Seaside Moors No road map

The boy was settling well into this new pack. He didn't know why they'd moved so much, but it was useful now. His neck wounds were healing well, being disinfected by the saltwater and having help from Tundra to clean them. She said it should heal over well and he might not even lose a patch of fur.

It was a call too close for his liking though and he still didn't understand why it had happened. Maybe he was just too close to the borders...but he didn't know. He tried to not fight her, but he had to protect himself.
He hoped she was ok, despite what she did to him.

He was deep in contemplation, wondering about what he should do. Should he leave before he was found and endangered this pack? Or stay in their protection and risk them being put at war...it seemed like the woman wanted war and would not stop until he was killed.
Would he be killed?

she'd held her tongue when helping rowan with his wounds as best as she could with her limited knowledge. biting back the countless questions writhing restlessly under her skin had been difficult to say in the least but she'd implored herself to think of him and nothing else at the time, for so battered and tired from travelling, he'd needed calm and rest in those moments. 

the days since had blurred past with a surprising force of speed, days blending in to one another as she roamed the borders and pondered restlessly over how her life was playing out. specifically thinking on the term of happiness and how real it truly was. sure everyone experienced their moments of euphoric bliss, but such intense joy was always short lived. this idea of a constant life of serene content, did it really exist or was it an idea implemented in everyone's minds to give them something to work towards so that they didn't blunder into an abyss of insanity? 

nevertheless, weeks had somehow managed to slip past before she'd made the decision to seek out the boy and finally talk over the things that really needed to be discussed. when she did come across him, the furrows in his brows and serious tug at his face suggested he too was currently victim to his thoughts as a quiet chuff was sent to break the silence between them. whenever he'd glance up, she'd incline her head to the borders and murmur "patrol with me" before stepping off and presuming he would follow, would add a beat later "how have you been settling in?" a cursory glance would briefly scan his recent injuries but not spotting any signs of infection or flaring, she blinked back to the rolling lands before them, satisfied.

A chuff drew him from his thoughts, the wind rolling off the ocean whipped up his fur as he turned his head to Tundra.
She beckoned him to patrol, and he paused for a moment, looking off into the horizon he stared at for another moment, making sure he didn't miss anything, then followed at a trot to catch up to his Guardian.

Once he'd done so, she asked her first question.
"It's been good. I'm pretty certain I know who everyone is now, and the ocean is pretty cool." He glanced at her as she did to him, observing that assessing gaze.
He hoped she wouldn't go on a rampage looking for the woman.

"Did you find anything else out about Aningan?" She probably knew what he meant with the relation to Maegi.

wotd:advocate

it was a little disorientating, to say at the least, to wander the borders with rowan again. for it was an action of such familiarity and yet, the lands they moved along to protect were vastly different. the zeal to course through her when reinforcing the woodland's edge had never returned with such vigour anywhere else and her heart yearned for their home as she glanced out across the naked moors. exhaling lowly, she'd blink back to the boy as he piped up, smiling slightly as her head dipped in a nod. at least rowan was here, him and bertók, creatures born of the woods and reminders of the times that had passed there. "that's good" she'd hum "if you like the sea i definitely recommend watching the sun set on a day when there isn't too many clouds. it's pretty spectacular, the sea literally eats it like a hungry wolf" memories stir in her mind at the words, infused heavily with a deep, blissful peace and it startled her a little to realise such a memory already existed within these lands. of her and the marred soldier, tangled on the beach as the day burned to a close...her smile remained as she cast the image aside and cast inky eyes back to the earthen wolf.

"i haven't seen him since" she admits, glancing across the moors as if she may spot his bulk rambling along but alas, all that peered back was shivering heathers and closely cropped grass. "i believe he's probably busy but i think i'll seek him out tomorrow" she looks back, eyes softening somewhat as she murmurs "don't feel bad or guilty about what he said, okay? i think it was a poor choice of wording on his part, as long as you reside within these borders you are as much this pack as anyone" her tone betrayed no doubts despite the stirring unease within her chest, the easy future by the sea seeming cast in claws of shadow at the man's careless words. she would seek him out tomorrow, she decided, she was not going to settle for such a blatant display of apathy towards fellow packmates. she would advocate for their rights here or she would...leave? she really needed to have some words with rosencrantz, but hopefully, hopefully there'd be no need to and this would blow over with the salty breeze.

An image poured into his mind, slow and sweet like a fresh honey.
"The world's big huh. and that's only a tiny bit of it."
The water, flat, rolling fields and in the distance the land seemed to rise and tower, overlooking everything.

His first look at the world with Tundra, so long ago.
A woman he'd only just met properly att hat time; not his Mother.
"Yeah! That sounds beautiful. Does the sea eat the sun every night and spit it out every morning?" 
He'd not thought much about what happens to the sun, but he knew that the dark didn't scare him. Especially when there was a moon.
Tundra would know, she knows a lot.

She moved to comfort him about his place in the pack, but he'd taken it upon himself.
It was his decision as much as Aningan's. 
"It's ok Tundra. These people aren't my Family, and it was kind and brave of Aningan to let me stay. I want to leave soon though, to look for Mama and Moony."
He really wanted to see them again, and hoped they'd be not too far from the Woods. 
"I might go back to Blackfeather if I find them. I want a pack there again, where I can look after those who need refuge...like me."

Maybe he was foolish, maybe he'd accidentally make Tundra indecisive. She seemed to really like it here and he didn't want to take her away from her happiness.

a smile flickers to life at the open curiosity driving the unabashed query forth as she allows her gaze to free itself of the rolling moors to glance at the boy for a moment. "something like that" she muses "although forces like the sea and the sun are above us all, i am afraid we are not supposed to understand the true nature of their actions and why they do what they do" she blinks off to the distant gleam of the sea, rolling in all of her flamboyant beauty. "the sea is a force of such incredible power that i sometimes wonder what stops it from eating away at the earth we stand upon. yet then i seen it swallow the sun i wondered if perhaps the sun would allow the sea to devour her every night as a sacrifice to keep her world alive" a shrug as she blinks back to her companion "but alas that is merely thought and wonder, the solid facts remain unknown to us" and sometimes she wondered if that were for the best, as much as her curiosity burned with an insatiable hunger to unlock the secrets of the earth that wooed them day after day with its beguiling assets she believed that based off of how much bother wolves got into with their own miniscule problems, the issues of the earth itself would push them to insanity. 

dragged back to the present by the continued chatter of rowan, she nods carefully. there is part of her that yearns for him to remain here, his presence like one of the proud blackfeather trees growing stubbornly within the clutches of the barren moors but she understands the need to seek what he wanted. yet this posed a new question and she frowned as she murmured "that is something i actually wanted to ask you about...what happened? why did you leave courtfall without a word? moonshadow was worried sick, she asked me to look for you..." a guilty blink at that, not wishing to remember that darkness that had engulfed her with greedy malice at the time. until she too had drifted from the world, a rambling shell with no tether. 

blackfeather? her ears perk at the word and she arches a brow at the boy, surveying him closely. she cannot help but see rowan as a child yet....he is not, the idea of him leading a pack seems absurd to her and not out of a lack of faith in his skill or ability. the wolf had grown to be a strong and yet kind character, the ideal leader yet it was so difficult to realise that it was a young man that stood before her now...not a curious child. she swallowed, how had time sprinted so far ahead? "a pack at blackfeather again sounds delightful..." the wistful taint to her tone is not hidden as she blinks out across her current home. "i believe the melonii's are quite protective of those woods and there are many of them. you were born there, you've as much if not more right than them to make your mark there but...be careful nevertheless. they can be sneaky bastards" a sly grin tugging at her lips at the use of language, he was an adult now was he not? if he could lead packs surely he could handle such an adjective. 

growing more serious, she'd add gently "when you do decide to leave please do come see me first and if it's possible to let me know if you find @Moonshadow that'd be great, i miss her" she stops to sniff idly at a weaker point of the border before refreshing it and moving on "and if you end up claiming those woods as your own...consider me interested" she wasn't sure how rosencrantz would feel about it but she could not ignore the pull in her chest at the idea of living within the forest's protective clutch once more.

Tundra had a way of making everything seem nobel. 
That the sun wants to shine for the those that occupied the land and wouldn't survive in the oceans that it would allow itself to be eaten by the ocean to save it.
"Maybe the sea just keeps trying to eat the sun but it tastes funny," he chuckled softly, wondering if he could make Tundra laugh.
But he took her warning; he would've easily underestimated how easily the sea would swallow him.

But her conversation turned towards memories he didn't want to remember.
"I- I wanted to find Moony but never did."
A pitiful excuse really. But he just didn't want to be there. He wanted to find something else.
"I'm sorry," he replied sheepishly. He didn't deserve to be a warrior, a guardian.
He abandoned those he loved.
He wasn't good.

But she seemed happier as he mentioned Blackfeather. 
She misses it as much as he does.
But as always, her replies are laced with warnings for the young Blackfeather boy.
"I don't see why they would want me to leave there though, I'd let them come back and Maegi could help me lead a pack...if she's better." 
He knew the woman wasn't right in the head, and Tundra would know it too. And why.
"You can come with me to find her...you know more than me and I don't know the way back." Not unless he went back past the angry woman's land and followed the path he followed looking for Falling Star.
"Don't feel forced though, I'm sure I can ask for help," he grinned cheerfully, "And the more places I go the more likely I'll find Mama and Moony."
His tail swayed with his good mood. He was sure not to have a problem with any of the Melonii. He considered them part of him anyway, he followed the Daedra and Maegi's Jaes - which he still was sure was just part of her mental illness.
He could prove he was one of them.

tundra had always been a woman of quite the serious demeanour and when humour did reach the surface it usually took the form of something wry and even perhaps at times, dark. so the goofy element of rowan's rather ridiculous image is refreshing enough that it draws an amused smile to her lips which too is followed by her own lilted laugh. of course it is short lived as the impatient circling of hungering serious topics draws tighter as the boy's eyes darken at her query. her own gaze softens at his admittance, a soft sigh blowing free from relaxed jaws. "there's no need to be sorry" she assures, offering a gentler smile now as she bumps his shoulder "i'm sorry you never found her, that must be..tough" she'd sometimes wonder on what it was like to have these blood ties to others, to share a bond that seemed to run deeper than anything forged. she used to ponder over what her family was like and if they still lived somewhere several times, especially when she'd been younger and trapped in the war camps. yet as time had passed such an idea had just seemed ludicrous and with time she'd abandoned it completely, thinking only of it at quite randomly spaced intervals.

a thoughtful hum rumbles free at his confusion in regards to the gloomy forest. how is it that he remains so good? a being of such purity despite anything that has so far happened to him, it is curiously that she regards him now and wonders what he might have made of her had he been around to know her a few years prior? would he have been horrified by the soldier and her countless kills, she exhales slowly and murmurs "of course not all of the melonii's are to be wary of, especially not those that had been in blackfeather with us and certainly not maegi. but there are many, many more and some might try to cause trouble" but she throws in a shrug at the end and adds impassively "but perhaps you will meet no trouble, i can not know i would just advise being careful" 

it is her turn to cast him a surprised look when he speaks again, ears leaning back a little as she frowned back into the moors. if he didn't know his way back then she certainly wasn't going to cast him off alone but....shifting a little uneasily she murmured quietly "i could definitely go with you as far as blackfeather i'd say, and have a look for your mother too but...." a rueful smile presses softly against her lips as she murmurs not without any wistfulness tainting her tone "i have..ties here you see, so i cannot leave permanently" remembering with that familiar tug to her heart how rosencrantz had gazed at her, as if the very stars had littered her pelt when he asked her to be his wife. "when do you plan to leave?" she'd ask, tearing free of the reverie as keen eyes surveyed the passing borders closely.

Her relieving the guilt from his did wonders for his guilty conscience, which was a fucking mess.
He tried to do his best to alleviate himself of guilt by looking for his siblings, but when that failed he needed to return home, to apologize to Tundra and his Mother for his wrongs.

She also gave him her condolences, which he realised that she'd probably not had a family before.
Maybe the closest she'd ever had was Blackfeather.
He'd always considered her like a mum.

​"I least I found you again though," he grinned, tail waving.

His ears tilted, gazing off out across the moors, thinking he saw something. Probably, but it didn't matter much. Just another wolf.
Her warnings kept coming; she seemed very adamant that a Melonii of some sort will cause trouble. He would be careful.

"I will have others who can fight if it ever came to it, I try to be diplomatic first." Not to those who weren't his species though. He knew they always caused trouble.

"I don't want to pull you from your ties here," he replied. He didn't want her to be sad or feel like he had by leaving Rusalka. "I don't want something to happen while you're gone and something bad happen."
Like his Mother leaving him to look for Moony, and the quakes where he felt abandoned. The deaths of Maegi's young. 

"When I feel I learn all I can here, or when that woman comes looking for me."
Whichever came first really.

she hums her agreement, genial smile presented as she murmurs "i'm glad you found me too, even if you gave me a bit of a heart attack landing on the borders all roughed up like that" it's purred with good natured jest as shaded eyes follow the direction of his own vigilant look, focusing back on the conversation at the silent agreement that whoever it was was too far away to be investigated as they strolled along. an approving nod at his next words, brows arching at the steady maturity in which he delcared such a thing. he truly wasn't just the waggish child she'd met in the woods anymore, it was remarkable really to get to personally behold him growing not just physically but mentally too. "well i'm glad to hear that, seems you are already more mature than many wolves i know that are at least three times your age" and it is a shame, really, that she is not aware of his underlying thoughts tainting that sentence about creatures of different bloodlines to the wolf as she smiles her praise. 

a sigh billows forth now as she blinks off across the rolling moors in which she'd decided to call home. gazing forth until she caught that mettlesome glint of the distant, riveting sea. she wouldn't let rowan leave alone, she was certain of at least that much. rosencrantz would surely understand, in fact the man had never challenged her on her own beliefs and she was certain their new mateship wouldn't change such a thing. as for aningan, well he could hardly complain if she was getting rowan and the threat of the wolves with their petty hates out of his fur. "no i will go with you" she states, tone final "i wouldn't mind seeing the woods again and it would certainly be great to come across moonshadow. i simply can't make it a permanent departure, i would have to return here is all" and she is not quite sure what stirs within her at the declaration, some weird twisted creature stuck between regret and acceptance. 

however it is his final statement that lands the most troubling blow as she draws up short, paws halting promptly to instead guide her in front of the boy as she peered close at him. a frown presses to her pallid features "do you truly think she'd come here looking for you?" it had been her assumption that rowan had simply gotten very unlucky in staggering close to her home. and the nettled woman had decided to ridiculously take out past feuds on a child..it still made her pelt prickle with barely contained rage, but to think she'd actively seek him out? that was a different matter completely, and one much graver.

He grinned, tail waving. He didn't think his injuries were that bad, though they did hurt a hella lot. He knew infection was bad and made it hurt more, but he had no concept of it killing you. He thought that only teeth could, like on your throat, or big injuries. 
Not some gunky little cut.

He didn't think he was too grown up either, but if Tundra thought so then he'd take the praise with another beaming smile and a soft shoulder bump.
"You're like, hella mature too," I mean, she's an adult right? She's done this more than he has so.

And she insisted on coming to the woods with him, which was awesome.
He let out a soft bark of joy - equivalent to a 'hell yeah' or a loud whoop, I suppose - and he knew they'd have fun together.
"It's ok, I know you wanna come back, and spending more time with you will be fun. I'll visit all the time!"
He wasn't truly sure of the distance he'd have to travel to make that promise, but oh well.
He was young, and Tundra knew better.

But his joy and excitement faded as she halted, making him stop and she passed in front to face him. His head tilted, ear dropping in his still puppyish fashion at her concern.
"I mean like...maybe? She seemed pretty hateful and stuff. I did hit her in the head pretty hard but I think if she could she would've chased me."
If only they knew it was frickin Towhee, slayer of Blackfeather, who he'd pissed off.

a soft chuckle at that, shaded look lifting to cloud scuffed skies as she murmured "why thank you, i suppose i have my moments" she grins wryly but her heart does stir tenderly at the comment, not unlike a praised pup. it is startlingly moving to hear such a comment released from a youth you had come to care so fondly for, perhaps even more so to the wayward soldier considering the discomfort around pups that lay embedded in her soul. somehow, stubborn little rowan had unknowingly managed to worm himself into a pocket of her conscience that no other ever had. her grin deepened with zeal at his exclaimed joy, tail swishing languidly at her hocks; unable to deny the restless ardour she too felt at the thought of their little journey back to the stalwart woods, bertók would be thrilled. 

rue does stroke its gentle claws across her at his words however, pleased to hear his promise to come visit but of course unable to deny the regret at having to lose him to the world at all. "yes if you forget to visit i can assure you i'll hunt you down" she'd declare "but yes...thank you for understanding. but do let me know if you get your little pack up and running, i'm sure i could make arrangements to help you out. i believe a little bit of me belongs to those woods, i'm not one for destinies but i surely don't believe mine would be by the sea" bit of a heavy statement to make considering that rosencrantz would have to have a say in it should the time ever come, but he'd been ready to support her if she'd decided to be the one to claim the whimsical trees. surely it would not be much different if it was rowan's pack she wished to find a home within? and yet...she could not imagine dragging him from his home just to sate her own yearns, he'd have to truly want to which would always make things more complicated.

a low huff to clear such clouding thoughts as she focuses back on her earth kissed company, aching at such a pup infused gesture. shadows cloud dark eyes until they are eternal, sytgian pools as irritation hisses within. "she sounds like a right coward" she grounds out, glowering "i'd love to see how she'd hold up against another adult" it's so frustrating, not being able to just storm on out of here and find the bitch, but she cannot afford to risk bringing trouble to rusalka after aningan's warning and so she'd just have to learn to deal with such restless vexation. didn't mean she had to be even slightly pleased about it though, and her tail twitched its terse dance.

He dipped his head, inviting them to walk again.
He didn't like it much when she got all serious and confrontational like this. It made him feel like a puppy again.
But at least she cared enough to really want him to be safe. His relationship with his Mother became distant as time went on, until he upped and left for his siblings.

He grinned at her statement, knowing for a fact that they both would.
                 "Hey! I ain't having no little pack." He grinned again, tail wagging now. 
He hoped deeply she would come with him to Blackfeather, and perhaps even bring Rose. But he didn't want this pack to become too weak. He knew they needed the numbers and hunters.
He didn't thin his destiny was by the sea either.
Yeah, it was pretty, but ehh.

Her voice was harsh as she spoke about the woman.
No surprise there.
He knew she wanted to do everything about it, but it wouldn't be possible, not when the two packs were so close.
Even though Tundra may one day meet this woman again, he didn't want to encourage her to look.

"Hey, wanna go hunting? Maybe you can show me something wicked."

We can end here if you like? And we can have another thread?

sure, i'll archive here!

a slender brow arches, amused snigger slipping forth at his outburst as she hums "oh my greatest apologies, you's will be the biggest and strongest the teekons have ever seen" teeth flash in a grin, she was quite honestly thrilled to see rowan bringing life to the shaded woods once more. and although it awakened a yearn within her that would be difficult for even the mettlesome sea to quench, she would find some level of content at simply knowing that it was someone she cared about doing what she'd only ever had the moxie to dream of. shoulders are rolled back in a stretch at his query, casting one final look across the slumbering moors. "well all seems quiet here and the borders have been fully refreshed so sure! although i don't know if i can promise anything 'wicked' per say but hey maybe i'll prove myself wrong and catch us the most spectacular meal ever" and bumping the boy's shoulder, she'd shift to move further into the territory.