Kevlyn wasn't sure how long he was gone from Stavanger Bay. He could understand that it was a looong time, longer than anything he had ever experienced. Julooke and Verrine were foggy images in his brain. His siblings were much clearer memories, even Charon, who vied with him for attention and was his greatest rival. He found the hazy memory of his freckled brother brought a wave of sadness over him, likely because he missed their tussels and missed clamouring for Verrine's attention. On one early morning he tried to articulate to Caiaphas that he missed his family and wanted to go back, but the coywolf either didn't hear him or didn't understand.
Eventually he had to concede defeat, and that was the day he wandered out of whatever hiding hole Caiaphas had put him in. The beach was a lot like the one in Stavanger Bay, but maybe a little colder. There didn't seem to be a forest here; the sand ran right up to the base of towering cliffs. Kevlyn squinted at them in the distance, but because he was tethered by instinct and fear to his makeshift home, the one month pup didn't try to reach them.
Instead, he turned and looked at the ocean. An imminent sense of doom settled into his stomach as a cold lump when he looked at the dark, undulating surfance. Kevlyn could remember Julooke warning him not to go to the water and, upon recalling her, his eyes glimmered with tears. "Ma?" he asked the empty strand, but there was no answer.
Eventually he had to concede defeat, and that was the day he wandered out of whatever hiding hole Caiaphas had put him in. The beach was a lot like the one in Stavanger Bay, but maybe a little colder. There didn't seem to be a forest here; the sand ran right up to the base of towering cliffs. Kevlyn squinted at them in the distance, but because he was tethered by instinct and fear to his makeshift home, the one month pup didn't try to reach them.
Instead, he turned and looked at the ocean. An imminent sense of doom settled into his stomach as a cold lump when he looked at the dark, undulating surfance. Kevlyn could remember Julooke warning him not to go to the water and, upon recalling her, his eyes glimmered with tears. "Ma?" he asked the empty strand, but there was no answer.
November 03, 2014, 03:43 PM
I hope you don't mind Greyjoy! :)
What he had done during Aktaie's illness had been more than Greyjoy had ever accounted for. Scouring the borders, marking their territory, going forth to find meat whenever he had a chance. But today he was upon the beach, enjoying the sights and sounds of the surf crashing against the shore, and felt better for it.
The grey wolf walked along the beach, picking up shells and tossing them into a pile to take back to Caiaphas. She liked shells, and he hoped that an offering would be welcome. They had killed a coyote and together displayed its remains at their borders in the woods, and so far it had been successful at keeping others out.
A small lump of grey fur sat far away from the shoreline, watching the waves roll in, whispering something to himself. Greyjoy paused in his shell hunt and moved toward the pup, careful to make himself smaller so the tyke wouldn't be frightened. "Hello," he said softly, laying upon his belly and elbows a few yards from the boy. "What's the matter, little κέλυφος?"
What he had done during Aktaie's illness had been more than Greyjoy had ever accounted for. Scouring the borders, marking their territory, going forth to find meat whenever he had a chance. But today he was upon the beach, enjoying the sights and sounds of the surf crashing against the shore, and felt better for it.
The grey wolf walked along the beach, picking up shells and tossing them into a pile to take back to Caiaphas. She liked shells, and he hoped that an offering would be welcome. They had killed a coyote and together displayed its remains at their borders in the woods, and so far it had been successful at keeping others out.
A small lump of grey fur sat far away from the shoreline, watching the waves roll in, whispering something to himself. Greyjoy paused in his shell hunt and moved toward the pup, careful to make himself smaller so the tyke wouldn't be frightened. "Hello," he said softly, laying upon his belly and elbows a few yards from the boy. "What's the matter, little κέλυφος?"
November 03, 2014, 06:48 PM
Not at all! Hope you don't mind if I bump this to present day, it's just easier.
He continued to stare out at the choppy sea with huge ears quivering. A sense of dread and foreboding settled squarely on his small shoulders, causing Kevlyn to shiver, but not from the cold. He couldn't help immaturely wondering why he'd been brought here, away from his family. He found he missed his twin intensely.
Had he the means, he would have right then and there tried to escape Ankyra Sound and return to the Bay. He was just a child, though, and didn't have the slightest idea which way to go, and he certainly couldn't fend for himself. Any manner of predator could pick him off by himself. That thought brought with it yet another wave of dread, this time accompanied by the prickling of tears in his eyes.
Greyjoy's voice snapped through his reverie and Kev turned his tearful gaze to the male, who had lowered himself nonthreateningly. For a moment, he was quiet—this was really the first wolf who'd spoken to him in anything but a curt manner since Caiaphas tempted him away from his home—but then he said, in a high-pitched, wavering voice, "want my ma."
November 05, 2014, 09:36 AM
Greyjoy's heart broke at the sight of the small boy, quivering in fear and loneliness. Though he knew the boy didn't belong, he hoped that once the child understood their ways, he would want to stay. Greyjoy was not a supporter of kidnapping, and though Caiaphas claimed she had found him wandering alone, the grey wolf wasn't totally convinced.
"What is her name?" he asked, wondering if by chance he had come across this wolf, or if he would at some point or another. "It will be alright, young one. You are in a safe place." Greyjoy had smelled the boy's scent before, but couldn't quite remember when that was. It must have been weeks ago, when they were first establishing their claim. "I'm Greyjoy. What's your name?" Even if the boy couldn't tell him his mother's name, maybe he knew his own.
"What is her name?" he asked, wondering if by chance he had come across this wolf, or if he would at some point or another. "It will be alright, young one. You are in a safe place." Greyjoy had smelled the boy's scent before, but couldn't quite remember when that was. It must have been weeks ago, when they were first establishing their claim. "I'm Greyjoy. What's your name?" Even if the boy couldn't tell him his mother's name, maybe he knew his own.
November 05, 2014, 03:23 PM
He battled with pressing himself to the sand or standing defiantly taller. Kevlyn opted for neither, eventually; to lower himself would make his fur dirty, and that was the last thing Kev wanted. He was alone in a foreign place with foreign wolves and no sign of his parents. The only thing he could really control was the state of his body, so for that reason and perhaps a genetic one as well, the boy chose to stay clean.
Greyjoy softly asked him his mother's name, which forced Kevlyn to think for a moment. Julooke might have given her name to her children, but it was hidden in his memories now, inaccessible. "Ma Os'raga," he supplied, shifting uncomfortably as if he knew just how unhelpful he was being. That was all he'd ever known her as, though. Even the name of his late father was a mystery; his surname was all he knew them by.
"Kev," he mumbled in response to the second question. His eyes were wide as they climbed slowly up Greyjoy's strong chest to his chin. "Grrrreyshoy? Take me home?"
Greyjoy softly asked him his mother's name, which forced Kevlyn to think for a moment. Julooke might have given her name to her children, but it was hidden in his memories now, inaccessible. "Ma Os'raga," he supplied, shifting uncomfortably as if he knew just how unhelpful he was being. That was all he'd ever known her as, though. Even the name of his late father was a mystery; his surname was all he knew them by.
"Kev," he mumbled in response to the second question. His eyes were wide as they climbed slowly up Greyjoy's strong chest to his chin. "Grrrreyshoy? Take me home?"
November 10, 2014, 09:37 AM
The name meant nothing to him, but he tucked it away in his mind, in case he heard it later. Greyjoy knew nothing of any Ostregas, and of course the name "ma" wasn't a unique one. Everyone had a "ma" and Greyjoy didn't fault the boy for only knowing that much about her. The last name was helpful, but since he didn't recognize it, it wasn't entirely useful at the moment.
When the boy asked if he could take him home, Greyjoy's heart saddened. It would be a violation of their laws if he did so without permission, and Greyjoy was not a man to go against the rules. "If Aktaie permits it, I will take you home." He knew Caiaphas had captured the boy, but Greyjoy didn't know if anybody outside the Sound knew that. Did his family consider him dead? He surely hoped not, but he also hoped that they didn't have an inkling of where he went. War would not be prudent at the present time. "Are you hungry? I could catch you something to eat. Fish, maybe?"
When the boy asked if he could take him home, Greyjoy's heart saddened. It would be a violation of their laws if he did so without permission, and Greyjoy was not a man to go against the rules. "If Aktaie permits it, I will take you home." He knew Caiaphas had captured the boy, but Greyjoy didn't know if anybody outside the Sound knew that. Did his family consider him dead? He surely hoped not, but he also hoped that they didn't have an inkling of where he went. War would not be prudent at the present time. "Are you hungry? I could catch you something to eat. Fish, maybe?"
November 11, 2014, 12:22 PM
Kevlyn might not have been the brightest yet, given he was rather young—though truthfully he never would be the brightest of his siblings, except in a purely aesthetic sense—but he recognized that Greyjoy agreed to take him home. What he didn't realize was that neither of them knew where home was. Only Caiaphas knew that and, if he'd been old enough to guess things, Kevlyn would have guessed she wasn't telling anyone.
His mind was pulled away from the uplifting idea of going home by the offer of food. He didn't really know what fish was, having not heard it called by name before, but he understood "hungry". Kevlyn's lips parted into a large smile and his tail beat his hocks behind him.
His mind was pulled away from the uplifting idea of going home by the offer of food. He didn't really know what fish was, having not heard it called by name before, but he understood "hungry". Kevlyn's lips parted into a large smile and his tail beat his hocks behind him.
November 11, 2014, 06:55 PM
Greyjoy would find out where the boy came from, and appeal to Aktaie's better senses to get the boy back home. It may cause some tension, but it was not right for them to be snatching pups away from their families without having established themselves. They had claimed their pack and marked their borders, but that did not mean the winter would not force them to abandon their claim. Taking puppies from other packs would not help their precarious situation.
"Come then," Greyjoy smiled, motioning for the boy, Kev, to follow him. Abandoning his pile of sea shells for Caiaphas, Greyjoy moved toward one of the tidepools that they used to keep live fish until needed. "This is where you get food," he explained, pointing out the fish that would be safe to eat. "I'll catch one for you." Since the pup was too young to fish for himself, Greyjoy pounced into the pool with a swiftness that told of his strength, and emerged with a wriggling fish in his mouth.
He snapped the fish in two and pulled off a piece to chew. The pup was still too small to eat full meat on his own, so he chewed it carefully and placed it on a nearby rock, nudging it toward Kev. He watched the boy with bright, wide eyes, wondering if he would take it.
"Come then," Greyjoy smiled, motioning for the boy, Kev, to follow him. Abandoning his pile of sea shells for Caiaphas, Greyjoy moved toward one of the tidepools that they used to keep live fish until needed. "This is where you get food," he explained, pointing out the fish that would be safe to eat. "I'll catch one for you." Since the pup was too young to fish for himself, Greyjoy pounced into the pool with a swiftness that told of his strength, and emerged with a wriggling fish in his mouth.
He snapped the fish in two and pulled off a piece to chew. The pup was still too small to eat full meat on his own, so he chewed it carefully and placed it on a nearby rock, nudging it toward Kev. He watched the boy with bright, wide eyes, wondering if he would take it.
December 10, 2014, 11:50 AM
He followed Greyjoy without complaint or question to the tide pools. The abundance of life there might one day fascinate him, but he was still unable to comprehend these things fully. He watched with amazement the ease with which the adult male captured a fish and tore it apart. Someday, maybe he would be that powerful as well.
When Greyjoy regurgitated the chewed lump, Kevlyn fell on it joyfully. He wasn't neglected in the Sound, but to say he was cared for well was a stretch of the imagination. Often he was fed without any sense of warmth or intimacy. The closest he'd had was probably Greyjoy spitting up his meal right in front of him.
When Greyjoy regurgitated the chewed lump, Kevlyn fell on it joyfully. He wasn't neglected in the Sound, but to say he was cared for well was a stretch of the imagination. Often he was fed without any sense of warmth or intimacy. The closest he'd had was probably Greyjoy spitting up his meal right in front of him.
December 10, 2014, 09:08 PM
Thanks for the thread! I'll get this archived. :)
Greyjoy watched as the boy jumped on the food with joy. He remembered being that hungry once and didn't relish the memory. The iron captain tore into this fish and chewed more of the food, offering it to Kevlyn once he was finished with his first morsel. Greyjoy wasn't exactly the mothering type, but he definitely wasn't going to be cruel or neglectful of him, either. Greyjoy just hoped that Kevlyn could learn to adapt and survive, because despite his promises, he didn't know if Aktaie or Caiaphas would relinquish him any time soon.
Greyjoy watched as the boy jumped on the food with joy. He remembered being that hungry once and didn't relish the memory. The iron captain tore into this fish and chewed more of the food, offering it to Kevlyn once he was finished with his first morsel. Greyjoy wasn't exactly the mothering type, but he definitely wasn't going to be cruel or neglectful of him, either. Greyjoy just hoped that Kevlyn could learn to adapt and survive, because despite his promises, he didn't know if Aktaie or Caiaphas would relinquish him any time soon.
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