Ocean's Breath Plateau many waters

Valiant and Katmai are with him, but can be skipped. Paging @Rodyn @Simbelmyne @Chakliux but AW

Limping,

scarred,

emaciated,

the panther returned. There was a hollow look to his face. His right ear was now a scabby stump, and his right eye was clouded with infection. His right shoulder, too, bore deep and poorly healed wounds, but he was alive. And so was Valiant, who looked like nothing so much as a pale, matted skeleton at his side.

And, most importantly, so was Katmai. The boy walked closely and Dutch's other side, sometimes tangling their legs together in an effort to remain within his father's shadow. The months had been less harrowing to him than to the two adults, but he, too, was worryingly thin and sporting a tattered right ear to match his father's.

They stopped at the borders, relief at finally arriving sapping all the remaining strength from their bones. Dutch tipped his head back and howled to herald their return before lowering himself to his aching haunches.

"We are home," he reassured his son.

At his side, Valiant stirred weakly into awareness.

"Vaire?"

Dutch's heart twisted.

"Soon," he promised the other man.

They'd been gone for a very long time. The whole misadventure was confused in the young wolf's memories; he could recall specific events with perfect clarity, but he was not always sure what he led up to them, nor where they fell in the timeline. He knew he'd tried to find his father. He knew he'd been lost. Father had found him, or maybe he'd found his father, and then they'd rescued Uncle Valiant together —

That was, at least, how his young mind had begun to categorize things.

Katmai was eager to be reunited with his family. As soon as he saw his mother's face, he was sure, everything would go back to normal. For now, though, he was reluctant to move from his father's side.

It would come back in time, but for the moment, Valiant managed to remember very little of his time away. The initial strike to his head and trip down the river hadn't done too much damage, but it'd kept him near insensate long enough for him to lose the trail. Then it was a badly broken leg that'd kept him from finding a way back up the ravine, and he'd dragged himself up and down river for a very long time, looking for a way back across.

Hunger was the true thief of his memories. Malnutrition plagued him even after a few much-needed meals shared between the three males. Most of it had gone to the boy, who, of the three of them, was best able to keep his meals down.

Valiant was sick with worry for his family. Though he knew they would be taken care of, knew that Vaire had taken good care of their daughters, he knew that anything could happen.

He was sick, too, with the knowledge that he had failed. He had not found @Nutuyikruk. He could only hope — desperately — that the girl had been found and reunited with the family in his absence.

Rodyn heeded the call. More vigilant of his borders and his wolves. He wanted to welcome them back kindly and his face did. But he kept quiet at first taking in their shell shocked appearances. He would do his best.

A dip of his muzzle. It is good to see you all. We have wondered after you and worried.

A small smile and a motion with his paw.

I don't need answers right now. Let's just get you some food and some rest.

my son.

a great chill ran through him at the summons, and he sprang to his paws from his resting place in the rendezvous. quickly as his old joints could manage, aditya jogged toward the border, and did not hesitate to embrace arjun (if accepted)—and the wayward katmai, as well!

valiant, too, received a relieved nod and a wag of his tail. his heart leapt at the sight of all three, and he struggled to contain his emotions, rodyn's words almost muffled through the roaring of blood in his ears.

i am so happy you're back, beta, adi breathed, eyes swimming as he looked over the trio. all of you. please, come eat and rest, he echoed rodyn, jerking his chin back toward the center of moontide.

oh, katmai! simbelmyne would be over the moon. he himself felt as if he floated on air.

As kind as Rodyn was to see to their needs before seeking answers, Dutch felt he might die if he did not get some of his own. Yet his throat was too tight to eke out any questions. He swallowed reflexively and managed to speak a short, hoarse agreement: "We have worried, too."

For themselves, of course, but for the rest of their families even more strongly. Dutch did not expect they would find any of Valiant's daughters amongst Moontide, but what of his own children? Simbelmyne? Chakliux and the rest of the seal hunters? They'd been gone for many moons; Dutch wanted to know each night they'd gone without him as intimately as if he'd been present.

There was no easy balm for the sting of lost time. He only hoped for the promise of more time yet to come.

The panther's heart splintered yet again when his own father appeared. Somehow, he had not expected to find Aditya still among the living when he returned. Life had never been so difficult, and it had been easy to conflate his own suffering with the general state of the world. Seeing him, however, and feeling the aging strength in his embrace, filled Dutch with a sort of hope and peace he'd not often experienced in his life.

At last, they were home.

"Come," he said to his own son, who had begun to whimper in his grandfather's arms. He nudged Valiant as well, and guided him along in the wake of the two men.

"He is weak," he said to them as they came to shelter. Valiant grumbled in protest, but had no strength to refute the claim. "He needs a healer," Dutch amended. "His meals won't stay down."

Dutch, too, could do with a check-up; his eye and his shoulder in particular seemed to warrant concern. But he could not think of his vessel right then. He had to know: "Simbelmyne? Our children?" Lantern-like eyes flickered between Rodyn and Aditya's faces, searching for answers.

As if reply to Dutch's last inquiry, a cream-and-chocolate burly form came barrelling onto the scene.

Father! Kitimat exclaimed, moving close to lick at the man's muzzle in deepest affection. It had been some time since he'd seen the man, but he knew him well—those memories from childhood tended to stick.

His tail thrashed behind him, and his eyes sparkled. He stepped back and looked at dadaji, then to Dutch and—

Katmai!

Pure joy. The youngster circled his brother and threw a foreleg over his shoulder, hoping to tackle him to the ground in boyish love.

It was the most feeling Kitty had displayed since. . .ever, really.