Rattleskin Redoubt A world left behind him

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A two week trip from his homeland, two weeks to mourn, and yet the mourning did not end.

He was filled with a grief he had not known before, a longing for what he had lost. He had wished so passionately to tear into those who had taken her, taken them, but Kemal knew better. What Cinar had done, there was no law that prevented it. Babasi was frustrated to have had his grandchildren lost, but he did not care for Narin. In the mind of Kaan, Kemal could simply choose a new wife and move on. And his mother? She had sympathized with Cinar, for he was her favourite son.

He resented them for all that had been done, or rather what had not been done. His poor Narin, it hurt him to know how she must have suffered. But he had not only lost her, he felt in turn he had lost a family too. He would not return to Siena.

Shahzadi @Hira, his sister, had been sent this way in search of the missing crown prince. Kemal intended to find her, tell her of what had happened. If she had not found him already, they would track down their brother together. Insist that he does not return, against Babasi's wishes. That was the way it went in his mind.

Leandros was stubborn, but Kemal knew he must have left for a reason. He intended to find out what it was.

the man caught her eye from afar; the red of his fur, the way he walked as if searching for something among the sands. nausicaä slowed to a halt, ears standing tall as she watched him. she wondered, just for a moment, what he was searching for. if he would ever find it.

then she cast her curiosity aside and started toward him, driven by a different desire entirely. she approached slowly, hesitantly, ready to turn away at any moment if he proved a threat. with men, she thought, one could never know.

Eyes on him, a stranger approaching. He froze, if only to stare at her. His posture remained neutral as he analysed her with a knowing eye.

He was looking for a meaning in her actions, a chance to gage intentions before she was too close for comfort. Kemal was not unfriendly in the least, but he knew to be cautious. Here he was not a Shahzada of Siena, he was only Kemal.

His head lowered, a silent show of compliance should she take his size as a threat.

his sunset eyes showed no hint of aggression, nor fear. nausicaä drifted closer on light paws, her own head lowering in automatic response. her tail swayed at her hocks, the movement loose and friendly.

you're looking for something.

another step closer, and she allowed her head to lift, tilting slightly as if to add the question that her voice lacked. her ears flicked back and forth, turning to catch the sounds of the desert around them. did she still half-expect an ambush, after all this time?

or maybe it was only good to stay alert, she told herself, and left it at that.

Was it that obvious? He couldn't help but frown, but responded nonetheless. A sister. He was unsure if Hira had made herself known to those in the lowlands, or if she had hidden herself in it's shadows. It was likely no help to rely on strangers.

He watched her demeanor shift, ears and eyes shifting. What is it that you fear, yabancı? If there was danger, he would prefer it known to him. But for all he knew, this woman could be the same danger she searched for.

Head lifted, he checked the surrounding scents. Nothing but the wolf who stood in front of him. Nothing of concern. No Hira.

He supposed it wouldn't be fair if it was that easy. The universe had a tendency to overcomplicate things - it kept a balance.

oh, many things, she laughed, daring another step forward even as the sparkle of humor faded from her face. but not you, i think.

closer still, boldly so; provocative in her tone, in her manner, but whether she meant to taunt or to flirt was lost on her. but did it matter? a flame ignited would bring heat whether it warmed or burned the skin. maybe that was what she wanted.

Another step forward and only now did he lift his head, extending to his full hulking size. Why so close? The question was asked without any bite in the tone, her intention lost on him if there was one at all. Closeness was not something Kemal shared with ease, his wife had been the first to truly break through that shell.

With her gone, he had only shut himself tighter. But, he knew better than to be impolite to a young woman. He didn't share babasi's belief that they were fragile, but outright assuming intentions and rejecting them felt hurtful.

What was it that she wanted? If she was so paranoid, why approach a strange man? He supposed they may not be questions for him to answer.

perhaps she sensed his rejection — or perhaps she'd only grown so accustomed to sidestepping it that she couldn't allow anyone the opportunity at all. why not? she smiled faintly and whisked away from him, turning with a few light steps toward the horizon where the sun dipped ever lower.

her gaze lingered there for a few seconds. then she turned her muzzle, addressing him over her shoulder now; your sister. does she want to be found? have you considered that, even for a second?

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Once she stepped away, he seemed to let out a breath. He was glad to avoid an awkward conversation.

Her question that followed left him a bit lost.. again. She is not running away, she was sent to find our father's heir and bring him home. Him and Hira had always been close; likely because of the three brother's, he was the only one who knew when to shut up. He thought of her as a good friend. Our brother, he kills. He will kill the Crown Prince if he returns, and my sister? I do not know. He narrowed his eyes, though from how they settled on the ground the frustration was not directed at the stranger.

Cinar had proven himself to be a manipulative fraud. A sweet talker, wolf in sheep's clothing. So desperate to take the throne, so desperate to find a wife, he feared for his sister's. Cinar saw women as little more than pawns to get what he wanted. He did not wish for Hira to return home. He prayed for Arzu, Adalet, and Emine. He hoped that if they did not flee, babasi would do his job as their father and protect them.

not running away. hm. at the man's mention of a crown prince, nausicaä turned back to him.

and the crown prince - is he running away?

she supposed it didn't make much of a difference. not to his mission, and certainly not to her. still, nausicaä was curious, and perhaps also soothed in a way by the sound of a voice addressing her. it'd been too long since she'd been with her own kind.

To that, Kemal nodded. The 'why' of it I do not know. It is for the best that he has left, though. He was unsure if he believed his own words entirely, but he would not go back on them now. To him, Leandros was already gone. It did not matter where he was now.

He wished to find his sister, warn her, but after that he did not know. He had nowhere to be, nowhere to go.

Join a pack, maybe, or simply wander on his own. All he truly knew was that he needed the time and space to mourn; but he did not know how long his mourning would last. This sort of thing had stages, did it not? So what stage was he in now?

How long would it be until he felt normal again?

and then what? nausicaä wondered aloud, too caught in her own selfish curiosity to care if he knew or not, if he was ready to know or not. it'd been months and she still wasn't ready herself — but she didn't owe him empathy, no more than he owed her warm company.

so she let the question hang in the air. her gaze was unwavering, intent as if she might find the answer in his face.

His stare turned puzzled, lost in her question.

I do not know. He sighed, shaking his head. It was the first time in his life that he was left without a plan. Travel for some time, maybe. I am too restless to settle just yet.

His peace would come one day, but until then all he could do was wait.