This broken jaw of our lost kingdoms.

RIP Njal · October 31, 2014, 03:19 PM

Happy Halloween! Anyone can intercept him.

The glacier came in to view while the night was young, and the light of the moon briefly lit across its surface. He could see the dark ridge that marked the tree line, and the amorphous, distant shape of the forest. There was no fire in the sky to lead the poor man home; just the eerie starlight, and the emptiness of the dark.

By morning, Njal had dragged himself in to the low hills. He carried with him such an immense guilt that the swagger of his confidence had been completely eradicated - he slouched, dragging his paws and making poor time. In his jaws the beast was carrying something putrid. His canines were hooked in to the eye sockets, while the jaw of the round and rotted skull had been half torn away - it caught upon the grass as Njal moseyed along.

This was the only proof of his struggle. The only tangible thing he could bring back to show that he had tried. It was not the head of his son, but of his son's attacker. One of them, anyway. He didn't even notice the taste of the rotting chunk upon his tongue. Njal was numb, he was basking in his failures on the long road home.

As the beast came to a familiar rise, he stopped his endless slog across the grassland. Before him he could see the remnants of Maera's flower patch - her first discovery upon this new land, and one of his fondest of memories. The flowers had vanished as autumn grew cold. To look upon the patches now, Njal saw only more emptiness. He placed the skull down next to his paws, steadied it with one lazy catch of his wrist, and summoned up the energy to call out.

Yet, as his head raised and he tried to howl to Tuwawi - to any of their family - he found the sound caught hard in his throat. Nothing came out of him for a moment, save for a sheen of tears which welled across his eyes. He was home, but he had returned empty-handed, a hollow man.

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*Danica RIP* · October 31, 2014, 03:43 PM

omg I can't resist

Danica was, as usual, patrolling. Her conversation with Malachi, in her mind, had gone very well. And by that, he may think her a selfish ass, but at least she held no more responsibility than usual. To her mind that was more than a fair trade off.

All those thoughts flew out the window when she saw who was standing on Duskfire lands once more. She'd know that silhouette anywhere. "Njal!" I was called with somewhat uncharacteristic enthusiasm. She was extremely glad to see him ok, though, having struck a somewhat amicable relationship with him before his departure. "You are back !"

Instinctively she looked around for the reason for his departure, a second small pack member. But he was alone save for a trophy, a skull that was distinctively feline in nature. It was then that she noticed his stance, nothing like his once proud posture. Though she felt sorrow for him and his obviously failed mission, her eyes glowed with a vengeful triumph when she looked upon his grisly treasure. "You got one of the bastards. Where?"

Malachi · (This post was last modified: October 31, 2014, 04:02 PM by Malachi.)

Hope you don't mind me joining in, too :o

Four days had passed since Malachi had stepped up as leader of the Glacier pack. Four long and trying days. It took him his all not to focus his worries on Tuwawi and Njal, and not to worry that the lynx would return and strike the dwindled family that remained. But still the anxiety came, not while he tended to the pack by day, but when he settled into fitful sleeps at night. The youth felt at his breaking point, but he couldn't afford to let his weariness take him, not with a pack now delicately placed within his paws.

Sleep had come, but not long enough. Now, in the faint glow of the rising sun, he roamed the lower steps of their Glacial home, in search of peace or stillness or something more than the worry he couldn't shake. The dawn air wove icy spikes through his skin and only served to warn him of the winter that quickly approached. He pushed along and prayed a silent prayer the Sveijarns would return to them before the snow set in - not just one, but all who had been lost.

The youth emerged through the sparse trees to find himself on the edge of a stretching field. He prepared to turn away, but silhouettes on the near horizon caught his eyes - and he let loose a staggered breath. With a sudden burst he sprang forward until he drew up to where his packmates gathered, ears shooting forward at Danica's exclamation. Njal! Elation rushed through the youth, but he found himself rendered speechless in disbelief, not entirely certain if this was really happening. Njal's cutting figure stood crumbled in frailty, and he stood alone - save for the skull of a cat at his paws. Trepidation pricked the youth's paws, but he drew up in silence to stand beside Danica and pricked his ears to listen, trying not to expect the worst.

RIP Njal · (This post was last modified: October 31, 2014, 04:06 PM by RIP Njal.)

Edited to include Malachi because lol I didn't see that!

As Njal lowered his head once more, he tried to steady himself. To ease the burdensome thoughts from his mind, the doubt, the heartache, so that he could howl to his family. Imagining Tuwawi's face, her sorrow and frustration when it was learned that Larus was nowhere to be seen... This is what steeled him against a second attempt. He stood with the bare, chilled morning settling around him. And then a familiar voice roused him - he turned his attention upon the approaching figure, and while Njal was pleased to see a familiar face, he was silent.

Roaming eyes - he had anticipated that - and then the realization that Larus was not with him. Njal couldn't bare to even look upon the young woman as she searched for the child. She spotted the skull, which Njal briskly nudged away from himself. It half-rolled and then sank against the soil.

You got one of the bastards. Where? She was pleased, but that wasn't what had transpired. The memory of finding the tomcat was something that Njal went over, time and again. Studying the events for traces he may have missed. He had found the male in a bloody state, all lacerated skin and sagging flesh. Njal had set upon the beast swiftly and ended his misery, but there was little work involved. Larus had not been there.

West. was all he could muster. In to unknown forests, where the scent of the boy dwindled. Where the tomcat's body lay in the shadows of the trees, probably picked clean by scavengers by now. The man took a breath and tried to include more, to give Danica some sort of assurance, but Njal had lost hope. There were more than we thought, more lynx, he meant.

But enough about the damn cats.

The beast lifted his gaze to Danica's face, finally, knowing he wouldn't be able to hide the immense sorrow which he harbored; beside her there was suddenly another figure, and while Njal's mind told him, Malachi, he was too overwhelmed by other thoughts to even acknowledge the boy just yet. The sheen across his eyes had dulled by this point, but the rest of him - his body, mind, and soul - reeked of loss. He's gone. Larus is... I couldn't... His body sagged as he slouched back upon the earth, deflating with the effort of this announcement.

And then, another thought.

I must see Tuwawi. She has to know. But there would be more tragedy ahead for the patriarch of the Sveijarn family. Sadness was all the glacier had left for them.

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*Danica RIP* · November 01, 2014, 11:38 AM

She'd surmised as much, though just how many she hadn't been able to tell. Njal didn't seem interested in pursuing the subject though, much the pity. Danica's way of coping with this situation had been to hunt the felines with an almost mindless focus and ferocity. Her mindset hadn't shifted yet.

She deferred to him, though, when she saw the defeat on him when he admitted his son was gone. The utter hopelessness in him made Danica rather awkward for she had no idea what one did in this sort of situation. The proper response might have been 'don't worry, he's out there somewhere, we'll find him' but Danica had never been a good liar. It might be true, but chances weren't good, and to give false hope was sometimes worse than coming to terms with reality.

When he asked to see Tuwawi, it was her turn to deflate a bit, eyes lowing before coming up to his face once more. "She's gone." It was stated matter of factly, but her voice was softer than usual. Njal didn't look like he needed another hit, yet again she could not lie to him. "We don't know where. She, Valtyr, Jokull... they are all gone. Though there are no signs to say they did not leave willingly." Save one - the little girl left behind. "Maera is here, though. She will be glad that you are returned." It was a single ray of sunshine to the distraught father, but she hoped it was enough to give him some amount of purpose again. Maera would need her father now, and he would need her just as much she didn't doubt.

Malachi · November 02, 2014, 04:22 PM

So there had been more. Malachi let his eyes sink to the battered skull, muddied by the soggy ground, and felt the sparking anger return. Njal's news did not surprise him, but reaffirmed their need to stay all the more vigilant in the days and moons to come.

The sorrow that flowed from the Northerner's fur gave word enough as to what would come next. Malachi found himself unable to meet the man's stricken face, and kept his stare trained upon the skull. He knew his words could do nothing to ease the man's pain. Larus was gone, as far as they knew, and now they would mourn with Njal and stand by him through the heavy days to come - though Malachi knew none of their sorrow could ever amount to the anguish raging through the father who'd given his all to find his son.

But Njal's final words caused the youth's heart to sink. The patriarch had returned to an empty home. Malachi feared how the man would respond to the news only a fragment of his offspring remained - and felt again the guilt that they could have done more, that they should have noticed Tuwawi's disappearance and pursued her sooner, when her trail had been strong. Danica did not sugarcoat her words, but the softness in her voice did not go unnoticed by the youth. Malachi felt a stir of gratitude toward the golden warrior, but he himself remained silent. It was not in his place to speak now: Danica had said what needed to be said, and he could find no further words of comfort or hope.

RIP Njal · November 02, 2014, 04:46 PM

His fire was what kept him going, long before finding the charming glacier and its own guiding light; Tuwawi had been his one and only, the woman who kept him rooted when his wanderlust became too great. He knew that she would always be nearby, and that her light would guide him home.

And yet, as Danica told him the news of Tuwawi's absence, of the family which had been stripped bare while he had been searching the wilds for their youngest son, Njal felt that flickering light extinguish. He didn't want it to be true - how could it be? How could Tuwawi be gone? Whatever hope Njal had displayed when the thought of his wife entered his mind was promptly removed. He looked utterly gutted, and sagged against the grass.

No, He breathed the word through clenched teeth. No she can't be gone. His rough voice became monotone as the denial took hold. No, no - he wanted to scream, but couldn't even fathom lifting his head. He wanted to deny this awful truth - to see her glowing face again, ignited by her love of him. Maera is here though, Danica mentioned, and in an instant Njal was latching upon this last glimmer of family he had left. She will be glad that you are returned.

Had he returned? It still felt like pieces were missing; more now than before. It hurt to lose a son, but the entire family? All while he was distracted by those infernal lynx. Njal sat before Danica and Malachi, but he said nothing. He couldn't function - it took effort to remember to breathe at the very least - but gradually he regained some semblance of himself. He still had a daughter. He still had Maera, and she needed him now.

I must... Go see her. Tuwawi, or Maera? He wasn't specific. But he did get to his feet, and he did begin to doggedly move beyond his two friends.

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*Danica RIP* · November 08, 2014, 03:31 AM

sorry for the holdup! This can be last from me

As she watched him deflate even further, crushed under the weight of her revelation, she was doubly glad to have some good news to give. Despite their lack of interaction recently, she counted the father a friend and did not enjoy bringing him pain. The blow was necessary, though. Better him to find out now than to arrive at an empty den.

When she mentioned Maera he responded with more fervor, and Danica moved out of his way. She of course assumed he meant his child, for who else would he be speaking of? Tuwawi was gone. In her opinion the reunion of father and daughter was what both needed now, so she wasn't about to even think of getting in the way of it.

Malachi · November 14, 2014, 12:42 PM

Last from me as well (:

Malachi bowed his head, unable to meet his gaze to Njal's crumbled form more than ever before. The pain in his denial stung the youth, but Malachi kept his mouth sealed. What could he possibly say? That he understood the grieving father's pain? That he knew what it was like to lose nearly all your family in one blow? He supposed a small part of him did understand, but he had only lost a brother, and he lived knowing the others he'd left behind were safe with each other. Could anyone speak the same hope for Tuwawi and her pups?

All he could do was step aside as Danica did, to give the father room, to remove himself from the path separating the Northerner and his fire-kissed daughter, huddled in her empty den. Maera - at least Maera remained, a fraction of comfort for the grieving father in this shattered land.

RIP Njal · November 15, 2014, 02:08 PM

Quick finisher from me. All the sads! ;-;

They said nothing as he passed, and truth be told, he would not have heard them if they had spoken. All that sat in his mind was an image of Maera - or maybe it was a mixture of Maera and Tuwawi; a muddying of their similar features. Njal couldn't fathom the thought of Tuwawi being gone - truly gone - not yet. Perhaps not ever. So he would work his way through the forest until he found his daughter's sleeping place.

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