Stone Circle sting

Sesi's ears folded back atop her crown. 

She had only meant to pass through, but there was something familiar about some scents that she was given pause. She pressed low to the earth, her snout pressing into the snowy earth as she breathed in. That these scents were the scents of her family did not occur to her; what she recognized was only that familiarity, and that this familiarity was not the bad sort. 

It was the sort that warmed her. Though panic was the most prevalent trait in her personality—evidenced even now as her eyes flit every which way as she sniffed obsessively at the ground—there was, for the first time, a sense of something that was good. 

A snapping in the distance caused Sesi to backpedal with her tail and head low, her heart racing as she bewilderedly scanned her immediate surroundings. It had only been a hare, and the skinny, scrawny Sesi—starved from lack of sustenance this hard Winter—breathed an exhale of relief. The fear never left her, though, but she mustered up the courage to remind herself: there is no shadow king, in a breathy whisper.

Illecebra had been patrolling almost obsessively that day, the scent of the lynx that had been around their territory and Keoni's death putting her on edge. So here she was again running the borders and keeping a check on things for what was the second time that day. The breeze blew to her the scent of a wolf and she immediately switched directions and made her way there.


The girl sniffing around their borders wasn't a threat, at least not by looking at her. She was small and thin and looked rather timid, lips moving assumingly in word formation though Cebra didn't catch what she said. Chuffing softly to announce her arrival she came to a stop in front of the girl. "Hello! How may I help you?" She asked in a wary but friendly tone, golden eyes scanning the bedraggled looking female and softening with pity.

A raven wolf came to her, and Sesi's eyes hardened for a moment as she turned stalwart and skittered, crab-like, away. It was instinctive, but Sesi realized her error—no Shadow King, as she just had reminded herself. The others soft voice soothed her further, though she fought the urge to flee even still. Her body quivered with a mixture of fear and exhaustion, and Sesi could only think to say: Desna... Nanook... Alexander? The desperation in her voice was palpable. Sesi could go on no longer without them—she was at her ropes end.

Illecebra blinked as the girl reacted with utter fear, skittering away from her. She opened her mouth to speak but instead chose to lower herself further to the ground in a crouch like way, her one ear lowering close to her skull as Cebra took on a total posture of what might look like submission but was only to show she wouldn't hurt the other. Three words came from the girl's mouth and she flicked her ear back up, catching the one that sounded familiar. "Nanook? Yes she's here. Hold on honey, I'll call her" she murmured. 


At that she lifted her head and called for @Nanook and on second thought also called for @Valette despite the alpha's recent loss. "Nanook should come soon. What's your name darling? I'm Illecebra" she said using the same kind tone as if she were talking to a frightened child.

The body language of the other did much for Sesi, though she did not unfurl from her withered position. She breathed steadily, slowly, though when the other spoke Sesi did shift. Nanook, she repeated, to be sure, and the other howled for her. Sesi felt her tail beat against the earth as, for the first time since she was a child who had a mother, happiness came to her. She shifted anxiously, looking beyond the borders and crawling only an inch nearer. The familiar scent... Nanook! It must be Nanook! 

She was breathless, and an excited whimper came from her. She scarcely noticed that the other called for not one, but two. The others gentle tones won her attention once more, and though she could hardly think straight she responded with her name: Sesi! I am Sesi. Nanook, Desna, Alexander, and Sesi... she explained for the others benefit. My family. I have been looking, Oh! For so long!

Valette was very upset about Keoni dying. The alpha female saw the girl as her own and now the girl was not there anymore. She had not only lost a daughter but also the healer of the pack. Now, when someone would get injured they had no one who could help. Valette let out a soft sigh. She had buried Keoni's body in the middle of Stone Circle. Her grave still fresh. Valette sat next to it. Now looking at Steady's Stone made her even sadder. She missed Steady. He could comfort her.

Then a howl went up. For Nanook first. Valette frowned. Normally howls were for her. Then it was followed with a howl for her. Valette wondered why she was howled to secondly. Maybe Cebra just wanted to be considerate. Valette pushed her sadness away, she wanted to show that she was still strong and could run this pack. Valette made her way to the border quickly. She noticed Cebra with a wolf on the ground. It looked scared.

Valette stepped next to Cebra and frowned at the other. Mostly because she seemed so familair. Valette knew the way this wolf was curled up. She knew that little curl, and the light-colored fur pattern. Valette looked surprised and shocked at the same time. "Sesi?!," she asked. "Is it you?," she breathed out. She stepped closer and tried to sniff her out. "My Sister! Sees! It is me. It's... Desna," she spoke but that name felt weird on her tongue. She was different now.

Valette stepped closer with a soft whine. This was exactly what she needed after losing a daughter. She just wanted something new to fuss over. What better than her overly scared and timid sister returning. Valette was amazed she survived all these years. Though, she didn't look very healthy, she survived!

Once the howslls were up Illecebra turned her attention back to the girl and offered a kind smile "It's nice to meet you Sesi, my name is Illecebra, but you can call me Cebra." She said in the same soft tone. Then not long at all after the howls were sent up Valette arrived and she lowered her head somberly and backed away.

Then Valette called out the girls name and moved forward and Cebra watched with confusion. "You're Desna? Oh my- I didn't know, she said Nanook,Alexander, and Desna and all I knew was the name Nanook that's why she was the first I called" she stammered apologetically.

Another soon approached. Sesi's eyes diverted initially, not at all willing to start a confrontation and in fact anxious and ready to flee. It was that her family was here that kept her rooted—that, and the scent that radiated from the other. Familiar... familiar... Her eyes turned toward the wolf as they approached, and she bore her teeth in a submissive, worried grin. She pressed as low as she could to the earth, hoping to melt into it—but the other spoke her name without having heard her say it, and at once Sesi rolled over to display her belly in a gesture of intimate and implicit trust as soon as her name was announced.

Desna, Sesi cooed, tail thwapping against the earth and a foreleg reaching upward to paw appeasingly at her sisters face. The other explained not knowing who Desna was, but Sesi could not begrudge her forgetfulness. Sesi could be forgetful sometimes, too. It was how she had gotten so lost. A wolf ought to have a sense of direction, but Sesi defied the norm in more ways than one.

Wriggling excitedly on her back, the girl sought to further appease Desna with adoring licks to her chin. This is home now? She asked, breathless and hopeful.

Valette offered a smile at Cebra. "Desna was my birth name, though later I changed it to Valette. I found it more... fitting," Valette explained her quickly. It made sense that Sesi knew her only as Desna. Valette watched how Sesi unpopped like a flower in spring. From a curled up submissive girl to excited submissive. Valette allowed her to shower her with happy licks. Valette's tail was wagging quite excitedly herself.

"You are alive! Yes, this is home," Valette spoke. "This is Easthollow. I lead this pack together with Nanook, your sister!," she grinned. Then she remembered that Xan had his pack nearby. "And guess what! Xan is close as well, he isn't in the pack but he has his own pack in Bearclaw Valley where we were born!!," Valette explained to her. This meant that all her siblings were accounted for. They were all reunited. "Come Sesi. You must eat something!," the sister instantly started to pick up some motherly duties.

Illecebra gave a silent nod at the explanation given by Valette and silently watched the reunion, a small smile forming on her maw. After the death of Keoni maybe this would be what helped Valette to heal up again. The thought of positivity for her friend warmed her a bit and as Valette invited Sesi over the borders She stood up. "It was nice to meet you Sesi, Welcome home. Hopefully I'll see you around soon" she said kindly and then turned to Valette. She dipped her head once more "I'll go off to see if I can catch something fresh for the caches." She said in farewell and then turned around to walk off and leave the two alone in peace.

Though her sister might be Valette to all others, she would forever be Desna to her. There were many shattered pieces of Sesi that had not been permitted to grow; her mind was not the same as others, but that did not make it bad. Sesi's tail beat against the earth as her extended forelegs drew inward, and she licked her chops and whimpered excitedly. 

Nanook—that was right, she was here, too! She had nearly forgotten. And Alexander! She was breathless, now. So long had she been searching for them, and here they all were. For once, luck had been on her side. At her sisters demand, Sesi hoisted herself upward and reported to her side, meek and demure and warm as she found her place there. She wanted to ask to see Nanook, too—but to ask anything was not her way, even of her family. But Nanook was here... she would find her. She would see her again!

Valette nodded goodbye to Cebra. She was thankful that the female picked her up and was kind to her sister. Valette was keen on getting Sesi safe into the territory. The female felt her sister glue herself to her side. Sesi looked malnourished and unhealthy but so did Nanook and she did great. "Follow me," Valette spoke and guided her into the territory. "Lets see if we can get you some food and if Nanook is around to meet you," Valette spoke to her sister. "Welcome to Easthollow. Your new home," she hummed.

@Sesi, you want to make a new thread with Val and Nanook inside the territory? or continue here? :3