Emberwood Honey, I'm home

I know y'all are full, but rejection is ok! Daunty here will find somewhere else to go.

His visit to Round Valley had given Dauntless time to contemplate what he wanted to do with his life. He'd always been a little bit aimless, despite being driven and competitive. He was just competitive at everything which wasn't good if he wanted to actually be decent at anything. He was able to meet his nieces and nephews, catch up with Lavendar, and reset himself in a way. It had been good for him, but he had always assumed he would come back to the Teekon Wilds. They were his birthplace, after all.

Tracking down Easy's scent hadn't been too difficult. This place was absolutely teeming with other wolves, so Dauntless paused well away from the scent-marked border. He considered calling for Easy specifically, but he wasn't quite sure how he would be received, so instead, he waited. With this many paws on the ground, somebody would find him quickly.

theoretically they could have made it to easthollow and back home in four days so that's my excuse

there was a silence, a steady calm that had befallen bhediya following the incident. things didn't feel like things anymore; they felt distant, close enough to see but just out of reach. the trip to easthollow was quick. the pair were on their way back to the emberwood by sunset.

it would have been a two-day trip, had she moved with a purpose. rather, bhediya walked back home with her head down and tail tucked, unsure of what she would be returning to. had someone else died in her absence? was it ibis, or maybe easy? there were too many possibilities, too many thoughts to follow.

there was an unfamiliar male standing at the border. she walked by him, uninterested in conversation, but turned after a few steps. he didn't look familiar; his scent was just the same as any stranger's. bhediya sighed and put on a smile, then walking back toward him. can i help you? she asked, and waited for his response.

Oh nice! A friendly(ish) face. Not one he recognized, but she didn't immediately chase him off of the land here, and she smelled like the land here. That was a good sign. Dauntless wagged his tail as he spoke. Maybe! I hope so! I'm looking for my sister, Easy. It smells like she might be here. He paused, sniffing the air as if to prove his point.

My name's Dauntless. Dauntless Morningside. He could have gone back to Whitefish River, back to Kaistleoki, but what was waiting for him there, really? A few weak connections? Easy was his litter mate. His sister! He'd had such a good time reconnecting with Lavender, why not do the same thing here with Easy?

dauntless morningside?
mirza?

i.. what? bhediya looked at him, dumbfounded by what she was hearing. mirza? she asked, and.. you're looking for ishara? she sat down and took a minute to process. she left a few days ago to see sunspot.

did he know who he was talking to? did he recognize her? bhediya couldn't be upset it not; she hadn't recognized him, either. i'm, er- i was khoe. she waited to see if he would respond before continuing. easy remembered but.. do you?

Dauntless squinted at her when she mentioned his middle name. He hadn't told her that bit. Was this one of his long lost relatives? He knew he had about a bajillion of them out there, but he didn't really know this one... did he? He squinted harder when she said her name. It rang a very, very distant bell he couldn't place.

I... uh... remember what? he asked, suddenly feeling very put on the spot by all this. He had only come here to find Easy. He hadn't expected anybody else to be here. But maybe he should have known better. Family was scattered everywhere he went.

bhediya began to laugh, apologizing after each snort. it was just so unbelievable. how was she supposed to go about explaining this? while she might have carried him, she was not his mother; she didn't want to offend him by insinuating so. 

she calmed herself and shook her head, a conflicted grin on her maw. i don't mean to be inappropriate, she explained, i just can't believe that you're here. bhediya's face grew somber as she realized how little an impact she'd made on her son's life. he didn't remember her?

i was grayday's mate. i left you all so long ago. her gaze drifted from his for a moment, trailing down toward the ground.

This is actually a great thread.

She laughed, and Dauntless nervously laughed with her, not understanding the joke. What was so funny? Was she being inappropriate? Did she know him somehow? She happened to know his name, but...

Then she mentioned his father's name (and being his mate), which made him all the more confused. I think you're mistaken, he said, Catori was my father's—Greyday's—mate. His father was gone now, but Dauntless had grieved for him. For this stranger to bring him up was... well, strange.

bhediya made a face, a "sure bro" face. she hadn't known a catori for the short time that they was in morningside, but was glad that she'd become grayday's mate. it was comforting to know that he'd died while in love, even if it wasn't with bhe. 

still, the fact stood that dauntless only had some of the facts. no, that isn't what i meant, she sighed, i mean, i'm your.. dam, easy calls it. the one who named you mirza? she waited in silence for his gears to start turning.

He should be renamed Clueless. LOL

What? If any gears were turning, they were turning in the wrong direction. For whatever reason, Dauntless had never considered that his mother had been any other than Pema and Catori. He didn’t even consider it now. He stood there, staring blankly at the wolf who had birthed him without realizing it.

Listen, I’m just here looking for Easy. Is she here, or...? Whatever weird family connection they had was of little concern to him. He was only interested in finding his litter mate. If she wasn’t here, he’d find something else to do.

well, at least he was pretty. bhediya opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it, finding herself quite confused. she pursed her lips and made another face, eventually deciding to just let it go. when easy came back, she could explain it; he'd just have to stick around until then.

she went south for a few days to visit sunspot, bhediya explained, grayday's sister? obviously, she knew mirza's family. was that not enough to clue him in even a little bit? and maybe lavender, too. lavender, my daughter. 

she gave him a moment to respond before continuing. she'll probably be back soon so you can stay here and wait, if you want.

Round Valley? he asked, hoping to clarify. He had just come from there! Shit, they must have passed each other without realizing it, probably taking slightly different paths. At least it sounded like she wouldn't be gone for too long. Dauntless was half-tempted to whirl right back around to go find her, but he worried that they would miss each other again.

What do you mean, Lavender your daughter? That's my other sister's name. Wow, Daunty, you really are having a hard time putting the pieces together. How do you know all about them, anyway?

bhediya shook her head. why don't you just stick around for a few days? dauntless wasn't understanding but she wasn't.. upset. she would have been just as skeptical of such a claim. this is uaine gorsedd. my name is bhediya, one of the leaders. the scout took a step back to give him an entryway, should he so choose. that way, you'll already be here when easy comes home.

Dauntless gave her a skeptical look, but then he shrugged. Easy would be back soon enough, or so said Bhediya... or was it Khoe? This was one confusing lady, that was for sure. He didn't even really catch the name of the pack. It sounded like a bunch of gobbledygook to him.

Finally, he nodded. Yeah, I guess that will work. The two year old still didn't trust her, but what choice did he have? Besides, he could always go back to Round Valley and ask there if Easy didn't turn up soon. But I'm not joining your pack. I want to see Easy before I commit to anything like that. I'll just hang out nearby.

bhediya released a long sigh, finding herself growing increasingly frustrated. she was glad that dauntless was ready to end their interaction, as she didn't think that she could handle much more. that's fine, she laughed, if easy doesn't find you on her own, i'll tell her to go looking.

she allowed a moment for dauntless to respond. i'll see you soon, then. bhediya waited for him to depart before turning and making her way toward the den.

He watched as she departed, still mentally scratching his head trying to figure out why she a) seemed to think they were related and b) knew both him and Easy. Maybe his sister could explain all this and put his confusion to rest. Blinking his hazel eyes, Dauntless retreated to the creek he'd passed by on his way here, figuring that was as good a place as any to wait it out until Easy returned from wherever she was going.