Blacktail Deer Plateau Don't be a fool for the city lights

It had been raining for few days now and Osprey thought that this kind of greeting was a little ironic. Given the fact that she had fled, when the forest had been set on fire. With many lost days she had come back to herself. It had taken even more time to realize that she was too far away from home to find her way back easily. And a while to come to terms with the fact that she had not escaped from the fire unharmed and that her eyesight was permanently damaged. The world that once had been drawn with clear lines was forever meant to be seen in blur.

If someone, who knew her, were to meet her at the moors on that rainy day, they would have hard time recognizing the once tall and proud she-wolf, because the creature that stopped by the river to have a drink and rest, was merely a shadow of what it had once been. The gray fur around her face and back had faded to white, along with the skinny stature and eyes that were sunken in their sockets, giving an impression that the wolf was very old. One could clearly tell that her gait was uneven, though it was hard to tell, which paw was to blame. At times it seemed the wolf was limping on all four. But the most prominent feature was the general weariness of the body and the soul that was hiding within. 

She had lost track of how many days she had walked, neither did she know, when she had had the rest for the last time. Because once she had recognized the familiar grounds, the instinct to return home had begun to burn strongly. Yet there were many miles ahead of her and the only thing that kept her going was the knowledge that this path would end eventually. 

Osprey crossed the river and sat down to rest. She lifted her muzzle to test the air, to catch any familiar scent at all and, when she did not, she sighed and lied down. The sheer willpower that had kept her going all this time gave up and the exhaustion took over. Not today... she muttered.

for timeline sake I'm gonna say this happens after he and Lasher get back :) I can't resist. I missed you and osprey lots!!! Glad you were able to return! <3

He and Lasher had returned only a short time ago from their trip, but so far it appeared nothing had gone amiss during their exploration. He had yet to check in with anyone, but this patrol was showing unimpeded borders, as surely scents would have lingered had anything of note occurred.

He had taken a liked to some of the lands they had crossed. The forests, even with some felled trees and lingering scars from the storms, were stately and grand. They would support them should they make good on their plans, and he knew Lasher and he were of a like mind. Both wanted to start over, find a place without the memories that clung to this plateau like shades. It was time.

When he spotted one such shade, he did not recognize her. Distance played into this, but her demeanor and physical appearance also strove to hide her. He had long given up hope that she still lived, assuming she had perished in the fire, knowing that was the only explanation for her long absence. So he saw only a stranger, loitering far too near to his borders for comfort.

He growled threateningly and took a step forward. She looked weak and sick, but he wasn't about to take pity. Rain's intrusion in a similar state had extinguished much of his patience for such matters. She would need to move on.

Osprey did not know, how long had she lied there, when a menacing growl and sensing the presence of the other woke her up with a start. She lifted her head and saw a form of a big wolf standing nearby. Rain made it hard to distinguish any smells, so for a moment she stared at the stranger with squinted eyes, trying to make out any details, but due to lack of an adequate light, it was hard to do. 

She was in no shape to fight, neither would she be able to obey and flee. Yet she wanted to live very much, so the only option was to beg not to be killed. The she-wolf got to her feet, wincing, as her muscles and joints protested, and stood there with her head and tail hung low. Looking just as miserable as she felt. 

ooc: I am glad to be back. :)

She was slow to rise but quick to submit. In her state she wouldn't have presented much of a challenge anyway, yet instinctually her demeanor caused the growl to lessen in intensity. Instead he stared, still failing to see anything recognizable in the haze of rain and his own misconception.

"You are close to claimed lands. Why?" Perhaps it was a mistake. Or perhaps she wished to join. His eyes narrowed at that thought. Winter was coming and he wasn't sure he wanted to take on this sorry creature. No, better she leave. Her chances out there weren't great, but once she left his sight, that would cease to be his concern. It was a cruel world.

He waited for an answer impatiently, expression hard and tail erect. If he had any luck she'd turn and leave with an apology, nothing more. Hopefully she had enough wits to know what would happen if she trespassed further.

The wolf spoke to Osprey and she thought she recognized the voice. For a brief moment she dared to lift her muzzle up and her cloudy eyes studied the stranger's face, seeking any familiar traits. However, it was in vain - she could not make out the details and during her wanderings far too often had she let herself hope that she had heard the voice of a friend, seen a familiar shape. Over time you get used to the disappointment.

Yet he had asked a question and she, who had not spoken to another living being in months, needed time to find the right words. "I... I had a home once... here," Osprey said quietly.

For Dante, the opposite occurred.  While he did not recognize her on sight, when she spoke, something clicked.  For a moment he stood stock still, his brain trying to catch up to the implications of that voice.  And then he saw.

"Os?"  It came out softly, dumbfounded.  He'd given up hope, assumed her gone, never to be seen again.  And even now he had a hard time believing.  All this time, and suddenly she was back.  He barely saw the condition she was in anymore, so taken aback by the fact that she stood before her.  He didn't know how to react.

They had had their differences, but she'd been one of his closest friends before disappearing.  Perhaps even more.  It had rocked him, and now that she was here, his first instinct should have been joy.  But even as his conscious thought adjusted, he was conflicted.  Where had she been?  If this was her home, why had it taken her so long to come back?  They had needed her.  He had needed her.  And she had left them.

It wasn't rational, that accusation.  Her state gave an idea of what she had gone through in her time since the fire.  But in this instance, logic gave way to a surge of confused and misplaced anger, and he shut down.

"You're alive."  A statement, and he continued to stare as he delivered it.  He made no move yet to close the space, but instead remained still, leaving unspoken questions hanging in the air between them.

During her long absence it had never occurred to Osprey that some people might have thought of her as dead. She had been so focused on finding her way back that the very idea would have seemed odd. The only thing she regretted was that once things had appeared to be settled and there was a possible happily-ever-after for her somewhere, it was mercilessly taken away from her. Fate had a rather cruel way of playing with people's lives sometimes. 

"Dante..." she was about to make a step forward but both the coldness in his voice and her own insecurity about where they stood after this long time made her stop and stay, where she was. An uncomfortable silence set between them, as she tried very hard to decide, how to make her name clear. "I... there was so much fire... I... I fled and lost my way," that was all she could give him.

It was an honest explanation and he could hear the truth in it. But still he for some reason could not waver, as the door was shut for the moment. And at least for now it would not budge.

However, personal feelings aside, there was one thing that he was sure of - she did not leave of her own choosing. This meant that her place among them was still there, should she wish it. There was no question on this, and even though he was still officially leader only until Lasher deemed to take his place, he knew the now-beta would still agree. He would likely even accept her with open affection, for the man was a better type than he could ever hope to be.

"You had a home here, and still do. If you wish it." His tone lost some of it's edge, but he still kept himself apart, unsure. Focused on what he could - being a leader. Whatever she might choose, he would likely need to at least get her something to eat. It looked as though it had been a long time since her last meal.

There was something about Dante's tone that suggested that behind the polite welcome back to the ranks there was a lot more that he kept to himself. The same coldness she had felt before. Distance. It hurt yet, who was to blame for that. If the situation was reversed... wouldn't she act the same? But dealing with the complicated matters of relationships was too much of an effort now. Now that her quest to find her home again had come to an end, all she wanted to do was to rest. Sleep for few days, if not more. 

"Thank you..." she murmured and settled down on her haunches. She cast a glance at the forest behind her and seemed to contemplate something, then she sighed and lied down. "I am sorry," she sighed as she put her head between her outstretched forepaws and closed her eyes. If just saying "sorry" could fix things so easily.

He nodded, glad that she was back to stay but for the moment keeping on the track he'd started. "Wait here." She looked ready to settle in but he loped off to find something for her to eat, be it before or after sleep.

He knew there was a fish or two buried nearby though he wasn't the one to put them there. Perhaps Pearl or one of Lasher's children. He unearthed them and took one, unsure how much she would want after a while without.

Shaking some of the earth from it, he kept it clenched in his teeth as he made his way back, setting it nearby and pausing. For a minute he considered leaving.... Letting her rest alone and continuing his patrol. But his need to collect his thoughts took a backseat for the moment, and he laid down silently nearby. She could ask him to leave if she wished, but something told him she might rest better knowing someone was keeping watch in the meantime.

ooc: I will fade this out here, but we can have another thread with more talking, perhaps?

One often makes a mistake in thinking that "happily ever after" means an ending to a story. Not quite, not at all, because there is always a life after that. Easier than the challenges that have been met on one's journey, but neither easy, nor less complicated. That moment of triumph doesn't last very long - Osprey's happiness for finding her home again had flickered for a moment or two, when she had realized that the stranger before her was - in fact - her friend. As she let herself doze off, she understood that now as this quest had come to an end, there was a more difficult one ahead of her.Joy of seeing her packmates again was overshadowed by the fact that she would have to make amends and explain her absence. Again.

She sighed again, deciding to leave this trouble for tomorrow - she was too tired to deal with it now anyway. When Dante returned, Osprey was asleep already, unaware of the food he had brought for her and his decision to stay close to her.