and reyes had yet to define their relationship with a word, though she knew their feelings were the same. how would he introduce her?
she darted a look to the children, encouraging them to be on their good behavior.
the boy who came to meet them was young and strong-looking. his scent was tied with this place and the sea. she did not want to speak for reyes and so she swayed her tail gently, offering a friendly look to the guardian of the sea-cliffs.

Njord found new meaning in Haunt’s omen when he learned of the war between Ursus, Akashingo, and Saints of the Dying Light. The red-tail, not normally an anxious man, felt his worries grow steadily day by day. He loved his family so much… what would he do if anything happened to them? Sapphique had seen so many dead already… Njord couldn’t even fathom burying one of his own children.

When a call for their captains ran out, Njord was quick to bound towards the borders. He set his shoulders square, a stern look on his face. It was out of character for Njord to be so serious.

He approach Sobo from the rear and saw a man, woman, and three adolescents at their doorstep. Dis be Sapphique what do ya want? he heard Sobo ask. Pride swelled in his chest, and Njord stationed himself behind his son, ready to fight the intruders should they bring danger. He permitted Sobo to lead the dialog – fly on his own, so to speak… and waited for their answer.

On and off, Rosalyn's dreams had been troubled. Sleep broken by nightmares on some days left her moodier than usual, but fortunately, last night she had slept without issue. It had been a long series of months for all and, as warmth dwindled, Rosalyn felt a dread set in for the winter to come.

Rosalyn recalled little, if anything, of Reyes' last visit. So when she approached to find him at the borders with a group, her first instinct was to come forward and stand firm next to Sobo. Ignoring the rest of them, she trained her eye on her son. A woman next to him, and children.... it was enough to give a hint, and it was an assumption that she could jump on readily.

Reyes. Welcome. She said, with a slight (but warm) smile. Then she turned her muzzle slightly. Sobo. This is your brother. Her introductions done, she fell silent, waiting to have her guess confirmed on who these others were.

reyes.
erzulie had seen her wife's fitfulness. it was just after the seawolf that she arrived, nosing along her mate's shoulders with a gesture meant only for her.
and then she turned her smile upon their son. "it is so good to see you again," her voice sounded, two-toned eyes filled with delight. she would lean forward with a brush of her muzzle for him as well. she came to stand beside njord and sobo, offering her presence to her younger son who did not yet know his brother.
the obsidian quickly flicked her eyes over teya. the girl was pretty, and it seemed she had come just as far with reyes' children in tow. and she knew them, she felt, by their appearance, by their age.
"dis be sapphique," erzulie told the young ones. "rosalyn an' i, we be your grands-mères."
she tried not to look at rosalyn, but she had lived long with the woman she loved. her wife was becoming more reticent.

Sorry for leapfrogging, Reyes is gonna drop if I don't post him and I won't have time any other moment!

The first to come to meet the call was a wolf that looked strikingly like Erzulie, but it wasn't Erzulie. They were male, for starters. Their narrow build and sharp proportions mirrored Caracal's and so Reyes presumed this boy was around the same age as his own son; there was also the lick of fire at his heels where his tail rested. There was a heft to him that reminded Reyes of the seafarers he once ran with. Pairing that with the standoffish, defensive manner of the boy's voice, was a little bit off-putting.

Off the boy's flank came an older wolf, gray and warm at the same time, with a similar shock of red trailing after him. The boy's father? Neither one looked pleased to have any visitors what-so-ever. Reyes was about to speak at that point and clear the air when — Reyes, there, striding with care to the other side of the boy guardian, was his mother.
Welcome.

She went on to address the boy and illuminate things for the both of them. Reyes had younger siblings? He shouldn't have been surprised at the prospect but it still hit him like a sack of bricks to the gut. He was silent, looking to Teya for a moment of support, as Erzulie arrived next.

The introductions progressed once Reyes had processed things for a minute or so.

Caracal, he called to the boy to draw him closer, lest he be wandering too much. And this here is Sphyra; her twin sister is visiting other family elsewhere, and... he looked to one half of the twin-set, a soft smile upon his own face, and then with what felt like a tide sweeping in through his belly to shake things up, he came to Teya.

This is Teya, she's... we're, they hadn't put a name to what they had together; but the point was, she had come with him, and she wasn't Towhee. He looked to both his mothers and drew in a breath. There's a lot to explain, but she's family too. I hope we aren't imposing too much by visiting, but I'd love to let the kids get to know you.

Although he was still more interested in the location than its residents, Reyes's words served to remind the young explorer of why they were really here. It wasn't about seeing the sights, it was about meeting the people. Namely, he and his sister were about to meet their extended family.

Four wolves arrived in quick succession, the third arrival in particular looking a lot like his dad. This must be one of his grandmothers. His eyes bounced from her scarred countenance to the other woman's. And this must be the other. Caracal eyed the two males as well, noting the resemblance between the two. Naturally, he was particularly intrigued by someone who appeared to be his own age.

Rather than answering the other youngster's pointed question, Caracal looked to his father. After a warm welcome was offered, Reyes launched introductions on their side. The boy made sure to smile and wave when his name was mentioned. His lips pursed a little when his dad faltered over Teya's introduction. Caracal hadn't made up his mind about his dad's girlfriend, having spent much of the trip mostly ignoring her right along with everyone else.

But these familial strangers, they intrigued him. They talked quite differently and he wanted to ask about that. His ears flicked back, wondering. Would that be rude? And then another question struck him. Caracal didn't know why he'd never thought to ask until now, though maybe it had something to do with finally meeting them in person.

Without thinking it through, Caracal blinked and looked right at Reyes. "Hol'up, you have two moms!" he declared. Thank you, Captain Obvious. "How is that possible?" He knew how babies were made. Was his dad some kind of miraculous exception? Or immaculate conception? His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, hungry for answers.

None of the amassed wolves responded to his query beyond Teya’s soft smile. It rankled Sobo to feel overlooked and ignored when he had made such a humongous effort to come out and meet them in the first place. If they looked closely, his nerves were very evident, but it was a little unreasonable to expect them to know how hard this was for him. Nevertheless, he was bothered.

Njord at his back had him squaring his broad shoulders a little, prepared to ask again with more force, but before he could say a word, Rosalyn and Erzulie both arrived and addressed the foursome, introducing the dark red wolf as his brother. That made sense. He did look awfully like Rosalyn.

Sobo didn’t care much for his older siblings. He knew all their names, but didn’t know them at all and felt they weren’t worth his time if they didn’t bother to come visit. He supposed Reyes was making more of an effort than most, and managed a timid smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Would this one be a regular visitor, or would Sobo never see him again? He guessed the latter.

His eyes went back to the pair of youths. Jitters wracked his belly. Would they want to talk to him? Would they want to see the ocean? He could show them so many things! But the girl intimidated him and tied his tongue in knots and the red-furred boy seemed more interested in asking Reyes questions than interacting with him. He was a little relieved because he had no idea what to say to other kids, but mostly upset.

Tch, he muttered under his breath, kicking glumly at a pebble.

Sobo seemed less than thrilled, but at least he was keeping any protests to himself. The reception didn't surprise Rosalyn - as it shouldn't have. It was an echo of her own reception a few months ago. This time she was more welcoming, but there was still a stilted awkwardness to it.

How long had it been since she felt like a mother to any of them? Those that left... her role was done. It was near impossible to ignore, especially when every visit was just that. A visit. A courtesy call.

No. This one was more than that. Rosalyn let her single eye linger on the children he'd brought and the awkwardness relented, some, under the bloom of familial warmth. Her role was done but he'd found happiness. This was proof of everything she'd hoped for for him.

Rather easily, Rosalyn answered Caracal directly, amusement dancing behind the words. A slight flicker, though... as she thought to Reyes' father and could not find neither face nor name. It did not matter.

You're welcome to stay, of course. To get to know you. It was a simple statement, but it made an impact that was surprising even to her. She'd wondered... but again, irrelevant. She was curious to meet them, to learn more of this Teya, and to quietly admire what her son had built for himself.

teya was not prepared by how much rosalyn resembled her son. or that the tall boy at the borders was her brother-in-law! she was grateful for the words of reyes and the sea women.
he predictably stumbled over what they were.
teya felt the pinch of it. not that he had failed to define them in the moment, only that his mothers were elegant. regal. she cringed at caracal's youthful exuberance but when rosalyn spoke again, it was to welcome their group.
"thank you," she said softly. her clearwater gaze shifted to the tall man with the red tail. "i care for your son. a lot," she let out all in a rush, unsure of why she felt so compelled to share!

Rosalyn breezed by Njord and positioned herself at the front. Reyes… the red-tail recalled his conversation with Meerkat and the dots began to connect: Reyes was Rosayln and Erzulie’s son from a previous litter. Towhee’s, Meerkat’s mother’s, mate… well, at least he had been at some point. From the look of it things had changed.

Erzulie soon joined the helm and Njord did not miss the gentle caress upon her wife’s whither. Something shifted in his demeanor and the seafarer felt his stomach bottom out. Maybe from jealousy, or maybe from the realization that he was living in a Pollyanna fantasy. He had long thought himself a third in this family dynamic, but they hadn't even bothered to introduce him or acknowledge his presence. Sobo must have been cut from the same cloth as his father, for they shared the sentiment of being overlooked and ignored.

Feeling certainly out of place, Njord stepped back and turned away from the gathering. He made sure to keep his expression somewhat neutral. Just a guard leaving the family be... even though, on the inside, he was wounded.

Exit Njord

last for erz!

erzulie watched each of the faces before her.
a smile crossed her muzzle at the boy's exclamation. her wife's answer sufficed. teya spoke, and the obsidian found herself wondering. 
she cleared her throat. it was then that njord slipped away. she held fast, but her surprise might have been apparent to her wife. erzulie recovered as soon as she was able and smiled at teya. "you would not have come so far if you did not."
her attention turned to the children. "has your fat'er told you about sea urchin eggs? perhaps you come wid me an' we find some."
something was shifting inside sapphique.
she stood aside and invited her son, his companion, and their grandpups across the seasalt border. her eyes settled on her growing son. she would fall back alongside his flank as soon as she was able, allowing her presence to guide the wolven column along the rocky path inward.

Caracal erupted with a question that Reyes had never thought to ask, and bristled upon hearing fall from his lips, although Rosalyn answered curtly and did not seem bothered.

He passed his mother an apologetic little glance — and then Teya cut through Reyes' immediate embarrassment with her quick little voice. As she went on to share with his mothers what they meant to one-another, Reyes found himself warming to the sound of her voice. He might've turned a vibrant scarlet beneath his coat if possible, but the moment did not last very long either.

When he looked around again, rather than watching Teya in a fixed and loving manner, he saw that the red-tailed man had trailed off. The boy who was his younger brother seemed distraught, and Reyes wished he could say something, but he didn't know what.

Erzulie was swift to invite the children along. Reyes ushered Caracal along and then paused beside Teya, snuffling at her shoulder, pleased that things had gone so well — shy too, beneath the attention of Rosalyn, so he did not do anything overt that might make anyone uncomfortable.

As the family moved across the border Reyes followed after them without hesitation, brimming with a new warmth and appreciation for all that he had.

Sobo felt something shift behind him, the way one's hairs might rise on their arms when lightning crackled nearby, and turned his head to see Njord depart. Maybe his father didn't feel this group required so much of an audience.

This was all starting to feel quite awkward. The other children weren't very interested him and neither were any of the adults besides his manman. Sobo didn't expect to be the center of attention. Mireille and Loko were both much better at hogging the spotlight. He only expected to be greeted and acknowledged by his so-called extended family, and so far, no one had even spoken to him besides Rosalyn.

Erzulie beckoned the children along, but Sobo was feeling too put out and sad to follow along. The first chance he got, he peeled away to follow after his da, leaving the strangers to the company of his mothers, feeling very much like they didn't want him there anyway. He wouldn't linger on it long, because they were nothing to him, truly, but his first taste of feeling unseen would come back to haunt him very soon.

Rosalyn barely noticed Njord's departure, but her expression creased into a slight frown at Sobo's. She had no reason to guess that he felt slighted, having introduced him, and her initial reaction was not favorable. He should stay and get to know his brother, their family.

She would not call him out here, though, in front of them all. Perhaps when he was with his littermates it would be easier to allow them all to meet properly.

Rosalyn watched appreciatively as Erzulie led them within, but she herself hung back some and would bring up the rear. At some point Reyes too would pause and they would catch up a bit in a moment alone. Right now, she simply needed a moment to take in their arrival, the news, and her own emotional response to it all.