Stavanger Bay the thing i hate

set at the borders; SB or other welcome :-)

Charon was pissed off. When Gunnar had left, Charon had been so flabbergasted that he hadn't been able to express his true feelings (something that was rare in Charon, who often expressed his true feelings a bit much). Now, he was stuck with all this pent-up anger. How dare Gunnar just up and leave like that? The pack was already pretty small, and he had just lost his father -- Stavanger Bay needed Gunnar now more than any other time, and he just ran off like a pussy.

With angry strides, the young Ostrega made his way along Stavanger Bay's borders, deciding that the best way to get rid of his anger -- or at least put it towards a useful goal -- was to walk it off. Charon wasn't paying much attention as he walked along the Bay territory's forested edges around midday, while the sun beamed down on him through the trees.

Levi had been quite distracted lately, taking care of the pups and hunting whenever he could. Often he brought fish to Thistle and the babes, and sometimes rabbits if he could find them. He hadn't been paying much attention to the other goings-on in the pack, so the news of Gunnar's departure was, well, news to him. Even if Levi missed Gunnar, he hadn't been as close to him as Charon had. So when he went off that day and hadn't returned by lunch, the dutiful younger brother went looking for him.

It wasn't long until Levi found Charon stalking through the trees, not really paying any attention to his surroundings. Levi barked at his brother and trotted up to him. "Hey," he said softly, nudging his shoulder. "You okay?"

just wanted to say your post in ragnar's death thread was beautiful. levi is so cute and caring <3

One of Charon's ears swiveled backwards when he heard his brother's bark. He turned his head, his face still grim because he was angry, though is expression melted when he saw his brother's face, caring as always. As Levi trotted up to him and nudged his shoulder, Charon realised how big he had become; Charon had always felt like he was really mature and grown-up, but he'd always seen Levi as a little kid, despite the fact that they were littermates and of the same age. He'd never gotten over their parents' and siblings' disappearances that well, but today when Charon looked at his brother, he didn't just see a little crybaby; he saw a young near-adult.

"Huh? Oh, I'm okay..." Charon frowned. "I just can't believe Gunnar just up and left, y'know? After what happened to Ragnar... What a fucking coward!" As he swore, Charon's ears flitted back momentarily, wondering what Levi thought of such words -- he'd never swore in front of Levi before -- before turning his ears forward again. "Figured I'd go keep the borders safe, now that we got less to protect the territory and, y'know, babies need to be safe and stuff." Charon decided to just gloss over the moment quickly. Levi was great with the pups, Charon had noticed, while Charon himself was not so much -- he couldn't wait 'til they were a bit older so that he could play with them and teach them important stuff and they weren't so fragile anymore! -- and preferred to keep the pups safe in a different way.

Aw, thanks! <3

Levi listened to his brother's words, ears flicking forward at the curse. He didn't say anything though; who was he to judge someone by their words? Actions were more concrete, easier to understand, and Charon seemed unsure of his own word choice. Levi smiled softly, encouraging him to go on despite that little setback. Levi could understand his need to get away, to protect something, given his frustration.

"Want company?" Levi asked softly, falling into step beside his brother. He'd follow him anywhere, do anything for him, and right now it seemed Charon needed some company while he manned the borders. "Don't worry 'bout Gunnar too much, 'kay? He's hurting too. He'll be back one day." Levi wasn't sure if Gunnar would be back for good, but he couldn't stay away from his family, his pack. Wherever he went, that wasn't his pack. Family and blood trumped any other bonds.

Charon silently allowed Levi to fall in step with him, without answering the question -- of course Levi was welcome by his side. He always was. While they walked the borders, Levi was first to break the silence again by saying something more about Gunnar. Charon was furious with him and, if it weren't for the fact that he felt he needed to be here right now to help Thistle Cloud, he might've marched over to this new pack he'd started with Saena and tear him a new one. However, duty obliged him not to do so, for not only was he needed here right now, but also risking his own life for petty revenge on a family member would not do anyone any good, least of all the pack.

Charon muttered something inaudible about Gunnar in response to Levi's words, and then decided, since he could do nothing with his rage right now, to change the subject. "I'm gonna be a leader when we're old enough, did y'know yet?" Charon asked Levi. He probably didn't; Charon didn't expect Thistle Cloud to be going around telling everyone about it. The pack needed someone beside Thistle to lead right now, and Charon thought he was the very best wolf to do it. "I told Thistle why I'd be good as a leader and she said okay." Charon's expression radiated his pride at this accomplishment that he had not yet accomplished; not only their biological parents, but surely Ragnar too, would be proud to know of such a thing, and Charon fully expected Levi to be.

Levi smiled. "Was that ever a question?" Charon had been a leader since he was born, ready to jump into action at the drop of a shell. Though Levi was happy for his brother, there was a bit of sadness there too. He would no longer be just his brother, but his leader, too. How would that change their relationship? Would Charon still be nice to him, even when Levi seemed like a slacker? He hoped so, but didn't want to say anything. Charon wanted to be happy for a moment, and Levi wanted to let him. "You'll be a great leader! What did you tell her?"

Charon couldn't help but smile happily when Levi confirmed he thought Charon'd be a great leader. He couldn't wait 'til the day they turned nine months of age, when he would finally be able to be Beta officially. Charon was glad that Levi was still around, even though the rest of their family had vanished. The pair of them had done alright for themselves. Charon was proud of himself, but he was also proud that Levi was so good with the pups, and no longer just his feeble lil' brother.

"About the trades I learned, and that I'd be great at it," Charon said, boastfully in true Charon style. "And that I wanted to help 'cause of all that's happened and Thistle's got the pups and all." Not like Gunnar, who'd just run off instead of helping his mother out when she needed him most, he thought resentfully.

Charon was definitely the more prolific brother: he had three trades already and he was still a pup, whereas Levi had none. At least not yet. Charon also wanted to be a leader, and Levi did not. As far as the greyscale boy was concerned, there was nothing wrong with wanting or not wanting to be a leader. Either way, each boy would do their best to help their mother protect the pack and raise the pups. "You know she'll love that. And you will definitely be a leader! We all gotta pitch in and help now that Dad's gone." Not only their first dad, the one whose memory was hazy and almost nonexistent, but Ragnar, too. The one who had raised them and taught them how to behave. "Just let me know how I can help."

want to wrap this up since it's old? :3 if you want to we could do an outrider thread in another territory, since you wanted to go for outrider for levi, right? :)

Charon nodded when Levi said that everyone needed to pitch in. If Ragnar had still been around, he might not even have been made leader, although Charon always liked to think he would've, no matter what the circumstances were. He wondered for a short moment if their biological parents had been leaders, or if they would've been by now had they still been around. Charon had never called Ragnar his father, even though he'd technically been his dad.

When Levi said he wanted to help, Charon smiled. "You're already helping," he said, taking a rare moment to praise someone other than himself. "You're great with the pups. You gonna be a Caretaker?"

wrapping this up!

Charon thought Levi would be a fantastic caretaker, even though Levi didn't seem so sure. Why his brother didn't see what was clear to everyone -- that if he were to pick up a trade, caretaker would be it -- Charon didn't get. Oh well. Charon decided to back off from the subject for now; sooner or later he'd realise. "You could be a healer too, probably..." he mused thoughtfully.

"-- Or a warrior!" he continued with a wicked grin on his face, after which he dashed up to Levi and started to swat at his face in an invitation to a play fight. The boys played for a while, forgetting about their sorrows for a moment or two, before eventually settling in for a nap.