Sequoia Coast Imagination rules the world.

@Verrine

It was low tide and Beric decided to cross the sandbar to the mainland. He purposely went to the northern Sea Lion Shores, knowing it would probably piss off Horizon Ridge, but unless they formally claimed the shore, they couldn't do anything about it. And, besides, he wasn't hunting.

He walked onto the shore, stopping to look around momentarily, before walking parallel to the water. He walked almost lazily, his thoughts going to his family. Barristan, Verrine, Julooke... Surely, they had to be around her somewhere. They weren't back in Sterrenvuur, and he hadn't found them here yet. He looked to the sky, disappointed it was only late morning, and not night. He could use their guidance right now. He stifled the urge to release a howl to call for them. He was too close to Horizon Ridge to blatantly give his position away. While he had every right to be here, he wasn't going to really give them a reason to send someone to intercept him. Sitting back on his haunches, he did his best to imagine the stars were there in the sky now.

Eeeeee! :D

As usual, Verrine was on guard at the north end of the shores. The Ridge considered these lands their own hunting grounds, and though they did not live here in an official capacity, many of their members spent enough time here that it could be argued that Sea Lion Shores was an extension of Horizon Ridge's lands. Of course, it wasn't, but if you asked a Ridge wolf his opinion on the matter, he would tell you otherwise.

Verrine had a fresh rabbit in his belly and his fur was damp and salty as he trotted along the foamy shores, barely within reach of the waves as they lapped at his toes. His eyes, ears, and nose were keen for strangers, so it didn't take him long to spy out a tawny-coated wolf lingering a small distance ahead. He didn't recognize the wolf, and the scent that the wind bore to him was unknown, so immediately Verrine went on the offensive. A low growl rumbled in his chest and he bristled aggressively as his easy trot quickly became a run that carried him toward the stray islander.

The waves were particularly calm today, so there wasn't as much noise to cover up the sound of paw steps. Quickening paw steps. Beric turned his body to face the wolf approaching. His hackles raised when he realized it intended to attack. What a foolish mistake this stranger would realize too late that he was making. Beric took his stance, widening his front legs, baring his teeth fully, and perking his ears to try and appear larger than he already was. He was not a novice fighter, and he was going to make this wolf regret ever thinking about stepping towards him.

That was, until the stranger got closer and closer. His scent only smelled of Horizon Ridge, his enemy, but his face... Beric immediately changed his stance to neutral, covering his teeth, but his ears remained perked. He had to be ready if Verrine continued to come after him, but Beric would rather lay down in defeat than to fight his family. In case he wasn't recognizable, he barked out, I'm Beric!

Verrine noticed the other wolf taking up a defensive stance, prepared to tangle with him, and he was ready himself. He opened his mouth, his fangs fully bared now, bristled as fully as he could, and put on more speed. He was only a few dozen yards from the stranger before he took notice of the face. It was a familiar face, one that he knew from long ago. And that voice as it barked out…and that name!

"Beric?!" Verrine shouted as he skidded to a halt, disbelief clear on his face. "Holy shit! Is that you?" He was still bristled and half keyed-up for a fight, and the sudden bizarre turn of the situation had him confused and reeling. How the hell had Beric ended up here, and…was he a member of the island pack?

Verrine seemed to finally take notice of who he was, thankfully. He couldn't help but laugh at the other male's response. His own tail wagged as he closed the distance between them, not ignoring, but not nervous, either, of Verrine's still somewhat hostile stance. He hoped that once Verrine realized it was him, and he wasn't an enemy, he would calm down. He attempted to nose his friend's cheek in greeting, I have been looking for you and Julooke everywhere! Where have you been? he questioned, a smile etched on his face. He could smell Horizon Ridge all over Verrine, but he would let him tell it instead of just coming out and saying it. He relized there was a pink elephant, so to speak, on the shore with them, and it would have to be dealt with. He hoped their friendship, though, could get them through it.

With the passing of each minute, Verrine's nerves calmed and his adrenaline ebbed away as Beric's familiar scent surrounded him. Excitement began to kindle where anger and defensiveness had previously been as it dawned on him that he was looking at freaking Beric. They hadn't seen one another in forever. Who would've thought that they'd be reunited in this place, of all places? And that they'd be members of rival packs, no less? Of course, that whole thing wasn't really an issue. Verrine didn't care which pack Beric ran with. All of those island wolves could kiss his ass, of course, but Beric was the exception. And with any luck, maybe Verrine could convince Beric to come join him and Julooke at the Ridge.

He was getting ahead of himself though. One step at a time. Tail waving, he replied to Beric's question with a friendly, crooked grin on his face. "We've been all over the place, to tell you the truth. We only just came here maybe a month or so ago. We're still getting settled, but so far, we like it." Referring to himself and Julooke as a singular unit -- "we", "us" -- came so naturally to him that he didn't even think about how it must sound to others. "What about you? Gosh, I haven't seen you since…that few weeks we were with that Dragonwatchers pack, I think? That was ages ago." He sat down where he stood, with foamy waves lapping around his ankles, haunches, and tail every few moments. He still could not believe he was looking at his old friend again.

Verrine finally seemed to settle down and it made Beric all the more excited to see him. He mimicked his friend, sitting back on his haunches while he listened. It seemed they hadn't been here much longer than he had. It was just a coincidence that they ended up in rival packs, it seemed. Beric wished it wasn't like that, but maybe they could use it instead of letting it get to them. Maybe they could turn the packs into alliances instead of enemies.

He nodded, Yes, the pack split so suddenly, and everyone was just... gone. I went back to Sterrenvuur, but when I didn't see you and Julooke, I came back looking for you. He took a breath before saying, I understand you're with the Horizon Ridge pack? As I'm sure you've deduced, I live on the island. His gaze went towards his packs lands before going back to Verrine. Quite interesting, huh? He gauged his friend's reaction, wondering if he would be upset that they were supposed to be on opposing sides.

Verrine nodded, agreeing with Beric's words regarding the Dragonwatchers. That whole time had been so confusing and disorienting. What had begun as a quiet getaway for him and Julooke had turned into a gigantic traveling pack when a bunch of friends and packmates asked to tag along. It had been hectic and chaotic. Julooke had been a mess over her parents at the time, too, which had made things even more stressful. He'd had to coexist with all these other wolves and they'd all had to learn to cooperate and work together, while all he'd really wanted to do was take care of Julooke.

But that was behind them now, and he had what he wanted now -- a quiet life with Julooke by the sea, in a pack far from home where they could live normal lives…as long as things between the Ridge and the Isle didn't escalate, of course. Beric's mention of the circumstances brought a sour expression to Verrine's face. "Yeah, that kinda sucks," he commented in response, his gaze wandering out toward the island again. "Any chance I could convince you to switch sides?" he asked after a brief pause, glancing sidelong at Beric with a sly grin playing over his face. He was only half kidding.

Yes, the situation did suck, and something had to be done. Beric had been searching for Verrine and Julooke for months, and he wouldn't give them up now that they had found each other. It was true that their packs weren't getting along at the moment, but the situation wasn't so dire for Beric to believe they had to be estranged from each other. Apparently, Verrine had his own idea of a solution. Beric gave his own sour expression, that turned into uncertainty. You know me, Verrine. I'm loyal to a fault. Majesty is a new leader, and I know your Alpha is a bit turned off by our proximity, but I'm sure in time everything will settle down and they'll see we're not a real threat, he responded. It was true. He was loyal to a fault. But, he was not stupid. He had a line, and soon he would find out that Majesty had well overstepped it.

Needing to think of something happier, Beric asked, Hey, how is Julooke doing? He was a little surprised to find the two not together today, but maybe she was off doing her own thing. You two tied the knot yet? They were usually inseparable, but Beric knew nothing had been official. It was like everyone else knew it but the two of them. He supposed it didn't really matter, because whether or not it was official, he didn't think anything could tear the two apart.

Verrine wasn't pleased with Beric's answer, but he knew his friend well enough to know that Beric would never just drop everything and leave. That wasn't who Beric was. He knew that the seed was planted though, so to speak, and it would remain in the back of Beric's mind. Eventually, perhaps, he would change his mind and consider moving to the Ridge. Even though their pack divide wasn't ideal, Verrine wasn't really worried about that -- he just wanted his friend to come home, now that they'd found one another.

In a rather obvious attempt to steer the subject elsewhere, Beric asked about Julooke and inquired as to whether they'd tied the knot yet. "She's doing great. Outranking me already, actually. Our leaders really like her." He grinned, feeling himself blush, and chuckled a little, "We haven't tied the knot yet. I want to, though. Maybe one of these days I'll have the balls to tell her…y'know." He looked at his friend, shrugging a little. He'd confided in Beric many times during their travels together, and he knew Beric understood what was going on in Verrine's head. He hadn't ever been well-versed in the art of dealing with women, and he'd never been taught much by his parents or elder siblings either. He was learning on his own, and while he was a brave and fearless wolf when it came to hunting or war, when it came to girls, well…he was as chicken-shit as they could get.

Beric was a little glad that Verrine had not pushed the subject of leaving Wheeling Gull Isle. If he had, Beric would have been tempted to leave and join Horizon Ridge. But, he also would have felt like a traitor. Majesty had not done anything to deserve his betrayal, and therefore he could not give it. Maybe in due time they could find a way to live in harmony, though, once things settled down a little. Beric would not give up seeing Verrine and Julooke because someone was mad of where they lived. They did not move there to harm anyone, and in time, others would see that.

With a smile, Beric rolled his eyes when his friend admitted he had not yet told Julooke of his feelings. Everyone falls in love with Julooke. You better speak up soon before some other male does, he warned. He wasn't really joking. He knew the pair were destined to be together, if one of them would just open their damn mouths and say how they feel. You two have been joined at the hip since you met. She must feel the same, or she would have gone looking for someone else by now. So, what do you have to lose by telling her? He put his friend on the spot, wanting an answer, and his pointed expression showed it.

You better speak up soon before some other male does. Truth be told, Verrine had worried about this often. Julooke had a social life of her own, and he encouraged her independence and networking with others. She was such a sweet, outgoing, generous, kind person, and so easy to befriend. But she was also the jaw-dropping, eyes-popping-out-of-your-head kind of gorgeous too, and it wasn't a stretch at all to see someone else becoming attracted to her. Part of him wanted to fight for her if another ever tried to claim her. But a bigger part of him knew he could never do that to her. Julooke would follow her heart, and if her heart didn't lead to him, well…

Well, he couldn't let it come to that. He'd just have to get to her first.

But how? He sighed. "I don't know, man." He knew that wasn't going to be enough for Beric. And, really, it wasn't enough for himself. Why didn't he have the nuts to step up and tell the woman he loved how he felt? "I don't…I just wonder if she's ready for that. You know? Like…I was her friend, her support when Liyano died. That hit her so hard, and there were times I wondered if she was going to make it. I was there for her. I was her rock…" He trailed off for a moment, his expression contemplative as he tried to figure out how best to explain it without it sounding like a cop-out, because it really wasn't. It was a legitimate concern. He truly didn't want to fuck things up between them. "I just don't want her thinking I…expect anything in return for that. I don't want her to feel obligated to be with me because I was there for her. I just figure if she wants to be with me, she'll say so. If not, I won't stop her if she wants somebody else. It would suck, but I love her and want her to be happy even if it means she isn't with me."

Beric understood Verrine's concerns. Julooke was a big-hearted wolf, but Beric wondered if she would give herself to someone just because she felt obligated. He didn't know that she had ever done anything like that before. Still, Beric thought Verrine should try. But, what if she's waiting on you? I don't think she's ever been in love; maybe she doesn't know how to tell you. He didn't think she just assumed they were together, since he had never heard her speak of them like that, but she always spoke fondly of Verrine. Is she still mourning over her parents? he asked softly. It had been a while since he seen her, and back then, she still seemed to be upset over the loss of Liyano and Fatalis. Maybe her heart had healed some since then.

You should at least let her know your feelings, and that there are no obligations for her to return them. Let her know how you really feel. Maybe she feels the same and just hadn't realized it since you two have been so close for so long. Beric himself had not been in love yet, but he hoped one day he could have the relationship that Verrine had with Julooke. They hadn't told each other how they felt, but he could see how good of a couple they would be just by looking at their friendship. He felt it would be a shame to see them end up with different people simply because no one wanted to tell the other how deeply they felt.

Care to wrap this up? I'd love to have another one with Beric in SB! They've got some catching up to do. :)

He nodded as Beric spoke, knowing that every word his friend said was completely right. One thing Verrine had always liked about Beric was that he was an excellent source of good advice. He was a keen observer of his surroundings, so he often had insights and noticed things that others missed. Beric asked if Julooke was still mourning her parents, and Verrine shrugged a little as he replied, "Eh, I think she's most past it, though I can tell she still thinks about it sometimes."

He continued to listen as Beric offered him some advice for how to proceed with telling Julooke all of this. The thought of spilling his heart to her was scary, and even though he agreed with his friend, he didn't know if he would actually go through with it. He just didn't want to risk fouling their friendship by pushing it toward something deeper and more intimate with substantially more strings attached. He decided he would just go with the flow, and if there came a moment that felt just right, he would consider making that leap (little did he know that Julooke would beat him to it).

Sighing, he grinned at his friend and commented, "Beric. My friend. It is so good to see you again. I'm so glad you're around." He wanted to stay and talk longer, but needed to resume his patrols and run down something for lunch at some point. "I need to get going, but I'll tell Julooke hello for you. Don't worry too much about the Ridge wolves; I'll let them know you're a good guy and not a threat." He touched Beric's muzzle with his nose, a companionable gesture of friendship and affection, and rose to his feet to leave. Before departing, though, he glanced over his shoulder: "And remember, our door is always open to you if you…y'know…change your mind."

Sorry! This one slipped through the cracks >_< I'll archive it here, and start one in SB, if you want!

Verrine admitted he thought she was mostly past it, though he could tell she still thought of them sometimes. It was good to hear she had gotten over her depression. The Julooke he knew was vibrant, and alive, and he was so glad she was back. That's good to hear, he said, smiling.

Verrine began to make his goodbyes, and as much as Beric wanted to stay and catch up some more, they both had duties to their pack to think about. Quickly, he told Verrine, Don't tell Julooke I'm here. I want it to be a surprise. Maybe not a "I think you're an enemy wolf and I want to attack you" surprise, like it had been with Verrine, but a better one. Thank you, I'll do the same with my pack, he said. He watched as Verrine went, and then turned back towards Wheeling Gull Isle, a smile on his face.