new as the rising sun

Maybe for @Tryphon, but all welcome.

Their life within the unfurling confines of Jade Fern Grove was as unlike that at Nova Peak as she could imagine. The greenery was thick and lively, the birds and creatures that populated the verdant foliage were abundant where the peak had been, if not barren, at least sparsely inhabited. It was a change in pace and livelihood that brought Kaskara to the small stream that fed into a pond, and slithered further away into the rushes currents of a swiftcreek tributary.

The world had not changed much, aside from scenery and location. Their family stuck together still. Always. She would never leave them willingly, not after her heart had been nearly battered at the thought of losing them during the fire. She wanted nothing more than to see her niece and nephews grow and mature, to see her own family blossom into being. She considered Kieran her mate, even if their bond was not official before all. It didn't matter to her.

So that morning, as the sun kissed the dew-lined grass, she sat near the stream and pondered their fate.

He didn't really know what to do with himself. There was the constant urge to explore, of course, but also the apprehension that there would be someone watching him - not exactly paranoia, but an unease. Tryphon had not been very attentive to the pack for the past few weeks, and Scimitar had made it clear upon finding him after the fire that there would be no more chances. Still, the boy wasn't sure; he wanted to prove his loyalty and his ability, but there was an overpowering desire within him to roam. The best he could do to satiate his needs, at least for now, would be to explore the borders. At the very least, he could make sure Bazi's children were safe, that they all were.

Then again, Tryphon was no warrior. He had lost some weight in their travel (as well as most of his puppy fat during the weeks of his northern wandering), but there wasn't much muscle to take its place. He had not trained himself to fight nor strengthened his body in any manner; in fact, Tryphon hadn't done much of anything. All of that would be remedied with time - but for now, his stamina did not aid him in his patrol. The boy wandered through the thick foliage, getting tangled in patches of strange plant matter or finding his low-slung body getting wedged between trees, under fallen logs, or facing other such obstacles, frequently.

When he came to a frustrated halt, his gray pelt was streaked with fresh green; there was moss clinging to the fur of his shoulders, and debris from at least one rotten stump tangled in the fur of his belly. He was a mess. And yet, as he peered out over the trickling stream, he spotted Kaskara. She seemed.. Pensive. Not nearly as sorrowful or as worn out as she had been during the travel. There was hope, then, that the peak wolves could recover -- 'the peak wolves?' he thought with a small huff. 'valley wolves now, i suppose.'

When the grey boy revealed himself, the golden mask upon his face was offset by the greenery that clung to his fur in bits. The beta studied him carefully and after a long moment finally revealed a smile and a nod to beckon him closer. They were pack, little as Tryphon had been around, and pack took care of each other. He had been there during their time of need and that was all that Kaskara truly cared about. For now.

"You've grown." The observation wasn't warranted, but she didn't know what else to say to him then. "I'm sorry we haven't gotten to know each other well. It is something I need to fix, knowing my pack." She seated herself near the stream and watched him, wondering. "I can't imagine that returning to us just at the brink of disaster has been easy for you." With that, she invited him to speak. Perhaps they could use his wanderlust to their advantage. Kaskara was the sole outrider, but they would need others soon enough. She felt the pull of roaming as sharply as Tryphon did, but her sense of duty held her back.

She didn't say anything at first, but she did smile softly. It was enough. Prompted forwards, Tryphon took a few sluggish steps and came to a stop next to her - but not too close - as if to lightly test the boundaries. Her comment caught him by surprise; there was no response needed to that either, so he sat quietly. When Kaskara apologized, Tryphon's yellow face went from passive (apprehensive?) to concerned, but only briefly. It wasn't necessary for her to apologize; it had been his own desire to wander off from the group, and so it was his own fault that he was a stranger to the bulk of the pack.

"I can't imagine that returning to us just at the brink of disaster has been easy for you," she concluded, and then another silence budded between them. Tryphon didn't realize she wanted a response until things started to feel awkward and displaced. Maybe he had spent too much time away from other wolves - or maybe he just wasn't sure what to do, in general. He half expected more condemnation for his actions.

"Its.. I don't know," he spoke slowly, as if trying to process what she had said, over and over again. Yes, it was hard, but he did not miss the land like everyone else did. He did not mourn it so strongly. "The hardest part was.. Seeing how disappointed Scimitar was." Or had it been anger? Tryphon couldn't remember the specifics, only that he'd made a promise. "I don't think... I don't think he trusts me." But then, Tryphon hardly trusted himself either.

Tryphon seemed lost within himself, gauging his answer even before he gave it. In that way, he was much like her brother. They mulled over each thought carefully before putting words to it. Kaskara hadn't always been that way, but in her time in the wilds she had learned to guard her tongue and use caution with others, especially strangers. She could appreciate his pause, and knew that his mind worked behind his silence.

Eventually he answered, revealing his trepidation and unease about her brother's disappointment. She knew that look in Scimitar's eyes all too well and felt for the young man. It wasn't easy being on the receiving end of her brother's stare. "He trusts very few, Tryphon. Don't let that worry you." She pondered her reply in a moment of silence, turning over words and phrases until she found the right set.

"Perhaps you could use your urge for travel to help the pack, to make Scimitar see that you are trustworthy." She paused for a moment, studied him, and continued. "Have you ever thought of being an outrider?"

It relieved him a little to hear of Scimitar's reluctance to trust. It wasn't just his own actions which prompted the cold shoulder (though, it most likely was a large part of it). Tryphon was still worried. One wrong move, and Scimitar could throw him out for good - and then what would the boy do? Return to the north where he had been hiding? The thought of being alone made his mood sour further; he looked suddenly sad, with his head drooping.

Then Kaskara mentioned outrider duties, and the boy's ears gave a little tremble. "I'm not sure," he responded with his usual apprehension, and paused to think. It didn't take long before he continued. "I do want to help everyone, and... I'm sure you're right. But what if.." What if he went off on an outrider mission and didn't come back? What if the pull of the world was too much? Tryphon didn't voice these thoughts.

"What if I fail." He said this softly, quietly, as if by speaking the words he was reciting a terrible curse.

Tryphon and her brother were much the same, though neither would admit it to the other: constantly in battle with themselves, fighting over what words to whisper and when, and highly insecure in their ability to live up to others' expectations. Kaskara had some of those issues, as well, but she was slowly learning to let go of the expectations placed on her by others; they were usually unattainable and therefore unworthy of her time. She loved her family and was loyal unto death. That was all that mattered to her.

The boy in front of her was scared, she realized before he said as much. Kaskara studied him for a moment longer and then shrugged one shoulder. "If you fail, then you fail. But if you don't even try, isn't that a bigger failure? To say 'no' before you even had a chance to try?" Her orange and teal eyes watched him, wondering what he was truly afraid of. Scimitar? Surely that was not the only thing keeping him within his own limits. "You cannot live your life on 'what if,' Tryphon. Living like that only keeps you captive."

He listened but didn't entirely understand. Tryphon was a rigid boy, mentally. He would take in the words and likely not understand their meaning for some time, not without deliberation; but they did settle within his mind. Kaskara had a point - he should try, at least. To not even attempt was worse than failure. But his fears were great, his unease paramount. He did not want to lose another family - that was at the heart of it all. The fear of loss, of seeking something intangible and never attaining it.

"I'll try." he briskly agreed, though his tone was less than enthused. The boy grew despondent then, and looked away from Kaskara; he drifted in his own thoughts and seemed to flounder there, for a time. If there was anything else to be said, he would listen, but his concern was clear upon his face. "Being an outrider would be fun, I think." As much fun as was permitted here, anyway.

Tryphon still hesitated, but Kaskara didn't blame him. Being afraid of failure wasn't a weakness; it was a reality that every creature faced, especially predators. Failing meant less safety, less food, and less time to make it right. Kaskara understood his fear only too well. But she had grown away from the fear, accepted it as part of her life, and worked to overcome it. Most times she could do just that, but sometimes she was still afraid.

"I think you'll have fun. Maybe start with something small." She smiled at him, glad that their conversation was moving forward. "I'm an outrider myself. Maybe I could teach you a few things, if you want?" Kaskara had never wanted an apprentice before, but something about the boy tugged at her heart, and she thought that maybe they'd be able to help each other in this.